Amore Infused

I’ve been dining at Amore for several years now. This is one of my sister’s favorite restaurants (one of her friends is Sean– the owner/​executive chef).
My family has hosted many parties here. My sister’s 30^th, her graduation party, as well as my mom’s 60^th birthday here and Sean and his staff have always created a unique and savory experience for all of us. His recipes are based on the best organic products available and you can see the passion in his eyes when he ventures out of the kitchen to find out how everyone enjoyed their meals.
Gotta try the cocktails too. Ernie the bartender makes the best scratch cocktails in the city!
I was sad to hear that Amore Infused had a fire recently in their kitchen and they are currently closed. Hoping they rebuild soon. I’ll be back for sure.

The fire of January 15^th, 2012 has gutted their room. I’m first in line for the day they rebuild! All the best to chef Sean and staff…

We went here for New Year’s Eve. What a disappointment. 10 reasons why:
First, I reserved a table for 3 via online. We get there; guess what; no reservation.
Second, the ONLY thing on the menu is their 3 course meal for $ 55.00 which included your choice of soup/​salad, entrée, and dessert. Kinda spendy IMHO. Sure it included a glass of champagne (more on that later).
Third, it took FOREVER to get our food! I think we got our entrée 90 minutes after we ordered. We got there at 7:30pm and left at 10pm!
Fourth, it was freezing cold! I asked them to turn on the heater some. They said they did, but couldn’t feel it.
Fifth. Soup was luke warm.
Sixth. Salmon dish was NOT COOKED! Had to send it back and wait another 30 minutes for my friend’s meal.
Seventh. Champagne was AWFUL and was served in plastic glasses… seriously?
Eighth. Bench seat was way too low for the table. My female friends needed to be 6′ tall to be comfortable.
Ninth. Dessert (tirimisu)…I had better from QFC.
Tenth. The bill! So three people and BEFORE tip, was $ 210.00. Ridiculous! That included one drink and one tea.
However, the food tasted pretty good… for the measly portions they gave us.

Meh, I think I rather go to some hole in the wall joint with dirty menus and a nice big screen tv and order a huge whopping plate of totally-​not-​good-​for-​you food for a good reasonable price.
I do like the fact that the chef tries to use local, seasonal ingredients; very commendable.
But when it hinders how variable your menu can go then I think it kind of misses the mark. We had kind of a bigger party and everybody basically order the same thing; not because we had no imagination, but because that’s how limited the menu was. I don’t mind paying a lot more for good food but it kind of sucks to pay for mediocre food that’s kind of overpriced and the portions are tiny.
I thought I’d be different and order one of the appetizers as my main meal since I wasn’t really hungry and I asked the server how big the portion sizes were and she assured me they would be enough to share with my boyfriend so I ordered the oysters. Another person from our group also ordered an appetizer. There was a lot of waiting. Mostly because a few people from our party was still arriving but just in general the wait for the food was pretty long which I can understand because the chef makes the meal as you order them. But it still doesn’t make the waiting any more fun.
So finally the only other person besides me who ordered an app got his. We all kinda sat there and watched him eat since our food were not yet ready. I thought it was kinda weird that I hadn’t received my food yet since I ordered an app also.
Our server was pretty attentive, refilling water glasses as needed and adding more tables and chairs when more guests arrived.
The ambiance of the restaurant was very nice. Everything was very nicely decorated. They had flat screen tvs in case you didn’t want to talk to your date.
I had a lemon mojito which was pretty ok although there was so much mint in it I think I nearly choked on some.
Finally the food starts coming out. As far as how the dishes were served everything looked aesthetically nice and very appealing to the eye but tiny. My bf ordered the lamb chops and he finished it in pretty much ten minutes. He said it was good. So by this point everyone had gotten their meals all except me and all I had ordered was an oyster app. By the time mine came out five long minutes later I wasn’t really hungry anymore (I guess it didn’t help that I also stole some food from my bf’s plate). So I let my bf finish mine.
I wish I could rate my company because they were fun to be around. As far as this place I felt like they put too much pressure into serving good food that your standards are set way too high and when it’s not met, you are extremely disappointed like I was. The menu was too limited and the ingredients just didn’t mesh well together. Like there were certain dishes I wanted to order but it would contain certain ingredients I could’ve forgone but at the risk of insulting the chef I just decided not to bother.
Just too fussy.
A little simplicity goes a long way.

