Amada

I went to Amada for my birthday, but decided not to blog about it. That is, blog with pictures of each dish accompanied by a description and opinion.

Why didn't I snap pics?

I wanted the night off, and...

You've all been to Amada and already know the good work that Garces does. I hadn't been, though I certainly know of Garces' good work. I tried when they first opened in 2005 but you needed a reservation (you still need a reservation most nights), and I loathe premeditated dining (unless you premeditate it for me), so never bothered trying.

This is the real reason why I decided to blog about Amada: unlike most restaurants (tapas or no tapas), there are enough veggie dishes on the menu that a vegetarian could order the recommended 3-4 plates per person and return 4-5 times without having to order the same thing twice.

And I'm not even counting the cheese plates and desserts, dishes that could have meat easily removed, or taking into consideration the seasonal menu changes.

That is all.

Amada
217-219 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-625-2450

Chifa

In or around the Philly area, Jose Garces sets the bar for Spanish and Latino-influenced tapas restaurants. There's no denying that Amada, Garces' spanish tapas restaurant; Tinto, his Basque tapas restaurant; and Distrito, his Mexican tapas restaurant, are truly top of the line. We diners are fortunate to have his ever expanding empire (Village Whiskey is opening this Thursday! uh, make that Friday) right at our feet, but it is unfortunate for other restaurateurs serving food in the same vein -- they are going to be compared to Garces.

But it's not only other Spanish and Latino tapas restaurants that I compare to Garces, I also pit Garces against Garces. Will one of his restaurants be as good as his others? And so it is, I go to see how Garces' Peruvian and Cantonese-fusion tapas restaurant, Chifa, stacks up?
Pisco sour is the national drink of Peru, and I hear Chifa makes a mean one, but I cannot resist a drink with lima beans as an ingredient, so went with the Lima Bean Fizz, an eerily glowing blue-green drink mixed with cucumber infused vodka, lima beans, and Thai Basil. It's the cucumber and basil that really shines through in this drink, not the lima bean, so the legume leery should not hesitate to order up a Lima Bean Fizz.
These complimentary yucca-flour cheese rolls with sweet and spicy guava butter alone are enough reason to visit Chifa. Warm and aromatically cheesy with a chewy center, these rolls are addictive, and possibly the best part on my entire meal.

You know how people go to Olive Garden and order the cheapest item on the menu just to get the complimentary bread sticks and salad? Not to compare Chifa's rolls to Olive Garden's bread sticks (no comparison!), but I'd go to Chifa and order one of anything just to get these fried cheese rolls.

While I did have two meat eaters with me on this visit, I am not going to cover their meat dishes (other reviews out there have done a great job of this), but will stick to the vegetarian dishes. Be sure to ask your server what dishes can be made vegetarian that aren't under the 'Vegetable' section, because there are a couple.After such a high with the cheese rolls, these scallion pancakes were such a low. Uniformly round with small scallion bits, I thought they lacked the flavor and character of slapdash scallion pancakes packed with scallions found at many Asian restaurants. This is the only dish of the evening (meat dishes included) that we would not order again. Simply put, the scallion pancakes are boring. I asked for Chaufa, a stir fried rice dish with mango and edamame, to be served without the chorizo and scallops. Moister and sweeter than most stir fries I've ever had, I can't say that this sizable-for-tapas hot pot of rice blows stir fried rice from other Chinese restaurants out of the water. Excellent, tasty, sweet, savory? Yes. I'm sure it's the chorizo and scallops that elevate this dish above standard Chinese fare, but without those ingredients, you're looking at a bowl of stir fried rice.Under the vegetable section you'll find a dish called Aji Mushrooms with only Aji mushrooms, tofu, and potatoes listed as a descriptor. I ordered this without asking what the dish was like, and was completely surprised to have a puffy pastry dough baked in a bowl arrive, to which the server poked a hole in the center and poured cream over the mushrooms and tofu inside. It was like eating a pot pie filled with the best mushroom soup you've ever had. This dish even stood out amongst the meat dishes.
By omitting the King Crab, the kitchen can make a vegetarian version of Red Curry Del General with eggplant and tofu. Underneath the sweet and spicy red curry sits a mound of sticky jasmine rice. An excellent red curry, but I've had just as good from most Thai places for much cheaper.
With the recommended three dishes per person, we were too full for dessert, but these complimentary puffed rice bars, otherwise known as Rice Krispie treats, topped with and edible dragon printed paper did the trick of bringing our meal to an end.

