After repeatedly reading about how great Amuse is for the past couple years, my girlfriend and I decided to take advantage of the current deal they are offering (a rollback to 2004 menu prices) for a casual weeknight meal. So, we headed out to West Ashley in search of 1720 Sam Rittenberg.
I say “in search of” because, if it’s after sunset and you’ve never been to Amuse, you’d be well served to hire the nearest Indian guide. We literally drove by the restaurant three times before we noticed its unlit sign hidden in a nondescript shopping plaza next to a Dollar General. When we entered the restaurant around 8 p.m., we were surprised to discover that we were going to be–literally–the only people eating in the restaurant.
This was confusing. Even though finding Amuse was difficult for two people who had never been there, you would expect, given all of its accolades and the great deal currently being offered, that even on a slow night there would be at least a few regulars hanging around. But, hey, if you’re the only table in the restaurant, you’re at least guaranteed to get great service.
One of my favorite things about tapas restaurants is that they allow you try new foods you’ve been afraid to order because you don’t want to commit $18 dollars to something you’re not sure you’ll like. This is especially the case at Amuse these days, because with the 2004 rollback prices, almost everything on the menu is $5 (with $5 glasses of wine to match). On this night, we sampled five different items and our bill checked in at $25 before tax & tip.
Amuse’s menu is divided between cold and hot items. My favorite item from the cold side was the exceptional seviche with blood orange. Light and refreshing, the seviche combines fresh crab meat with the perfect balance of acidity from the citrus.
Olive lovers will appreciate the smoked prawns & tapanade. Well, at least they will enjoy the three or four bites that grace the plate. I know tapas is all about small plates, but even for $5 I expect more than two prawns on a spoonful of tapanade.
From the hot side, we both enjoyed the sangiovese risotto. Boldly flavored by Sangiovese wine, the risotto was rich, warm, creamy, and perfectly textured.
Confit leg of duck isn’t particularly unique, but for $5 it’s too much of a value to resist. Amuse’s duck confit certainly wasn’t the best confit I’ve ever had (S.N.O.B.’s holds that distinction), but the skin had that same wonderful crispness covering the tender, juicy meat. You won’t find this quality of product for price like this anywhere else in town.
One item that didn’t get over well was the baby octopus & kidney beans. I’ve never had baby octopus before, but after eating that dish I still don’t really feel like I have. You see, whatever flavor the octopus had was almost totally overwhelmed by the beans. It’s not even like the beans had a particularly appetizing flavor either. In fact, they kind of tasted like–excuse me while I lose all of my credibility as a food critic here–Slim Jims. The beans and octopus were served beside a nice, light balsamic vinegar which improved the flavor a bit, but not enough to save the dish.
Overall, while Amuse didn’t blow me away, it certainly should be doing better business than it seems like it is. If you’re looking for a quiet weeknight meal, Amuse offers quality food at a really nice value. I would especially recommend making the trip out to West Ashley while the current promotion is going on.
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i agree, it didn’t blow me away either but you can’t beat those prices. the seviche and duck were delicious (especially loved the cherries on the duck plate).