Let's wind it back a few months to a time before we got hitched— three days before we got hitched to be exact. Messy's best friend from growing up was in town for the wedding and took us out to a feastival of our choosing. We had wanted to check out Marc Vetri's newest offering, Amis, for a bit and she was game. Around the corner we went and Messy and her friend enjoyed some cocktails while waiting for our table. Messy really loved the Alto, a fantastic mix of prosecco, ginger and blood orange bitters [$11]. (Please forgive us as it's just been too long to recall the intricacies of everything, this will mostly be a picture show.)
As we were seated, one of the dining room managers came by to fill our waters. Picky knew a friend of a friend was one of the managers here. He took a stab at his name and he hit. We joked about our mutual friend for a bit and talked about what looked good on the tantalizing menu before he had to get back to his duties and mingling with his guests. We put in our order with our server and before long, a stream of antipasti and bruschetta flowed forth from the open kitchen steps to our table. But it was much more than we had ordered. Our new friend had sent along a few extras.
Imported bufala ricotta and black pepper [$8] and mortadella mousse [$6].
Sal's old school meatballs with tomato potato [$8]. Little bite-sized irregularly-shaped meatballs were supple and juicy. We had to take them down in two-bite portions to savor them just a little bit more.
Coppa with hazelnut honey [$8]. Fact: hazelnuts make just about anything better.
Polenta with brown butter [$5]
Fried lambs tongue with salsa rossa [$7] (pickled red onion). The lamb wasn't overly lamb-y which can be a problem for many. The the acid from pickled red onion draped across the row of tongue would help play down the lamb-y flavor for those who are lamb-averse.
Grilled smoked mozzarella with pickled vegetables [$8]
Bucatini alla "matriciana" with pork jowl, chili flake and pecorino [$14]. For Picky, this was the star antipasti for the night. A springy al dente sprinkled with clouds of finely grated pecorino was the perfect vessel to gather the hunks of hearty jowl with little bits of arrabiata kick from the chili flakes.
Gnocchi alla romana with oxtail ragu [$14]. Picky is a real oxtail lover. It's in many Korean dishes which he loved eating growing up. This was, sadly, just not as flavorful as he hoped it would be. It got a little lost amidst the other wonderful plates.
Bufala ricotta ravioli with spring asparagus [$14]. Similar to the doppio ravioli from Vetri's largest outpost, Osteria which we enjoyed two years ago. Messy, who did not partake in the meatier offerings of the evening, ate almost all of this by herself. It was absolutely delectable, but a little rich for one person. Next time she won't be so greedy!
"Tartufo al bacio" chocolate and hazelnut semifreddo with amarena cherries [$10]. This hard-shelled dessert was attacked and destroyed by the three of us. We didn't hold back as it tried to keep its delicious contents from our forks. Picky stabbed it once through the dome and we were rightfully rewarded with a near-dreadfully rich chocolate hazelnut mixture that made you think Nutell-wha? for a moment before digging in to find the small, sour amarena cherries blissfully floating throughout.
Vetri's tiramisu. Perhaps Picky's biggest pet peeve when it comes to food is messing with the classics. Vetri, it seems, feels the same way. This tiramisu was probably the best tiramisu Picky has ever had in his life. Growing up just outside of NYC, he was fortunate to have sampled many a fine tiramisu, but this one rules them all. The biscuits were moist and dense like a great cupcake, not the heavy density of a pound cake. Heaps of cocoa powder drizzled off the heaping marscapone to the plate awaiting sly improper finger-to-plate manners. This was Messy's favorite dessert of the three, and she wished she had been greedy in this instance — next time, she'll order one all for herself!
Head chef's [Brad Spence] grandma's rice pudding w/balsamic — a 100 year-old recipe. Messy and her friend both enjoyed this one tremendously, although Messy found it less enticing than the tiramisu. Picky passed on this one; he's never been a fan of rice pudding and even this delectable couldn't sway him.
A shot of the open kitchen at Amis from our table. The feel of the space is lively. It's loud, but the kind of loud that makes you feel alive, not the shouting-at-your-tablemates kind of loud. The larger tables on the Waverly Street side fill up with large groups and after a few bottles, they contribute a lot to the soundscape of the place, but it's not unwelcome. While the space doesn't have that homey feel of Osteria, it does have a wonderfully laid back trattoria feel, which is was Vetri and Co. were going for after their pilgrimage to The Boot. With their Monday industry late night events, this space will garner a strong following. With it's approachability, it's already gaining cult-like neighborhoodie approval. And hopefully it'll stay just enough under the radar of the out-of-towner crew (in Picky's NYC, they were called B&T, bridge & tunnel), and you'll be able to get a spot in here without too much trouble.
Amis
412 S. 13th Street & Waverly
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-732-AMIS (2647)
dinner
M-Th: 5pm-11:30pm | Late night menu: 11:30pm-1am
F & Sa: 5pm-12:00am | Late night menu: 12:00am 1am
Su: 5pm-10:30pm | Late night menu: 10:30pm-12am
lunch
M-F: 11:30am-2pm
No lunch on Saturdays
brunch
Su: 10am-2pm
