Amada- Phila

I have seriously been dying to try Jose Garces's tapas restaurant, Amada, for the longest time now. Having spent a semester studying (and mostly eating or taking siestas) in Spain, the bar's been set rather high. Reading the reviews on Yelp, I knew I had to get the crab-stuffed peppers that so many reviewers raved about. And trust me, I had every intention of ordering it but when the server made his way over to take my order, I had totally forgotten to do so. Oh well, I guess this means I'll have an excuse to revisit soon.

The waiter suggested that we order four or five tapas a person but I'd say three tapas each is more than enough unless you're absolutely starving (in that case, Amada is probably not a good choice).

Chips and Tuna Dip

This little snack was gratis (free) and therefore that much better. The chips were fresh and crunchy and the tuna dip was marvelous. It was really creamy and tasty.

 

Pulpo a La Gallega (Spanish Octopus)

I almost always order grilled octopus when it's offered on the menus of Spanish or Italian restaurants. The dish looks really spicy but trust me, it wasn't. Octopus is definitely one of those tricky foods that can easily overcook but if prepared properly, tastes great. The skin had just a slight crisp and the inside was meaty but not chewy. Even the slices of potato were cooked well.

Aged Manchego with Truffled Lavender Honey

Given that my dad is a beekeeper and bottles his own honey every year, I think I know my honey business inside and out. OK, just kidding, I'm not that much of an expert but I've definitely sampled a wide variety of honey in the past. More viscous than most, this lavender honey was thankfully not cloyingly sweet and the truffle was distinctly present. The flavor or scent of truffles is one that's hard to describe but easy to detect. As for the cheese, the crunchy manchego, though not overly sharp, paired well with the sweetness of the honey.

Datiles con Almendras- Bacon Wrapped Dates with Almonds and Cabrales
I highly recommend this tapa as it was easily my favorite (or second favorite) dish of the night. A perfectly toasted nut encased in a sweet date wrapped in a savory skin of bacon made for a perfect bite of sweet and salty. Then there's the cheese sauce that adds an element of richness, as well as moisture to offset the dryness of the meat. I wished all of the other tapas were this good.

 

Alcachofas y Setas- Artichoke, Wild Mushrooms, Black Truffles, Manchego Flatbread

Since when did pizzettes become a part of Spanish cuisine, I'm not entirely sure but they were offered on the menu so we sampled two. I naturally favored the shortribs flatbread pictured below because I'd choose meat over veggies any day of the week but this one wasn't bad. However, at $14 a pop, I was expecting something spectacular but that was sadly not the case. This flatbread in entirety was about the size of ONE regular slice of pizza. So with that in mind, I wouldn't recommend ordering any of the flatbreads unless you were looking for a tiny slice of overpriced pizza (call it what you will).

Costillas de Ternera- Beef Shortribs, Horseradish, Parmesan, Bacon Flatbread
As explained above, these flatbreads are good, but not great and definitely way overpriced. I will admit that the beef was extremely moist and flavorful not to mention tender and easy to eat. The crust is crisp and the flatbread wasn't greasy but these are all aspects that should come standard with any good pizza so I can't give these guys too much praise.

Albondigas- Lamb Meatballs, Shaved Manchego
Our waiter, in his NOT-so-infinite wisdom, suggested this dish to us and it was unfortunately a horrible choice. I found the sauce far too salty and my dinner guest didn't enjoy the meatballs too much. I don't really know how the Spanish preparation of meatballs differ from the Italian ways (if there's any difference at all) but they tasted like your average run of the mill meatballs. After nibbling on one of these, I had to send this selection back.

Crema Catalana- Vanila Custard, Caramel Veil, Ginger and Pine Nut
We ordered this dessert thinking it sounded and hopefully would taste similar to a creme brulee but such was not the case. I had just a tiny bite of this dessert as it was rather small to begin with but I wasn't a huge fan. The "veil" is a thin film of gelatin of sorts and the custard was similar in texture to a semifreddo. I'm unsure as to why the pine nuts were paired with this ginger sauce (or vice versa) but that's beyond me.

 

Lemon Torta- Blueberry Jam, Lemon Confit, Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream

The blueberry ice cream (hiding in the back to the right) was almost half melted by the time it was served. NOT COOL. Literally. I was expecting the cake itself to pack a little more tartness but it was definitely on the sweeter side. In terms of texture, the cake is neither airy nor dense, something in between. It wasn't a bad end to the entire meal but I'd certainly try a different dessert next time.

