Saturday, 6:30 p.m. The cold doesn’t stop us from accepting a table on Masseria’s patio, under a heat lamp’s shelter. It was the latest we could make our reservation for three, and as the night progressed and the fireplace-centered couches and bar stools filled with customers from the (much smaller) indoor seating area, we saw why.
Masseria is like the rich-hipster of restaurants. Plucked from what could be L.A. or New York and dropped between the graffitied trucks and back alleys of Union Market, it’s far enough to be a pain to get to (half an hour by car, and almost an hour by train) but good enough to be worth it, and pricey enough to be a commitment. Walls of stacked wooden beams line the exterior and a metal slab for a door add to its air of exclusivity; it’s a pocket of culinary wonder in the midst of a grungy nowhere.
The menu and decor took cues from the chef/owner Nicholas Stefanelli’s time spent in Puglia, and the meal was highlighted by off-the-menu items such as soft burrata with tomato on a spoon, followed by salt-flaked warm focaccia squares and tomato paste to replace the bread basket the average diner is accustomed to, and sorbet on a bed of uncooked rice. Our orders included the Animelle, surprisingly delicious sweet bread (that is, the thymus gland of an animal) with the taste of a chewy Triscuit, plated with fennel, green tomato, cherry peppers, and fennel pollen; the unexceptional Tortellini consisting of duck, peaches, thyme, and sherry vinegar; and the Cartellate for dessert, with Marsala pasta beignet, seared grapes, and Sicilian pistachio gelato.
The attention to detail was impeccable, with servers spewing details on drinks as quickly as they pour them, as was the quality of the food. By the end of my meal, my standards had been set so high that I was disappointed with the regular sugar packets that came with my green tea; I had been expecting something more along the lines of highly-refined sugar cubes next to my charcoal-filtered tap water, of course.
But this all comes at a price: $62 for 3 courses and $85 for 5 courses, varying on whether or not you would like a wine-pairing It’s more a spot for socialites and wealthy middle-agers than it is a hangout for college kids, and, with a suggested dress code of “Casual Elegant,” you’ve got to dress the part. It’s an interesting addition to a scene that Café Milano and the like have dominated for the past few decades, but its newness doesn’t seem to prevent it from claiming its own territory.
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