As per my experience, I'd recommend staying away from the more classically Asian dishes (although, apparently the pork belly buns are to die for) and order the dishes that cannot be had at every corner Chinese or Thai restaurant, not because these dishes aren't great at Chifa, but because your average (really it would be above-average) Asian restaurant has already perfected these dishes.

With still a few veggie dishes on the menu untried, a return visit is definitely in order, if only to get those fried puffy cheese balls again!

Chifa
707 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-925-5555
Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm
Dinner: Sun-Thurs 5pm-10pm; Fri-Sat 5pm-12am

Orillas Revisited

Wilmington's downtown Spanish tapas restaurant, Orillas, opened it's doors November 2008, and my initial visit was only a few weeks after their opening, which, admittedly, is too soon to judge. On that initial visit I noted a few things that needed changing, and it seems that with my most recent visit almost all of those changes have been implemented.Orillas revamped their menu, and even included a section listing vegetarian dishes. Before I had to quiz my server on what was and wasn't vegetarian. I still think there are some items not in the vegetarian section that can be easily made vegetarian, so don't limit yourself to this one section of the menu.

You can now order a cheese plate with just cheese on it. Before it was a cheese and meat plate, or at least that's how the menu read.

The uncut flat bread served on a curved ceramic plate that I struggled to cut with a butter knife, now comes pre-sliced on a wooden plank.

Servers are still a little odd. This go round, our server asked if we had heard of tapas before, and also explained each menu page. Um...my Mom was eating tapas in her podunk hometown before you even entered high school, and I'm quite capable of reading menu headings. Pleasant server, otherwise.

These marinated wild mushrooms were not the marinated I was thinking of -- tangy vinegar-- but were straight-up earthy with oil and balanced seasonings with a squirt of roasted pepper sauce.
The breaded and fried baby zucchini paled next to the accompanying sweet and tangy tomato mango salsa. Really can't fault the zucchini, it's just that the salsa was so vibrant. And the squirt of roasted red pepper sauce, while pretty, is unnecessary with such strong flavors from the salsa. Squirts of roasted red pepper sauce made appearances on many dishes, and is a bit overplayed.I tried the crema Catalana, a Spanish version of creme brulee. Light citrus flavors were nice, but the custard was grainy, and the caramelized top was thin and only caramelized in the center.

Sampled but not pictured:

Mushroom, roasted garlic, and Manchego Flatbread - great flavors, but melted cheese made for extremely greasy finger food.

Tomato salad with sherry vinaigrette and Cabrales - bright tangy flavors, but some of the tomatoes were grainy, and this should not be so in the middle of summer.

Patatas - roasted fingerling potatoes serving as fancy french fries. I thought they were seasoned perfectly, another thought they needed more seasoning. It's true, no one can agree on salt levels!

Rice pudding - Oh my god, this was the best thing I put in my mouth all night long! This warm, buttery, raisin and spice-spiked rice pudding might even be the best rice pudding I've ever had. Get it!

I enjoyed the food a little more than before, simply because I sampled more things. Chef Julio Lazzarini is cooking up some solid tapas, but nothing arrestingly sublime like Garces is doing in Philly with his every expanding tapas empire that currently includes Distrito, Amada, Tinto, and Chifa. It is unfortunate to be serving tapas in a town so close to Garces.

But like Garces, Chef Lazzarini will be giving Wilmingtonians more -- or so that's what he told us when he visited our table to chat. Hot off his appearance on the Food Network's chef competition show, Chopped (I missed this show in it's entirety, including Chef Lazzarini's appearance), Chef Lazzarini mentioned offering a weekend brunch at Orillas.

Yes, y'all! Brunch! In downtown Wilmington! I swear, if this happens and y'all don't go and support what will be one of only a few businesses open in downtown on the weekend, I'll stomp around and make a pissy face.

Chef Lazzarini also mentioned opening a Nuevo-Latino tapas restaurant in the future. I approve.


Update: Orillas has moved up the street to 902 Market St.

Orillas 413 N. Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801
Lunch: Mon-Fri, 11am-2:30pm
Dinner: Mon-Thurs, 5-10pm; Fri & Sat 5-11pm

Cafe Apamate

Update: No longer open.

Cafe Apamate is a Spanish tapas restaurant on the quieter strip of South St. just west of Broad St. This restaurant doesn't get nearly the amount of press or mention that other Philly Spanish tapas restaurants receive, but one thing Cafe Apamate has over the much hyped Garces Spanish haunts, Amanda and Tinto, and even Northern Liberties' Bar Ferdinand, is the fact that Cafe Apamate is BYOB...and you know how purchasing drinks and four to five plates per person can add up quickly.

