A friend got in his head that we should all pile in a car and take a day-trip up to Philadelphia to eat at Amada, just one of the jewels in the crown of restaurants that Jose Garces (James Beard Award winner, Iron Chef) owns in Philadelphia.

Worth it.

The menu, previewed online, looks commonplace, like something you've seen before.

But there are many moments of great pleasure and delight, not one of which seems forced or gimmicky or anything but right.

Many hours later, we were woozy.

Everything is bright, shining, packed with flavor. Cured meats are shaved to parchment thinness --- you can pick up a piece of serrano and look right through it. Cheese are with one of Garces' home-made condiments -- truffled lavender honey goes with aged manchego; garlic dulce de Leche with Garrotxa and a currant-pistachio "Salbitxada" with La Peral. Pairing this with strong, vinegary Isastegi cider -- just brilliant

An ensalada verde composed of greens, asparagus, avocado, green beans and favas makes you angry about almost every other salad you've had in a restaurant. A ridiculously good warm fava and lima bean salad is the kind of thing that can go so badly -- the beans can end up as pebbles or mush.

Something simple like lamb meatballs with shaved Manchego are allowed to be simple, fuss-less and delicious. Shrimp, from the grill (a la plancha) are aggressively, wonderfully salty. Maybe the table's favorite of the day, grilled wild mushrooms are a feast of butter.

Those olives. Simple, perfect, glistening. Judgment -- knowing how much or how little to intervene feels essential to Garces' talent.