Pasadena: Modern Mexican Food and Drinks at Maestro

 

I recently checked out Maestro in Pasadena. It opened a few months ago to much acclaim. I was already familiar with Chef Danny Godinez’s food from his Orange County restaurant, Anepalco so I was excited to find his spot in LA County, saving me a drive past the orange curtain.

 

 

We started with a couple of drinks while we looked over the menu. I tried the Mezcal Campfire which is basically a mezcal Last Word. It’s great.

Mezcal Campfire – mezcal, maraschino, green chartreuse, lime

 

 

Oh hey, this octopus looks familiar. I’ve had this dish at Anepalco and it’s still delicious.

 

While we decided on more cocktails, we had tried out both a tequila and mezcal. They were served with worm salt dusted oranges for the mezcal and sangrita for the tequila.

 

 

One of  my favorite dishes of the night was the picadas which I thought of as a giant chip with an addicting sauce. I’m in love with the salsa roja. I thought of it as a deconstructed- reconstructed giant chilaquiles chip.

 

The oysters with Oaxacan cheese, chorizo and spinach was a modern Mexican version of the classic oysters Rockefeller.

I am easily drinking more mezcal than tequila lately. I enjoyed the Maestro mezcal margarita, the Picosita.

Picosita margarita – mezcal, cucumber, jalapeno

 

Maestro encourages diners to share dishes. After the appetizers, we shared a few mains including the chicken mole which is served in the shape of Mexico (see above). We also had the lamb barbacoa. This was so delicious. I only wished it was served with more tortillas. The three of us shared two small tortillas.

 

Luckily we also ordered the scallops dish with the huitlacoche rice. Although it already had a foam, this was a great carb to go with the aforementioned lamb. The scallops were also cooked well. This was my favorite dish.

 

We probably didn’t need dessert but it seemed right to end our great meal.

Maestro 

110 East Union St., Pasadena, CA 91103  —  (626) 787-1512

© The Minty  2017