Masa Azul
2901 W. DiverseyChicago, IL 60647
Logan Square
773-687-0300
masaazul.com
Hours: Dinner: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday
Closed Monday
Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11
Our Review
This Logan Square southwestern restaurant has been a great tequila bar since opening. Now, under Birrieria Zaragoza scion Jonathan Zaragoza, it has a kitchen that's up to par. A lineup of tacos—pork belly, shrimp, mushrooms, a superjuicy Yucatan-style cochinita pibil, and of course the mole-rubbed roasted birria Zaragoza's family is known for—takes top billing on a menu that also includes a handful of quirky small plates. Among these is what's emerged as something of signature, a gooey soft-boiled ovum jacketed in panko-crusted chorizo—the Mexican Scotch egg. You'll also find a Caesar salad with cotija cheese fritters, a squash soup with duck confit, and larger entrees like a grilled flatiron steak with mashed potatoes dotted with cubes of lime jelly and a Chihuahua-cheese-stuffed chile relleno with cilantro-lime rice. Zaragoza also makes an outstanding roasted tomatillo salsa with arbol chiles and roasted garlic, all pulverized by hand in a basalt molcajete. Acidic, almost meaty, with an unusual, slightly glutinous texture, it's served warm with house-made totopos (corn chips). These are airy and light and just the right simple snack to order when you're sipping your way through the dozens of agave spirits ($5) or concoctions on the cocktail list devised by Jenny Kessler, which features a surprisingly dry Latin manhattan poured with six-to-nine-month-old reposado and amaro. Read more >>
Price: $$$
Payment Type: MasterCard, Visa, AmEx, Discover
