3 Bells for Amada

[Jeff L]

Having had the pleasure of dining at this way cool restaurant, I vote to give it 4 bells. Who doesn't think they deserve it? That said, 4 bells would make it even tougher to get in on a weekend than the 3 bestowed.

LaBan raves about everything except the $75 lobster with too little meat. A nice and balanced review though. One thing he did say is that he can't wait to round up 4 people to sample the suckling pig feast. Well, having been there for that amazing feast, I can say, if you're listening Craig, give me a call - I'm so there for more of this amazing pig.

[KatieLoeb]

Thanks for posting this Jeff. I'm a little disappointed on behalf of the staff because we all humbly believe we deserve 4 bells too! He also didn't say much about the wine list/beverage program except in sidebar, but I understand his female dining companion really loved the sangria on one of his visits.

We're already pretty booked up, so this ought to make it that much harder to get in except with serious advanced planning, but I'm still a lonely girl at lunch, so perhaps that's an option for some folks.

[Jeff L]

Thanks for posting this Jeff.  I'm a little disappointed on behalf of the staff because we all humbly believe we deserve 4 bells too!  He also didn't say much about the wine list/beverage program except in sidebar, but I understand his female dining companion really loved the sangria on one of his visits. 

We're already pretty booked up, so this ought to make it that much harder to get in except with serious advanced planning, but I'm still a lonely girl at lunch, so perhaps that's an option for some folks.

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Katie, what are your lunch hours/days again? My buddy and I are going to the car show next Wednesday and might pop in for a late lunch/early dinner before heading over to the show.

[KatieLoeb]

Thanks for posting this Jeff.  I'm a little disappointed on behalf of the staff because we all humbly believe we deserve 4 bells too!  He also didn't say much about the wine list/beverage program except in sidebar, but I understand his female dining companion really loved the sangria on one of his visits. 

We're already pretty booked up, so this ought to make it that much harder to get in except with serious advanced planning, but I'm still a lonely girl at lunch, so perhaps that's an option for some folks.

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Katie, what are your lunch hours/days again? My buddy and I are going to the car show next Wednesday and might pop in for a late lunch/early dinner before heading over to the show.

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Lunch is 11:30AM-2:30PM Monday-Friday. Sadly, that probably doesn't fit your schedule that day. The bar stays open all day but there's a break in food service from 2:30PM until dinner so the kitchen can get all their mise en place upstairs for the much larger dinner menu.

You could always stop by for a cocktail. I'm usually around until about 4.

[Jeff L]

Thanks for posting this Jeff.  I'm a little disappointed on behalf of the staff because we all humbly believe we deserve 4 bells too!  He also didn't say much about the wine list/beverage program except in sidebar, but I understand his female dining companion really loved the sangria on one of his visits. 

We're already pretty booked up, so this ought to make it that much harder to get in except with serious advanced planning, but I'm still a lonely girl at lunch, so perhaps that's an option for some folks.

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Katie, what are your lunch hours/days again? My buddy and I are going to the car show next Wednesday and might pop in for a late lunch/early dinner before heading over to the show.

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Lunch is 11:30AM-2:30PM Monday-Friday. Sadly, that probably doesn't fit your schedule that day. The bar stays open all day but there's a break in food service from 2:30PM until dinner so the kitchen can get all their mise en place upstairs for the much larger dinner menu.

You could always stop by for a cocktail. I'm usually around until about 4.

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Wow, I can't believe you just said mise en place. I just learned what that meant from reading one of Bourdain's books!

Not sure if the times will work, but I'll try.

[philadining]

LaBan's review is VERY enthusiastic, I suspect it was on the cusp of another bell. He's been really stingy with the 4-bell reviews lately, which I certainly prefer to him tossing them around like confetti. Next week's column is apparently all about what qualifies a restaurant for 4-Bells.

At our pork blow-out, everyone loved everything, but we didn't order the things he was not as thrilled with, so we can't really comment. I'd run across a few other grumbles about Amada's paella, not that it was bad, just not totally thrilling. And apparently LaBan didn't love the sous-vide beef, and given that, I guess he couldn't give it the top rank. But the review reads like a 4-Bell award, it's a pretty solid rave, I'm sure it will increase interest in the place. Not that they seem to need it!

So congrats to everyone there (he specifically complimented the wine list!!!)

