Masa
March 12th, 2013
Boston, MA
Abstract
We always hem and haw over where to start on restaurant week. There are always so many great options. Masa has been on our list for a few years now and so, we decided this was the year and made reservations... little did we know it was going to snow! But the three of us made it out there (because we're crazy like that) and boy were we not disappointed!
Masa
We didn't know what to expect of Masa but when we walked in it was a bustling hub of activity. Tara got there last and went to the bar to fish out the boys who had already ordered themselves some drinks. The bar ambiance was nice, classy and already nearing standing room only. The dining room seemed a little tight but it was filled to the max with barely a seat empty (well, we had one at our table... we were only three that night.) Our first impression? Nice place... and so began our experience at Masa...
Our Meal
Beverages
This was a really cool drink, well except it had a nice bit of heat. It was very light and fresh the clove and mandarin came through despite the bit of heat. It is something that was definitely refreshing although I am not sure I would get it again with a meal, but sitting at the bar this would be very enjoyable.
El Jimador Añejo Tequilia, Licor 43 (vanilla/citrus liquer), House-Made Vanilla Oaxacan Bitters.
This really isn't a manhattan at all but it was a pretty good tequilia drink. Even though there's alot of vanilla in it - I didn't really pick up on that so much. It was a smooth drink and had a good citrus tang to balance out the drink.
Yeah well, meet the Habanero Watermelon Magarita! Still sounds awesome right!? Well... I won't lie, it was pretty awesome... for what it is :)
Here's what was in it, then I'll tell you about it for real:
Habanero Infused Lunazul Reposado, Watermelon Puree, Lime, Served Straight Up
So, me being a fan of combining foods, especially the sweet and savory I thought this would be a slam dunk balance of sweet and heat and that it would probably bury the edge that I find on tequila. Yeah well, it SMELLS just like I would have thought it to smell... that nice balance of watermelon, the standard tequila in a margarita smell and the smokiness of the habanero. So I took a big swig not even really reflecting on "habanero" on the Scoville scale (which by the way is an average of 200,000 or more Scoville heat units!). Promptly I was met with the watermelon which was very quickly over taken by the undeniable flavor of the habanero and then heat heat heat that the ice could not break! Thank goodness for bread! :)
Now, just so you all don't get me wrong, this drink was GOOD as it was described and I would ABSOLUTELY recommend it to any of my friends who are fans of peppers because it was pretty tasty just searingly hot for what I was having on my plate. I only made it through a little over half (maybe that's being generous) of this drink. I probably wouldn't order it again but based on the QUALITY of how the drink was made, the ingredients and the creativity. I most assuredly would order another beverage from this bar.
Next time I'll just use my noggin'! ;)
Appetizers
The Bread Basket
There were two types of bread in our bread basket this evening... a corn bread and some type of boule which we are still debating what it was. Associated with it were three spreads which seemed to consist of a red pepper hummus, a maple butter of some sort and a chipotle cream cheese spread.
Tara: This cornbread was FANTASTIC! One of the best I've had at a restaurant in YEARS. Perhaps it just appealed to my northeastern palette with it's just sweet enough flavors and its moistness (my southern friends are now making faces, I'm certain) but it was great to me and a perfect start to our meal. The white bread was equally as tasty to me though with the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy that a white bread should have. Me being me... I tried all the spreads but I preferred my bread products without them!
Laced With Mexican Cinnamon Ancho Chile Creme Fraiche
Tara: Although there were certainly other appetizers that seemed appetizing to me we try to "spread the love" and get as many of the available options as feasibly possible on a restaurant week menu. But I like butternut and this seemed like a good choice to me!
The soup itself was relatively straight up and not overly powerful with any single flavor. I liked the subtle nature of the butternut with some of the fall spices that I really enjoy. The apple probably added to some of the sweetness and the Creme Fraiche gave it a creaminess that was a nice complement but I can't really say that the cinnamon and ancho powered through the rest of the flavors. You did get that flavoring when you tried the Creme Fraiche on its own though. Over all, I was very pleased with this dish.
Skillet Roasted Sea Scallops And Barbecue Duck
Sweet Corn Cream
Nick: I don't do too much seafood - I will occasionally do scallops though and these were really good. The scallops were perfectly clean and seared. They went very well with the Corn Cream. There wasn't a ton of duck but it was very tasty and had a sweet and tangy BBQ flavor.
Stephan: I had the scallops as well mostly because it's duck and scallops, how can you go wrong. I was slightly disappointed with the amount of duck and its lack of crispiness. I have been in love with crispy duck for awhile. As Nick stated the scallops were amazing, tender and just seared, they were cooked to perfection. The sweet corn was a puree of corn mixed with a little cream to make it smooth and it balanced out the dish nicely, the tangy duck and the sweet scallop with the sweet corn.
