First Taste: Masada Restaurant
Masada Restaurant
"This place is like an Arabian IKEA," said my friend as we made our way through Masada to our table one evening. For better or worse, that statement was pretty spot-on. The loooooong in-the-works Masada recently made its grandiose debut in Logan Square, giving the 'hood the Middle Eastern palace it never knew it needed. Indeed, this place is a glistening beast, with a myriad of dining and drinking nooks, multiple floors, an Eden-like outdoor space, a music stage, a coffee and pastry counter, and more. It's dizzying to amble through here and treat it like a regular dinner experience. But beyond all that pomp and circumstance, there's actually a restaurant at the core. But can the food match the decor?
(Chicken gizzards at Masada)
The Backstory:
Masada comes to Logan Square from the folks behind Sultan's Market, which is surprising because the former is the antithesis of the latter, at least in terms of vibe. While Sultan's is casual, counter-service, and super low-key, Masada veers in the opposite direction with palatial opulence, table service curated by a genial waitstaff, and a broad menu of classic and comtemporary Middle Eastern fare. Masada famously took years to realize, as the owners took their time self-funding and pimping out the multi-tiered space with a plethora of components. It's clear they took their time and polished every possible corner, because the restaurant is sprawling and entrancing.
The Vibe:
First and foremost, the atmosphere is what makes this place special. It's like nothing else in Chicago, let alone the neighborhood. There are so many rooms and alcoves that someone could design a Clue boardgame around it. Clue: Masada. Just imagine... "It was Colonal Kebab in the kitchen with the hot pita." Upon entry, you're greeted by a gorgeous, smiley host staff who escorts you to your table through a variety of dining areas. There's a large dining room towards the front, a downstairs lounge and bar area by a live music stage, an outdoor terrace, an upstairs area, and a back dining area by the kitchen, which is clearly visible through a wide window. The entire space is lit up with bright, flashing colors, interspersed with speakers to project live music. Even the bathroom area is glamorous, each room lined with slick mirrored walls and the front area enhanced with a water fountain. Lush with plants, the outdoor terrace looks like a viable contender for best patio in the city. With so much eye candy to gawk at here, it's hard for the food to live up to the upraised bar.
(Chicken sumac roulette)
The Food:
Compared to the rest of the experience, the food doesn't quite meet expectations. It's decent Middle Eastern, but the menu over-sells and under-performs more often than not. The classic dishes perform better than the outre ones; for instance, hummus is silken and luscious, while chicken gizzards glazed in olive oil are chewy and offputting. The shish kebab wrap filled with charred lamb and tahini is succulent and rich, while the chicken sumac roulette — a sort of sumac-scented burrito filled with shredded chicken and enrobed in shrak flatbread — tries not to be bland, but basically fails. It's hard to eat, messy, and not all that worth the effort. Beverage-wise, there is a decent craft beer selection and a surprisingly strong cocktail presence. Although the cocktail names seem borderline racially insensitive (Bourbon Turban? Citrus Mistress?), I enjoyed my bourbon-, raspberry- and sage-filled Tara-Bit-Toot-Toot. I also dared to order Arak, a fiery liquor the server kept warning me about, describing it as sort of absinthe-y. My glass arrived with a side of distilled water for dillution purposes. And thank god that was there, because this paint thinner-strength alcohol would have been murderous on my throat otherwise, intensely anise-y and aggressive.
While a fun, lively, and glamorous addition to Chicago's dining scene, Masada is more about the motif than the food. Come for the vibe, stay for more vibe. Then leave.
- Matt Kirouac