On a lovely day to celebrate another month-a-versary, K and I met up on Nicollet Mall at clean, bright, spare and gleaming Masa.

It had been a long, long day for me so I started with a signature Masa Margarita which is served in a lowball glass, not your standard 2-for-1 ladies night margarita glass. This was nice because it contained a fair amount of alcohol. It was a refreshing blend of slightly smoky tequila and orange liqueur and it paired perfectly with our chips and guacamole. The guac wasn’t exactly a revelation, but it was yummy — bright and fresh and the tortilla chips popped with a good amount of salt. 

I had one of the evening’s specials – the huarache tradicional “sampler.” There were three little masa (corn) cakes, each with a different topping. One was tinga de pollo (shredded chicken with chipotle crema), another was  carnitas (roasted pork with onion and cilantro) and the last was rajas with queso fresco (roasted peppers with soft white cheese). Each was about two or three bites and each was distinctly delicious. Just the right amount of spicy with savory flavors, creamy flavors, cool cilantro and lime and warm roasty meatiness.

Then, because it had been a long, long day (did I mention that already??) I enjoyed another Masa Margarita for “dessert.”

It was the middle of the week and a little on the early side (6ish), but the restaurant was pretty empty. Not even one quarter full which made the space feel really vast. I was paranoid my voice would echo. The food was really very good and there’s lots on the menu I’d like to explore further so I’m sure I’ll be back to Masa. In addition to their tempting  food, there are many more margaritas to delve into and I’m sure I have long, long days in my future.