I was smitten with Cafe Apamate even before ordering any food! I love that I had no preconceived notions -- thanks to the lack of hype -- nor did I feel like I was at the latest trendy restaurant. I also love the warm, womb-like, dark red, narrow interior (I hear there's a patio out back, too). Cafe Apamate could have packed more tables into their narrow space, but left plenty of elbow room.

As far as veggie options go on the dinner menu (there's also a weekend brunch menu), you'll need to stick to the pintxos for the most part, but an off-menu vegetarian paella can be made upon request. Also, be sure to ask what non-veggie items can be made veggie, because there are a couple.

And bring a good bottle of wine for sipping, or have them make it into sangria for you.
Complimentary bread and olive oil will arrive, and if you never touch the complimentary bread to save room for what's ahead like I do, you're gonna wanna hang on to this bread if you're only ordering the pintxos, 'cause they are small!

Cafe Apamate's menu has "small tapas" in parenthesis after pintxos, and they mean it! Some say pintxo means small tapas, while others say pintxo is just the Basque word for tapas. I don't know the truth, and I don't care...I just wish I could predict the size of every restaurants' "small plates."
We started by sharing a bowl (also came in smaller "shot" size) of gazpacho, the soup of the day, and, even though tomatoes aren't in season, they must have gotten their hands on some awesome tomatoes, because the gazpacho was so summery good, we vowed right then and there to make gazpacho this summer. Light, refreshing, and flavor packed...glad we got the bowl and not the shot.Beets three ways are beet chips topped with sherry poached beets, goat cheese and sugared Marcona almonds, and are to die for! Like a refined potato chip with tangy, vinegar-y chutney. I could have used at least one more on the plate. At $6 for the plate, that's a $3 beet chip!The creamy Capricho goat cheese topped with a blood orange slice sitting on a floraly sweet Roibos tea and honey reduction accompanied by olive oil drizzled and toasted bread was my favorite dish of the evening. This is where the complimentary bread comes in handy, because there is more cheese than bread on this dish.
I wish I could tell you what this Nevat goat cheese and membrillo empanada with passion fruit and sherry reduction tasted like, but the empanada was so hot and fresh from the kitchen, that the first bite was rolled around my tongue and promptly swallowed to avoid burning my tastebuds. All I had left after that was a bite of mostly crust...but the crust was fabulously flaky and buttery! This is where having larger "small plates" would have been awesome.
My partner skipped the pintxos and went straight to the entrees when he saw the traditional Basque black rice with shrimp and calamari, remembering eating the same dish in Costa Brava, Spain, and enjoying it immensely. He thought Cafe Apamate's version was almost as good as his dining experience in Spain, but conceded that it was probably just as good, but nothing can compare to eating a dish for the first time in it's home country. Cafe Apamate made him one happy boy!

Note that the above serving dish is huge, as are the two shrimp, so the mound of rice looks small, but is not. The boy was full after half a bowl of soup and one entree. I, on the other hand, was still hungry after half a bowl of soup and three pintxos.
Classic churros, as well as Nutella-filled or dulce de leche-filled churros, are on the dessert menu, and I jumped on the dulce de leche-filled churros. Unable to cut these large, tough churros with my knife, I resorted to picking them up with my hands. The dulce de leche, and the fact that I was still hungry, negated the toughness, and I devoured the churros.

Reading through conflicting reviews on Yelp of Cafe Apamate's churros (some give such high praise, others say tough), as well as Craig LaBan calling them "sublime," I'm thinking the classic churros must be the sublime ones, and the filled ones must be the tough ones.
The dark chocolate mousse with olive oil and salt is thick and super dense. I personally like mousse fluffier. Don't think we finished this dessert; it was simply too much.

Service was friendly and prompt, although dishes came slowly out of the kitchen, but the second they were done. I enjoyed the slower pace and not having five plates crowding a tiny table and dividing my attention, but probably would have been annoyed if I had a movie or show to catch.

With the exception of the desserts, everything we had at Cafe Apamate was fabulous, and the non-pretentious, warm atmosphere gave me such a good feeling that I'm looking forward to trying out the brunch menu. Just hope brunch is larger than pintxo-sized, and, if not, I'll know to order more plates.

Note: Cafe Apamate is Cash only.

Cafe Apamate
1620 South St., Philadelphia, PA 19146
215-790-1620
Tues-Fri, 5pm-10pm
Sat., 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm
Sun., 11am-2:30pm
BYOB
Cash only

Zahav

Zahav, the Israeli tapas restaurant in Philly's Old City/Society Hill neighborhood, has been on my to-do list since the day they opened in Spring of 2008. Since they've opened, Zahav has received all sorts of local praise (City Paper, Philadelphia Inquirer ), as well as national attention (Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Esquire, James Beard Foundation) Amongst the glowing reviews, were a few (mostly on Yelp) claiming Zahav merely serves small portions of Israeli street food at inflated prices.

