‘Iron Chef’ Jose Garces to Shutter NYC Restaurant Amada

Prominent TV chef Jose Garces is closing his Battery Park City restaurant Amada, to be replaced by growing seafood chain Seamore’s. March 31 will be the Spanish restaurant’s final day.

At a community board 1 meeting last week, Seamore’s founder Michael Chernow announced his plans, saying that he had signed a lease at the 7,000-square-foot space at 250 Vesey St., between West Street and North End Avenue, Tribeca Citizen reports. During the meeting, Chernow reportedly said he would keep the layout the same, with the addition of a bar to the patio on Vesey Street. He anticipates opening in June or July, which would be the fifth location of Seamore’s, an affordable, sustainable seafood restaurant that sells salads, plates, pastas, tacos, and sandwiches with various fish.

As for Amada’s closure, Garces did not provide a reason, but said in a statement that, “This business is not an easy one and we have certainly learned from this venture.” The restaurant, open for almost two years, never quite caught on, with no major reviews or buzz. The Philadelphia location remains open, as does Garces’s other NYC restaurant, Ortzi in Midtown. According to a January article in Philadelphia magazine, Garces is currently being sued in Pennsylvania for more than $280,000 for allegedly unpaid bills from several food vendors.

• Amada Will Be Closing [Tribeca Citizen]
• All Coverage of Amada [ENY]
• All Coverage of Seamore’s [ENY]