March 22, 2014 Mas Tapas y Vino

March 22, 2014 Mas Tapas y Vino

When we were at Susan and Charlie Palmer’s for drinks on Thursday evening they suggested we go to the Baroque Music Concert tonight.  Suzette and I were working today so we decided to go to Mas Tapas for tapas before the concert.

Mas is Chef/owner James Campbell Caruso, who also owns La Boca and La Taberna and used to be chef at El Farol in Santa Fe has taken over the culinary responsibilities in the Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque. The Hotel Andaluz has gone through many incarnations as a hotel since it was the first Hilton Hotel built in New Mexico in 1939 by Conrad Hilton.  I love it with its great wood beamed lobby, internal wrought iron railed balustrade and historic murals on the entry way walls.  The restaurant has been remodeled and now very Euro chic.  The menu is somewhat limited but there were enough selections to satisfy us. 

We said hello to Chef Caruso, who we were pleased to see cooking in the restaurant.   In fact, after we ordered three tapas and a Marisco soup, he made us a complimentary tapa of loma de puerco, thin slices cured pork drizzled with olive oil and pimiento surrounded by three small piles of: roasted and marinated garlic cloves, pickled cornichons and small green olives.

bread and olive oil and vinegar

We ordered the Catalan Spinach, the eggplant with lavender honey, and the fried Shrimp tapas and a glass of red sangria each.

The soup was amazing ($14.00): fresh shrimp, clams and calamari cooked in a green vegetable and herb broth with two fried slices of olive oil coated bread.

Here are some pictures.   

Roasted Eggplant with manchego and lavender honey

Spinach Catalan style

I did not like the spinach because it had a rather bland flavor, sort of like the cooked spinach I used to get at Luby's cafeteria when I was young, although filled with lots of interesting ingredients such as pinion nuts and roasted red bell peppers. But the shrimp were great, crisp, hot and served with a fiery red chili sauce.  The eggplant was also amazing from a creative and textural standpoint, thinly sliced and brushed with olive oil and garnished with grated manchego cheese and then grilled and surrounded on the small plate by lavender honey, it expressed the characteristic of tapas, small elegant designed plates of beautifully prepared fresh ingredients.  The menu also included entrees of more mundane ingredients, such as grilled meats and seafood.    

Mariscos Soup with herb broth

The mariscos soup was my favorite for all its wonderful fresh seafood and with its somewhat bland but delicious herbaceous green broth.  Total bill $64.00.  

  

I read in Local Flavor that Mas has introduced tapa happy hours like La Boca in Santa Fe, when prices drop to $5.00 for tapas and wine and beer on Monday through Fridays from 4:00 to 6:00, which will bring us back to try some more tapas and wine.  

We are happy to so many new restaurants in the neighborhood.  For example on our way to the restaurant we stopped at the corner of 13th and Tijeras to see the progress of Charles’ new restaurant and Charles came out and we talked to him for a few minutes.   He said his restaurant will serve fresh seasonal cuisine, including both his Moroccan and French Cuisine and feature prix fixe meals and he is only waiting for the beer and wine liquor license before he opens.  We are looking forward to a small bistro in the neighborhood.

After tapas we drove to the Baroque Concert at the Fellowship Church on Indian School Rd. just east of Washington and enjoyed it very much.  Although sitting on church seats was a little uncomfortable the baroque music of the 17^th century was very pleasant and the musicianship extremely impressive,  I am not sure I am completely hooked on baroque music.

Charlie was really excited because he and Susan and Lisa are going to Philadelphia tomorrow to see the art museums, including the new Barnes Foundation.  Lucky devil; to be confronted by the prospect of super saturation with great art. 

Bon Appétit