Mazza
A nice mix of hummus and other regional starters. Loved it!
It took me a while to post this and I apologize. Mazza truly deserves the praise it most appropriately has received and continues to receive. This review will be brief (I’m quite behind) so I’ll highlight the great parts. As some of you may recall, I’m not the biggest fan of Indian food. Granted, I’ve become more open minded to its unique flavors but there is still a hint of prejudice and dislike for the overall cuisine. I’ll spare the details and long explanation of why, (hint: read my prior blogs) but the overpowering flavors of Indian food hide the subtleties and incredible flavors the food can offer. Thus enters Middle Eastern food. One of the lovely features of regional cuisine is that flavors are transient. For example, Vietnamese food is influenced by many foreign flavors from China, France, and it’s surrounding area. Middle Eastern food is my “water-downed” version of Indian food. Now, don’t take this as an insult to the cuisine of both India and the many countries in Southwest Asia but it’s more a reality of my palate. You will find many similar tastes and flavors when you venture just west of India. Mazza was my tour guide.
Here’s the itinerary:
From the menu
Beef Okra -” All-natural beef, okras, tomatoes, onions, and garlic cooked in a rich sauce and infused with herbs, spices and pomegranate molasses. Served with rice.”
Lamb Kafta Kebab – A lamb sausage
Fried Kibbeh -“Football-shaped treats made with minced beef, bulgur, herbs & spices and fried. Severed with a cucumber yogurt sauce for dipping”
Baba Ganooj – “Fresh roasted eggplant blended with lemon juice, garlic, tahini and olive oil.”
Destination: Dessert
Baklawa Finger – “Delicate roll of phyllo dough stuffed with sweet cashews and drizzled with orange blossom syrup”
Cream Phyllo Roll – “Delicate paper thin phyllo roll stuffed with our signature cream pudding. Baked to a golden perfection and sweetened with orange blossom syrup”
The flavors were very consistent and balanced. I didn’t get the impression I do with most foods from this region of over-flavor or overcooking (minus the kabob vegetable). I had my Indian food specialist to give me her take on the food and she thoroughly enjoyed it. I love love love the yogurt and hummus sauce. It’s a cool and refreshing dish that excites taste buds accustomed to spicy and more spiciness. The only thing I didn’t like was the Baklawa finger. It was like a Butterfinger that was stale and too crunchy. The Phyllo dough had a similar taste but the texture was much better. I enjoyed the casual dining feel of Mazza. It was a change from other restaurants and cuisines I had been to in the past. While pricey, the food and experience was certainly worth it. It’s definitely reason for a return visit and many more in the future.
Lamb Sausage - Plate looks a bit plain but it was mighty tasty. Wish the portion would have been more appropriate.
This dish makes me feel like I'm in Okra-Homa!
Friend Meter: Elisa, Rachel, Brody, Kristin
Peng's Palate 