“Kid-friendly” — If you want to kill yourself…


No, I shouldn’t say that. Masona Grill (in West Roxbury) is definitely kid friendly… it’s just that MY kid is not always “restaurant-friendly”. Granted, I have a healthy buzz going right now, so in addition to making phenomenal typos (I’m sure), I may also be *exaggerating* a little. The 3-yo is a good kid. He’s funny, he’s dynamic, he’s full of energy… (read: hyperactive). I just hate it when my kid doesn’t listen, when he crawls under the table, when he climbs over my back — trying to get to the other 3-yo and when he eats the salt directly out of the shaker. Aside from that, we had a great meal and a good time… and the staff was very forgiving of the chaos we created.

The husband, myself, a girlfriend and two 3-yo’s all decided last minute to head down to Masona Grill for a little dinner. I called down (at 6:30 on a Friday night) and despite the fact that they had a mostly full restaurant and a bunch of people coming in at 7 (including a wheel chair), they made some adjustments, pushed some tables together and told us to ‘come on down’ (we only live a mile away).

Our table was ready when we arrived so we were seated immediately. We ordered our drinks (Mojitos) and the kid’s food first — some buttered Spaghetti, Green beans and carrots ($4) and the Cornmeal crusted calamari ($8) with a sweet tomato sauce, greens and pickled jalapenos. My friend’s daughter is a bit more adventurous… my son wouldn’t touch the calamari; we all loved it though. It was tender, the sauce was well balanced — with just a touch of heat — and the cornmeal added a nice texture, without being too crunchy or overtaking the delicate calamari.

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New perspective… it’s now the next day. I didn’t finish my post last night. 🙂

For dinner, both the Husband and I went with Grilled portobello mushroom with porcini and butternut squash risotto ($16), with shaved Romano cheese and white truffle oil. It was fabulous. We both loved it equally. The risotto was rich (but not too much), well-cooked, savory and the sweetness of the butternut squash added a nice balance and burst of flavor. I also switched to a Sauvignon Blanc, Cape Indaba, South Africa 2007 ($7), with my meal — which was a really nice wine.

My girlfriend got the Oven roasted cod Catalan ($23), with tomato, olives and apricot ragout, roasted potatoes and green beans. She said it was very good… she loved it. It looked and smelled delicious. The Husband tasted it and agreed.

We opted out of dessert because the kids were cooked and we were stuffed. Overall, a great meal (as usual) and very good service — especially considering the very awake and active kids we had in tow. Even though the title of this post suggests that Masona Grill may not be kid-friendly, it definitely is. The owner himself has three young daughters — whose beautiful black and white portraits grace his walls — and has specifically told us that kids are very welcome.

A few tips re: bringing kids include… the place is quiet, small and cozy — so if you child needs lots of room to run, this is not the place for you. Also, all drinks are served in bar glasses without lids. So if your kid requires a fitted lid with a straw… bring your own cup. They menu choices are slightly limited for children… with no french fries or other kid-friendly nibbles. We requested buttered noodles (since spaghetti appears on the “cafe menu”, which is served from 5 to 6:30pm) and the staff happily obliged. I am not 100% certain if they have high-chairs, but there are bench seats… so you can do as we did and just barricade the kids in.

Lastly, Masona Grill is having (what sounds like) a wonderful Mother’s Day Brunch (from 11am to 7pm). For this event, I would definitely expect other kids to be present. We may even be there ourselves — 3-yo included. The menu sounds very yummy… especially the Eggs Masona, two poached eggs with toasted cornbread, avocado puree and hollandaise — for $9. I think I may book my reservations soon!

Masona Grill in West Roxbury

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