Entrees
Chile Lime Arugula Salad, Guajillo Bourbon Sauce
Nick: Other than the fact that I didn't get a steak knife at first this was a very good meal. The steak was well cooked - it was a little tough but it wasn't a very good cut to start. It had a good rusty flavor though and the BBQ was the same from the duck and worked well. The fries were about as good as fries get - nothing super fancy about them, just quality.
Roasted Cashews, Stone Ground Corn Polenta, Pomegranate Molasses
Tara: You'll notice something significant missing from MY plate on the left that's in the description above... the yellow pepper! I liked everything about this meal EXCEPT the pepper so... I asked! And the kitchen was more than happy to comply with my wish for no pepper and asked me what I wanted instead even! I chose zucchini which is what you see framing my meal along the plate there. The zucchini was that perfect balanced of cooked by slightly crunchy still, just the way I like it :) The cashews on top of the quinoa salad were so tasty... roasted and very lightly sweetened. The quinoa itself (which I'm always looking for new ideas on how to prepare) was really tasty too despite my learning as I was eating that it too seemed to have some peppers but they added fair flavor so I picked around them and the large pieces of onion.
But the crowning portion of this dish was most definitely this polenta! I almost didn't want to TELL my dining-mates because I KNEW they'd have to try it, thus, leaving less for me! But, acknowledging that my stomach isn't as big as my brain thinks it is sometimes, I did concede and share. What was nice about the polenta, for me, is that it wasn't gritty or overly lumpy. It had a beautifully creamy flavor that complemented the rest of my dish while having more than enough personality to stand on its own. I would honestly, probably against my better judgement, be able to sit down with just a bowl of this and eat until I popped!
Yukon Gold Potatoes and Wild Mushrooms
Yet another seafood dish, something since the beginning of our food adventures and really my immersion into a foody world that I love. If I go to a good restaurant and they have something with seafood, it will usually grab my eye.
Ahi Tuna, hands down when done well is one of my favorite fish. This was seared beautifully and you can see it in the color, that spiced run outside and about a 1/4 inch sear, the middle being left alone to contain that flavor. The sauce, absolutely amazing, I have had mole before typically it is that drab brown sauce that has a flavor of chocolate and some other stuff. Well no, not this time, yellow mole, also known as Amarillo is a blend of 3 chilis, tomatilo, and masa, with some other vegetables and flavors. This sauce was light and fresh and complimented the ahi amazingly, it did not over power and it. The rest of the dish I could have passed on, there were not enough mushrooms to make mention of them, although what I did have were cooked well, but there just were not enough on the dish to get a good sense of them. The potatoes were forgettable, very starchy and too al dente for my taste., do to the sauce being so light they didn't really compliment a heavy yukon potatoe.
Desserts
Vanilla Caramel and Burnt Sugar Ice Cream
Nick: I actually didn't like this that much. None of the dessert choices were really my cup of tea. I went with this cause I was hoping the ice cream would be enough to pull me through the bread pudding which I usually find to be too much egg. The ice cream was burnt sugar and it sure tasted like it. Its just not my cup of tea.
Stephan: Flan is well Flan, it is a nice eggy custard, this one was a little firm for my tastes, I like a little more custard a little less egg but it was very tasty. Overall, I felt dessert was the most boring course. They were all prepared well and tasty, but nothing to extreme. I would not tell anyone not to order a dessert if they went to Masa I just wasn't blown away.
Raspberry Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Tara: Clearly... you can see my dessert was... ahem... broken. I mean... look at that picture on the left!
Okay okay, on the right you'll see my ACTUAL dessert as it appeared when it reached me. Wittily named, this tamale was one fantastic (but not spicy hot!) way to finish my meal! Think... chocolate lava cake with that tender, chewy brownie consistency but a nearly gooey center with ice cream on top! Is your mouth watering? Mine is just thinking about this again! I had them leave off the raspberry sauce because I don't get along well with raspberries but I'm telling every chocolate lover out there reading this entry, if you find yourself at Masa... EAT THIS DESSERT!
Summary
Tara: Suffice it to say that Masa was "so good" we made reservations for Easter Brunch with several other people just a little over a week after this experience. I am personally looking forward to trying the Woburn location as well to see how it matches up (since I'm right there in Wakefield, this could become a "habit" if it's good!) I definitely recommend this place for dinner OR brunch!
Stephan: Masa is definitely an excellent choice of restaurants for anyone in Boston or may be travelling to the city. Contemporary Mexican food in a nice setting. The bar is quite nice with a lot of options and a lot of homemade infusions. The food is prepared with an almost delicate touch cooked perfectly with an abundance of flavors.
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