So, I started out leaving a comment in my list, but decided to write this up as a Blogazine entry and expand it a bit when I realised it was getting pretty long.  :)

So, as I had no plans for the evening, in the morning I checked all around Open Table to see where I could get in for dinner on short notice.  After discovering lots of fully-booked restaurants (which wasn't unexpected for a long-weekend Saturday night), I found a 9:30 reservation at Ame.  Sweet!  Table for one, please.

I ordered the tasting menu and wine pairing sight-unseen.  They give you the full menu that mentions the tasting menu and when I ordered and the waiter asked if I wanted to know what I was going to be getting or wanted to be surprised, I went with surprise.  Heh.  Anyway, the food was...

Really, really good.  Probably the best tasting menu I've ever had.  Not so much food you're miserable by the end, sitting there for thirty minutes, trying to choke down the last couple of courses, hardly able to enjoy the it. 

The tasting menu was broken down into three smaller courses, one larger main course, and your selection from the dessert menu (so, a full-size dessert).

First Course: Sashimi three ways.  It was soooo good.  I can't remember specifically what each was, but they were rockin'.  Paired with a brut champagne.

Second Course: Leek soup with pear puree.  So incredibly good.  The pear taste wasn't super-strong, but it sweetened up the soup perfectly.  Paired with a dry Reisling/Chardonnay combo, which matched really well.

Third Course: This is Ame's "signature dish," and a full portion is available as an entree on the menu.  It was broiled sake-marinated black cod and shrimp dumplings in shiso broth with shitake mushrooms.  This was paired with a really nice flowery pinot noir.  This too was really tasty.

Fourth/Main Course: Squab on a bed of fava bean risotto and savoy cabbage with a foie gras sauce.  This was paired with another red wine (it was Spanish, I remember that), which I can't recall.  It was good too.  The texture of the risotto did well with the squab.  I was getting full towards the end, but normally full, not uncomfortably full.

Fifth Course: I was expecting a dessert selected for me, but the waiter brought over the full dessert menu and let me know that the chef was leaving the dessert selection up to me.  Curses!  How can I choose between an assortment of cheeses and something sweet?!  I want both...and, like three desserts.  Heh.  I settled on something light(er) - the rosewater panna cotta with strawberry granita and a tres leches cake.  It was paired with a sweet, Spanish wine, which was awesome (I love sweet wines).  The panna cotta was served in a martini glass with the granita over it and the little cake was on the side.  So, basically a strawberry shortcake done differently.  The panna cotta was really good.

So, good job, Ame!  You guys totally deserve your Michelin star.  I'd still put the Gary Danko experience (taking all things into consideration) above Ame, but Ame was better than Michael Mina.  (Seriously, I think I need to go to Michael Mina again and order off the menu and try and see if I can figure out why they have two Michelin stars.)  I'd definitely go back, both to do another tasting and to order off the menu.  I'd like to try everything off the sashimi menu.  Mmm!

Also of note, I arrived early so I had a couple cocktails in the hotel bar (the restaurant is in the St. Regis hotel) right outside the restaurant.  I had this drink they called the Sweet Heat.  It is made with Herradura silver tequila, Thai chili pepper-infused syrup, Thai basil, and lime juice.  It's served up with a basil leaf in the glass.  The chili pepper syrup adds just the right amount of heat and they were really tasty.  I'd go back just for those.