We are very lucky to get invited to a lot of events around the City and, more often than not, we fall behind in writing about them. The one place we've been feeling extremely guilty about not writing up sooner is Amuse, a new(ish) restaurant located in the trendy Le Meridien hotel at Broad and Arch Streets. We've been feeling guilty because not only was all the food phenomenal, but we got a chance to chat with the chef, Dan Black, and he was a really nice, funny and knowledgeable guy. Amuse is probably one of the best bangs for your buck in Center City. The portion sizes were simply humongous, and the prices were quite reasonable.
The eatery is small with a giant bar in the entryway and a long, communal table for 10 smack in the middle of the atrium of the hotel. A dining area, by the windows facing Arch St, seats 32. Fresh baked baguettes arrived wrapped in white paper along with a ramekin of room temperature herbed butter (Note: Picky loves when restaurants serve room temperature butter—the only way it should be!). The basil buds brought a sense of summer and thoughts of fresh bruschetta, but they weren't overpowering. An amuse bouche was brought out for each of us along with a signature Amuse cocktail. The champagne infused grape with aged balsamic and a basil bud tingled like fizzy champagne. It was the size of an overgrown olive, not like any grape we've seen. The smooth tinge of aged balsamic rounded out the feel of the bite and welcomed the rest of the meal.
The With Love cocktail [Ketel One, passion fruit syrup, lime juice, ginger liquor, champagne, and raspberry] was refreshing and cleaned off any of the lingering intensity from the amuse bouche. Then came the onslaught. We were ready for a small tasting menu, but what came out was just about everything from the menu; full portions of almost everything on the menu!
Taylor Bay Scallops [$8/$16], from Nantucket, with some petit scallops along with corn, peas, house made fresh chorizo over pappardelle in a bouillabaisse with crostini sprinkled with baby greens. Picky isn't the biggest seafood fan (and Messy stays away completely), he found the scallops nice and most definitely not the rubbery kinds many people complain about at other eateries. The prize was the chorizo. Juicy hunks of spice added an unexpected dimension to this seafood starter. The shells added an incredible dash of variegated color.
A large plate of heirloom tomatoes, house pulled mozzarella with opal basil and herb infusion made our hearts flutter. Note, this was back in November so heirloom 'maters were just about gone by now. Chef Black came out to talk about each course and he noted that they were the last of the tomatoes from the region and they tasted great. No mealy, flavorless globes from afar, but the real local flavor of summer. The bright colors played well on the white china. While the mozzarella didn't stand up to the gold standard of Claudio's in the Italian Market, it was great to see the extra effort put into the dish by the in-house staff. Going the extra mile in-house is a sign that a restaurant is searching for just the right thing all the time by tinkering behind the scenes in their own lab.
The pork shank and trotter ravioli [$9/$16] with mushrooms and chip of house cured pancetta was everything that is good about pork. It was saliva-enducing level of salty goodness. The thick, overstuffed ravioli and deeply earthy mushrooms added a nice range of flavor and texture to each bite. And without a moment for us to catch our breath, the next course was tabled.
The veal chop (Frenched of course), a cheese croquette (made with the delicious Fat Cat from Birch Run Hills Dairy in Chester County) with fried leeks and vegetables in a butter cream sauce was a visual meal in and of itself. It was the larges veal chop (Black Angus?) Picky has ever seen, approaching a foot in length.
The chop had an incredible presence as it was propped up at the bone by the croquette. It was pink and tender as veal ought to be with a hidden morsel of fat right by the bone.
A bouillabaisse [$26] with lobster, halibut scraps, shrimp, PEI mussels, pearl onions and potatoes came next. It was another eye-catching seafood plate with an imposing height, color and inviting smell. Seafood can have an overwhelming punch to it, but it was all under control in Black's kitchen.
And what would any self-respecting French restaurant in America be without steak frites [$24]. This hanger steak varietal was served with three sauces: tarragon pesto, ketchup and bernaise aoli. Chef Black explained that the steak is seared at 1600°F in a special oven. It was perfectly medium rare, but seemingly overcooked next to the beyond tender veal.
Half a free ranged chicken, herb honey crusted [$19], was a fine dish, but not quite as crispy as Picky likes it to be.
The only item that didn't sing at the tasting dinner was the veganized ratatouille [$18] with quinoa ragu.
Chef Black told us that he usually uses butter in the dish. We're big butter fans, so we imagine that would have made a big difference for us. (Amuse is probably not the best choice for vegans, as most French places aren't.) Regardless, Chef Black still managed to coax a buttery crisp texture from the ratatouille.
And here's Picky's plate with one of everything crammed onto it.
Here's the gang chowing down with Chef Black talking about the offerings of the entrees in front.
As our plates were cleared, they were replaced with clean ones and a giant spork. It was a moment of haute cuisine meets KFC and in this case, it worked. Annie Heckenberger of Red Tettemer (which organized the tasting) talked up the desserts and got our motors going once again after what was already an astounding amount of food.
The tarte tatin [$6] with vanilla creme was deliciously topped with berries. The delicious thick crust on the bottom was just crispy enough without giving up any moisture.
The pot de crème [$6] was everything it should classically be. Luscious thick ganache, freshly whipped cream with cacao nibs and fresh mint sprig acting as the proverbial cherry on top.
Finally, the Mille Feuille Classique with berries and a Chantilly cream sauce [$6] ended the night. It was plain and simple with a dry and not oily filo tower standing tall. Picky was a little sad that there was a crème brulée on the menu, but not for our special tasting (wait, did that bastard just complain about something from this evening?!).
It wasn't surprising to learn that the young chef is a LCB graduate. The eatery was a few months old at the time of our visit, but everything was already running very smoothly in the newly renovated historic space. Our servers were attentive and well-versed on the menu and were able to answer any and all questions we had during our meal. Chef Black took a few minutes after our meal to chat with the group. He said his move from Vermont to Philly was tough. At his former restaurant he had produce growing out back.
Taking a look at the bar menu, you'll notice a nice range of classics and house specialties all at great prices. Their wine list is modest and focused. Their beer list, however, is sadly lacking. But this isn't the place to have session brews, there are plenty of places for that around town. Even the bathrooms are thoughtfully done. Down a set of stairs and a hallway which looked like it belonged in a outer-space based Sci-Fi flick, you opened pocket door stalls with a sexy red glass tile interior. Friends of ours stayed there over the summer for our wedding and they had a great time. Unfortunately, the great summer deals of their first season are over, but the prices for rooms at Le Méridien are compatible with other downtown hotels, but with a much better restaurant!
The take from Bridges, Burgers & Beer, Philly Food and Beer and I'll Eat You. A special thanks to Chessia Kelly and Annie from RT. Thank you Chef Black and the wonderful servers and staff at Amuse for the wonderful evening. We're incredibly sorry for the delay, but we wish you all the best.
And below is a slideshow of all the photos above and more in 1200px glory on flickr
Amuse bar & brasserie
1421 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 422-8222
Hours: Breakfast: M-F: 6:30am-10:30am, Sa-Su: 7:00am-11:00am Lunch: M-Su: 11:00am – 2:00pm Dinner: M-Su: 5:30pm – 10:00pm
