Kickin' It in Old City

My beloved and I celebrated our six years of marital bliss last weekend with a date to Old City.

I love going to Philadelphia with Mark. We go quite frequently – and not just for Phillies games. Sometimes we go shopping in Center City (yay!) or we go to South Philadelphia, where I buy 50 items for about 20 bucks at the Corner Spice Market (super yay!), pick up the best cannolis ever at Isgro's and purchase some artery-clogging goods at DiBruno Bros. Good times.

We have many fav restaurants, but we love trying new ones, too.

That’s what we did this year.

We first stopped at the Plough and the Stars for a drinky-poo. Mark had a beer; I had Stohli Vanilla and ginger ale. The bartender hooked it up with a maraschino cherry on top. Love it. I’m totally doing that Thanksgiving Eve. I hope my g’friends approve.

Anyhoo, after our drinks at the pub – which, by the way is awesome in its sparkly, cathedral, fireplace-blazing glory – Mark and I headed to Amada.

It’s a tapas restaurant headed by Chef Jose Garces, who has been on the Food Network many times. He’s currently on the “Next Iron Chef America.”

OMG, dear readers. I have so much love for Amada. It was fabulous. The service was great and there are flying pigs and hams hanging up everywhere in the joint.

And who doesn’t love a flying pig?

So yeah, if you don’t dig on swine definitely DO NOT go to Amada. But, if you love great Spanish food in really cool digs, then totally go to Amada.

The restaurant is quite big and has many secret rooms. We were seated in a back room that was quieter than the main dining area and bar. Appropriate for an anniversary, no?

Mark and I ordered eight tapas. The server recommended six to eight per two people.

The server also let Mark taste two wines before making a selection. The Husband felt this offer was, “very classy.”

He really said that.

We started with a manchego cheese with lavender honey and sliced apples. It was really very refreshing. All three ingredients complimented each other really well. The salty, the sweet the tart. OMG. Heaven.

We also enjoyed crab-stuffed peppers. There are only two in this dish. I seriously could have eaten like five more. This dish was perfection. The filling was creamy and dreamy. The peppers were like butta.

The lamb meatballs were recommended to us by a family friend. Seriously, they were to die for. The smokiness was just right.

You have to try one of the flatbreads. We noshed on the one with chorizo and shrimp. It was amazing.

We also enjoyed the grilled calamari, which is so much better than the typical breaded, deep-fried calamari found at average Italian joints. Grilled calamari is very simple in its taste. Loved it.

The spicy potatoes were amazing. They were shaped as bite-sized cylinders with a gorgeous saffron-colored cream on top. I wasn’t expecting much from this dish, but I was blown away. So good.

We also ordered two veggie dishes – grilled scallions (Mark loves scallions) and chickpeas with spinach. The portions of the vegetarian dishes were quite large. We probably would only order one if and when we go back. But seriously, they were both so yummy I don’t know how we would pick. The scallions were so unique. And the chickpeas and spinach were in a fantastic tomato sauce that was fragrant and complex.

I of course ordered dessert because it’s my anniversary and if a girl wants chocolate, a girl gets chocolate. And, another glass of wine. Mark had a glass of port that he thought was amazing.

The servers were very informed and helpful regarding my nut allergy, which is always very important to me because call me crazy, but I'd like to live through dinner.

And the seating was super comfy. I sat on the couch with tons of fluffy pillows. The Husband sat on a regular chair. Hee.

Here is contact info for our two sixth year anniversary haunts:

The Plough and the Stars
2nd Street, Old City, Philadelphia
215.733.0300

Amada
217-219 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
215.625.2450