Amiga Amore — Restaurant in Los Angeles

A month ago, I had the foresight to set a reservation at Amiga Amore for last Saturday night. Over the last month, interest in Amiga Amore has skyrocketed to the point that reservations are booked weeks in advance. Having experienced such an amazing dinner, let me tell you that the wait is worth every second. When we arrived, the music set a vibrant ambiance, and we knew it was our night when Selena started playing. We waited a moment or two, then were led to our inside table. The various seats and benches was all eagerly taken, the various chatters and music blended together to create an electric vibe. The smells of the dishes randomly emerging from the kitchen had us lusting for our turn. Our server warmly greeted us and was extremely knowledgable about the menu. She suggested we try a few items, which after little deliberation we agreed to try. After ordering, we enjoyed the ambiance while sipping on one of their red wine selections. One of the many reasons I felt this restaurant went above and beyond was in their service, not only of the welcoming hostess, servers, and staff, the team was doing an outsdanding job of contributing to the sccuss of the night, but also of Mr. Zecca. We watched as Mr. Zecca set an impressive example by bussing tables, greeting patrons, delivering plates of food, and all else in between to maintain the steady flow of diners entering and exiting the restaurant. At one point I thought he was going to perform a marriage ceremony. The passion and attention to detail was evident, positivity seemed to flow all evening.

We started with the Sweet Potato Ceviche. The texture of the serrano's, the smooth avocado mousse, and tangy leche de tigre were a refreshing combination. This was a flavorful appetizer and perfect way to start our breathtaking meal. Next came our two pasta dishes, starting with the Elote Agnolotti, which both of us agreed was a definite highlight of the evening. Adorned with edible flowers and topped with homemade Tajin, cotija cheese, and slices of baby elote, this pasta literally 'pops' in your mouth. When you bite into the agnolotti, a wonderful explosion of elote combines with the homemade Tajin, cotija, and lime, and is immediately habit forming. We almost ordered a second plate of agnolotti but remembered that we had also ordered the Chile Colorado Cavatelli. We thanked the now empty plate of agnolotti and moved on to our cavatelli. From the mouthwatering chile de arbol spices to the queso fresco, the pasta's complex flavor were in perfect unison with the fluffy, pillowy cavatelli pasta. The beef was so tender you almost forget it's there. As our eyes were rolling back into place, we realized that we both had wonderful flashbacks to a homemade tamale rojo you'd enjoy during la Noche Buena. As if we needed another reason to love this dish. The mole lover in me couldn't leave without trying the Chicken and Mole. This 21-ingredient mole is savory, light, and a perfect sauce to accompany the chicken confit and leeks. The chicken confit was 'fall off the bone' tender. There's no better way to scoop up a little bit of the confit and mole sauce than with a steamy homemade tortilla. As we finished our meals we noticed chef Zecca popping in and out of the kitchen. As much as we wanted to give our compliments, we knew better than to disrupt the coordination of the kitchen staff.

Amiga Amore is a restaurant that surpasses all expectations and delivers an extraordinary dining experience. From the moment we stepped through the doors, we were captivated by the vibrant ambiance and energetic atmosphere. The dedication and passion of the entire staff, including the hands-on involvement of chef Zecca and Mr. Zecca, set the tone for an evening filled with impeccable service and attention to detail. Amiga Amore is more than a restaurant; it is an oasis of comfort, love, and soulful dining, where strangers become friends and memories are woven into every dish. Most importantly, Amiga Amore...

