Amano ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Located in downtown Caldwell, on the site of what used to be a bank (the vault is behind the green curtain), inside a historic building, Amano is one of my favorite new restaurants of 2019. Sal and Becca Alamilla are the owners;Sal is the chef. Their staff are well-trained, informative, personable and gracious. KM and I visited for the first time on 10/11/19. The experience far exceeded our high expectations.

Amano is a craft Mexican kitchen. Tortillas are made from organic, heirloom Oaxaca corn that is ground in-house with lava rock. The menu features the local harvest of Idaho, craft cocktails, premium tequilas and Mezcal, handcrafted beer and wine from the Sunnyslope wine region.

The made to order guacamole and chips were beautifully presented and perfectly seasoned. We ordered a side of salsa and we were offered mild, medium or hot. KM prefers mild, I prefer hot, so we compromised on medium. The mortar and pestle salsa was fire roasted tomatoes and was unlike any I have had before. It was flavorful and had a heat that builds.

KM’s La Flor cocktail, which featured tequila blanco, jamaica simple and lime, was as delicious as it was beautiful. When you purchase a craft cocktail at Amano, you receive a punch card that is a miniature version of the front of the drink menu. Once you have tried all 9 cocktails, you receive your 10th for $1.

The Quesadilla de Flor de Calabaza is an organic blue corn tortilla filled with squash blossom, queso oaxaca, cojita, queso fresco,crema and toasted tomatillo sauce. Even without the salsa, it Wes very flavorful.

The Esquites (grilled corn with mayonesa, cojita, tajin and cilantro) was the best version of this dish that I have ever had.

The L.A. Birria tacos are a house specialty and the item that I was most excited to try, as this is an item that is very hard to find. I have actively sought it out in Idaho, Oregon and Washington, to no avail. I loved this dish so much that it is hard for me to imagine returning to Amano without ordering it every single time.

The Baja Cali Fish tacos are beer battered mahi-mahi, topped with habaneros slaw and crema. I appreciate that these tacos are made from high-quality mahi-mahi. Everything about these tacos was on point. These fish tacos were some of the very best I’ve ever had. For those who are heat adverse, I would recommend you consider removing the sliver thin habanera slices before you consume your fish tacos.

The refried rice and beans were delicious. Even though the refried beans were not made with lard, they had good flavor.

For dessert, we shared an order of Arroz Con Leche (rice pudding) with seasonal fruit compote. The evening we were there, the fruit compote was a mixture of blueberry and raspberry. The portion was generous and the flavors were wonderful.

Amano is open for lunch and dinner. They also serve brunch. Chef Alamilla is working on a new Fall menu that I look forward to trying. I intend to eventually try every single item on the menu, always with a side of L.A. Birria tacos of course. Be sure to check out their Instagram.

Highly Recommended!!!