This restaurant should really try to make things simpler starting with the food and finishing with the service. Too much!!!
Too many ingredients in just one dish, a mix of flavors that don’t necessarily go well together.
The service is a bit too sophisticated.
The environment is very nice.

There are a bunch of hotels in this area of Seattle and NO FOOD.
Thank god this place opened recently… I got the impression some well known chef branched out to open this place on his own. There was a huge push — IT IS FRESH, IT IS LOCAL, ORGANIC, WE MAKE IT WHEN YOU ORDER (so the wait can be long for your din-​din).
The atmosphere and decorations are very cool — swank vibe and it plays it self as a jazz bar but the restaurant portion does not feel that way to me.
Servers were very slow to fill water, clear plates etc.
Food was good but somewhat boring. For price they charge it should have been much more interesting. I think some of these complaints may be newly opened problems that I hope they clean up. Because again, this area needs a nice dinner place.

There a few things about this hidden gem that make it one of my favorite spots in Seattle…
This is a place you may walk by and not even know it. It is a spacious but cozy, dim lit, with a warm romantic tone. The main bar is back lit and surrounded by a room of tall, black leather coves. It is a great place to take a date or just relax and take in the atmosphere. You may end up staying for a couple of hours and not even know it.
They often have live jazz, play short films and occasionally, a comedian or even burlesque dancers.
The chef works hard to bring in local-​sourced ingredients to create a rotating menu that changes like the seasons. The dishes are beautifully crafted and you can tell he is a stickler for details. The prices are very fair for the dishes offered.
AND…Ernie. Hands down, one of the best bartenders in Seattle. Every time I come in, he always has a warm smile on his face and shows me his latest concoctions of infused liquors. You can tell he genuinely loves his work and making people happy. He is always experimenting with new seasonally-​inspired cocktail recipes.
Must haves: truffle popcorn, bread pudding, and lasagna.
Drinks: Definitely try a Grapefruit Press, Something w/​the Chai-​infused Rum

In short, an overall nice experience was hampered by below average food. At least the lasagna was tasty. I’d actually return for it.
Of the four dishes we ordered (two appetizers, two entrees) only the lasagna was truly tasty. It was flavorful, comforting and sizable for the $ 15 price tag.
The two appetizers we had (the duck salad and caprese salad) were uninspired and relatively flavorless. My wife’s entrée, the Osso Bucco, was below average — it came out barely warm, the meat was overdone, and the bed of mirepoux was undercooked — the veggies were too crunchy.
The prices are actually quite fair and the service was good — our server was attentive and helpful (and honest, which I appreciate). The atmosphere of the restaurant is actually really nice — it’s got a very pleasant, but not too fancy layout, and the jazz ambiance was great — my wife and I both really enjoyed it.
The drinks were hit and miss — the cocktails were strong and tasty (we had the strawberry fields and the Amore featured martini cocktail). However the wine (by the glass) we got was old and quite awful — the bottle was obviously opened the day before or possibly two. I’m no wine expert, either, but wine gets old quickly. The bottle was open for a while.
Overall, the experience was nice, but the food fell short and I would not return (unless I was craving some good lasagna). Unless you’re in the mood for lasagna, save your money and go elsewhere.

The new Amore is much nicer than the old one by far! I went to see some local jazz and yes, the group was good of course, as was the room they played in! It was nice how the live music was set apart from the rest of the restaurant, that way if you don’t necessarily want to hear loud music you can be elsewhere and enjoy your meal.
I did order some food, the salmon. While it was good it was ridiculously not filling. That’s probably because all they give you is salmon and some roasted veggies. You really need to order a separate (and separately priced) sides. Huge negative there considering the fish was already $ 16, why would I want to pay an additional 8 – 10 for something like potatoes?
Besides that, I liked the ambiance and the waitress who was SOLELY on the floor in the live music section was awesome. They really should have had more waiters on the floor to help the poor girl out.
Anyway, it’s worth checking out if you want to see local jazz and have a drink, maybe some apps or happy hour apps, but I wouldn’t go out of your way.

