#bar ama

[davetada]

Vanessa, Natalie and Hope

Downtown LA, CA

[foodisthenewrock]

These would heave killed it coachella's merch booth.

[thegrumpyconcierge-blog]

[Los Angeles] Bar Ama

SJ: Little Tokyo is just a little section of the vast wonder that is downtown LA. As previously said, it has truly been revitalized in the past 10 years or so. The revitalization has partly been led by noteworthy chefs like Josef Centeno who has been at the forefront. On this day we decided to visit his Tex-Mex spot, Bar Amá. D's mom actually joined us on this day as she LOVEs Mexican cuisine. 

Rée: She really does. Like... a lot.

SJ: And, especially guacamole, it looked like. Makes sense. The apple never falls too far from the tree. Or should I say, Avocado? Slaps knee

With the two avocado lovers on hand, we had to start out with some freshly made guacamole. It was excellent as were the house made chips. The celery in it actually gave it a nice textural contrast that we really enjoyed.  

Rée: Did you catch how my mother pronounces this dish?

SJ: Guac?

Rée: No. She calls it 'whackamole sauce". Uncontrollable fit of giggles ensues.

SJ: Get a hold of yourself. Geez. Please introduce our next dish.

Rée: You mean, the white nectarines with blueberries and cheese and honey?

SJ: Yes. This dish was a superb example of seasonal cuisine. The sweet white nectarine was enhanced by fresh blueberries and cheese. The robust honey just added depth of flavor to another very refreshing starter. 

Rée: It was indeed refreshing as we had several more filling and heavier dishes to look forward to. Like, these potatoes.

SJ: And, if we see potatoes on the menu, we have to order potatoes. Let's just say, these did not disappoint. The smashed potatoes had been crisped on the outside and were soft and delicate on the inside. Served with some queso fresco and pickled veggies on top, this was another winner. 

Rée: Yeah, it was. But, you forgot to mention- very filling. By this point in our meal, I was already quite full. Unfortunately, or.... fortunately (I'm not sure which), there was more food to be eaten. 

SJ: These puffy tacos were for mom and I think she enjoyed them. Topped with crisp cabbage and seasoned beef, the freshly fried crispy taco was also quite filling as we ordered three and took one home.  

Rée: I don't remember eating any of it; I just remember how big they were. But, thankfully I made space for our 'main' course. 

SJ: D and I decided to split the signature dish, Chicken fried chicken served with buttery grits and topped with a zesty gravy and a sunny side up egg. The dish was definitely meant to be shared as it was big and hearty. The seasoning on the chicken was spot on, the grits were creamy and the egg put the dish over the top. WE WERE FULL! But there's always room for dessert, right?

Rée: I think we need to stop adopting that motto... but making the exception for this rice pudding was a great idea. Each bite of the caramel, whipped cream and rice pudding combination melted easily in our mouths. We needed only to chew a little bit- to savor the flavors. 

SJ: Indeed.

The Grumpy Concierge approves of this muy magnifico restaurante.

[shopwalkdtla]

Chef-owner Josef Centeno shifts his focus to the Tex-Mex cooking of his native San Antonio at this high-ceiling, big-flavored restaurant around the corner from his scene-stealing Bäco Mercat (one of Bon Appétit’s 10 Best New Restaurants in 2012). Don’t judge sizzling fajitas until you’ve tried ’em here. Look For: Queso with chorizo; chile relleno; slow-roasted cabrito We Love: Off-the-menu (but always available) deep-fried puffy tacos.

ShopWalk DTLA Fall 2013 special: Super nachos + margarita for $10! Bar Ama 118 West 4th Street Los Angeles, CA 213-687-8002 bar-ama.com

[jaynezak]

A Perfect Travel Day In LA

A Travel Day in LA

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” Henry Miller

There are days that I miss traveling so I  decided to have a travel day in Los Angeles.  This would be my perfect travel day.

It is always a traveling…

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[acehotel]

While under the spell of a cotija-dusted puffy taco at Chef Josef Centeno's Bar Ama our minds' eye takes a culinary-cum-Tree-of-Life style journey through foodways and space-time, into a place where corn is a giver of life, not a syrup for bonding disparate particles into pockets of infinite shelflife. In this dream-Eden, bell peppers swell like Dizzy Gillespie's cheeks beneath a canopy of trees and oceans eddy with forests of kelp and untold schools of fish, unencumbered on their rounds by lost cities of PET. And when we touch back down in our seat back at Bar Ama the dream seems within reach.    

[readnfeed]

Bar Amá is food and memory in multiple dishes. The concept of the restaurant is cooking inspiration from the chef's mother and grandmother. We knew we were coming back as soon we saw the menu. There were so many dishes we wanted to try and only so much room on the table or in our stomachs. The bus guy was totally cool and made us laugh. Eric, our guide to the menu, suggested the puffy tacos and we were glad we followed his recommendation.  They were crispy, light and a great vehicle for the marinated, shredded, tender pork filling (barbacoa or slow roasted). My favorite was the barbecue jidori chicken liver skewers. WOW! As a kid and every time I ask for it my mom will make sauteed chicken livers for me. When my mom makes it it's earthy, gamy, tangy and savory. He did the same for me with the liver skewers. You know that scene in Ratatouille when the snarky restaurant critic is transported by the dish? That is the chicken liver skewer for me. Really. The rest of our dinner included the Ama's enchiladas (magical vegetal), mondongo aka grandma's menudo with oxtail (so spicy they made me sweat, not enough tripe for a tripe loving gal), calabacitas and kale (healthy and hearty), coconut tres leches cake and SOPAPILLAS. The coconut tres leches cake was served with a creme anglaise-like sauce and was so rich that I was buzzing from the cream, coconut and milk combination. Rich food has that effect on me regardless of the alcohol content. The only thing missing from the sopapillas was the experience of squeezing the honey on yourself. That is my part of the joy of sopapilla eating--adding as much honey as you want to the fried dough. No complaints here. When the bus guy said we should come back again I said "Yes, and we are going to order the fried chicken, ceviche and some tequila just like you recommended." We made him laugh this time. Service is friendly at all of the Centeno restaurants we have tried (Lot 1, Lazy Ox, Baco Mercat, Bar Amá). Food is amazing. We will be back many more times.