First Taste: mas

First Taste: mas:

Unlike New York City, Chicago isn't lacking in solid Mexican restaurants. In fact, our fair city proudly boasts some of the best Mexican dining in the country, thanks to inimitable chefs such as Rick Bayless and an endless array of standout taco haunts like Big Star, Takito Kitchen, and Antique Taco. So nowadays it's a bold move opening a modern Mexican restaurant in Chicago, running the risk of disappearing into the fray if the food isn't utterly stellar. One of the latest entrants is mas, a West Loop newcomer that promises moden Mexican cuisine for lunch and dinner. 

(Cemitas sandwich at mas)

The Space

The most modern part of mas is the space, a slick and comfortable dining room divvied into two sections on either side of the host stand. Compared to the clamorous bars and restaurants lined up along Restaurant Row, mas is a pleasant and calming diversion from the melee. The space is fairly large, sunny, and relaxed, offering a nice backdrop for a meal of tacos, cemitas, and guacamole. There's a small bar along the back wall, which looks a little depressing compared to most boisterous bars in the area, but it will do. Seating otherwise is comfortable and arranged as such so as to make it easy to converse with your dining partner and have a private experience. 

The Food

The food at mas leaves me mostly wanting mas. As in, its promise of modern Mexican cookery doesn't quite reach the high bar it set for itself. Perhaps in other cities, mas's assortment of housemade tortillas and vivacious guac would excel, but in Mexican-saturated Chicago, it's hard to stand out on food that is just "good" and not "great." Most of the menu items are pretty recognizable and classic, featuring tacos, cemitas, guacamole, salsas, salads, and crudos, and while some entries are solid, others are lax. At lunch time, a vegetarian cemitas sandwich with mushrooms bludgeoned me over the head with grease and garlic. Not very bueno. But doraditos de tinga, aka crispy chicken flautas, were a fantastic alternative to tortilla standards, resplendant in black bean-truffle puree and tomatilla salsa. Although housemade, tortillas are pretty standard. The guacamoles are vivid and fresh (try the tropical version with pear, cantaloupe, and jicama, even though none of this really screams "tropical"), as are the salsas; the smoky chicharron or the tangy cranberry-based salsas are particularly noteworthy. There's also small plates like lamb with pepito yogurt, scallop crudo, and fried bites like albondigas croquettes with cotija cheese, avocado, and "pink" mayo. Wash it all down with one of their crisp, fruit du jour agua frescas. 

The Service

Service at mas is friendly and well-meaning, if a little aloof. For instance, it's rather redundant to describe guacamole as "avocado guacamole." But aside from the slight lack of understanding of Mexican food, staff is welcoming and gracious. 

- Matt Kirouac