Amore infused is a mix between a lounge/​restaurant, but not definitively one or the other.
BIRTHDAY AND LARGE GROUP
A large group of 20 – 30 of my friends attended for a birthday. Half of the group decided to eat dinner while the other half decided to hang at the bar. The host said we could all dine in one of their private rooms. She decided to change her mind and seat us in the general both area. I wish we could have been seated in the banquet rooms but I suppose they only let business folks in there with a huge budget. In the end, they had us seated in the main lounge. No problem with that, except we were all scattered. Defeats the whole purpose of having dinner, if you ask me.
FOOD
I ordered the Fillet Medallion and I was disappointed to find about six tiny slices of steak. Yes, it was tender and had just enough sauce to add to the flavor but it was not worth the price. It feels like an appetizer. I had a few bites of the calamari steak and nearly vomited b/​c it was not unpalatable. It had an overly smokey taste that overpowered all other flavors. DO NOT TRY IT! However, I enjoyed the spinach and artichoke dip. It was super fresh and unexpected! What is saving this review from a one star is the BREAD PUDDING! I’ve never had it before but it could easily be my guilty pleasure. It washed out the unpleasant experience I had the entire night.
SERVICE
The service was horrible. Our waitress brought silverware and water to those that ordered food/​drinks. It felt awkward to have a few people with silverware. How stingy! Hold your horses, b/​c it gets worse. I asked my waitress for a glass of water. She peers around the table and hands me a glass with a lip stain on it. So I venture on over to get a new glass. Behold, there’s also a lip stain on the other glass. Seriously? You need a new dish washer!
POSITIVES
The only good aspect about my visit was the DJ. He played some really great 90s R&B music that good back good memories. Besides that there really isn’t much one will enjoy here.
In short, I don’t think I will ever return. Although the bread pudding is great, it just doesn’t outweigh all the cons. Amore is certainly not accommodating to large parties as they are stingy, the food is practically exorbitant and worthless; and one basically has to serve oneself. You’ll gain a better experience elsewhere.

Overall, there were more let-​downs than pleasant surprises.
The ambiance is a little canned… sort of loungy, sort of fine dining, sort of quirky. Our waiter was pleasant but seemed a little too practiced in his responses and information about the restaurant. The effort to make a fine dining experience was there, but didn’t quite hit the right notes.
Drinks:
I was planning on passing on a cocktail, and my husband was about to order a whiskey drink when our waiter cut him off to suggest his favorite drink… a cucumber infused vodka cocktail. I opted for that but our waiter tried to insist that we both order that drink despite my husbands 2 attempts to tell our waiter that he doesn’t like vodka.
Starters/​Apps:
The truffle popcorn was tasty (although we didn’t finish it, and it was taken from our table even though we were still picking at it) and the pesto butter was nice but nothing spectacular. We shared the truffled Jo-​Jos which were decent, although there was not a detectible truffle flavor.
Dinner:
My husband ordered the crab stuffed shells, and I the duck stroganoff. When we arrived, the waiter listed off several items that we were to understand were «specials» although they were listed on the menus. When I asked for a recommendation between the duck and another pasta dish, he replied «the duck, no question»…his reasoning being «I’m Chinese» (him, not me)…I wasn’t sure what that had to do with an Italian pasta dish… but I tried it anyway. The flavor was good, but the sour cream base was a little too overpowering, and the noodles were a little heavy and chewy… definitely no comparison to other handmade noodles I’ve experienced in Seattle (the winner for that goes to Tavolata or Tilikum).
They mentioned to my husband that they were a little low on crab but would substitute some shrimp to fill the shells, to which he agreed. Apparently they were REALLY low on crab, as there was hardly any in the shells… so little, that they shouldn’t have offered it up as the same dish with a small substitution. The cream reduction sauce was a little too thick and ovewhelming for the dish, in my opinion, and there were a few thyme branches strewn across the dish for effect… but they either needed to be picked off (which was unpleasent since they were dripping in cream) or they just kind of got in the way.
We passed on dessert.
Overall, the menu was really promising, with some unique options, but it was all very underwhelming, especially for the price. We went because of a Groupon… it was worth the price we paid, but likely will not be going back (especially with Tilikum around the corner).

I ordered a steak medium-​rare and received it medium-​well with more than a few grill marks on it… seemed like they had flipped it about 5 times. The waiter was talking about how the chef cares a lot about the food he puts out but it didn’t really seem like it. It wasn’t bad but a 16 dollar breakfast shout be accurate to what I ordered.
The décor was pretty fabulous… kind of awkward in a good way.

Lounge-​y, semi-​fancy, good service, comfy booths, not-​so-​bad food. I’ll be back.
Their burger is worth a try.

