MASA (Echo Park) Report
Had a chance to try out MASA the other day and must say that I quite enjoyed the food.
Let me preface this by saying I am by no means an expert on what "Chicago-style" pizza is or is supposed to be.
That being said, the deep-dish pizza we had at Masa (sausage and pepperoni), was quite good. Very thick crust, lotsa cheese ... almost quiche like in appearance. I enjoyed it, but I must say, for my money I really prefer the deep-dish, thick crust pizza experience at Zelo's in Arcadia.
Also had an order of their Avocado, Carmelized Onion, Tomato sandwich. This was really good. Rich and savory, but with a nice hint of sweetness to it. Bread was marvelous, crunchy but soft and tender on the inside. (Am going to have to go back and try the Cuban sandwich)
Tried their carrot cake. Not for the weak of heart (or teeth). Unless you regularly garnish your chocolate bars with sugar, you're going to find this rendition too sweet.
Finally, the service was really friendly and accommodating. Even offered to take the carrot cake back when we said it was too sweet.
Worth checking out if your in the area.
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I tried the pizza and thought it was highly disappointing. Tasteless sauce and mediocre bread crust -- and it is NOT Chicago style. I was just in Chicago and visited three pizza parlors -- Masa is not in the same league and is another LA version of pizza. I second Zelo's Pizza as being far superior to the pizza here.
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The service is HORRIBLE, the panninis are mediocre, but the pizza is good. We waited 15 minutes to get our drink order and 45 minutes for our sandwiches. A mistake is a mistake, but no lesson learned by the staff. They just explained that it was a mix up. Why should I have to hunt my server down to tell her that my order has been misplaced? Would it kill them to offer a refill? Bad service + Mediocre fool = No return
RUN don't walk from Masa!!!! -
Chowpatty
Jan 23, 2007 01:57 PM
Yeah, I haven't been able to drag myself back ever since the owner cheerfully admitted to me at least six months after they opened, "Our baker is self-taught. He or she (don't remember) is starting to get the hang of it!" From what it sounds like, he's still trying.
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corydon
Jan 23, 2007 01:52 PM
I really gave this place a good shot but it was so dippy, so cheerfully unapologetic about the admitted dismally extreme badness of the baked good, so fancy schmancy attitudinal about very ordinary food, that I gave up and chalked it up to another example of mediocre gentrification of my old neighborhood. That being said, the sausage pizza is a dense, meaty slab and I liked the taste of the sausage a lot. Does not reheat too well so try to order it for at least 4 people. Hey, they're better than Carmelo's and the folks from the Echo need to eat something (though I would stick to the mexi-trucks if I were them).
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Marianna215
Jan 23, 2007 12:56 PM
Talk about Masa paired with the Chicago Bear's win inspired me to try them on Sunday Night. We called ahead for a deep dish and it was ready for us when we came.
The place was great, the staff was so nice, but......
As for the pizza - SO SALTY!! the sauce was just off. This could be a great pizza - but their sauce is just too salty. -
I have been to this place twice and got deep dish pizza delivery once (I know, I know - that sounds like a sin, each time hoping for redemption and feeling very disappointed. I want to root for the place but I've had bad (not horrible) experiences with wait staff (too slow, a little too snippy, a little too peppy) and the food. The menu is too limited and the hour long wait for pizza is frustrating. The food is decent, at best. I don't know what the Patina connection is but I don't see it anywhere on the menu.
I think it's just time for me to give up on the place.
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