Chef Jose Garces to Bring Amada to the Main Line with New Location in Radnor

James Beard Award Winning Iron Chef Jose Garces has announced plans to expand one of his most beloved restaurant concepts to the Philadelphia suburbs. Amada will open a new outpost on the Main Line at 555 E. Lancaster Avenue, Radnor, PA 19087 in early 2023.

Chef's modern take on Spanish tapas began in 2005 as one of Chef's first restaurants when he went out on his own. Today, Amada operates two locations, in both Old City and Historic Philadelphia at 217-219 Chestnut Street, and in Atlantic City at Ocean Casino Resort at 500 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401. The forthcoming third outpost in Radnor will feature 7,000 square feet of space for indoor and outdoor dining, with seating for an estimated 200+ guests, two outdoor patios, a private dining room for 45 people and a newly renovated bar that will seat around 25. Amada will feature an expanded selection of Amada's signature Spanish tapas ((Tortilla Española, Wagyu Brochettes, Amada's Empanadas), Cochinillo Asado (a whole roasted suckling pig) and Paella Valenciana (rabbit and chorizo paella), plus new dishes exclusive to Radnor developed for the on-site wood fired oven. From the bar, Amada's wine program exclusively features wines from Spain with over 100 selections from both popular and emerging regions in the country, plus cocktails inspired by Spanish ingredients, and Red and White Sangria. Amada Radnor will be open seven days a week, with hours for lunch, happy hour, dinner and weekend brunch to be announced closer to opening. For more about Amada, visit http://philadelphia.amadarestaurant.com/ and follow @amadaphl on social media. For more about Chef Jose Garces, follow @chefjosegarces on social media.

"Amada is near and dear to my heart," said Garces. "It was the very first restaurant I opened when I went out on my own in 2005. It will be a great addition to the exciting and rapidly growing Main Line dining scene. We have so many Garces fans from over the years come join us in Old City, and now we are bringing the concept right to them in their own backyards."

He added, "We are thrilled to expand our relationship with the Main Line. We started off last week with fast casual, with Buena Onda, and are now moving into something a little more elevated with the opening of the Radnor outpost of Amada, one of my flagship restaurants. The reception we have gotten in two weeks since we opened Buena Onda has been amazing. We can't wait to meet even more foodies and get even more involved in our new community as we open our doors next year."

Amada is Chef Garces' iconic first restaurant. Since opening in 2005, the gorgeous rustic-chic restaurant and bar has embraced the rich traditions of Spanish cuisine from the Andalusian region. For Radnor, Amada's capacious dining room will feature an open kitchen, an intimate private dining room for special events and corporate functions, a spacious bar area reminiscent of a typical Spanish bodega. The new outpost will also have two outdoor patios for daily dining, as well as large group dining and private events

Named after his grandmother who ignited Garces' love for the kitchen at a young age, Amada was Garces' first solo venture, which won him the James Beard Award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic. Now, 15 years later, Garces brings Amada to the Philadelphia suburbs.

Amada's menu will include a variety of beloved dishes from the Philadelphia original such as the classic Amada's Empanada with Spanish Manchego and artichoke escabeche, an homage to the meal he would prepare with his grandmother for family gatherings and Tortilla Española, Spanish tortilla served with a saffron aioli. For brunch, look for Amada's weekend signature dishes that includes Sangria Pancakes, Crab Benedict, Duck Confit Rosti, Avocado Toast and Saffron Rice Bowl.

A selection of large-format Especialidades De La Casa including Paella Valenciana, a chicken and chorizo paella with cockles, shrimp, and saffron aioli, perfect for guests enjoying the restaurant's various intimate private dining rooms.

Diners can also order in advance and feast on Cochinillo Asado, a whole roasted suckling pig, brined, confitted and slowly roasted for a day and a half, and accompanied by rosemary white beans, roasted fingerling potatoes, Calcots con salbitxada and garbanzos con espinacas. Served as a half or whole pig. Seventy-two hours notice required.

The menu will also feature brand new dishes exclusive to Radnor that incorporate the on-site wood fired oven. Garces said, "One of the most exciting aspects of this upcoming opening is that we're outfitting the kitchen with a wood-fired oven from Mibrasa, charcoal ovens used by the top chefs in Spain for years, which allows for a whole new set of culinary possibilities within the space. I'm looking forward to developing some dishes that take advantage of the unique properties of the wood fired ovens.This is an expression of the evolution of the Amada concept. We will be keeping many classic Amada dishes, but also creating new experiences for our guests. We can't wait to show you what we're cooking up. "

From the bar, Amada's wine program exclusively features wines from Spain and focuses on highlighting Spanish varietals and contemporary winemakers with over 100 selections from both popular and emerging regions in the country. The cocktail menu is inspired by Spanish ingredients and features new drink additions that are named after Spanish Director Pedro Almodóvar's films like the Bad Education with apricot infused brandy, Orujo de Hierbas (Spanish grappa macerated with herbs and spices), pineapple, chamomile cordial, and nutmeg; and Kika with gin, Patxaran (sloe flavored liquor from Navarre, Spain), orange, fennel, and Vermouth from Barcelona. Amada also offers housemade Red and White Sangria, a rotating seasonal Sangria kicking off with thyme, Orujo de Hierbas, gin, ginger, topped with Cava and garnished with red grapes. In addition, Amada will offer an expansive list of gin and tonics.

