Amâlia was opened in 2024 by Italian Chefs Cecilia Spurio and her husband Eugenio Anfuso.  They bring to classic French cooking a little Italian influence with the diner being the grand recipient of the fun dishes.  She was a lawyer that became an award winning pastry chef and she combines her talents with his Michelin starred cooking experiences to a produce a wonderful dining experience.  They offer 2 tasting menus with one being vegetarian.  We chose the Grand menu and it was a fantastic.  The small place had about 12 tables with white tablecloths and first rate service.  We scored a seat right next to the open kitchen where we could watch the dishes being assembled, with both chefs in the kichen.  Two supplements were offered, one to add truffles (which were brought out to see in their box) and/or caviar.  We declined both but did enjoy a cocktail as we looked over the wine list before the meal.   They have a one Michelin star rating and this is another fine place to put on your list.

Set-up

 

Food

While we enjoyed our Negroni cocktail they brought out a salted breadstick and dip of garlic mayo and paprika.  It was a perfect snack.

 

Appetizers were parsnip and botarga on a yuzu crisp shell, Beaufort cheese tart slice topped with parmesan that was cool and tasty and a thin crisp shell filled with creamy goodness.

 

Bread was brown from a local bakery.  It had a lovley crisp crust and doughy interior.  Later they brought out a smoked butter seasoned with lemon.  The rich butter did have a smoky essence.

 

Gnocchi with Xerés vinegar was paired with smoked potato, wild mushrooms and razor clams.  Some crispy bread bits were in the mix to add a crunch to the otherwise velvety feel on the palate.  This had an elegant flavor that was a real yum.

 

Spicy scallops were with Nduja ragout, watercress and ginger.  The scallop was browned on one side and was perfectly cooked.  The hints of ginger in the sauce were well paired with a bit of spiciness to make a wonderful dish.

 

Red Mullet “A la Bourguignonne” was on top of braised beef cheek, sour spinach, Brussels sprouts snd brown butter.  The fish was aged one week to give it an even richer flavor which worked perfectly with the richness of the braised beef dish below it.  The fish skin was crisped to add more texture

 

Barbecue Mallard Duck was with pink grapefruit, Sicilian pistachios, and coffee praline.  The wild duck had been aged 7 days and was presented in tender, rare slices covered with a rich sauce flavored with coffee essence.  The grapefruit was mostly sweet and aded a fun punctuation to the plate.

 

Frozen pear was topped with goat cheese mousse and Dijon mustard caramel alongside a thin crisp wafer.  This was a light and fruity transition course.  The buttery wafer was perfect to contrast with the softer sweet part.

 

70% chocolate was with confit pumpkin, cardamom and jus of Angostura bitters.  This was basically delicious chocolate ice cream with crunchy toppings.  The pumpkin was an interesting addition.  It was good but I liked the pear better.

 

Mignardises included a yougurt raspberry that was nice; a lime gel that was tart; a licorise cream tart that was sweet; a Japanese thing that was sweet and mostly crisp; a white chocolate with cherry wine; and a chocolate supreme that had crispy bits and honeycomb for a tasty  bite.

 

They sent home with us a couple small cakes that were good.