[mrbigjas]

i don't mean to nitpick--i really don't--but don't you think that recommending two mexican restaurants in the 'or try this' section is a little lame?

i mean, i know there are no other spanish places in town (although i seem to remember craig laban reviewing one out in like avondale or somewhere, a couple of years ago), and i know jose garces created the menu at el vez. but really, mexican =/= spanish.

ok i know, what else are they gonna recommend? i know. but still i couldn't help thinking of that onion article "Restaurant turns out to be Spanish, not Mexican" when i read it.

[Holly Moore]

Congrats on the review. So what is the vacuum thing Amada does with the steak that Laban didn't care for?

[Jeff L]

Congrats on the review.  So what is the vacuum  thing Amada does with the steak that Laban didn't care for?

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I'll quote Katie in an email she sent me a while ago when I asked the same question. Her email refers to one of Shola's SK dinners:

Sous vide is vacuum packed protein that's cooked in a circulating water bath at a constant (lower than usual for cooking) temperature. There are complex algorithms for figuring out the cooking time and temperature, but it's definitely where the lab geeks meet the chefs. Last time I stopped by at at StudioKitchen Shola had done what he cleverly referred to as "72-72" pork that he'd cooked at 72 degrees Centigrade for 72 hours! The idea is that you get incredibly perfectly cooked protein that is the identical texture from edge to edge. All the juices stay in (and any marinade or sauce you might use is practically injected due to the vacuum packaging) and the flavor gets concentrated and insanely delicious. It also makes tougher cuts of meat incredibly meltingly tender. It's an insanely good cooking technique and the newest trend in "molecular gastronomy".

[Holly Moore]

Somehow that doesn't sound anywhere near as good as a broiled rib-eye, starting to char on the outside and oozing medium rare juices.

[Jeff L]

Somehow that doesn't sound anywhere near as good as a broiled rib-eye, starting to char on the outside and oozing medium rare juices.

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They both sound pretty good to me

[philadining]

Somehow that doesn't sound anywhere near as good as a broiled rib-eye, starting to char on the outside and oozing medium rare juices.

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It depends... it's just a different way of cooking things, with very different results, but not necessarily better or worse. (Holly, those veal cheeks at SK were done sous-vide, slow and low, then baked into the "tarte tatin".)

One often sees sous vide used for tougher cuts that can benefit from a long slow cooking, but then again, I had a hanger steak sous-vide at SK once that was amazing, and lobster, and vegetables...so I guess there are no hard rules.

But I am surprised that LaBan complained abut the residual fat on the sous-vide beef, one of the benefits of this technique is that it usually melts much of that off. And one of the original attractions, way back in the 1970s when the method was first created, was consistent repeatability. But it all comes down to technique, there's nothing magic about sous vide, it's just another way of cooking things.

Unfortunately, LaBan didn't like the beef, it's not entirely clear from the review whether he thought the cooking style was inappropriate, or just not well-executed.

Of course, all items on a restaurant's menu should be excellent, but LaBan's review acknowledges that the main focus of Amada, Tapas, is outstanding.

Edited February 5, 2006 by philadining (log)

[mattkantor]

With Sous Vide, you have alot more control over temperature, so you really can get a perfectly cooked piece of meat. And you can finish it on the grill if you want nice grill marks or charcoal flavor, etc. You jus cook it a little under-temp. I think Capitol Grill might cook most of their beef this way. But it isnt about "cuts of meat"...you can sous vide anything. Its a nice way to poach apples, cook a lobster tail, filet or short ribs. But to some extent, the bag is un-necessary. Cooking short ribs sous vide for 36 hours is the same thing as braising them for 36 hours, except all the juice is in the bag (so you are doing it in portion sized containers and probably use less braising ingredients). Some will argue, but I dont know that would be any less tender to just braise out of the bag. Its really the same with lean cuts.

I have been to Amada three times, and despite having to walk out the last time because it was too smoky, I would probably give them four bells as well...not just for the food, which is great, but for the service, which is outstanding. Maybe a smoke eater or more ventilation there?

Definitely one of the best places in the city right now.

Edited February 5, 2006 by mattkantor (log)

[Greg Ling]

I got my boss to get me all the equipment for sous vide(I'ts like four G's).

The thing about the sous vide is you can cook a short rib for three days and it will be very tender but still look red inside cuz it is at a low temp,same for a fish like salmon it looks raw but has a soft cooked texture.But a grilled dry aged ribeye cant be beat.