For Interior Design, Amada Radnor will feature the talents of Dash Design, who Garces has used many times over the years, including for Okatshe, Olon and Ortzi.

For design and vibe, Amada will continue and evolve its rustic chic tradition with elements using stacked wood, leather, linen accents, with a palette of browns, grey and dull blues. Look for heavy use of candlelight and lanterns for romantic soft lighting. Keeping in the long-running tradition, Amada Radnor will feature a bronze pig in the design, which follows suit with Philadelphia and Atlantic City locations. Look for exciting updates on design and aesthetics as the opening comes closer.

For layout, Amada Radnor features 7,000 square feet of space, with seating for an estimated 200+ guests, two outdoor patios, a private dining room for 45 people and a newly renovated bar that will seat around 25. Amada Radnor will be the perfect location for a fun group dining experience or an intimate, romantic date night. Amada will also be the perfect spot for corporate functions, luncheons, showers, rehearsal dinners, wedding brunches and more.

For construction, Amada Radnor will utilize the services of Lott Builds. For the property, the space was leased to Garces by Brandywine Realty Trust.

News of Amada coming to Radnor comes hot on the heels of the grand opening of Buena Onda just last week. The sister restaurants will be located just a few hundred feet away from each other and together they will be a real win-win for local foodies with options for fast casual to elevated fine dining.

Amada is currently open in Philadelphia at 217-219 Chestnut Street, in Old City and Historic Philadelphia. Hours are Monday to Friday, from 5:00pm to 10:00pm, Saturday and Sunday Brunch 11:30am to 3:00pm and Saturday and Sunday Dinner 4:00pm to 10:00pm. Happy Hour runs Monday to Friday, from 5:00pm to 6:00pm.

Amada is also currently open at Ocean Casino Resort Wednesday and Thursday, from 5:00pm to 10:00pm, Friday and Saturday, from 5:00pm to 11:00pm, and Sunday, from 5:00pm to 10:00pm

Amada Radnor will be open seven days a week, with the full schedule to follow closer to the opening date.

For more about Amada, visit http://philadelphia.amadarestaurant.com/ and follow @amadaphl on social media. For more about Chef Jose Garces, follow @chefjosegarces on social media.

ABOUT CHEF JOSE GARCES

Iron Chef, father, husband, James Beard Award-winner, entrepreneur, and food innovator, Chef Jose Garces is known as a leading culinary authority of Spanish and Latin-American food. From the Spanish tapas at Amada, his first restaurant, to the playful Japanese street food at Okatshe in Atlantic City, Chef Garces continually pushes the boundaries of culinary excellence.

While he maintains his successful career owning and operating full-service restaurants, Chef Garces is also looking toward the future, with an increased focus on bringing restaurant-quality experiences to the homes and businesses of culinary enthusiasts in new and interesting ways. From enhanced home delivery options and virtual online cooking demos, to live online cooking classes, Chef Garces is excited to connect with both fans of his work on television, as well as the home cook who would like to experience "chef life" in their own kitchen. Chef Garces is the author of two cookbooks, Latin Evolution and The Latin Road Home, published by Lake Isle Press. To learn more, please visit, www.chefgarces.com or follow him on social media on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

ABOUT GARCES

Garces is a Philadelphia-based hospitality group specializing in personal dining experiences rooted in the rich cultural traditions and culinary vision of renowned Latin-American chef Jose Garces. Taking a heartfelt and creative approach to time-honored recipes and dishes, Garces through Ideation Hospitality, operates numerous restaurants including Amada, Village Whiskey, Volvér, The Olde Bar, Buena Onda, Tinto, Garces Eats and Garces Trading Company in Philadelphia, Buena Onda in Radnor, and Amada and Distrito in the Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The group also operates Garces Events, a full-service catering and event division; the Garces Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to Philadelphia's underserved immigrant community. For more information, visit GarcesGroup.com and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

ABOUT GARCES FOUNDATION

The Garces Foundation is a community-based, non-profit organization committed to providing Philadelphia's immigrant population the healthcare, education, and support to empower them to fulfill their potential as citizens and enjoy the highest possible quality of life. Our programs advance this mission. We provide free or low cost dental care, medical care, education to those we serve. We also run a food pantry program, meeting the food insecurity needs brought on by the pandemic.

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