Considered one of Hoboken's best restaurants. Great food in a formal, romantic atmosphere. Reservations and formal wear are recommended. Intimate atmosphere, fine dining. Contemporary american cuisine. Monday through Saturday a dinner special is offered between the hours of 5 & 6 PMMon-Thurs: 5pm – 10pm
Fri-Sat: 5pm-11pm
Sun: 5pm-9pm
(Brunch on Saturday & Sunday from 11am-3pm)Review Date: 4/18/01To call Amanda’s a restaurant is like calling Picasso a painter. Sure, the name fits, but are you really doing justice to an artist like Picasso with such a generic title? The same could be said for Amanda’s, their fare is not just food on a plate, it is a dining experience.Upon first walking into the restaurant you note the little things that make this establishment shine: the smartly dressed wait staff, the friendly greeting from the maitre-de, the tasteful furniture and the soothing detail of the interior design. All of these elements, combined with the wonderful dinner we were presented, combined to make this a pleasant dining experience.Amanda’s was first opened in 1992 by The Roberts Family, and named after the granddaughter of the original owner. In 1994, Joyce and Eugene Flinn joined the restaurant, and managed it. Then, they became owners two years later. As Joyce Flinn told me, I like to make people feel happy, when they come out to dine here. Both she and her husband have experience in making people happy, her husband started his career as a butler for a family in the Main Line at Philadelphia. Now he wasn’t Jeeves the butler, wearing a tuxedo and all that nonsense, but he was helping with the household arrangements and parties for his employers. He eventually left to head to New York, where he and Joyce met while working at The Sea Grill in Rockefeller Center. Joyce was in cooking school, and worked on Saturday’s at the restaurant. Eugene manipulated the schedule so he could work with Joyce on the same night, and the rest is romantic history.My guests and I were seated by Joyce on the night of the review, and were greeted by a very helpful and informative waitress, who went over the specials. The first thing you will notice upon reading the menu would be that this isn’t your burger and a coke kind of place. The menu had eleven different appetizers and eleven entrees to choose from! I cannot imagine that anyone would not be able to find something to their liking, but there is a small catch: the menu is constantly changing. With every season come new selections, whereas other restaurants in Hoboken will always have the same menu, with a few specials. Amanda’s will keep basically most of the menu together for a week, and maybe add or subtract a few things as the weeks change.We decided to try the Roasted Tomato Risotto, with Herb Salad and Brown Butter Vinaigrette ($7.50), which was, in short, amazing. If this is on the list when you dine, I certainly recommend ordering it. We also tried the Coriander and Fennel Seed Crusted Rare Tuna with Shaved Fennel and Spicy Tomato Broth ($12.50), which also had our mouths watering, the only disappointment was we wish the portions were just a bit larger (but I guess that is why they are appetizers, and not entrees). The final order of appetizers was Mixed Baby Greens with Aged Sherry Wine Vinaigrette ($5.50), which was good – but as I say: A salad is a salad.We got more adventurous with the entrees by tempting our taste buds with the Roasted Atlantic Salmon with Red Potato-Portobella Hash, Spinach and Rosemary Vinaigrette ($17.50). It was an enjoyable dish, and while salmon is a very fishy fish, the seasoning of the rosemary vinaigrette made for something quite pleasant. We also tried Farfalle with Shrimp, Oven Dried Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Arugula and Aged Goat Cheese ($19.50). We did find that to be very tasty, but maybe not satisfying enough as an entree, it might have been better as an appetizer. Our final selection was Mahi Mahi with Wilted Greens, Yellow Wax Beans, Green Curry Couscous and Star Anise Vinaigrette ($18.50). This selection was outstanding, and I certainly hope it will be on the menu when I return.Our group gave the appetizers a 9 out of 10, with the tuna and the risotto heavily favored over the salad. The entrees got an 8 out of 10, the salmon was above average, the mahi was great and the farfalle was delicious. The service was outstanding, deserving a 10 out of 10; every restaurant should have a great wait staff like this. The three of us paid, $140 (including tip & we ordered a bottle of wine). The quality of the food and the price we paid deserved a 7 out of 10; it was an excellent meal if a bit pricey. There were plenty of other choices that we wanted to order, like the Orange Glazed Duck Breast or the Rack of Lamb or the Grilled Prime Sirloin. I guess that will have to wait for another day. This is a restaurant that appeals to nearly every taste; whether you are a die-hard carnivore or a vegetarian. Now the setting is a bit upscale, and I did feel a tad out of place in my jeans and flannel shirt (all part of the undercover business of reviewing restaurants, I assure you!), but at no time did anyone make me feel that way. This is a great place to bring that first date, guests from out of town or to celebrate that yearly bonus. For those that like to save a buck or two, note that they have an Early Dinner Special Menu, for $10.01 per person. It is a more limited menu that runs from 5pm to 6pm Monday – Saturday, which includes a First Course, Entree and Dessert. It also includes an early dinner wine special, with a choice of six house wines each prices at $15 each.Grab your roommate, your friend, your imaginary friend or anyone and get down to Amanda’s and try it out; you can thank me later.Overall Rating: 9 out of 10Sean Iaquinto