A recent birthday gave me good reason to check out Zahav and form my own opinions. Despite all the positive attention, it's quite easy to snag a table at Zahav during the week if you arrive early, as we did, but I'd recommend a reservation on weekends.

(Also, pictures will go from decent to down-right horrid as the sunlight disappears, but know that every plate was simply, but beautifully presented.)
I started the evening off with Zahav's hugely popular Lemonnana cocktail of bourbon, mudled mint, lemon, and verbena - a drink akin to a mint julep and mohito. Later I moved on to Cava, since it was my birthday! My partner moved on to white wine after his cocktail, and we both found that our Cava and white wine were chilled to a lower temperature than should have been, making actually tasting our beverages difficult.
Along with an explanation of Zahav and it's food, the server presents the table with a dish of olives and pickles (one pickle was eaten before I snapped the pic) as an appetizer, and a dish of chili paste, harissa, and za'atar that was explained as condiments to be used, or not to be used, if you like, throughout the meal.

The servers at Zahav are very professional and eager to explain any foods or drinks you are unfamiliar with. The three different people that attended to us, besides our main server, were a bit much, but they got the job done, for the most part, unobtrusively. We even had one server approach our table to start up a conversation by asking us if we had ever been to Israel. I'm not sure where this conversation would have gone if one of us had not been to Israel or if we were not in a chatty mood, but this was not the case, and it actually was a lovely conversation. My point being, Zahav is very attentive, if maybe a little too attentive.
After reading so many reviews, and even asking people for recommendations, I pretty much knew what vegetarian dishes I was going to order. I was also aware of Zahav's "Taste of Zahav" menu that includes salatim (salad) and hummus, a choice of three plates, and dessert for the bargain price of $36. The only catch with the "Taste of Zahav" is that everyone at the table must participate. We participated because it really is a bargain, unlike many tasting menus that, for vegetarians at least, are more expensive than ordering a la cart.

The salatim is a daily selection of eight salads brought to the table on a tower holding eight oval dishes, each with a few tablespoons of the different salads. That evening we enjoyed cucumbers in yogurt, sweet red pepper puree, pickled beet salad, pickled turnips, tabouli, eggplant salad, spiced chickpeas, and savory carrots.

All of the salads were simple, fresh, delightful, and quite a fun and varied way to start the meal. A few of our favorites were the more boldly flavored salads: the spiced chickpeas, savory carrots, and pickled beet salad. And here's the famed laffa bread made fresh daily and baked to order, which is thin, crispy, and deserving of all it's fame. The accompanying hummus is the tahini hummus, although Zahav features three other kinds of hummus, and people rave in particular about the Turkish hummus (next time!). Zahav's tahini hummus is silky smooth with a mild tahini flavor. Even though this large dish hogs the tiny table, we requested it be left for the entire meal so we could lick the bowl.
The crispy Halloumi with date jam and pine nuts is one of the dishes almost everyone raves about, and, indeed it was my favorite dish of the evening. No stranger to Halloumi, I adore this salty Cypriot cheese that stands up to high heat, and Zahav has fabulously paired it with sweet dates.
To the left are burmeulos, leek and mint fritters with sheep's milk cheese and honey. The mild, lightly minted, smooth innards contrast nicely with the crisp outside, but we were not fond of the squishy innards nor the smooth puree the burmeulos sat atop of, not for taste reasons, but for textural reasons - we felt we were eating fried baby food, albeit tasty baby food.

And to the right are the fried cauliflower atop a chive, dill, mint, and garlic herbed yogurt. And, yes, these are the fried cauliflower featured in Food & Wine, and your server will definitely remind you of their 15-minutes of fame when making recommendations from the menu.

We loved the fried cauliflower, but who doesn't love fried cauliflower? Even cauliflower haters, like it when it's fried. The tangy yogurt sauce tasted more of dill than any of the other listed herbs, but certainly was not overpowering.
My partner ordered the salmon gravlax, which are essentially tiny, bite-sized potato latkes topped with salmon and radish. I didn't have any, but these were enjoyed, especially the extra crispy latkes.
Top left, continuing clockwise: the galil, the jaffa, baklava, and passionfruit semifredo.

