On a wet and rainy weeknight just before Amado opened its doors, a sizable line has already formed halfway down the block full of people hoping to snag a table. Despite being open to the public for just a few weeks, word has obviously already spread that this is Burlingame’s new culinary hotspot.
Amado is no ordinary Mexican eatery. Custom-made amber glass lamps overhead and warm brown banquettes with gold and cream-colored accents fill the modern, stylish space. The lively open bar divides the dining room from the lounge, which also serves the full menu. A large round art piece along the back wall made by hand from corn husks is both rustic and elegant at once—a symbol of what’s to come.
The stylish, modern Amado in Burlingame(Courtesy of Amado)
By 5:30pm, Amado is buzzing with practically every seat in the house filled. Many would say opening a new restaurant in these uncertain times is a giant risk. You’d never know it here: drinks are flowing, the kitchen is churning out beautifully plated specialties, and guests are clearly enjoying themselves. The place is alive.
The restaurant’s warm, sophisticated vibe is rooted in its menu, which is carefully curated by executive chef Gloria Dominguez. Having owned and operated several Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area since the eighties, Amado is her way of sharing her passion for food, design, and travel.
Instead of focusing on just one region, Dominguez pulled authentic recipes from all over Mexico, giving her respect and admiration to all the different flavors and traditions of her native country. Her attention to detail is so unyielding, she insists on using many ingredients not easily sourced around these parts, and utilizing techniques some would argue are far too time-consuming for a high-volume restaurant. But in order to keep her food authentic, she’s dedicated to making every single thing in her kitchen from scratch; no shortcuts.
Dominguez has already had guests from various parts of California visit Amado specifically for hard-to-find Mexican dishes like her mole rosa, a traditional dish hailing from Taxco. The sauce is made from beets, pine nuts, and white chocolate, giving it a distinct mauve hue. Her moles use four different kinds of chiles and 31 different spices; the chef trusts no one but an older Mexican woman who comes in three mornings a week to help her make the dish according to her standards.
Cochinita pibil at Amado(Courtesy of @amado_burlingame)
The cochinita pibil, Dominguez says, is the perfect representation of the Yucatán region of Mexico: slow-roasted, achiote paste-marinated pork that’s baked in banana leaves. The flavors are rich and savory and the meat is juicy and tender, perfect with the accompanying sweet and earthy plantains.
The seemingly simple tostada de atún with its fresh ahi tuna, avocado aioli, green salsa, and fried leeks served atop a perfectly thin and crisp tortilla is an unexpected knockout with its bright, fresh flavors and varying textures.
Notable small plates include the empanadas de plátano, made with plantains and filled with black beans and cotija cheese (a favorite of Dominguez), and the callos en salsa negra, scallops cooked in lime juice served in a striking black charred sauce. Fresh housemade tortillas made from heirloom corn come warm and soft with some dishes; if yours doesn’t, you may want to consider getting a side order of them. They’re worth it.
To finish your meal on a sweet note, the jericalla is a great choice, an eggy vanilla custard served in a lovely little rustic earthenware pot for one.
Amado's executive chef, Gloria Dominguez(Courtesy of @amado_burlingame)
Each dish has its own unique regional character and flavors, yet Dominguez manages to make everything on the menu flow together seamlessly. Dishes can be ordered individually, but sharing a series of plates big and small in the communal atmosphere is the way to go.
Amado brings a thoroughly modern and vibrant vibe to suburban Burlingame. Dominguez’s refined, artful menu turns ideas of “typical” Mexican food on its head, while giving those searching for hard to find dishes something to get excited about—and that’s definitely a good thing.
// Open Tuesday through Sunday from 5pm to 9:30pm; 1100 Burlingame Ave. (Burlingame), amadoburlingame.com
