Summer Restaurant Week 2010

Where did I eat this Restaurant Week?

 

Masa, on the eastern border of the South End, serves delicious Southwest-style food with occasional New England influences. It's one of my favorite Boston restaurants. Since I hadn't been there for dinner in a while, I thought it was worth going back to try their Restaurant Week menu. With a sangria margarita in one hand and a fork in the other, I enjoyed a great meal! I had a flavorful yellow gazpacho for my appetizer, and ate a smoky, pungent, and moist achiote chicken breast with yucca fritters and corn-avocado salsa for dinner. I ordered a chocolate truffle tamale for dessert, but was presented with a molten chocolate cake (apparently the tamale did not exist?). Fortunately, Masa's MCC was unique and enjoyable. I would describe its texture as somewhere between a flourless chocolate torte and a typical MCC - in other words, it wasn't exactly molten, but was delightfully soft and gooey throughout. It had a deep, creamy chocolate flavor that made me think of chocolate mousse in cake form. The cake was complemented by a generous drizzle of sweet and tangy raspberry sauce, plus a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream that melted over the warm dessert. Clearly, I'm loving chocolate/raspberry duos this month! A thorough dusting of powdered sugar and a sprig of mint added to the presentation. I may have had a better dessert here once upon a time - a rustic apple tart, perhaps? - but I can't complain about this fresh and tasty molten chocolate cake.

Since I consider myself a Harvard Square regular, I am somewhat embarrassed to say that I had never been to Casablanca before this meal. I look forward to returning to the subterranean Mediterranean restaurant, as I enjoyed their Restaurant Week menu. My appetizer was grilled mission figs with prosciutto, Vermont blue cheese, and balsamic drizzle; I then had salmon with fresh tomato salad and yogurt tahini as my main course. Even though the waiter recommended the local-blueberry creme brulee, I could not say no to the unusual-sounding flourless chocolate-polenta cake with Chantilly cream, creme anglaise, and strawberries. The cake was rather dense and somewhat dry, but it fortunately didn't fall apart or crumble during eating. I could not taste the polenta, but it definitely gave the cake a sturdier texture than flour would have done. The flavor was that of assertive cocoa powder rather than deep chocolate, which I attribute to the relative lack of moisture. I also noticed that there wasn't much sugar in the cake, though its accompaniments made up for its lack of sweetness. The custardy, lightly-vanilla creme anglaise clung to the cake, and the airy, sugary Chantilly cream had a smooth, cool mouthfeel that lightened each bite. I'll keep my eyes open for polenta cakes going forward, as I'm curious about what varieties are out there (moister, sweeter, etc). I'm glad I expanded my dessert horizons with an unconventionally-"leavened" cake!