From the grill, I ordered the galil: fried baby eggplant with pomegranate reduction, tahini, and pistachios. This dish was my least favorite of the night. I ordered incorrectly, since I'm picky about eggplant and only like tahini in small quantities. The eggplant was smothered in tahini, which I find bitter, and the pomegranate reduction was simultaneously sweet and bitter, making for a dish wholly unappealing to me. My partner, on the other hand, loved it.

My partner also ordered incorrectly when he ordered the jaffa: branzino with braised fennel. The branzino was cooked perfectly, but fennel is a vegetable he can only tolerate in small quantities.

For dessert my partner ordered the baklava, and I cannot remember it's full description, but I think it had pistachios in the pastry and a scoop of chocolate mouse. The nuts were very finely ground and the pastry was not overly sticky with honey, so the baklava was unlike any I've ever had before. I liked Zahav's rendition, although my partner prefers the more ubiquitous baklava with larger nuts and sticky honey. The chocolate mouse was rich and very satisfying; you knew you were eating chocolate.

The passion fruit semifredo with drizzled honey was made with labneh, an strained yogurt, and contributed a pleasant tartness to the frozen dessert that paired well with the various sweet and tart tropical fruits. We both agreed that this dessert was the better of the two, and that it was all-around awesome.

At the end of our meal, we were both beyond stuffed, and for the caliber of our surroundings, service, and food, the $36 per person tasting menu was certainly a bargain.

The food at Zahav was simple, fresh, well made, well presented, and top notch. I think most that have eaten there will agree with that statement.

To address those that feel Zahav serves food that can be had cheaper and just as good on the street, I do see your point. I don't believe for a second that Zahav's fried cauliflower is any better than Moaz's fried cauliflower if I were able to get Moaz's fried cauliflower straight from the kitchen while it's still hot instead of cold from the salad bar. And, I'd take Moaz's garlic sauce any day over the sauce accompanying Zahav's fried cauliflower, but that's just a personal preference. Likewise, I bet there's a humus out there just as good as Zahav's tahini hummus. But at Zahav, you're paying for atmosphere, service, dining experience, in addition to well prepared food. And not all of Zahav's food is comparable to street food (I don't think there's any branzino with braised fennell on street carts). And, I'll say it again, the $36 tasting menu is a bargain. You really can't compare a six-course, sit-down meal to a sandwich on the go.

Zahav
237 St. James Place, Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-626-8800
lunch: Mon-Fri, 11:30am-2pm
dinner: Sun-Wed, 5pm-10pm; Thurs-Sat, 5pm-11pm
latenight menu: Wed-Sat, until 1am

Olé Tapas Lounge

It's unfortunate to be a Spanish tapas restaurant within a fifty mile radius of Jose Garces' Amada and Tinto in Philadelphia. You are going to be measured by the high bar Garces has set, and, probably, not measure up. And that was the case with our first visit to Olé Tapas Lounge in Newark, DE.

It was probably a mistake to dine at Olé Tapas on Valentine's and being forced to order their prix fixe menu, but if their website or the person who took my reservation over the phone had mentioned the holiday menu, I probably would have saved Olé Tapas for some other evening.

I'm not fond of prix fixe menus because: 1) half of the time restaurants don't have vegetarian options (Olé Tapas was thoughtful enough to accommodate vegetarians); 2) vegetarians can always eat cheaper off the menu; and 3) you don't get to order the foods you like. But it was what it was, and our party of four settled. Plus, the seven courses with seven wine pairings for $70 per person was not that bad of a deal.

Olé Tapas sits in a strip mall between a Dunkin Donuts and a Jackson Hewitt. The interior with crescent booths, large round tables, and bar has a feel of new construction trying to be warm and cozy, but misses the cozy mark. Large tables sit as islands in the aisle between booths on the wall and the bar, making the dining experience not so intimate, and a TV above the bar tuned to sports seemed out of place in a restaurant that is obviously not a sports bar.

Things started off rough when our server appeared fifteen minutes after we sat down to apologize for not seeing us and bringing water. Didn't see us?

