One of my favorite chefs is Jose Garces. I've heard rave reviews about his restaurants. His cookbook, Latin Evolution, is like art. And, to boot, the man spanked Bobby Flay HARD on Iron Chef America. So I knew that during my trip to Philly last month, I'd have to go to his restaurant, Amada. Amada is a Spanish tapas restaurant in Olde City, Philadelphia which was just a hop, skip and a jump from my hotel at Penn's Landing.

I have to say, Amada lived up to their buzz - the restaurant was all that and then some. The ambiance was intimate and rustic. From the moment you enter through the flowing draperies at the front door, staff greets you like an old friend welcoming you to dinner. Now, while I love Italian cooking, I'm also fond of Spanish cooking. After all, one of my signature dishes is Arroz Con Pollo.

Now, let's get to the fun stuff - the food. After much contemplation, the menu items selected were:

• Patatas Bravas (Spicy Potatoes), a dish of potatoes topped with this amazing paprika aioli which I will be attempting to recreate this weekend. It was smoky with a bit of heat that just made you close your eyes and relish the flavors;
• The Croquetas de Jamon (Ham Croquettes) were good, but I wanted more of the Patatas Bravas; and
• Costillas de Ternera is a Spanish flatbread topped with Beef Shortribs, Bacon, Parmesan and Horseradish. This is another dish I'm going to attempt to try for the next soiree because the flavors were a perfect mix. It was divine.

Of course I had to have some Merlot but Julie, the fab bartender, also suggested that I try their homemade sangria. If I had thought about it, I would have ordered that instead of the merlot. They have three sangrias - a white, a red and a seasonal. The seasonal selection was a spiced apple sangria which was insanely good. While Julie and I were talking, I mentioned the Foodbuzz New Years Eve 24, 24, 24 event that I was hosting and, with thanks to her, she gave me some wonderful suggestions which turned out perfect.

Sadly, I did not take any pictures of my visit there but I will be sure to take them on the next trip as this has hit my list of "Absolute Fave Restaurants" and I will be going back. However, the Ultimate Epicure reviewed the restaurant and took some AMAZING photos which you must see HERE.

Much thanks to everyone at Amada. It was a meal to remember...

Labels: Amada, Bobby Flay, Great Blogs, Jose Garces, Philly, Restaurant Review

Posted by Lys :: 6:27 PM :: 1 comments

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Thursday, August 14, 2008 Obsessed With: Mesa Grill Seasoning Set...

If there's a spice rub or something when I'm shopping, I'll stop and investigate. If you saw my spice pantry, I swear you would laugh yourself silly.
This is something that I have been wanting for the longest: The Messa Grill Seasoning Set. Well, namely, Bobby Flay's infamous 16 spice poultry rub which, if I actually FOLLOWED directions in the Mesa Grill cookbook, I could ATTEMPT to make. However, I'm not that brave and to find all the ingredients ummm.. well that would be tough here in Orlando.

However, this set looks like it is just what the doctor ordered.

Labels: Bobby Flay, Food Network, FoodBuzz, Obsessed With

Posted by Lys :: 6:03 AM :: 1 comments

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Tuesday, May 27, 2008 Giveaway: Flayin' It Up - Mesa Grill style...

OK Cooking in Stilettos readers - are you prepared for the onslaught of summer? Want to try some new and fresh recipes from Food Network's Bobby Flay?

Well, I have one copy of Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook: Explosive Flavors from the Southwestern Kitchen to give away to ONE lucky reader. I have and adore this cookbook and know that you will love it too.

So, wanting to pass the wealth along to you - here's what you have to do. Leave a comment with one of your favorite summertime recipes in THIS post only with your email. I will pick out a random winner on June 1st via Randomizer and announce it here and then zip off the cookbook to you.

Bobby Flay and summer: two things that go together VERY well.

Labels: Bobby Flay, Contest, Cookbook, Food Network

Posted by Lys :: 5:35 PM :: 6 comments

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