Mas (farmhouse) (pronounced as either "mah" or "mahs")
was a
New American and
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
restaurant located at 39 Downing Street (between Bedford Street and
Varick Street
__NOTOC__
Varick Street runs north–south primarily in the Hudson Square district of Lower Manhattan in New York City, United States. Varick Street's northern terminus is in the West Village, where it is a continuation of Seventh Avenue South ...
) in the
West Village
The West Village is a neighborhood in the western section of the larger Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City.
The traditional boundaries of the West Village are the Hudson River to the west, West 14th Street to th ...
in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, in New York City.
It was established in 2004.
Mas closed in 2018.
In old
Provençal dialect
Provençal (, , ; french: provençal , ; oc, provençau or ) is a Romance language, either considered as a variety of Occitan or a separate language, spoken by people in Provence and parts of Drôme. Historically, the term Provençal has be ...
, "mas" means a traditional stone farmhouse, and the restaurant used that as its theme.
Menu
The menu was New American and French cuisine, and largely organic.
It included items such as braised ribs, duck breast, organic hen, grilled Portuguese sardines,
bigeye tuna
The bigeye tuna (''Thunnus obesus'') is a species of true tuna of the genus '' Thunnus'', belonging to the wider mackerel family Scombridae. In Hawaiian, it is one of two species known as ahi, the other being the yellowfin tuna. Bigeye tuna are ...
, and
wild nettle risotto
Risotto (, , from meaning "rice") is a northern Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, and Pa ...
.
The chef was Galen Zamarra, who trained in France and was the chef de cuisine at Bouley Bakery, and was named the 2001 "rising star chef of the year" by the
James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation is a New York City-based national non-profit culinary arts organization named in honor of James Beard, a prolific food writer, teacher, and cookbook author, who was also known as the "Dean of American Cookery." The prog ...
.
Restaurant
Mas had old wood beams, stone pillars, and a
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...
bar.
The atmosphere was romantic and intimate.
Diners' attire ranged from jeans and T-shirts to suits.
The restaurant can seat 55 diners.
An early morning fire broke out at Mas in June 2016, forcing Zamarra to close for renovations. After undergoing extensive repairs, and after taking the time to renovate the dining area, Mas was reopened on July 1, 2017. However, Zamarra and business partner Eric Blinderman decided to close Mas after June 30, 2018 due to lack of long-term profitability.
Reviews
In 2004, journalist
Frank Bruni gave Mas one star, and wrote for ''The New York Times'' that it was: "an earnest, tasteful restaurant" that "nicely splits the difference between fussy and unfussy".
In 2008, he gave it two stars.
In 2013, ''
Zagats
The ''Zagat Survey'', commonly referred to as Zagat (stylized in all caps; , ) and established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979, is an organization which collects and correlates the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, coverin ...
'' gave Mas a food rating of 28, and a decor rating of 25, rating it the eighth-best restaurant in New York City.
The food rating was the second-highest for a New American restaurant in New York City, and the second-highest for a West Village restaurant.
See also
*
List of French restaurants
This is a list of notable French restaurants. French cuisine consists of cooking traditions and practices from France, famous for the rich tastes and subtle nuances with long and rich history. France, a country famous for its agriculture and indepe ...
*
List of New American restaurants
Following is a list of New American restaurants:
* Alberta Street Pub, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
* Aviary, Portland, Oregon
* Benu, San Francisco, California, U.S.
* Boka, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
* Boulevard, San Francisco
* Brix Tavern, P ...
References
{{Reflist, 2
External links
www.masfarmhouse.com
Defunct French restaurants in Manhattan
Defunct New American restaurants in New York (state)
New American restaurants in New York City
Restaurants established in 2004
West Village
2004 establishments in New York City
2018 disestablishments in New York (state)
Restaurants disestablished in 2018