Massara NYC

There’s a new Italian restaurant in town, which in New York City usually does not make the news. However, when you’re the second venture of Michelin-starred Rezdora and you have 9+ pastas on the menu, naturally buzz follows. This is a first look and review of Massara NYC.

Atmosphere

The location can’t get much better for Massara NYC in the heart of the Flatiron. Massara is actually right around the corner from its sister restaurant Rezdora, in a space that is about double the size. Rezdora’s new venture is a bi-level restaurant that took over the sort of dive-y Punch Bar, a staple in the neighborhood for over 20 years. Needless to say they gut renovated the space and there’s no apparent sign of the old Punch Bar left.

First Impressions

In the spectrum of the value proposition of Massara, I wouldn’t say that the design is a key selling point, especially on the first floor. You walk in and there’s oddly a ramp that leads either up to the back or side of the host stand, and then also a sizable empty space in front of it. The result is that it’s confusing where you’re supposed to line up to talk to the maitre’d. More importantly beyond the confusion of check-in though, is that there’s a lot of wasted space in this empty front area.  They could have at least put some standing high tops to wait for a table and enjoy a pre-dinner drink. Hopefully the space is still a work in progress  as the restaurant is only a few weeks old.

Once you make it beyond the purgatory of the front area, the rest of the first floor dining room is pretty nondescript. There’s a bar area with ten seats or so for dining, then a back room with an open kitchen and more tables. Up some very tall and steep steps, the second floor has much more ambience. The bar up there is also more lively in vibe and the overall dining room has warmer lighting. The decor is consistent with downstairs, but if you have a choice, this is where you want to sit.

Food + Beverage

The guys at Rezdora get a lot of hype for their food. I’ve been to Rezdora probably 6-8 times since it opened, and for me, it’s good, but no great shakes. The one exception is the Grandma Walking through the Forest in Emilia which is a green cappelletti stuffed with leeks with mushroom puree. This dish is one of the best pastas I’ve had in NYC because it’s unique. The stuffed pasta of leeks just melts in your mouth. When Rezdora took this dish off the menu for a period of time, I never returned.

I’m framing my feelings about Rezdora because I had a similar albeit scaled down experience at Massara. Our first course of the cheesemaker raviolini set the bar high for the rest of the meal. The ravioli was perfectly executed; the egg-based pasta was al dente, light and the right amount of sauce. I would say that this is one of the better raviolis I’ve had in NYC in recent Italian experiences. The grilled zucchini was also perfectly cooked with notes of smoke, mint and olive oil. Bread is ordered separately and while my friend really enjoyed it, I thought it was a little too much olive oil and garlic. I don’t think I would order bread again, but instead would opt for one of the pizzettes.

Onto the Main Courses

The pastas are split into a Pasta, and Pasta di Gragnano. I assumed the difference was the Pasta section dishes were homemade and maybe egg based. I thought that the Pasta di Gragnano was dry, not fresh pasta, and from Gragnono like its name implies. Our server however informed us that dishes on the Pasta section were served with sauce, and the di Gragnano section was served with very little sauce. This is one of those situations where I didn’t believe the teacher, so would love it if someone would shed light on this. More though on the service component later.

What They Call Pasta di Gragnano

Ok – whatever the case is on the pasta distinctions, for our main pastas we had the spaghetti with baby clams and a Pasta Mista Classica off the di Gragnano menu. As far as the spaghetti and clams, I liked that the pasta was perfectly al dente. They also used breadcrumbs as the topping, which I learned to really like in Sicily. Parmesan cheese would have been all sorts of politically incorrect with the clams so at least it was authentic in concept. However in my opinion  this dish needs help. It was way too salty and there was so much garlic I was thankful it wasn’t date night. Also there were a total of 4 of the smallest clams I think I’ve seen which was not impressive for a dish which has clams in its name.

My friend’s pasta was equally underwhelming. There were more potatoes than pasta and it needed more seasoning. My friend’s request for pepper required a kitchen caucus which never impresses me. Like, let people enjoy the food within reason as they wish. To me it’s an indication that there’s inflexibility in the kitchen and they’re not open to feedback. No one is right all the time, and after tasting my friend’s pasta, it really did need a little more seasoning.

Odds + Ends

On drinks, I had what was the equivalent of an Old Fashioned which was ok but was a little too sweet for my personal taste. The wine list was much more promising. The somm came from Locanda Verde and it sounds like they are investing big into the cellar.

I was disappointed as the shellfish was sold out as well as the stuffed zucchini flowers. I would go back though to see if there are other items that I would fall for. But on this first visit, it was essentially same as Rezdora for me. Massara NYC was decent night out over good pasta without too much to write home about.

Service

There were parts of the service that were brilliant, and other aspects that need to get worked out. Let’s start with the good. Everyone we encountered was sincere and approachable. First impressions are everything, and the maitre’d was friendly, even to those without reservations like us. He did his very best and within 40 minutes or so, we found ourselves seated the bar. We also met the somm who is the kind of person you want to build a relationship with if you’re into wine. I could see bringing my Burgundy and Bordeaux wine friends to Massara for a blowout private dinner. I have a feeling the somm can hold his own with the top wine collectors in NYC.

Some Constructive Feedback

The part of the service that needs to change is what I  perceived as inflexibility with the waitstaff and kitchen. When we ordered there were several times that it was conveyed to us that the meal needed to be coursed out according to what was best for the kitchen. For example when I asked about the bread coming out before the first course of pasta, you would have thought I was asking for sushi.

Maybe it was the server and not the policy, but she acted like it was a big deal to accommodate that simple request. Same for when my friend asked for pepper, where she came back the first time and said they didn’t have pepper. After my friend was clearly irked, pepper magically appeared. Overall while she was pleasant she made it clear that the kitchen doesn’t accommodate diners. That to me is a fatal flaw for a pasta joint that in no way is ready for a Michelin star.

A Grain of Salt

I’ve eaten in the top restaurants in the world and cooked with some of the top chefs in Italy. Actually, Vito Mollica is the top chef in Italy. A confident chef will work with you; a good cook will play the no modification game. I don’t know yet where Massara NYC falls on the spectrum so take this first initial preview with a grain of salt. My next visit however will be a different story.

Overall: 7.4/10

I would return again to see if there were other pastas like the cavatelli that would rock my world. I would also skip the cocktails and focus on the wine list. Review to be updated as Massara is worth another visit.

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FAQs

Q: Where is Massara NYC located?

A: Massara NYC is located in the Flatiron district at 913 Broadway, New York, NY 10010.

Q: What are the hours of operation at Massara NYC?

A: The hours of operation at Massara NYC are as follows: