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The Basics: Masa restaurant information

Masa

439 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116
617-338-8884

Masa restaurant information
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You won’t find cacti in the corner or sombreros adorning the walls at Masa. It’s not that kind of place. Chef/owner Philip Aviles has given Boston a sophisticated and elegant take on Latin American-inspired cuisine. The natural tones and Spanish-influenced mahogany accents in Masa’s dining room are lit with hand made light fixtures and beaded sconces.

Masa’s menu joins Southwestern flavor and style with fresh New England ingredients in a way Boston has never seen before. The menu, combined with the carefully selected wine list and award-winning cocktails (try the margaritas) make for a memorable evening that feels like a quick jaunt to Santa Fe.

News and Events at Masa restaurant

Tuesday Tequila Dinner with Francisco Quijano
Masa welcomes master distiller and tequila know-it-all Francisco Quijano to their Tremont Street outpost for a Lunazil Tequila Dinner - tonight. 

The Dining Docket
April 9th - April 15th 
So many delicious options, so little time. Lucky for you, we've laid out an entire ...

Taste of the Nation 2012
Share Our Strength, the national non-profit which aims to end childhood hunger in America, is once again bringing the Taste ...

Philip Aviles

Chef at Masa

Chef Philip Aviles at Masa

Chef-Owner Philip Aviles brings more than a little southwestern flavor to the South End at Masa; he brings an incomparable resume and a whole new take on fine dining in Boston. The Culinary Institute of America graduate honed his skills as Chef Tournant at the three-star Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria and as Sous Chef at the three-star Polo Club at the Westbury Hotel in New York. During his tenure as Executive Chef at American Bounty, on Nantucket, the restaurant was awarded a coveted Three-Diamond rating from Triple AAA Restaurant Guide.

Relocating to Manhattan, Aviles was appointed Executive Chef at Stingy Lulu's, the popular East Village fifties-style eatery. He then moved on to Jensen Beach, Florida where, acting as Executive Chef and consultant, he opened Rotties Fine Dining one of the area's premier fine dining destinations.

Masa's menu pairs flavors and cooking styles of the southwestern kitchen with fresh, local New England ingredients. "It's the perfect marriage," says Aviles who developed Masa's concept because "there was a lack of elegant, yet subtle southwestern cuisine in Boston. Flavor always comes first for me, and then the balance of heat, textures, and plate presentations."

Since Masa has been open, Aviles has received praise from both press and patrons alike. In a town where most of the Latin American-influenced cuisines come wrapped in tinfoil and cost around five dollars, Aviles' vast culinary experience and formidable talent have given Boston diners a whole new perspective.

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Dictionary
 
Aïoli
1. noun A blend of ail (garlic) and oli (oil) in the parlance of the Provence region of southern France. Around here, we'd call it a garlic mayonnaise.
Chorizo
1. noun Crumbly, spiced pork sausage.
Crostini
1. noun The Italian word for "little toasts" (referring to bread, not grappa).
Deglaze
1. noun To dissolve the remaining bits of sautéed or roasted food in (a pan or pot) by adding a liquid and heating. The resultant mixture often becomes a base for a sauce to accompany the food cooked in the pan.
Farro
1. noun Tuscany's mainstay, a small, light brown grain.
Foie gras
1. noun Expensive, silk-textured goose or duck liver that has been enlarged by a process you don't want to read about if you're going to eat this dish.
Guajillo
1. noun A shiny red, very hot chile.
Jus
1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.
Lardons
1. noun Diced bacon that is blanched and fried.
Meunière
1. noun Literally "miller's wife" in French, this cooking technique (used primarily for fish) involves a light coating of flour before sauteing in butter or oil.
Quesadilla
1. noun A flour tortilla filled, folded and then either toasted or fried. The filling usually consists of cheese, salsa, meat and refried beans.
Sambal
1. noun A condiment made of chiles, brown sugar, salt and other ingredients.
Tamale
1. noun An envelope of masa with a savory or sweet filling, wrapped in a corn husk and steamed.
Tapas
1. noun Appetizers in Spain; trendy nibbles in the U.S.A.
Tartare
1. noun Ground or finely chopped, seasoned raw meat (traditionally beef). May or may not come mounded, and with a raw egg.
Terrine
1. noun An earthenware container, or the dish cooked therein.
Tomatillo
1. noun A diminutive green relative of the tomato.