[Greg Ling]

Oh yeah, and when you cook something like foie gras terrine vs. traditionally the waste is like 5% vs.45%

[KatieLoeb]

Thanks for the props everyone. And thanks to Jeff L for resurrecting my sous vide 'splanation.

Craig Laban's Amada Review for those that haven't seen it yet.

I realize I'm a bit sensitive on the subject, but I'm surprised that we didn't rate four bells. Certainly if Django (under previous ownership) rated four bells for being the "best BYO" that set the standard in the region, then Amada qualifies as setting a new standard that no other restaurant has rated since 2004 (there were NO four bell restaurants in 2005). At least when Barclay Prime was denied their four bell rating it was clearly explained that the usurious wine prices were the reason. So did we miss out because he didn't like ONE dish on a menu that has close to a hundred items on it? Or because ONE dish was overpriced? What's up with that?

He also glossed over the beverage program, with only a mention in the sidebar of the winelist and a brief mention of "pretty people" sipping sangria and cocktails. Yeah - but how do they TASTE??? Does the beverage program compliment the vibe of the restaurant and the menu as a whole? I feel my hard work is a bit forgotten in this review.

And I have to agree with mrbigjas about the choices of two Mexican restaurants in the "or try this" section. Spanish does NOT equal Mexican, and I really don't think the world would spin off its axis if there was nothing to compare the restaurant to. Come to think of it, there isn't. That might have been worthy of a mention too.

[Jeff L]

Thanks for the props everyone.  And thanks to Jeff L for resurrecting my sous vide 'splanation.

Craig Laban's Amada Review for those that haven't seen it yet.

I realize I'm a bit sensitive on the subject, but I'm surprised that we didn't rate four bells.  Certainly if Django (under previous ownership) rated four bells for being the "best BYO" that set the standard in the region, then Amada qualifies as setting a new standard that no other restaurant has rated since 2004 (there were NO four bell restaurants in 2005).  At least when Barclay Prime was denied their four bell rating it was clearly explained that the usurious wine prices were the reason.  So did we miss out because he didn't like ONE dish on a menu that has close to a hundred items on it? Or because ONE dish was overpriced? What's up with that?

He also glossed over the beverage program, with only a mention in the sidebar of the winelist and a brief mention of "pretty people" sipping sangria and cocktails.  Yeah - but how do they TASTE???  Does the beverage program compliment the vibe of the restaurant and the menu as a whole?  I feel my hard work is a bit forgotten in this review.

And I have to agree with mrbigjas about the choices of two Mexican restaurants in the "or try this" section.  Spanish does NOT equal Mexican, and I really don't think the world would spin off its axis if there was nothing to compare the restaurant to.  Come to think of it, there isn't.  That might have been worthy of a mention too.

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Good point about the beverage program. Not because you are responsible, but the sangria most assuredly complimented the food the night I sampled them (both red and white) I didn't get to try any of the cocktails or Spanish wines I've heard about, but I'd be surprised if they were anything but equal to or exceeding the quality of the food.

As to Barclay Prime, I've been there twice and liked it a lot both times. Obviously it's a totally different vibe over there but if I were to pick one of the 2 to get the fourth bell, hands down choice would be Amada for a lot of reasons.

First, the space itself at Amada is really clean and fresh, not to say Barclay Prime isn't great looking too because it is, just a hipper edgier vibe going on at Amada.

Secondly, the service at both is exceptional (at least in my experience) with Amada edging out again because it is a less lingering but equally attentive service than Barclay. I found our waiter at Barclay almost became our third dining partner. I kept thinking "shouldn't he have soemthing else to do?"

Food-wise it's really hard to make any sort of comparison as they are both high end and high quality places serving really great and really different food. One note I thought of was the sides at Barclay (ala carte I think) were not nearly as tasty as Amada, nor as creative.

Anyway, I can't wait to get back to Amada.

[rlibkind]

Three bells ain't chopped liver. Craig LaBan defines three bells as "exceptional", reserving four bells for "sets the standard". Obviously, one can have a difference of opinion on such subjective evaluations. But if Lacroix rates only three bells (I think Craig needs to make a return visit), Amada is in good company.

[KatieLoeb]

Three bells ain't chopped liver. Craig LaBan defines three bells as "exceptional", reserving four bells for "sets the standard". Obviously, one can have a difference of opinion on such subjective evaluations. But if Lacroix rates only three bells (I think Craig needs to make a return visit), Amada is in good company.

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Thanks Bob! That helped take the sting out a little bit.

