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Iron Chef Jose Garces Opens Spanish Tapas Spot Amada At Brookfield Place
By
Nell Casey
Published Apr 26, 2016
Modified Apr 26, 2016
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By
Nell Casey
Published Apr 26, 2016
Modified Apr 26, 2016
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To open his first New York City restaurant, "Next Iron Chef" Jose Garces chose Brookfield Place, bringing the second location of his Philadelphia success story Amada to the new food destination. Last night, the Andalusian (for the region in Spain), tapas-focused restaurant made its grand debut with a mix of tried-and-true dishes from the original and a handful of options singular to NYC.
Of the former, Amada's Empanada—Amada means grandmother, a nod to Garces's influencer and teacher—with manchego cheese artichoke escabeche and a very classic Tortilla Española, an omelet-like dish made with potatoes and served with saffron aioli. For the latter, Picado, a lamb tartare with romesco verde and cheese and a Spanish flatbread with sausage, piquillo pepper confit and spinch.
The sprawling menu includes dozens of traditional tapas, cheeses, charcuterie and grilled fishes, vegetables and meats. There's an option for the chef (Garces and Chef de Cuisine Justin Bogle) to curate the selection for you, beginning at $70 with additional wine pairings beginning at $35. Beyond nibbles, the Especialidades de la Casa include a decadent Lobster Paella ($78) with fava bean salad and pimenton aioli and a Roasted Sucking Pig that has to be ordered in advance.
By day, the adjoining Amadita serves as a coffee shop and breakfast/lunch spot, but by night it transforms into a wine bar, serving only wines from Spain. Cocktails are also a nod to Spain with names taken from Pedro Almodóvar films. They're also offering a unique DIY G&T option, where the imbiber chooses the gin, the tonic and a garnish of their choice with selections like grapefruit/licorice and kumquat/cinnamon.
250 Vesey Street, 212-542-8947; amadarestaurant.com
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brookfield place
jose garces
new restaurant and bar radar
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philadelphia
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