Café Apamate

Since jumping into Philadelphia’s Basque Country scene a few years ago, Café Apamate has slowly honed its craft into a fierce competitor in a city of heavy weights like Tinto and Amada. Though pintxos (or tapas for those of us less worldly) are hardly a new concept for the city, Chef Ormaechea has successfully blended her knowledge of Spanish regional cuisines with an exceedingly inviting atmosphere that leads to a truly winning combination.

My first trip to the row-home sized Apamate was on a pleasantly warm June evening in 2008. Though the restaurant’s interior was quite appealing with its softly lit, spicy-red hued walls, we chose a quiet little table in the minimally adorned outdoor space. The atmosphere proved to be ultimately relaxing and romantic– reminding me more of my grandmother’s back patio (in a good way) than a busy restaurant on Philadelphia’s South Street. Gazing out at the urban scenery under a strand of lazily strung Christmas lights, I almost expected to see an abuela hanging her laundry on a line to dry as I sipped my Tempranillo.

Café Apamate won’t survive on looks alone. It’s a good thing that the kitchen has such a firm grasp on Spanish regional cuisine. The perfectly cooked meats combined with mouth watering sauces create an irrefutably delicious harmony of flavors on the palate. Chef Ormaechea is a master of her craft.

After polishing off a few rounds of surprisingly filling pintxos, we moved on to dessert. The Churros Clásicos are probably the closest thing to heaven on this side of the Delaware. But then again, how could you go wrong with deep fried dough, sprinkled with sugar and dipped in a Spanish chocolate sauce? Believe me, you can’t. Only after we had sipped our last drop of wine did we realize that we had spent nearly 3 hours at that table, and we had loved every minute of it.

Know before you go:

Café Apamate is a BYOB. We suggest picking out a bottle of decent Spanish wine (or several!).

The restaurant is cash only.

Weekend reservations are recommended.

The Verdict: You call this…??
Average
Good
Amazing

Good food, Good prices, Good atmosphere (except for the fake flowers on each table…), Amazing service

The perfect companions: 1 star – Not recommended — 5 stars – Highly recommended

Out with the crew: ***
Out with the date: ****
Out with the clients: **
Out with the parents: ***

The recommended dishes:
Seared sea scallop with garlic, chives, thyme and topped with a lemon-green apple “air”
Slow cook ox tail over a plantain chip, drunken goat cheese and piquillo pepper
Grilled rib eye served with a cabrales reduction sauce and crispy potatoes

And for the vegetarians…

Grilled artichoke hearts, Idiazabal sauce and crispy Iberico

The info:

Café Apamate
1620 South St
Philadelphia, PA
P: 215.790.1620
http://www.cafeapamate.com/