Ambiance: 4 out of 5

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Food: 3.5 out of 5

Verdict: Not that I was disappointed (OK, I was slightly disappointed) with Amada but for the prices they charge for these tapas, I was expecting far better.

http://www.amadarestaurant.com/menu.html

http://www.yelp.com/biz/amada-philadelphia

Meritage- Boston

This post was suppose to make its way onto the blog several weeks back but I completely forgot to post it so here it is now. Always better late than never :)

Housed in the opulent Boston Harbor Hotel, Meritage, is an inviting, elegant establishment serving up fine food, wonderful service and a romantic view of the waterfront. From the dimly lit candles to the ornate red tablecloth coupled with the theme of beige, brown and deep red hues present, Meritage is definitely one of those restaurants reserved for special occasions. The environment is upscale but quite upbeat as evidenced by the lively level of noise and chatter from fellow diners. 

From reading reviews, I got a mixed bag of responses. Some forewarned that diners are paying for the overpriced view because the meal itself is not that impressive. Read on for my opinion.

Steamed Maine Lobster Tail on the Half Shell

I was so amazed with the menu offerings of Meritage, especially in light of the fact that it was Restaurant Week and most places serve up sub-par items to compensate for the low prices. Serving lobster on the menu is seriously unheard of for Restaurant Week. And it wasn't any old frozen lobster that spent hours thawing from the freezer. The meat was succulent, fresh, plump and cooked perfectly without overdoing it. The light tangerine broth was an invigorating contrast to the sweetness of the lobster. And did I mention, the portion was extremely generous for an appetizer. It could honestly be an entree.

Pan Roasted Atlantic Swordfish Medallion

The broth is a carrot ginger essence containing bok choy, peas and sprouts. Unfortunately, I felt there was quite a bit of overlap between my first and second course, both in presentation and also in taste. Both dishes contained peas, sprouts and seafood in a light broth. Also, more is definitely not always better. I was overwhelmed by the size of this swordfish steak as it was indeed a huge hunk of fish. Despite the quantity of the seafood, the quality was not up to par since the fish was seriously overcooked and under-seasoned.

Chocolate Tasting Plate

From left to right: white chocolate and vanilla bean semi-freddo, dark chocolate espresso brulee, and coconut cocoa bar.

The coconut cocoa bar was extremely dense and filled with shredded coconut flakes. To escape some of the bitterness of the dark chocolate, there's the sweetness from the vanilla semi-freddo. I must point out that the "brulee" was hardly a brulee since it was missing that candied shell on top (how could they have forgotten the best part?). Overall, all three samplings were decadent and made for a gorgeous end to a delicious meal.
________________________________
What my dinner date ordered:

Pan Seared Diver Scallops

So I learned from Cat Cora during an episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate, that diver scallops are duly named diver scallops because divers actually handpick these jumbo lumps of deliciosity and so they are larger and meatier than normal scallops. In the middle, there's a white turnip puree and the scallops sit in a light butter bath. Although there were only two scallops on the plate, each one of them was extremely fleshy and really moist. It was a perfect-portioned appetizer.

Wood Grilled Filet Mignon

As I'm quite scared of undercooked meat, my dinner date sliced a piece of the outermost (and obviously most cooked through) part of the steak for me to try. I enjoyed the smokiness of the steak and the whipped potato side was extremely buttery and velvety.

 

Fruit Tasting Plate

From left to right: apple pie cake, Mascarpone cheesecake, and green apple sorbet with gingersnap cookie.

We got the best of all worlds with this sampler. The sorbet touched upon the element of tartness while the cheesecake and apple pie cake provided a sweet end to the meal.

Ambiance: 5 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Food: 3.5 out of 5 (based solely on my meal)
Verdict: Although the food is good, the ambiance and view of the harbor may indeed be more noteworthy.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/meritage-boston

Melting Pot- Boston

Monday night. 6 pm. We walk into the Back Bay Melting Pot and the place is dead. There was no one to greet us at the front desk so we wandered further into the restaurant where we came upon some attitudinal waitstaff that rudely directed us towards the front of the house. Finally, we were seated and our waitress for the night was actually quite nice, thank goodness. It's funny to point out that when I made the reservation, the website asked if I wanted to purchase roses or chocolates for my dinner date as this place is supposedly one of the more "romantic" places (though I beg to differ) to dine at in Boston. We did the four course meal and the two of us girls had to practically be rolled out of the restaurant given the size of our round tummies after dinner.

Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue

I would highly recommend this artichoke dip for your starter. They added quite a bit of garlic to the cheesy concoction which was absolutely savory. It comes with plenty of bread, chips, veggies and apple for dipping. And if you run out of dippers (most likely, you won't), they're happy to refill it for you. The cheese itself was great, not overly salty and perfectly melted.