The night's menu was printed on cards, but the wine pairings and vegetarian options were not. So when our first course was dropped off without any description and the wine did not appear until five minutes later, also without an explanation, we all started thinking, "Um...hello!" It took a couple rounds of courses having to explicitly ask the server what we were being served and what the wine was (she could only point to the wines on the list) before she got into the groove of informing our party what we were eating. Our server was plenty nice, patient, and accommodating, so I'll have to blame the managers/owners for not training their servers how to present food and wine pairings.
Everyone at our table agreed that the pumpkin hummus was a winner with it's subtle pumpkin flavor and velvety texture. The flavors aren't huge with this humus, but are still delightful.
This peasant-type dish of garbanzos (the server called them lentils) with spinach and onions was the best dish of the evening, and, while I did not see this dish on their regular menu, it should be added to the menu (Update: it's on the menu as garbanzos con chistorra, but you'll have to request it be made without the sausage if you're veg.) The spices (my palate has been failing me lately on singling out spices) were complex and interesting.
The third course befuddled us all. Olé Tapas called this thick potato soup-like dish a potato omelette. I get that traditional Spanish tortillas are like omelettes with potatoes, but this was neither a tortilla nor an omelette. With a fried waffle-cut potato chip atop a thick potato slurry, this dish tasted like liquid sour cream and onion potato chips. Not a bad thing, just not an omelette.
This salad of greens, red onions, pickled grapes and a strong cheese (don't eat with a notebook, sorry) was interesting just because of the pickled grapes, which I enjoyed quite a bit, but another at our table was put off by the whole plate. To each his own, I guess.
A glass of Cava poured over strawberry sorbet and a strawberry seemed like a cop-out course and wine pairing, but was quite delightful. I would have preferred a glass of Cava unmuddied by sorbet alongside a cup of sorbet unmuddied by Cava. And to each his own, again!
The main course of mushroom and goat cheese tart with accompanying onions, pumpkin, peppers and beets was quite large and filling. The tart filling was musty and mushroomy good, but the tart shell itself was flavorless and lacking the elusive flakiness. The vegetables were mushy and lacking interesting spices – kinda like baby food.
The study of chocolate dessert course was hit or miss. The white chocolate ice cream with raspberry swirl tasted great, but was already ice cream soup when it landed on our table. The chocolate tart with toasted almonds was flavorless and lacking intensity. The truffles rolled in cocoa, on the other hand, were quite intense and satisfied the chocolate craving that the tart could not.

I can't say we had anything unpleasant at Olé Tapas, but, other than the garbanzo and spinach plate, there was nothing that excited me or made me want to return and order it again. Unfortunately, Olé Tapas is missing the intense flavors and brilliant combinations that Garces delivers just 40 miles down the road.

I will say that in comparison to Delaware's other Spanish tapas restaurant, Orillas in downtown Wilmington, Olé Tapas has a wider selection of vegetarian dishes and cheaper prices. And if you eat at the bar on weekdays during happy hour, you can't beat Olé's half-price tapas. And on weekends, Olé has half-price wine bottles. (Update: just check their website for specials; they apparently change.) Orillas in downtown Wilmington wins on atmosphere, though, with their tighter more intimate quarters in an older building with exposed brick walls. Either way, Delawareans, you at least have a couple decent Spanish tapas options if you're just too pooped to drive into Philly.

Olé Tapas Lounge
1126 Capitol Trail (Kirkwood Hwy), Newark, DE 19711
302-224-9378
Mon.-Thurs., 11:45am-9pm; Fri., 11:45am-11pm; Sat., 4pm-11pm; Sun., 4pm-9pm

Orillas Tapas Bar

I'm excited about the revitalization of Wilmington's downtown lower Market St. that's been dubbed LoMa (Lower Market). I've already attempted The Rebel (gotta give it another go, since the first time failed), and a few days ago I dropped in on Wilmington's newest tapas bar and restaurant, Orillas, for lunch. At the time of my visit, Orillas had been open less than two weeks.

The long and narrow Orillas is quite cozy with a few high-top tables looking out the street font window, a wooden bar along an exposed brick wall, and linen-topped tables in the back. I sat at one of the high-tops and warmed myself while watching the first snow of the season float down, but could easily see myself returning to the bar for an evening drink and nibble.

Orillas' menu of small plates is not as veggie friendly as other tapas bars in Philly such as Bar Ferdinand, Ansill or Amada, for example. Orillas offers only four vegetarian dishes on their lunch menu (assorted olives, vegetarian croquettes, sauteed spinach, and an olive, mushroom and artichoke flat bread pizza), and adds two more veggie options on their slightly larger dinner menu (an eggplant flat bread pizza and roasted vegetables).

It seems that some dishes, like the salads and flat breads, could easily be modified to be vegetarian, but this was never suggested by my server who caught on to my vegetarianism and ran through the menu options with me. I did not press the subject since I had a few options with which to start. There is also a paella studded with vegetables on the dinner menu I noted that could possibly be vegetarian, but is unclear from the menu description, and I had quizzed my server enough on the lunch menu already.While it would be nice to see a larger percentage of vegetarian plates at Orillas, as long as there are a few options I am not that put off.

