At last we have been given the greenlight to serve our traditional sangria again after an absence of over six months. The General Assembly in all its wisdom has seen fit to modify the original pre-prohibition law forbidding the mixing of spirits with wine or beer. Unfortunately this change of heart took many months and hundreds if not thousands of letters from customers and restaurants. So come on by, the patio is open and the sangria is chilled. Saludos!

Chef Tomas Rahal got a chance to sit down with Kate Malay of the UVA Alumni Association and Juan Esteves a web analyst for Crutchfield Electronics. Over the course of the evening they got to sample ten different tapas and several wines. Here's what they thought.

Brick Oven Bread: "Moist, chewy, delicious with the extra virgin olive oil"

Cebollas Asados: Our oven roasted baby Vidalia onions "Please don't ever change these. They are creamy, a little smokey, and very tender"

Paquettes de Uvas: Grapes Leaves Stuffed With Lamb "Meaty, with a lemony tang, I enjoyed the lamb and rice filling"

Ensalada de Radicchio: Green Salad of Frisee, Radicchio, Walnuts, Blackberries, and Blue Cheese "Simply great!"

Ostras Frescas: Fresh Mirada Oysters from WA State "These were perfect oysters. Briny, a little sweet too, perfect with our cava"

Vierias Chamuscadas: Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Pequillo Mojo "Nicely done and perfectly seared."

Mollejas Salteadas: Veal Sweetbreads with Ham, Star Anise, and Fig Glaze "Delicious, what a unique dish"

Pescado con Ensalada de Hinojo: Hand Caught Mahi-Mahi with Fennel Blood Orange Salad " You had an uphill battle getting me to eat Mahi-Mahi and fennel, but I really liked these two together a lot."

Montidito de Carne: Open Faced Wagyu Sandwich with Spicy Mustard and Radicchio "Good, but maybe more salt next time."

Forgive me for standing on my soapbox, but a recent conversation I had with the producers of King Arthur flours was startling and sobering. I was calling because of the astronomical rise of flour, cornmeal, sugars (including honeys,) and of course wine. Food and other basic needs are seeing a real-time increase at a time when all else is already at an all-time high. Key in this occurence is the overall doubling, even tripling of basic commities like grains and flours(flour prices tripled in two weeks time), sweeteners and yes meats and vegetables. So much of the food-production industry is tied to petroleum either for fertilizer, additives or transport that we may not see an end to the inflation for some time. At MAS we have always tried to give our customers as much value and quality as is sustainable. To meet those goals we source as much as we can from local producers and growers, then look to small, sustainable operations for all else. A recent research paper noted that America wastes over 25% of its food either at home or in restaurants. This is more than most nations have to feed their entire populations. Much of this is caused by unsafe, over-productive practices that emphasize quantity over quality and sustainability. One only has to look at recent meat recalls and the continued unsafe practices associated w/ some imported foods to realize that we are poisoning ourselves, destroying the small business and farmer, all for the sake of supporting the unsustainable delivery systems and frankenfarming that dominates our grocery stores and fastfood outlets. Our support for local and sustainable enterprises is necessary if we are to create local economies capable of providing us with safe, sustainable foods and practices for the future. Only then can we obviate the need for federally subsidized waste and wasteful practices which drain our farmlands, rivers and pocketbooks.

In the meantime we will as always endeavor to provide the best value and quality in all our offerings and ask you to bear with us as we go through this insane spiral of rising costs.

Tomas

now your favorite mas wine is available for friends and family at home. in an effort to showcase spanish sherries and wines, mas tapas will begin offering selections from our cellar for abc off purchases. the list of wines will change regularly and reflect the eclectic and traditional selections mas has always pioneered from spain. here are some of our newest additions:
Pasanau Finca la Planeta Priorato '03, Bodegas Labastida 'El Belissario' Rioja '04, Aljibes Syrah '04, Dominio de Tares Bembibre '04 and 'P3' '03, Erial 'TF' Ribera del Duero '05, Palomero '99 Ribera del Duero, to name a few.
We have seen a recent trend towards more short run, old-vine production and this means rich, mineral-laden and concentrated wines. These wines are in short-supply but are certainly worth any premium. Sometimes we are only allotted a few cases and run out in a short time. Like all good things . . . We hope you enjoy these new selections to our list, please let us know what you think. Tomas

Beginning in February Mas will invite a lucky guest to share dinner with the chef one night at Mas. You will be our guest as we try new dishes and wines and chat it up with the cooks as they prepare the night's tasty treats. Selection is easy, the chef will choose someone from our waitlist that night and host them at our bar for a fabulous meal and wine pairings. This is a true chef's table and should prove lots of fun.