The inside of the restaurant is small and it felt warm as we walked thru to the back and outside dining area. That was the spot to be, it wasn’t hot, and it was giving Backyard Mexican fiesta vibes. Reminded me of my backyard family gatherings. The weather was pleasant and there was enough shade by 7 to be perfect. The music was good too, there was a mix of Italian and Spanish music, however I wish there was some Raffaella Cara (who was beloved by Mexicans and Italians alike) and perhaps some Mina. The service from the staff was attentive and thorough. The young woman answered any questions we had about the dishes and shared some insights about their creation etc. They consistently checked in on us to make sure the meal quality was up to standards etc. They opened the wine we brought and offered an additional set of glassware for both wines. They also consistently removed finished plates from the table etc. At the end of our meal the Chef came out to chat and were most gracious. My friends and I definitely ordered a variety of food with the intent to share. To start we ordered the Noprese Salad, Chorizo & Clams, and the special that evening of Squash Blossoms in Mole. All the starters were yummy, respectively. However the standout starter was the Noprene Salad that accompanied by the bread just elevated the entire thing. The Chorizo & Clams were yummy, but I was hoping for larger pieces of Mexican Chorizo vs the small cubed that was in there. Lastly, the Squash Blossoms were good, but the Epazote pesto could have had a stronger flavor or perhaps changed to Hoja Santa for a bolder taste, the mole that accompanied it was good - but as someone who’s family makes Mole Poblano, it could have been spicier. We followed our meal with the Elote Agnolotti - and if I could, I would eat that daily! It was creamy on the inside which was reminiscent of street corn. We followed that with a Chile Relleno Manicotti - which again was delicious but needed a tad bit of spice to give it a bolder kick. Lastly we had the Huitlacoche Caccio & Pepe and it was everything I wanted from a fusion dish. The huitlacoche was earthy and accompanied with the creaminess of the Caccio & Pepe were just so good, if it perhaps had an additional dose of grated cheese on top it would add a welcomed saltiness. We ended by ordering the Abuelita Tiramisu, Seasonal Pie, and a Creme Brûlée as they were out of the Horchata Panna Cotta. All the desserts were to die for and again would eat daily if I was closer to the restaurant. Overall the atmosphere, food, and service were great. It will be interesting to return in a few months (fall/winter) to see how the menu changes. Wonder if they’ll have some version of a mexitalian soup...

The Chef(s) of this restaurant have great training and credentials. I was very disappointed and left unsatisfied for a few reasons.

When the food finally started coming out I was a bit disappointed with the food portions. Small portions, but my first thought was it will be made up in flavor. First to come out of the kitchen was the sweet potato ceviche and the elote agnolotti. Both were quite good, small portions but at this point all was good.Then the disappointments came in one after the other.

Next to come out was the chicken and mole. The chicken was overcooked and dry. By itself, the chicken was flavorless. The mole which was a dollop of sorts on the side was nothing like any mole I have every experienced. I am willing to try anything and when I slowly put a tiny taste in my mouth without any chicken I was left speechless and not with satisfaction. I tried it again with some chicken which I had to be careful as there was again only a dollop of this so called mole on the plate. So I wanted it to last but quite frankly I already knew there wouldn't be enough. The fork with chicken and mole entered my mouth and confirmed my initial thought that this was not going to be great. It was barely good together and for $31.00 I couldn't trick my brain into thinking it was worth the money. The menu mentions citrus and there was. There was one slice of mandarin.

Then came out the fish dish which I do not remember what it was called and today it is not on the menu as I write this review. In any case it was a nice portion but again, dry and flavorless. The potatoes that it came with were okay but how bad can you make a potato? The sauce the fish came with was again someones experiment and quite frankly not very tasty. Again, I couldn't trick my brain into liking it for $35.00.

Then came the big surprise, a 4% kitchen charge. I now can see that it is clearly written on the face of the menu in a very small font and in a color that makes it difficult to read.

All in all, this restaurant left me disappointment, unsatisfied and wishful that I hadn't spent $180.00 for three people.

The breakfast menu looks good as it is described as was the dinner menu but I am not willing to give it a try considering the descriptions do not resemble anything similar to what is familiar to anyone. The mole was not mole, the ceviche was just potato. So take my advice, it doesn't taste bad, it just is not very good and most definitely in the case of the dinner menu costs it is not worth your time or money.

In regards to my two star rating for the service. This is based on waiting for about 10 minutes for the drinks, another 25 minutes for food and only two minutes...