Amis - Roadtrip!

When  I saw Amis on the list of 2014 James Beard Award finalists for Best Mid Atlantic Chef the question I struggled with was when I would visit, not if I would visit.

I contacted a pal about  taking a roadtrip to visits Amis. My pal, Mimi, disclosed that her fiancé, Andrew, loves food, so we couldn't go on the roadtrip without him.  The drive to Philly was  Philly was quick thanks to  Andrew.

After checking in and getting settled at our hotel (thank you Hotel Palomar!) we took a taxi to Amis. While we waited  for our table to be setup, I asked the woman at the reception station  for suggestions. She admitted she
usually worked at another Vetri restaurant (Vetri is the name surname of the family that owns several restaurants in the area, including Amis) so she wasn't aware current offerings, but she highly recommended the meatballs appetizer.

We were offered a drink menu and food menu to peruse. It was  busy evening, but our server appeared quickly at our table and brought glasses of water to sip  and bread with olive to nibble on while we perused the menu.

We started with mussels with spicy broth,  imported bufala ricotta, and Sal's old school meatballs.The bufala and meatballs were the table favorites. The delicious bufala's nutmeg and black pepper elements delighted all of us. The meatballs were tender and juicy, the tomato potato was soft and full of flavor. The mussels were just okay - the  mussels seemed to be overcooked; the spicy broth was tasty, but too spicy for one person at our table.

Sal's old school meatballs with tomato potato

imported bufala ricotta





mussels with spicy broth

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spring bellini

We ordered to drink : Spring bellini, granita, and Rosso Dei politici Montepulciano '12. The Spring Bellini, a blend of prosecco and pineapple, was described as 'great'. The granita featured prosecco and red wine granita-  had just a touch of sweetness. The Montepulciano was soft and smooth with a bit of tannin. I hope to add the Montepulciano to the wines I serve at home. Amis' drink menu also features house made sodas and a number of draft and bottle beers.


The table opted to steer clear of the mussels entrée special after trying the mussels in spicy broth appetizer. We ordered:  charred asparagus with fried egg and truffle pecorino, rigatoni with sepia, spinach and toasted breadcrumbs, roasted lamb shoulder with potatoes, and fried brussel sprouts and lemon.  The asparagus and lamb shoulder were liked by everyone at the table. Mimi loved the  asparagus taste and texture, especially when the egg yolk was mixed with asparagus. Our server forewarned us that the lamb shoulder would be cut into pieces, formed into a patty and roasted a bit longer so were not surprised by the dish's appearance. The lamb was tender, well seasoned and hard to resist. The potatoes were a nice accompaniment, but did not stand out.  The table was divided on the brussel sprouts - those who were impressed with the dish enjoyed the tartness of the lemon added to the dish; this was the same reason some thought the dish was too bitter. The rigatoni was an attractive dish to look at - the bread crumb revealed texture differences. The person who ordered the dish commented that the dish had a 'fishy' taste, looked at the list of the dish's noted flavor elements and didn't know what sepia was. Our server stopped by shortly to check on us and explained that that sepia is similar to calamari. Our server offered to bring another dish to replace the rigatoni. We decided not to replace the dish - after all, the intention of the road trip was to explore the menu.


rigatoni with sepia





charred asparagus with fried egg

fried brussel sprouts and lemon

roasted lamb shoulder with potatoes



Our server cautiously approached the table and mentioned the word 'dessert'. The looked pleadingly at the server as if to say, 'did you see what we just consumed?'. We debated whether or not even try dessert.  Mimi and I decided to order the olive oil torta and Belgian style waffle with  nutella. Our server not only delivered the desserts we ordered, but surprised the table with a salted butter semifreddo sundae with chocolate sauce, orange marmalade and almond.  The table  suddenly awoke for a third round of tastes. All the desserts were delightful. The whipped cream tasted fresh, the vanilla semifreddo was smooth and creamy, but not too heavy. The nutella was described as 'perfect  as usual' (yes, a  report from a definite nutella fan).




Back left: olive oil torta,  back right: salted butter semifreddo sundae,
 front: Belgian style waffle with nutella

 Andrew reported that the bathroom were in good working  order.

When the bill arrived a brochure about the Vetri Foundation for Children was attached. Mimi and Andrew decided immediately to make a donation after viewing the photo of the adorable little girl on the brochure's cover. Even better: the Vetri  family of restaurants will match all guest donations!


Mimi and Andrew felt that Amis would be a great place to go on a date. I surveyed the room and noted the number of single diners at the bar and in the dining area - all the single diners appeared to be comfortable, taken care of and enjoying their food. Single diner note: Amis accepts reservations for 1 person.

As we made our way to the door the woman at the reception station asked me if I enjoyed my meal. I thanked her for recommending Sal's old fashioned meatballs and shared that Mimi and Andrew had begun planning their return visit in a few weeks.  Several staff had gathered around as we chatted. I wondered if someone had looked at my OpenTable profile or had seen my happy Tweet about the dishes and then dismissed the thought as we were enjoying ourselves.  We walked onto the sidewalk and discussed the merits of walking back to the hotel after eating so much food versus taking a taxi .

Amis offers sidewalk dining  and diners can enjoy their meals a the bar if they choose. Valet parking is available at Amis. On street parking is available, but be prepared to drive around for a spot. Reservations for Amis can be made via OpenTable.

I discovered while chatting with a member of the staff that Amis has advanced to the James Beard Award  finalist round before, and that they are very excited about being a 2014 finalist. 

 Be well,
Technicolor girl