Actually, having conversed wth one of the managers today about the 3 bell review, she made the valid point that 4 bells might be too intimidating for some folks. While I stand by my earlier remarks about the substance of the review (the Flamenco is nice but it's only two night a week - the beverages are ALWAYS there!!!), I'm starting to warm up to the 3 bell review. And I'm certainly glad the word is out to the folks that don't necessarily visit eGullet or subscribe to Philadelphia Magazine.

[Vadouvan]

Dear Katie...

The review should be seen as a blessing in disguise. You never want to get 4 bells because 50% of people will immediately consider you to be overrated. 3 bells is exactly where you want to be. Based on my experiences at Amada, I would not disagree that it should have gotten 4 however, heavy lies the head that wears the crown. Besides Vetri, I have never had a "4 bell" experience in any 4 bell restaurant. Expectations are just so high and they are never met.

4 bells also result in folks resting on thier laurels, 3 makes them strive for more perfection (even if they have already reached it).

To sum Amada up....its a fantastic addition to the philly restaurant scene. I think Laban's review was right on and should not be seen in any negative light.

The only thing I noticed to be odd on 4 visits was the bacalao croquettes....

If Amada needs to do anything, its the less emphasis on fancy and more on solid rustic like Casa Mono and Tia Pol, I think that was La bans point with the sous videry....

Edited February 5, 2006 by Vadouvan (log)

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

I just saw the Philadelphia Magazine review of Amada and they gave it straight A's (though service was an A-). I've got to try this place!

[KatieLoeb]

Dear Katie...

The review should be seen as a blessing in disguise. You never want to get 4 bells because 50% of people will immediately consider you to be overrated. 3 bells is exactly where you want to be. Based on my experiences at Amada, I would not disagree that it should have gotten 4 however, heavy lies the head that wears the crown. Besides Vetri, I have never had a "4 bell" experience in any 4 bell restaurant. Expectations are just so high and they are never met.

4 bells also result in folks resting on thier laurels, 3 makes them strive for more perfection (even if they have already reached it).

To sum Amada up....its a fantastic addition to the philly restaurant scene. I think Laban's review was right on and should not be seen in any negative light.

The only thing I noticed to be odd on 4 visits was the bacalao croquettes....

If Amada needs to do anything, its the less emphasis on fancy and more on solid rustic like Casa Mono and Tia Pol, I think that was La bans point with the sous videry....

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Thank you for the kind words. I think I'm getting over myself since everyone I know has either e-mailed or called to congratulate me, or posted something here. Thanks to all of you for the support. I am glad we're not overrated, but striving for perfection. That's a very good way of looking at it.

[Jeff L]

Dear Katie...

The review should be seen as a blessing in disguise. You never want to get 4 bells because 50% of people will immediately consider you to be overrated. 3 bells is exactly where you want to be. Based on my experiences at Amada, I would not disagree that it should have gotten 4 however, heavy lies the head that wears the crown. Besides Vetri, I have never had a "4 bell" experience in any 4 bell restaurant. Expectations are just so high and they are never met.

4 bells also result in folks resting on thier laurels, 3 makes them strive for more perfection (even if they have already reached it).

To sum Amada up....its a fantastic addition to the philly restaurant scene. I think Laban's review was right on and should not be seen in any negative light.

The only thing I noticed to be odd on 4 visits was the bacalao croquettes....

If Amada needs to do anything, its the less emphasis on fancy and more on solid rustic like Casa Mono and Tia Pol, I think that was La bans point with the sous videry....

←

Good points here and they all make sense except I think for the resting on their laurels point. It seems to me that Jose Garces got it right from the start in all aspects of this restaurant and, although I don't know him personally, it seems all this effort wouldn't just stop if they had 4 bells, but rather continually strive to live up to the expectations.

That said, I have eaten in 5 star restaurants both here and in Europe where indeed they appeared to be resting on their laurels or Michelin stars.

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

For now, let's work on the one that counts the most, that 5th Mobil star. (Just ask Georges Perrier)

Edited February 6, 2006 by bob tenaglio (log)

[Jeff L]

Now I know LeBan is a lurker here. In tomorrows paper he explains what it takes to get the coveted 4 bells. He mentions Amada again and says it's a contender to get the 4th bell along with 7 other restaurants including both Morimoto and Marigold. He states to get 4 bells "is a far more difficult feat, a combination of unique personality, energy and consistant excellence that sets a regional standard"

OK Katie, props indeed!