Mas (farmhouse), NYC
Chef: Galen Zamarra
Cuisine: New American
Neighborhood: West Village
Price:$78 four-course menu, $115 Chef’s six-course tasting, à la carte dishes ranging from $15-35
Phone: 212-255-1790
Address: 39 Downing Street, NY NY 10014
Hours: Nightly 6-11:30pm
Like many New York restaurants, Mas (farmhouse) focuses on locally sourced fresh produce and ingredients. The word mas actually means a country house or farm (it comes from Old French still used in Provence). So in the spirit of the name, the restaurant believes in using the seasonally available products, and Chef Zamarra combines these with his classical French training to create a different New American style menu each night.
The space itself is very beautiful, with plenty of natural light streaming from the street. There are small tables for intimate dinners as well as a couple of communal ones for groups. I particularly loved the see-through cases for the wines. Not sure how practical they are or if there is some fancy temperature-control system hooked up to those (which would be amazeballs), but as a decorative feature, they are cool.
I had dinner in a group of five and we really tried to taste as many things on the menu as possible. What I was pleasantly surprised at was the flexibility the restaurant offered: we were free to have a set tasting, create our own fixed menu, order à la carte, let the chef wile out, or have any combination of the above. And the whole table didn’t have to participate in the same option. So some of us created our own four-course menu and one of my friends asked the chef to surprise him with “something delightful” (true story).
APPETIZERS:
Grilled Shrimp in Basil Crème Fraîche
Honestly not a strong starter; shrimp should be almost flavorless and this was fishy-esque
Wild Porcini Soup, Truffled Hon Shimeji Mushrooms & Parmesan Foam
You know you are loving the dish when you (are still sober and) forget to take a photo. So apologies for that but take my word please: this porcini soup is something you want in your mouth.
Chicken Liver Pâté
Chilled Lobster Salad on Toasted Brioche with Caviar Cream, Fingerling Potato Chips & Green Sorrel
Very delicate dish; absolutely enjoyed every bite of the succulent lobster, salty caviar cream and crunchy chips
Roasted Tilefish, Brocolli, Fingerling Potatoes
Yellowfin Tuna l’Occidental, Flashed with Beurre Noisette & Crispy Shallots
Very generous portion, crispy shallots complemented the fish very well
Almond Dusted Soft Shell Crabs with Italian White Polenta, Brocolli Rabe Sautéed with Bacon & English Peas in a Tomato-Saffron Crab Sauce
MMMM crunchy shell and soft crab
Baby Romaine & Radish Salad with Lamb Bacon, house-made buttermilk ranch dressing with a parsley & Parmesan tuile
MAINS:
House-made Pork & Sauerkraut Sausages, Fingerling Potato Purée, Spring Onion Fondue, Baby Turnips & Pea Shoots
My friend didn’t love this, but I actually found it pretty interesting. Maybe because of the sauerkraut–I’m obsessed with anything pickled.
Braised Pork Belly, Italian White Polenta, Fiddlehead Ferns
Melted in your mouth. Also on a sidenote: fiddlehead ferns are fun to say and are pretty. I made them once, so as shameless self-promotion, click here.
Roasted Long Island Duck Breast with a kumquat gastrique, toasted wheat berries with Rhubarb Compote & Braised Dandelion Greens
I actually learned what a gastrique is in cooking class (and made an awesome one!) and this dish makes more sense now. It’s a reduced sweet and sour sauce, goes well on hearty meat. Was delicious on the duck.
DESSERTS:
Usually too full to have desserts; but these were so worth the sacrifice of an additional savory dish!
Poached Sweet Cherries over an Almond Dacquoise, Cognac Ice Cream & Dark Chocolate Cream
Warm Carrot Cake with Fresh Ginger Ice Cream, Walnut Brittle & Carrot-Cream Cheese Emulsion
Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Mousse with Cocoa Streusel, Salted Caramel Ice Cream & Chocolate Ganache
Local Strawberries Macerated in Elderflower over a Cream Cheese Panna Cotta, Candied Pink Peppercorns & Lemon Shortbread
Side note: iPav LOVES pink peppercorns
Strawberry Marshmallow
OMG a strawberry-flavored cloud
food comas 
me and martha were looking to buy a new cow, because our poor ole betsy was feeling lonely and needed some company! company ya hear! instead of hay barrels and bird feed, we found a lovely little restaurant. we quite enjoyed our meal. this place also has the darn cutest little tea cups… now martha and i have a new tea set in our cupboards. 🙂
my husband and i john stumbled upon this place. oh tickle me pink. it was no farm. instead it’s a nice restaurant. who would have thunk! we tried asking the hostess to watch our donkey but she gave me stink eye. so i spat on her through my missing front tooth. curse’d!