Masa Azul

The first time I heard about Masa Azul, I heard about the food and was excited to try it. The second time was for their lengthy tequila list, which meant I'd have no trouble convincing my partner in crime to dine here. When the opportunity presented itself for a double date with some friends, one of whom is a sucker for good tequila, I didn't hesitate to suggest Masa Azul.

Picking a place that none of us has tried always makes me me a little nervous; my hesitation was quickly put at ease when I saw how packed the place was. You really don't want to try coming here without a reservation, there isn't much room to wait. We waited briefly for our table and used the time to figure out what drinks we'd get. If I had one complaint about the overall experience it's that it gets loud; fortunately, we snagged a semi-secluded table, which helped buffer some of the noise.

We started out with a round of cocktails; I went with the Black Betty, my friend the Audrey Horne and the guys each got the You Don't See this Everyday flight. I liked both of the cocktails and was happy to trade with my friend who wasn't enamored with hers. For my second, I got the Heart of the Dead, which was the standout of the three. The guys were impressed with their flights and from what I tried, it was tasty and unusual - aptly named. Our server was very knowledgeable of the drink menu, laying down some serious info on the tequilas and recommending which order to consume the flight. She also helped steer them to a good palate-cleansing beer before they resumed their tequila consumption. Considering how lengthy the tequila menu is (longer than many wine lists), this is no small feat.

The food menu is small; divided into three sections - small plates, soup/salad, and entrees. My biggest complaint about many small plates places is that they put too much on the menu; here, the menu was well curated and executed perfectly. We started with the cochinita, baja shrimp, and birria tacos, the octopus tostada and the Mexican scotch egg. I tried the tostada and shrimp tacos, the latter being my favorite. The tostada was good, the arbol chile gave it the right amount of heat, but I felt the octopus flavor was a bit eclipsed by the avocado. I also tried the habanero salsa that accompanied the cochinita tacos; it was amazing how they were able to cut the heat and make it so flavorful. All in all, the starters won high praise.

For our entrees, the guys ordered the bistec with ancho potatoes and the ladies, the camarones with cotija grits. Again, these plates won rave reviews. The shrimp dish was excellent; nice heat from the chipotle peppers, great garlicky flavor from the pesto both balanced the rich, creaminess of the grits. Unexpectedly, the guys agreed the ancho potatoes were some of the best mashed potatoes they've had. To cap it off we had the churros with a chile chocolate sauce; good, but a think the spice to sweetness was slightly out of balance - too much spice, in my opinion.

We left Masa Azul quite happy. Great drinks, great food, attentive and knowledgeable service made it an all-around win.

Delicious from start to finish. Do not skip the cocktails because they are all totally unique and equally as tasty. I am a vegetarian and the waitstaff was very helpful in identifying options beyond wjat was clearly veggie on the menu. My hubby had the duck and he said it was perfectly cooked amd the mesquite balanced perfectly with the peach thyme sauce. I had the wilted spinach salad with goat cheese and apples and lentils. The flavors were balanced perfectly. Overall I have nothing but great things to say about this new logan square gem. Please go check it out!

I was lucky enough to have my first visit here be the Casa Noble Tequila Event on April 17th and...shut the front door! I enjoyed a three course meal with each course accompanied by a tequila pairing (blanco, reposado, añejo) AND a tequila based drink for only $45!!!! Not even restaurant week offers such deals!

First Course: Braised rabbit with adobo sauce and pinto bean puree.
Uh-huh. They got the party started right. No wimpy salad for the first course here!  

Second Course:  Double-cut lamp chop steeped with Casa Noble Whole Grain Mustard Sauce, Roasted Anaheim Peppers and Pan Fried Potatoes.
Voila! Cooked to perfection.

Third Course: Citrus Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce and Fresh Berries
The dessert was lovely but made more memorable by the spectacular drink it was paired with - The Paraiso: tequila añejo, Jo Snow Black Pepper-Fig Syrup, Coconut, Lime, and Dark Matter Chiapas Coffee Beans. A slice of paradise indeed.

This is all to say, the drinks at this place are just as memorable as the meals, which is rare. The bartender, Jenny Kessler, is amazing. She won Best Bartender of the Year 2012 and you'll quickly see why.

This is a don't miss in Logan Square.