California Salad

This is your run of the mill salad consisting of mixed greens, tomatoes and crumbled Gorgonzola sprinkled on top. What I really enjoyed was the raspberry black walnut vinaigrette. It tends on the sweeter side of most dressings but the vinaigrette was definitely the star of this dish. The Gorgonzola keeps the sweetness in check by adding that sharp, salty component.

Coq au Vin Broth (I apologize for these less than appetizing photos)
For the entree, we made the sad mistake of electing the wine broth. To the base broth (which I'm guessing is some chicken or beef stock), they added some chopped herbs, mushroom, garlic and red wine. As my dinner date pointed out, the broth smelled like the packet of powdered spice you find in instant noodle kits (and don't get me wrong, I love ramen but in this context, this comparison is not a compliment). The wine was far too strong and the vegetables that we threw into the pot soaked up an unwanted amount of the alcoholic taste. I would not recommend this selection for your broth.

Land and Sea Combo- Ratatouille-Stuffed Raviolis, Beef Tenderloin, Chicken Breast, Shrimp
As for the accompaniments, the chunks of beef were seasoned with way too much pepper. Even after taking a hot bath in the broth, the beef was still encrusted with pepper. My favorite was the ravioli, which was savory and creamy. The meats also came with a side of potatoes, mushrooms and broccoli. Following our waitress's suggestion for making a stuffed mushroom cap,  we cooked the mushrooms in the broth and then filled it with a heaping of the "Green Goddess" sauce (a blend of cream cheese, sour cream, onion and chives).

Chocolate S'mores Fondue

Milk chocolate, melted marshmallow, bits of graham cracker

Dippers- Cheesecake, Pound Cake, Brownie Bite, Coated Marshmallows, Rice Krispies Treat
Now for my favorite part of the entire meal and probably the primary reason why I revisited the Melting Pot, dessert!! The waitress flambeed the fondue table-side, which I think is more for show than anything else. The chocolate was so good!! It's the perfect amount of smooth, creamy chocolate. What a yummy end to a huge meal.

Overall, the meal had its share of high points along with some horrible lows. I would love to return again for the cheese fondue as well as the chocolate fondue but outside of that, I couldn't imagine why I would ever go back for an average salad and an even less-than-average entree.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-melting-pot-boston

Gary Danko- San Francisco

Where do I begin? I don't think I've ever come across a restaurant on Yelp with more reviews than this place right here (over 2,400 entries!!). Not even the super touristy eateries rack up this many reviews. And the most insane part? Gary Danko maintains a stellar 4.5 stars, not an easy feat! The space inside is relatively small and the windows are tinted super dark so you can't see the outside. I guess this aids in creating that dim, romantic ambiance despite the time of day but I much prefer bright, open spaces with ample amounts of light or at least a place with windows and a nice view. Besides, places with no windows (or super dark windows in this case) remind me too much of casinos. You never know what time it is.

I'll get to the food in a second but what absolutely wowed me about the establishment was hands down, the service and staff. Never have I ever (...sounds like I'm playing a drinking game) had such an impeccable dinner service. Their top-notch staff was knowledgeable and polite beyond belief. They were gracious and attentive but not overbearing or annoying. My glass of water was always filled and the waiters came around to clean off any crumbs on the table after each course. I seriously cannot say enough great things about the service.

So I started off with the dungeness crab salad (too bad I don't have a picture). The crab meat was served cold, which is unfortunately, not to my liking. But even so, I appreciated the large, luscious pieces of fresh crab claw. The crab was served over a bed of couscous and there was a bit of acidity from the yuzu (a type of citrus fruit), which refreshingly countered the sweetness of the crab meat.

Roasted Pork Belly and Tenderloin

For my second course, I selected the pork. To my dismay, I cannot say that this is the best pork belly I've had thus far (the best yet is credited to the wild boar belly at Perilla in NY). Food is as much about taste as it is about temperature. Therefore, I wished that the pork belly was served hotter and crispier since it was only warm. Pork belly cooked well has a nice sear on the outside creating that crispy outer skin while sealing in the juices from the fat. Unfortunately, the pork belly here felt a bit dry and the outside lacked that crunch that I was looking for. But not to fear, the tenderloin redeems the dish with its moisture and all-around tenderness.

Creme Fraiche Cheesecake
Finishing off the meal, I went ahead and ordered this super dense and moist cheesecake. The texture was very smooth and velvety. The pecans were candied and toasted to absolute perfection (I could easily snack on a whole plate of them). The sorbet was a balanced, sour counterpoint to the rest of the creaminess and richness on the plate. The delicate lace tuile atop the cheesecake was also very good and delightfully crispy.

Petit Fours
So I thought I was done my meal until they brought over this complimentary sampler of mini desserts. But seeing that I was already stuffed beyond capacity, we had these petite desserts packed. I tried them the next day and the little lemon pomegranate tart was by far the favorite. It was the perfect bite of sweet and sour.