The one thing I would suggest Orillas change for sure on their menu is their cheese plate, or more correctly, cheese and meat plate. Most tapas bars and wine bars allow you to order a cheese plate independent of meat, but at Orillas the menu only gives the option of a small cheese and meat plate and a large cheese and meat plate. They should separate the two and offer a plate of assorted cheeses, and a plate of assorted meats, or, at least, an option that lets you pick and choose any combination of cheese and meat. And if this is already a possibility, please make the menu more clear.
The vegetarian croquettes were dark and crispy outside, and comfortingly soft and warm inside with a mush of onions, spinach, peppers, and carrots harmoniously blended, but never tasting overridingly or any one of the ingredients. The real flavor of the dish comes from the roasted pepper-heavy romesco sauce.
The Jardinera flat bread pizza comes topped with artichokes, roasted mushrooms, kalamata olives, pine nuts, goat cheese and romesco sauce. At $10, Orillas' flat bread pizza is a tad more expensive than flat bread pizzas found at most restaurants in the area, and for that reason there is no excuse for the canned artichoke hearts that topped this pizza. I'd suggest nixing the artichoke hearts and ramping up the flavorful roasted mushrooms in their place. The earthy flavors of the mushroom would also help balance out the salty and tangy olives and goat cheese.

This is absolutely total nitpicking, but I think new restaurants need the criticism so they can quickly correct the little wrongs. For cutting purposes, the flat bread would have been better presented on a flat wooden plank instead of a concave plate. I struggled to cut the flat bread with my butter knife as the flat bread slid up the opposing side of the plate, all the while fearing the loud clank of metal on porcelain when I finally made it through the less than paper thin, crispy crust. If not a wooden plank, at least present the flat bread on a flat plate.

Again, I'm excited for the revitalization of Wilmington's downtown and the new businesses that have arrived and are still to come. And although it doesn't seem like I'm excited about Orillas with all my nitpicking, I am. This charming restaurant is brand new, so has some kinks to work out and, hopefully, a menu to fine tune. I can't wait to go back and enjoy some wine or sangria at the bar and grab some cheese (let's get a cheese plate option!) and dessert. Hear, hear to more walkable dining destinations in downtown Wilmington.

Update: Orillas Revisited
Update: Orillas has moved up the street to 902 Market St.

Orillas
413 N. Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801
Lunch: Mon-Fri, 11am-2:30pm
Dinner: Mon-Thurs, 5-10pm; Fri & Sat 5-11pm

Distrito

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Jose Garces' Philly tapas empire, which includes the Spanish tapas restaurant, Amada; the Basque tapas restaurant, Tinto; and most recently the Mexican tapas restaurant, Distrito. Hype and good press is great (for the restaurant), but too much hype turns me off and sets my expectations so high that a place could never live up to the hype.

Take, for example, Capogiro, the extremely hyped and loved Center City gelateria serving artisinal gelato. When I first heard of Capogiro, I was excited. But then I heard more. All the time. People visit twice daily, devote blogs to the place. I've never been. I'm sure it's good, and I'll get there one day, so don't yell at me, but the bar has been set so high that I can't help but be disappointed. And, so, Capogiro is not on the top of my to-do list.

I feel similarly about Garces' restaurants. After not being able to get a reservation at Amada when it first opened, and then hearing all the hype with Garces' successive restaurants, his restaurants were no longer at the top of my to-do list.

But that's not to say that I didn't squeal with joy when my boyfriend informed me that he had made a reservation for dinner at Distrito this past weekend for ourselves and his parents, H. and E., who were in town for the weekend.

I'll skip the description of the large bi-level interior with pink walls, luchador mask wall, and VW booth, because I'm sure you've already read about how some feel the interior is either loud and gaudy, or fun and lighthearted. It's all of those things. Pick your mood.

I'm also going to skip in-depth analysis of the food, because, honestly, everything that we ate was wonderful. I don't think any of us four could really complain about a single of the thirteen menu items we ordered. Anything negative I write is just minor nit-picking and/or personal preferences.

I'm going to break down our dishes by favorites and least favorites (for the most part), because, like I said, it was all good, and I think ordering such large numbers of dishes lends itself well to picking favorites. It also shows that food truly is subjective. Just because one person does not care for a dish, doesn't mean that the next person will not love it.

Forgive the pictures. I worked my hardest to remove the rosy hue from these photos, which were taken in a dimly lit, pink room. Just know that everything is beautiful and plated well. So, let's begin!
These complimentary roasted nuts consisting of peanuts, cashews, pecans and walnuts flavored with chili oil and lime started us off. Very similar in heat and flavor to Trader Joe's Thai Chili cashews (dangerously additive), except Distrito's nuts are warm and homemade, so even better.

