Amis

Chef Brad Spence of Amis hits the town with his sous chef Craig Parahus in the latest episode of the Munchies series by Vice magazine. Spence heads to Paesano’s and Han Dynasty where he meets up with Peter McAndrews and Han Chiang who immediately steal the show. The raucous crew returns to Amis late night for an insane mortadella sandwich.

Brad Spence [Munchies]

Hospitality industry folk are welcome to celebrate Bibou’s third birthday this evening as Chef Pierre Calmels is going to celebrating at Amis’s monthly Industry Night tonight. Calmels will be making some of his favorite dishes and Brad Spence will be doing likewise.

Same deal as always. Free food and drink specials start at 10 p.m. and yes, there will be cake. Ice cream cake to be exact.

Industry Night with Bibou [Facebook]

Tonight at Amis, Slovenian sommelier Marjan Simcic will be giving lessons in Slovenia and winemaking from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Simcic will be walking the floor, sharing his knowledge and offering discounted flights of Slovenian white wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Ribolla Gialla, and Tocai Friulano for $18, the wines are also available by the glass).

Reservations are not required, allowing anyone to stop by the bar to check out the event. Reservations can be made, however, by calling Amis at 215-732-2647.

Guest Sommelier Night [Facebook]
Amis [Official Site]

Marc Vetri’s Amis has done plenty of industry nights for the downtrodden and (ostensibly) under-served cooks and servers and hostesses and dishwashers in this town. Most of the time, they pass by pretty much unremarked save by those who use them like life preservers to get through the more challenging weeks of La Vida–The Life, as measured by restaurant employees.

But tonight’s industry night is really something special, featuring the combined efforts of Tom Peters (owner of Monk’s and the Belgian Cafe), Fergus Carey (of Fergie’s) and the crew at Amis (with a little liquid help from their bretheren at Alla Spina). Imagine that a fast-moving Irish pub, piloted by a Belgian beer snob, were to crash violently through the front glass of an Italian birreria and you’ll have some idea of the kind of party that the Amis crew are cooking up–a three-way multicultural mash-up of booze and grub all put together for the benefit of starving line cooks (and the occasional beer rep).

The Menu, And More

We’ve got Brad Spence from Amis, Jeremy Nolen from Brauhaus Schmitz, Robert Aikens from The Dandelion, Jason Cichonski from Ela, Evan Turney from Mercato, Michael Schulson from Sampan, Qi Chun Mai from Sangkee, George Sabatino from Stateside, Sylva Senat from Tashan, David Boyle from Davio’s and about two dozen other chefs from some of the best restaurants in the city.

What you need? $75 and a few hours free on Wednesday, February 22nd to come out to the 33rd Street Armory at Drexel for the 2012 edition of Philly Cooks.

There’ll be food, there’ll be booze, there’ll be awards handed out for the best this and the best that and a bunch of different lounges in which to kick back and hang out. But most importantly, you’ll have a whole room full of Philly’s finest hash-slingers cooking just for you–no reservations, no maitre’d's, nothing but fun.

So here’s your 2-minute warning: We’ve sold out our first batch of tickets, but just released 200 more with only a couple days left to move them. So get on over to the Philly Cooks website right now and grab yours before they’re gone.

Philly Cooks 2012

February 22, 2012
6:30 – 9:00 PM
33rd Street Armory
at Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Tickets: $75
Must be 21+ with valid ID
Philly Cooks 2012 [Official website]

This Wednesday Amis is serving a whole pig dinner. The chef’s counter tasting dinner will consist of four courses from a whole suckling pig. The dinner is $65, $35 for an optional wine pairing. Chef Brad Spence has been tweeting out some of the dishes; Polenta pancake, cotechino sausage, maple mostarda and Porky borlotti bean stew with cracklings & stracciatella are his latest teases.

Sycamore’s Pig Roast »

Marc Vetri doesn’t think there is much of a deal to be had during Restaurant Week. So we wondered, can you get a good meal at his Amis for under $35.

Here’s one possible three-course dinner  you could have at Amis for a dollar less than that. And it is a meal that wouldn’t be chosen from a pared down menu and dealing with a stressed out waitstaff.

Read the rest of this entry »

Normally Amis does their monthly industry night on the first Monday of the month, but in February they have something different planned. On Super Bowl Sunday Marc Vetri’s trattoria is going to be throwing an industry brunch.

On Brad Spence’s menu will be soft scramble eggs, rotini with breakfast sausage, house-made bacon, caponata with toast and something called Jersey cannonballs. The free food and drink specials run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Just bring a current pay stub to show at the door.

Amis Industry Brunch [Facebook]

Marc Vetri’s Amis has lots of options for health-conscious diners. Be Well Philly’s nutritionist shows you what to order.

Good news: Pasta’s not off limits!

The Cheat Sheet: Amis [Be Well Philly]