In addition, they gifted another parting dessert, which was a delicious carrot cake and if I remember correctly, even when I ate it the next morning, it was still extremely moist and pillow soft.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco

Eileen's Cheesecake- NY

Boasting numerous accolades and holding a series of titles to its name, Eileen's Cheesecake supposedly houses the very best cheesecakes that New York City has to offer (the toss up is between Eileen's and Junior's). I recently saw this bakery featured on Food Network's Food Wars. Unfortunately, I never finished the episode so I don't know who came out on top. The day after a huge snowstorm, I trudged past all the dirty snow and slush on the ground to get my hands on one of these cakes.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

This one right here was ordered by my friend and I had a nice bite of it.

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
I'm a huge fan of nuts so by default, I liked this cheesecake more than the Dulce de Leche. Both cakes were delicious and rich. On the outer edge, the cakes have this light graham cracker crust which is perfect for adding a little texture as well as a bit of a crunch. What sets Eileen's cakes apart from the rest is the fluffier consistency as opposed to a more compact and denser cake. I really appreciated the smaller serving size (about 3 inches in diameter) because cheesecake is always so decadent and the gigantic slices from Cheesecake Factory are just too much, they kill me every time!

Overall, I enjoyed both variations but I'm not quite convinced that Eileen's is the best around town (Junior's is definitely the next must-try for me). Honestly, Cheesecake Factory could easily give this place a run for its money any day.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/eileens-special-cheesecake-new-york

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!!

it's that time of year again! YES, GIRL SCOUT cookies!!!! i can hardly contain my excitement!! whatever diet i was foolishly trying to maintain has bolted out the door. a big fat thank you to my wonderful sister for sending these yummy treats :)))

i am one happy girl today :))))))))))

Naked Chocolate Cafe- Phila

picture of the inside

Spicy Drinking Chocolate
take me back to spain so i can get some chocolate con churros from san gines already!! this hot chocolate served european style is super thick and extremely rich (nothing like the american cup of hot chocolate). it's almost like drinking hot fudge or warm chocolate syrup. although i love chocolate, this little cup was too cloyingly sweet and i wished they would've given me a few more of those pirouettes for dipping. and with the frigid weather outside, i really wished this hot chocolate packed a little more punch in terms of heat because i couldn't taste any spiciness. even for you big indulgers out there, i wouldn't recommend getting anything larger than petit because a little sip of this chocolate goes a looong way.

Cookies and Cream Mousse Cake
you can never go wrong with a whipped mousse cake like this one. as expected, the texture was very light and airy and since it was chilled, it almost felt like i was eating a slice of super soft ice cream cake. my complaint about this dessert is that because it was pre-made and refrigerated, the chocolate drizzle had already set and so it was hard to eat or scrape the hardened pieces from the plate.

Melograno- Phila

if you're looking below already, NO i did not single handedly take down all three desserts. i definitely had help haha. anyways, Melograno, is a great restaurant for romantic dates or small intimate dinners with your friends. so with that known, who did i bring to this restaurant?...my entire family (a party of 8)!! i would not recommend others doing so as this place usually does not have enough room to accommodate large parties. but the service here was wonderful and i loved our server. she was knowledgeable about the menus and the daily specials, as well as attentive.

Quaglie Arrosto
these birds were so dainty and perfect that i almost felt bad eating them...well no, not really. rubbed with all sorts of herbs and stuffed with all types of goodies (dried fruits and nuts), these quails were pretty darn tasty and rather filling despite their small size. the mound of polenta was average but i did like the tart pomegranate sauce underlying the polenta. my only complaint is that the quails were a little difficult to eat as they are served whole so you do have to watch out for the little bones.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
hmm..if i can recall correctly, i did like this dessert although it wasn't unlike the panna cottas that i've ordered at a couple other places. bascially, it was good but not divine.

Budino
this was my first time ordering budino (which is italian for pudding if google serves me right). i was expecting something in a cup with a little more moisture or something more liquid but i got this cake-like dessert instead. although it was extremely moist and airy, it certainly was not pudding. the creme anglaise was rich and creamy but balanced by the tart raspberries. although the proof is not in this budino (corny, i know), i did find it likable.

Ginger Creme Brulee

out of the three desserts, i must say this creme brulee takes the cake (what is it with me and these ridiculous puns??!). but seriously, this creme brulee was reaaallyyy good!! ginger, having such a strong smell and flavor, can so easily overpower a dessert. thankfully, in this case, just the right amount was used. my favorite part of all creme brulees is the shell on top so i loved eating the little pieces of ginger-flavored "candy".