Surprise Brunch at Mass Ave...

After two failed lunch attempts on Saturday (Towne only serves their burger for lunch on weekdays and the new 5 Napkin Burger isn't serving lunch yet), Nick and I found ourselves hungry and desperate for something to eat.  Having been to a number of Back Bay restaurants lately, we wanted something new, which is how we found ourselves walking into Mass Ave.  The space was transformed from the deep red room of Match to a living room/library feel in the new space, complete with a long fireplace.  They covered the red ceiling with dark slatted wood, creating an intimate feel. 

When we walked in the restaurant was basically empty, so needless to say we were seated straight away and were lucky enough to be able to sit in one of the comfortable booths lining the outside walls.  Within minutes of ordering our drinks we were served some coffee cake.

Coffee Cake

It was moist with a tasty cinnamon swirl.  It was warm and a perfect start to brunch - or really, a mix of brunch and lunch.

We were a bit all over the place when it came to ordering because all week we had planned for this day to be a burger lunch date, but the menu at Mass Ave. had us thinking differently.  To start (because Nick ordered a mini plate), we ordered Parmesan truffle fries.

A Mason Jar of Truffle Fries

No lie - when we saw the server bring these over we got excited.  Not only was there a great truffle flavor, these were loaded with Parmesan, to the point that you could not help but make a mess of the table.  There was some ketchup on the table, but it was hard not to keep reaching for the garlic aioli, which was the perfect dip for these fries.

For my meal, I was not quite sure what to order - I was in the mood for lunch, but a couple of the breakfast items caught my eye as well.  So, in a last minute decision, I went with the Chorizo hash. 

Chorizo Hash

This dish was fantastic and totally different.  First of all, the potatoes did not have the typical home fry flavor. Instead, there was a distinct balsamic vinegar taste that made them memorable.  The hash itself was seasoned perfectly.  Chorizo can sometimes be overwhelming but this just accented the meal and worked well with the rest of the components.  The hash was on top of a jalapeno corn bread that had been grilled and had a great smokiness to it.  The bread was light and fluffy, and the jalapenos must have been cooked or grilled before being added to the bread because they didn't have that odd texture that mine had.  The egg on top was cooked well and the yolk was just thick enough so that the bread soaked it up - great way to attempt to clean the plate.

Nick ordered the lobster tacos, which had poached lobster in a chipotle buerre blanc, sauteed corn and shallots.

Lobster Tacos

Nick could not give these tacos more praise if he tried.  He is now officially obsessed with the lobster-corn combo, and when he has lobster again would always like it with corn now (and a butter sauce!) 

Between the two failed restaurant attempts and having no plans to head to Mass Ave., you have no idea how pleasantly surprised we were with how great our meal was.  We are definitely planning on heading back to Mass Ave for dinner soon.  Even if you have gone for dinner, I highly recommend going for brunch - a great menu that tastes amazing!