The Other Critics

Sula Drinks Up at Masa Azul; Kramer Confused by Prasino

Masa Azul's wall of tequila and mezcal.
Masa Azul’s wall of tequila and mezcal. Photo: Nick Kindelsperger

Mike Sula believes that the booze is the main attraction at Masa Azul. Run by “agave evangelist” Jason Lerner, Sula found it “fun to listen to someone so passionately articulate on the subject.” Thanks to a program that “won’t remain static,” the cocktails are also mostly interesting. Unfortunately, the “restaurant seems more focused on its tequila and mezcal program…than it is on the food.” The menu is filled with items of “contrasting degrees of success.” The “coffee-and-epazote-seasoned beef medallions” were “great,” while a ruby trout fillet was “aggressively unseasoned.” [Reader]

Julia Kramer notes that a “general sense of confusion” surrounds Prasino, ultimately giving the restaurant two stars out of five. It may spout claims of sustainability, but after encountering lobster and out of season strawberries, she concludes that there is “nothing on the menu or in the space to confirm or deny that it was in practice.” Some dishes also lack “balance, finesse and focus.” Tacos need more “acidity,” and the “dull” Asian salad needed something to wake it up. Still, “nothing completely bombed.” [TOC]

Sula Drinks Up at Masa Azul; Kramer Confused by Prasino