I never went to the old location, but they just moved into my building so I had to give it a try.
First, the place looks amazing! Great atmosphere, very upscale but I still felt comfortable in my jeans. The service was impeccable, our waiter (i’m spacing on his name!) was really friendly, attentive, funny, and knowledgeable.
They started us out with truffle popcorn and bread with pesto butter. Both delicious. Then we had the Deconstructed Caesar and the Mushroom Bisque. both to die for. I’m not typically a mushroom fan but this changed my outlook– at least for the night.
Main course was the eggplant tower for the vegetarian in the group (they had great veggie options) and then Dungeness Crab pasta. I didn’t touch the eggplant myself but I was told it was excellent. The pasta was very good, generous portions of grab and a delicious cream sauce to compliment. Not too heavy but very decadent.
Sides were Truffle Jo Jo’s and balsamic spinach. Both good– but paled in comparison to the rest of the meal.
A great experience on many levels, i’ll be back!

First off amore’ has moved just down the street from its previous location. The new space is BEAUTIFUL! Theater lounge, VIP room, lounge, bar, and main dining room not to mention a rose garden on the third floor with a great view of the Space Needle.
The food is TERRIFIC! Salmon so fresh it must have swam through the front door. The center cut NY steak is too good for words.
The Cocktails are just too much to believe. Nowhere but Amore Infused can you get such terrific infusions that the master mixologist Ernie Solloti has created. Happy hour is really a big hit. A real must.
So overall the space, ambiance, food and drinks make for a night you’ll not soon forget.

The Good — the «new» Amore Infused on 6^th and Wall is very lovely on the inside and the hostess/​support staff is kind. My husband enjoyed the New York Steak.
The Bad — I made the reservation here for dinner last night because of a gift certificate I had to the «old» Amore on 5^th and Bell and was told very matter-​of-​factly that it would not be honored because of the change in management (never mind the fact that the chef bought the brand and logo and they generally remain the same). This was rude and poor business practice for a start-​up business.
The Ugly — most of our food was totally sub-​par and way overpriced for its quality. The caprese salad was small, flavorless and the tomatoes were out of season. My eggplant tower was terrible; the eggplant was flavorless and undercooked; I only ate a few bites of it and our waiter whisked it away without asking if anything was wrong even though it was clear that I ate very little of it (he didn’t even offer to wrap it up…) To add insult to injury, he never offered to refill our bread so we wound up spending $ 80 on one drink apiece, a poor starter and only one quality entrée. Boo.

I love Ernie, the bartender. Also, I love the fantastic appetizers. Never been here for dinner, just for happy hour drinks and snacks. and I am wow-​ed every time. The food is remarkable and at excellent prices.
I recently moved to Northern California and my boyfriend and I are seriously missing Ernie’s delightful conversation and amazing drink concoctions. Try the cucumber vodka martini with pepper and lemon with an oyster on the side. Delicious.
We also love the Charlie Chaplin silent movies on repeat. :)

Felt the music over the speaker system was dreary; the Laurel & Hardy silent movie totally out of place. It was very distracting and I mentioned it to the waiter who told the owner. The owner didn’t get up from his drink at the bar even to talk to me.
I was hoping for ambiance; what I got was more like Chuck E Cheese. The food was good, not fantastic but the whole scene and attitude makes me think there will be a «for lease.» sign taped to the windows soon.

In Italy, Amore means love. In Belltown, it’s lust.
Just around the corner Café Amore had beckoned for much too long before my lady friend and I finally went to check it out. So glad we did.
I tell you straight off, the décor could use some work with more than a casual leaning toward the cheesy, but not enough to keep me away or lose a star on the rating. Yeah, the food is that good. Starting with a glass of red and the Poached Quail Egg with Salmon app, I could tell already this was going to be good.
I had the Chicken Nachatta, a wonderful herb chicken breast with mushrooms, caramelized onions and cranberries in a wine/​cream sauce. So good. Dollface had Olivetti Fettucini. The menu describes it as fresh basil, kalamata olive tapenade, roasted garlic, sun-​dried tomato, artichoke hearts in chablis butter sauce, with white truffle oil. Yummy girl was unable to describe as her mouth was full the whole time, but my sample was most delicious. (see pics for visual aid)
I usually pass on dessert, but could not resist trying the tiramisu, especially after the disappointing batch we’d had the night before at Tutta Bella. This was a whole different dessert animal. Party in your mouth good. Don’t pass it up.
Presentation was not overdone. The service was impeccable, maybe perfect. The lady and I danced down the street with a cloud at our feet, and will be back to Amore again.

Went for drinks and the live music did not eat here. Had drinks at the bar the bartender gave us awesome service and poured good, strong drinks. Their sangria cocktail was very good. They are a little overpriced though. The live music was nice.