Mi Amada

July 1st, 2024

Authored by Nina Wilson and Dynisha Murray

*Pictured above is the Duck Confit Rosti ($14).* *Photo Courtesy of the Brunch Besties.*

After a long day of sightseeing and hiking through the near mountainous terrain in Barcelona, Dynisha and I were famished. Our feet were sore and throbbing, and all we wanted was something quick and light to eat, a drink, and someplace to relax for a few moments. Barcelona’s solution to all of our problems? Tapas of course. Small plates of fish, bread, various meats, and even sandwiches meant to be quickly consumed without an additional thought. It’s difficult to bottle the magic of traveling abroad in a dinning experience, but that is just what Amada managed to do.

Amada is a Spanish tapas restaurant owned and operated by Chef Jose Garces. Born and raised in Chicago to Ecuadorian parents, his love for cooking was instilled in him by his grandmother. He graduated from Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in 1996, and since has gone accomplish great feats. Such as becoming an Iron Chef and winning a James Beard award for “Best Chef Mid Atlantic” in 2009. He is at the helm of the Garces group, which has multiple restaurants that fall underneath it’s umbrella, such as Buena Onda, Volver, and Olde Bar. Amada, opened in 2005 and has two other locations in Atlantic City, New Jersey and Radnor, PA.

Our visit to Amada was many months ago, however our opinions about and memories of the experience are crystal clear. We made reservations in advance, and after a brief wait were seated in the main dining room. The interior décor in Amada was warm. The main dinning room was filled with dark woods, muted neutral and green colors, and a open concept kitchen. It was a cozy and warm atmosphere that was reminiscent of the tapas bars and restaurants that we frequented during our time in Barcelona. So it's safe to say vibes were 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Onto the main event, what we ordered. Drinks, we had the Rose Gold ($12) and Cherry Tea ($13). For our appetizers we ordered the Tortilla Espanola ($9) and Croquetas ($9). And for our entrees we ordered the Shakshuka ($13), Duck Confit Rosti ($14), and Sangria Pancakes ($12).

Drinks

Rose Gold and Cherry Tea

*Pictured above are the Rose Gold ($12) and Cherry Tea ($13). Photo Courtesy of the Brunch Besties.*

Starting with the Rose Gold. Which surprisingly did not have any gold or roses in it. What it did contain was Tito’s Vodka, rosemary, and passionfruit. Upon first sip, your immediately hit with the passionfruit, which is then followed by the earthy and vibrant notes of rosemary and subtle heat of vodka. Despite the passionfruit, it is not saccharine, but because of the fresh ingredients used it’s a warm, earthy, but refreshing cocktail.

We really like this drink. It’s a solid choice, especially so for brunch. If you’re not opposed to the taste of alcohol, then you may really like this drink but if you are, you might want to select something else. In Either case It’s worthy of 4 out of 5 stars.

Moving on to the Cherry Tea. Which contained Tito’s Vodka, black cherry, orange, honey, lemon, and citrus bitters. Do not let the ingredients list fool you, this drink is dangerous. The flavors of the cherry and orange, individually and together play on the tongue and make it difficult to discern the presence of alcohol. We both could have mistaken this drink for cherry juice and for that alone we’re giving this drink 5 out of 5 stars.

Appetizers

Tortilla Espanol

This tapa caught our attention, because we couldn’t quiet figure out what it was based on the menu. The menu only lists it as containing salsa brava and chistorra sausage. After a bit of googling and talking to our server, we found out that it’s baked omelet that traditionally comes with potatoes and onions. But this version comes with the salsa and sausage. The salsa was garnished on the plate and the sausage came on a skewer along with the tortilla.

This dish was one that shined with all the elements together, but not so much with each component individually. The tortilla on it’s own, while well executed, was muted in flavor and needs to be eaten with the sausage and salsa brava for a bit more excitement. The sausage was juicy, had a bit of heat and a sweet smokey flavor. Although we can’t describe the flavor profile of the salsa brava, we can tell you it was delicious and tied the tapa together. Overall, we rated this 3.7 out of 5 stars.

Croquetas

There is nothing more authentic to Spanish cuisine, quite like a croquette. We’ve had quite a few during out time in Spain, so we were excited to try the ones at Amada. And we were not disappointed. These croquettes contained serrano ham and romesco.

These did not disappoint. The exterior was crisp and crunchy. The interior was soft and creamy. There weren’t as much visible pieces of ham, as there was a ham essence, which added a salty but smokey element. This balanced well with the romesco, which had a subtle sweetness and nicely complimented the other components within the croqueta. These croquettes were delicious on their own, but came pair with a sauce that we’re convinced was a match made in heaven. For that we gave this 5 out of 5 stars.

Entrees

Shakshuka

The next dish, up to bat, was one that we with intrigue. We’ve ordered shakshuka once before during our visit to Cafe la Maude. So we were curious to see what this version would be like.

It did not disappoint. It was warm and fragrant. The cheese on top was sweet, creamy, and balanced out the savory bite of the sauce underneath. The sauce was chock full of different flavors that were smoky, umami, sweet, earthy and a little bitter. The baked egg was delicious. We wished the yoke was a bit runny, but if that is not your cup of tea then this is perfect for you. Overall, this dish felt like a warm comforting hug. For that we rate it 4.9 out of 5 stars.

Sangria Pancakes

The one thing we really enjoyed during our time in Spain was the wine. There are so many different kinds of wine, red and white alike that we enjoyed and during our trip. So when we saw that sangria pancakes were on the menu, we knew we had to give it a try.

The menu describes this dish as containing, apples, pear, figs, and cinnamon whipped cream. Jumping straight to the point here, these pancakes were fine. Although they were well executed, and all the ingredients were fresh and fragrant, they were not very sweet. It was also bland. Definitely not the strongest dish of the bunch, but not the worse we’ve ever had and for that we give this dish 3.4 out of 5 stars.

Duck Confit Rosti

This next item menu, literally made us feel like we were going to ascend to another plane of existence. That’s how good it was. It contained duck carnitas, cabrales crema, prunes, and a poached egg. Beyond the listed ingredients, there were so many elements that worked well with this dish. The salty umami flavor of the crisp duck and duck fat, the sweetness of the prunes, the tang of the blue cheese, even down the the texture of the hash brown. It all married so well together.

Despite the weight of the elements in this dish, it still managed to sit light on the stomach. It was extremely filling, packed full of delicious and complex flavors. And for fourteen dollars, it’s nearly a steal. For that we gave this dish 5 out of 5 stars.

In Conclusion..

This was an amazing dinning experience. The food was pretty good, the service was impeccable, and the prices were not bad for the quality and complexity of the dishes that you’re receiving.

It’s difficult to truly describe how awesome our experience was at Amada, which is why you should definitely add it to your list. Our final rating is, you guessed it, a 4.28 out of 5 stars.

What do ya’ll think? Would you go and visit Amada? Let us know in the comments down below.

Until next time,

XOXO

The Brunch Besties