Massa Blends Greek, Italian, Portugese Fare

By all accounts, Ambler's newest restaurant, Massa, since its opening earlier this year, is an immediate popular success.

You will need to make reservations on Friday and Saturday evenings, and maybe on Sunday too. This past Sunday night, the day before Labor Day - not typically a big night for city and suburb restaurants- Massa was filled until its pre-holiday closing. And all reports on it I have been receiving from friends and acquaintances have been very favorable as to the food quality and variety.

By now it is past the usual curiosity-to-try-the-new-place phase, its customers coming back in numbers a second or third time. Its continuing popularity is mostly deserved, but not 100 percent.

The combination of cuisines is interesting, a menu mix of Portuguese (think paella), Mediterranean (e.g. Greek and Italian), and American dishes. Owner Lorival Felix is himself Portuguese, from Lisbon. Massa also serves pizza. The eatery's full name is Massa Pizza and Grill, offering a strong list of creative brick-oven baked pizzas. 

The head chef is talented Peter Alessandrini Jr., formerly at the Four Seasons, a plus on any chef's resume.

The long, narrow dining room is pleasantly lit by many directed overhead lights and wall sconces. Walls of deep red are contrasted by the black polycarbonate, unclothed tabletops, and chairs, and by gold linen napkins. The hard surfaces did not soften the fairly high noise level of the filled room. As it began to empty and get quieter, the ambient music, lovely Spanish guitar stylings from the Gypsy Kings on Pandora.com, could be enjoyed.

Prices are reasonably moderate with only the signature Paelha Marinheira topping over $25. This traditional dish of seafood and rice is served in a good-sized pot, enough for two to share with the addition of an appetizer, and/or a salad. My lovely dining companion and her sister did just that, each choosing one of the small salads (house or Caesar, $4 each), and sharing an order of Paelha. It included a large helping of saffron rice topped with all the usual shellfish suspects: shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, and a half-lobster. The delicious, briny flavors of the sea were absorbed into the rice.

For my main course, I chose another of the menu's Portuguese specialties, Bacalhau á Lagareiro (grilled salt cod fish, $21), with baked “smashed” (but not mashed) potatoes, in garlic, kalamata olives, and olive oil. The half dozen small potatoes were wonderfully sweet and tender, their skins splitting from being “smashed” (pressed to half their original girth). The salt cod is served not whole or as filets, but rather in flake form. Be aware that not like fresh cod, this salt cod was definitely salty, though our server had assured me that it would not be, and also a skosh fishy. I suspect that this is how bacalhau is supposed to be, and the way the Portuguese like it. I should have thought to squeeze on some lemon juice to lower the saltiness.

The paelha's rice was also just a bit salty, according to my wife, though not like the bacalhau.

Other entrees include salmon and halibut filets, steak, chicken, and pork all prepared non-Portuguese style, a vegetarian plate, as well as penne and pappardelle pasta dishes.

The soup of the day was roast butternut squash ($5), a favorite of mine. Chef Allessandrini's version was a smooth, sweet and creamy puree, crowned with crème fraiche, served in a large flat bowl – perfect! So to was the cream of wild mushroom soup I had a bowl of on a lunch visit.

Another favorite of mine is prosciutto and melone ($8), the classic Italian appetizer. It appealingly offered slices of both cantaloupe and honeydew melon, and a sprinkling of three-vinegar reduction.

We also tried one of Massa's pizzas, the Santa Fe, one of a dozen on the list ($14). It bizarrely substituted BBQ sauce for tomato sauce, and mixed toppings of grilled chicken, pepper, mushrooms, onions, and mozzarella. I would not have chosen this, nor did I care for it; but one of our party of four who had ordered it as his entree said he liked it very much.

Our server was very competent and thoughtful. He helpfully brought my wife a stain removal stick upon seeing her trying to wipe off a food stain she had acquired on her blouse.

Overall rating: mmm 3/4 (out of 5 m’s) a good new addition to Ambler's vibrant restaurant scene.

Location: 131-A E. Butler Ave., Ambler                       

Phone: 215-641-0900                       

Cuisine: Portuguese, Mediterranean, American     

Hours: Monday – Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday noon to 8 p.m.

Prices: Appetizers, soups, salads $4 - $11; dinner entrées, $15 - $26 (average $19)

Lunch sandwiches. $8 - $12

Ambiance: Long narrow dining room, in red and black. Casual. Fairly high noise level.

Reservations:  A must on weekends.                       

Credit Cards: All major accepted

Alcoholic Bevs: BYOB

Wheelchair Access:   Yes                 

Special features: Parking lot alongside the building

To contact Mitch Davis, you can e-mail him.