Masa Restaurant
Words by Jeff Johnson of Phineasfree Writing
Authentic Mexican food juxtaposed on crisp, white linen tablecloths…
A stunning bar draped in soft orange atmosphere and light…
A front-row seat to the “beautiful people show” occurring naturally on the streets outside…
A giant, scantily-clad and statuesque female hostess who greets you as you enter…
Where in the Twin Cities can you find all that under just one roof?
Masa Restaurant. Located on Nicollet Mall between 10th and 11th Streets, Masa is a member of the uber-successful D’Amico family of restaurants and serves award-winning contemporary Mexican cuisine in a beautiful setting.I’ll tackle the traits mentioned above in reverse order. So let’s start with that hostess…
As you enter the restaurant, your line of vision is immediately drawn to a stunning statue of a woman. There isn’t anything especially unique about this particular statue other than the fact that I’ve never been to a restaurant where the first person to greet me was a giant, statuesque female form. Maybe that’s how all the restaurants are in Mexico. Color me naïve, but in Wisconsin and Minnesota, I just don’t get to see a lot of that kind of thing. But the truth is, she does a nice job of setting the tone for a unique dining experience.
OK, moving on to the “beautiful people show”…
The restaurant sits on a corner, so giant north- and west-facing windows allow wonderful natural light to spill in and flood the restaurant. The windows also afford Masa’s diners ample people-watching opportunities. My lunch-date on this day told me that while he has always been stuck working in the suburbs, he openly covets for a job in downtown Minneapolis because, as he put it, “that’s where all the beautiful people are.” Seated alongside a window at Masa, we enjoyed the sights and sounds of Nicollet Mall, which is to say we enjoyed the “beautiful people show” occurring just a few feet away. He’s crazy, by the way – there’re lots of beautiful people in the suburbs – you just have to know where to look.
That stunning orange bar…
Lots of restaurants boast beautiful bars. One of my favorites is The Monte Carlo – when you walk into that bar you are immediately jettisoned to a 1940’s Chicago-style gangster hangout. It is wonderful! Though no less wonderful, Masa’s bar induces none of those gangster vibes. If it conjures anything, it is a 1960’s Hollywood vibe. Or better yet, it reminded us of “The Birdcage,” that impossibly funny Nathan Lane vehicle set in 1990’s-era Miami Beach. Regardless of the vibe it conjures, I was really struck by the beautiful aura a little orange light was able to create.
And finally, the food…
When I contemplate going out for Mexican food, I generally think of the family-style Mexican restaurants where stale chips and watery salsa are delivered endlessly to your table, where there are paintings on the wall (not hanging from the wall but actually wall-painted) of Mariaci bands and laughing Mexican children wearing too-big sombreros being chased through the streets by a dog, where every other diner orders #8, the three-enchilada combo served with rice and beans, and where the waitress more often than not has a not-so-subtle quesadilla stain on her threadbare polo shirt that bears the restaurant’s name.
Before Masa, I had never contemplated Mexican food served on heavy, white plates at tables covered in crisp, white linen tablecloths, brought by waitstaff wearing starched dress shirts. And I certainly had never considered that Mexican food could be delivered without the requisite warning, “These plates are extremely hot, so be careful!” But at Masa, you get no such warning – which means your food wasn’t piled onto a plate and then chucked into an oven for 5 minutes just prior to serving it to you. No, at Masa you get fresh food prepared fresh. What a treat!Masa offers a “tasting menu” lunch special that provides several options from which to select three items. Since there were two of us on this day, we selected six items:
- Guacamole Picado – mashed avocado with white onion, tomato, chile serrano, cilantro, and lime, served with raw vegetables and chips. If you like guacamole – and really, who doesn’t? – this will knock your socks off. So tasty!
- Ensalada with de Jicama y Mango – mango and jicama salad, cilantro, lime vinaigrette,and cotija. The jicama, which was presented beautifully alongside the mango in long, thin slices – tasted like a cross between potato and green apple. A very interesting taste that you’re not getting at your family-style Mexican restaurant!
- Sopa de Tortilla con Pollo – tortilla soup with chicken, avocado, chile pasilla, and Chihuahua cheese, served with lime and tortilla strips. This was a very hot soup – and I’m not talking about the temperature. Whoo! Very tasty, but too much spice for my Wisconsin palate!
- Taco Pescado – taco with pescado, pico de gallo, lettuce,
and guacamole. I was very excited to try this taco, but… come to find out that “pescado” is Spanish for “fish,” and as a rule, I don’t eat fish tacos. Nothing against Masa – I just don’t believe in mixing tacos and seafood. I blame myself for this mistake – the menu includes a glossary in the back. You’ve been warned! - Half Torta con Pollo – grilled chicken breast marinated in salsa verde, served with cucumber, chile serrano, pickled red onion, cilantro, and tomato. This was a fairly ordinary chicken sandwich. Certainly tasty, but hardly the most remarkable of our six selections.
- Half Torta al Carbone – marinated skirt steak, roasted poblano peppers, onions, and sals rojo. Upon tasting this, my dining partner immediately lamented not just selecting this for all three of his dishes. Excellent and tasty marinated beef! We highly recommend this one.
Like other D’Amico restaurants, Masa offers its guests a memorable dining experience that is difficult to find in most restaurants. With that in mind, I recommend visiting Masa to judge for yourself. Maybe you won’t be moved by the statue, excited by the beautiful people, struck by the orange aura, or intrigued by the juxtaposition of Mexican food and white linen, but I’m pretty sure you will find your own reasons for loving Masa. Just remember that “pescado” means fish!
I almost for got to talk about Date Night at five different D’Amico Restaurants.
3 course dinner for 2 plus a bottle of wine for $50 on Sunday night.
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