Everyone agreed that the traditional guacamole was excellent. Topped with finely shredded queso fresco, the guacamole was very lightly seasoned, letting the avocado do it's job of being simply delicious.

E.'s Favorites

E. loved the carne kobe tacos with flat iron steak, truffle potato, tomato/horseradish escabeche, and Yukon fries. This was H.'s least favorite dish, because the meat was tough. E. appreciated the authentic cut of meat since she's accustomed to tough meat tacos in Mexico (mucha familia en Mexico).

While E. wasn't in love with the cochinta pebil that accompanied the masa of the tamales, she absolutely loved the slightly spicy masa. So much so that this dish still made her top two.

H.'s Favorites

The los hongos huaraches (a sort of flat bread-ish dish) with forest mushrooms, huitlacoche sauce, queso mixto, black truffle, and corn shoots was earthy without being over powering. I actually ordered this dish, and H. did not eat nearly his share, since he feared I'd not get enough to eat with the handful of meat dishes that were off limits to me. I was stuffed by the end, so he really should have had more.

H. liked the chicken tacos with chicken ropa vieja, queso fresca, crema, and radish.

My Favorites (and my partner's!)

It seems that my boyfriend and I are in sync when it comes to food. We both picked the same two favorites.

You all should order the los hongos huaraches! With three out of four votes for favorite, it's clearly a winner amongst most palates.

We also love the esquites: sweet corn, queso fresco, chipotle, and lime served in a tall glass with a spoon. This was the spiciest dish of the evening (that I tried, at least). Think comfort of creamed corn, but with heat and tang. I'm still thinking about it!

Our Favorite (Again)

Somehow the sopes with poblano, sweet onion, quail egg, and chili piquin was completely forgotten when we were discussing favorites and least favorites (there were a lot of dishes to remember), but when we did remember the dish, my partner and I both made room for these sopes in our top two (we bent the rules). We both hate fried or poached eggs, so the quail egg did nothing for us, but the thinly sliced peppers and onions swimming in a creamy sauce atop the sope was just wonderful.

An odd number of food photos, so here's the luchador mask wall!

Also Very Good

All four of us mentioned the heirloom tomato and avocado salad and the black beans and rice when deciding on favorites. These dishes are in the last menu section titled acomanamientos, almost as an afterthought, but don't dismiss these offerings.

The lime tang of the dressing on the tomato and avocado reminded me of how good lime juice is on just about everything -- a light bulb that also turned on when I was in Mexico earlier this year.

The black beans and rice are just simple and good. Who doesn't like beans and rice? The pickled onions on top just elevated a dish that needs no perfection.

The Dishes That Paled In Comparison

The quesadillas with zuchinni squash blossom, poblano-avocado puree, and radish were the size of empanadas, and reminded of us empanadas, not quesadillas. While just fine, this dish is not a must have.

The Huachinango with red snapper, pipian verde, and poblano crema was described to me as nothing special. I'm not sure this dish was even finished.

No Category For These

The jicama salad with finely cubed jicama and watermelon, orange, pepita, chili pequin, and orange vinaigrette could also be placed in the paled in comparison category, except I was the only one at the table who really liked this tart, juicy, fruity salad. I ate most of it. Again, maybe because others knew I wouldn't be eating the meat dishes.

Everyone was stuffed, but I ordered churros any way. The thin sticks of fried, cinnamon spiced dough were amazing. The chocolate sauce was chocolaty-yum, but was very thin. Even with a couple of shakes after dipping the churros into the sauce, I could not get the dessert to my mouth without drippage. I realize that the glass of chocolate is meant to be hot chocolate, but what's a churro without dipping it into chocolate? Normally the churros are served with mocha ice cream, but, at the late hour that we were there, they were out of all ice cream flavors except corn. H. and E. did not like the corn ice cream, saying it tasted like popcorn. I like it just fine. Goes to show you!

The tapas plates at Distrito are small, and I think it's easier to share some plates with a smaller number of people. Cutting some items in half allows for only one bite, which is just not enough. The upside of sharing with more people is the array of dishes that can be sampled. Work it out to best suit you.

With roughly three dishes and one drink per person, our bill averaged $35 per person before tip -- about on par with an evening at most mid to high-end restaurants in Philly.

So, am I glad I tried a Garces restaurant? Yes! And I'm more inclined to try one of his other restaurants now that I've seen just how great ALL of his dishes are. So, yep, I'm hypin' his hype. Maybe next, I'll hype Capogiro.

Distrito
3945 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104
215-222-1657