See Us Eat

Friday, December 07, 2007

Great Tapas at Amada, Philadelphia, PA

Giao's sister suggested this great tapas place in Philly and we went with Giao's parents. We were getting a reservation on short notice, but they could accommodate at the bar. We were seated at a sort of strange table that was very high off the ground, on very high, backless stools. We had very good posture over dinner. There were so many options that we decided to go with what was effectively a communal tasting menu of tapas, all chosen by the chef. The cost was $45 per person, with $20 per person for the wine pairing. Overall, it was a great meal for a good price. We were stuffed at the end of the meal and had to take some of it home. The decor was clean, yet warm, with a couple of missteps. They had a display of things for sale at the front, but had decided to paint the prices in white on the fixture, which was distracting, and for some reason they decided to hang the prosciutto from the ceiling still in its plastic wrapping. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Also, the plating was beautiful.

Warm Flatbread with Tuna
This was a tasty little bread course that we thought was a tapas, but was actually just the bread, that would be replenished throughout the night.

Thinly Sliced Ham with Caper Berries, Cornichons and Mustard
Salty and sweet in that meaty sort of way. Yum. Sorry for the terrible picture.

Blue Cheese with Apples and Figs
A very tasty cheese which was nice with the apple.

Bread with Tomato
This was the only dish we weren't so hot on, but not because it was not good, just because it was not particularly interesting.

Goat Cheese Toasts with Roasted Veggies
The eggplant, peppers, onions and tomatoes were sweet and were a nice contrast to the tart creaminess of the goat cheese.

Spinach and Cheese Empanadas with Plaintain Crust
The crust added an element of nutty sweetness to the dish that was unexpected and delicious.

Grilled Flatbread with Shrimp and Chickpea Puree
This was sort of like a pizza and was quite good. Giao's mom loved it. We didn't really taste the chickpea thogh.

Crab Stuffed Roasted Peppers with Almonds
The almonds were a little overkill, but this hot dish was satisfying in a way that only crab can be.

Lamb Meatballs in a Truffle Cream Sauce
So good. The sauce was full of truffle flavor and the meatballs were so tender, I don't know how they stayed together.

Scallops
These were one of the highlights of the night. They were perfectly seasoned and so simple.

Bean Salad
This was the only true stinker of the night. No one really liked this and we didn't finish it. It was just sort of blah and beany.

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms
This simple dish was also quite good. The spritz of lemon cut through the earthiness of the mushrooms quite well.

Chicken with Egg and Potatoes
This was the most tender chicken we have ever had. It must have been cooked sous-vide. And not only was it tender, it was flavorful.

Goat-Cheese Stuffed, Crusted Lamb Chops with Romesco Sauce
The lamb chops were tender and the goat cheese was good, but the crust was unnecessary. These would have been much better with a nice sear instead of the crust.

Ratings:
Food: 2
Decor: 2
Service: 1

Amada
217 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 2, restaurant, review, Service: 1, Spanish

# posted by Giao and Alexis @ 7:33 PM 0 comments

Monday, August 20, 2007

Lunch at B44, San Francisco,CA

San Francisco has a dearth of restaurants with outdoor seating, but there is Belden Lane, a little alley with 5 or 6 restaurants, all with outdoor seating. On a sunny day in the financial district, this is the place to go. A bit pricy for lunch, but the atmosphere is great. B44 bills itself as a Catalan bistro, and the food was, for the most part, Spanish in inspiration.

Baby Squid Stuffed with Pork and Peas and Stewed in its Own Ink $10
Tender, and a bit tangy, this was a hearty, tasty starter.

Skirt Steak Salad with Chimichurri Sauce and Avocado Salad $14
The bright flavors of the chimichurri sauce offset the richness of the beef and the avocado quite well.

Seafood Paella $20
The mussels were puny and the rice was oily. While not inedible, this was not a particularly good rendition of paella, a good version of which can be transcendent.

B44
44 Belden Place

San Francisco, CA, 94104

Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 1

Website
Health Code Violations

Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 1, Spanish

# posted by Giao and Alexis @ 12:44 PM 0 comments

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Dinner at Olea, Brooklyn, NY

Restaurants are popping up all over Alexis' old neighborhood of Fort Greene. Olea was a great suggestion from a friend who lives there now. Everything we had was great. The atmosphere was homey and the service friendly. And, on a Saturday night with no reservation, we only had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated. They had an interesting array of tapas, mains, raw bar and a great, not-too-sweet sangria.

Fried Chickpeas $3
Surprising, hot, tasty finger food. And cheap too.

Seafood Platter "Royale" $40
Expensive, but it contained a whole lobster, lots of shrimp and several oysters. The chunky homemade cocktail sauce was also a pleasant surprise.

Fried Haloumi with Spinach Puree $8
You can never go wrong with fried cheese.

Baby Octopus $7
So incredibly tender and laden with garlic and herbs.

Spicy Meatballs

Tender, falvorful meatballs in an incredible spicy tomato sauce spiked with cheese.

Ratings:
Food: 2
Decor: 1
Service: 1

Website
Health Code Violations

Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 2, restaurant, review, Service: 1, Spanish

# posted by Giao and Alexis @ 9:23 PM 0 comments

Friday, December 15, 2006

Dinner at Destino, San Francisco, CA

Alexis' office holiday party was held at Destino, a place we had been before and enjoyed. Although it was a great environment, the food was not as good as we remembered. Perhaps they weren't used to cooking for large groups. The timing was bad and the amounts were off.