Courtesy of O'Kelly Co.
Amasa Mexican Kitchen, the sister restaurant to Chichería Mexican Kitchen on the Westside, is expected to open mid-August at Alpharetta City Center. A grand opening celebration for this seafood-heavy, Baja-inspired spot is planned for early September.
At the center of both restaurants is masa. Amasa takes its name from amasar, the Spanish verb meaning to knead.
“The name points directly to what matters most to the restaurant—the core of our identity is the tortillas,” says owner Juan Calle.
Like Chichería, Amasa will serve a Baja California-inspired, gluten-free menu built around organic, non-GMO blue corn tortillas that are ground and pressed daily. The masa program is so central to the restaurant that servers learn the tortilla-making process during training, and diners can see tortilleras hard at work.
Courtesy of O'Kelly Co.
The food will feel familiar to Chichería regulars, as Joey Vazquez serves as executive chef of both restaurants. But Amasa will not be a carbon copy. About a quarter of the taco menu will be different, with new items including a grilled octopus taco. Enchiladas and ice cream flavors also vary by location.
A Sunday cazuela brunch buffet inspired by the flavors of Mexico City will be offered at both Amasa and Chicheria. The brunch will center on dishes cooked in large clay pots over fire, with weekly-changing selections such as a taco bar, tamales, eggs, pozole, menudo, esquites, ceviche, aguas frescas, café de olla, and Mexican hot chocolate.
The biggest departure may be the beverage program. Amasa will offer roughly 45 tequilas—more than double Chichería’s selection—with an emphasis on small-batch producers, including organic and sustainably minded brands. A second-floor tequila room will be used for margarita-making and tequila education classes. The design displays an arch meant to evoke the inside of a tequila barrel and an agave planter at the center of the room.
Courtesy of O'Kelly Co.
Amasa takes over the former Jekyll Brewing space in Downtown Alpharetta, transforming it with art Calle sourced from Mexico and a vacation-minded design inspired by Baja and Mexican wine country. The dining room will include booths and banquettes, while the second floor will be darker and moodier, with full-service dining and a bar on the rooftop deck.
The restaurant also will host live jazz, saxophone performances, Spanish singer-songwriters, dancing lessons, and multi-course tequila tastings and classes. However, Calle notes it is family-friendly, too, with a children’s menu and a dining room designed to accommodate groups.
“We’re really excited to open in this incredible community,” Calle says.
Courtesy of O'Kelly Co.
