El Meson

When restaurant veterans such as chef Hector Ruiz of El Meson open bright and shiny new concepts, such as Café Ena and Indio, you have to ask the obvious question: Who’s minding the store? While the brain trust is off creating and innovating, what happens to the firstborn? Is it still being nurtured and watched over, or is it being ignored and taken for granted?

Maybe a bigger question would be, is it staying fresh? El Meson has been around for years as one of the original Spanish restaurants in the area. It was popular in the Twin Cities before the national cuisine became the darling of the culinary world. Although I never expected El Bulli tactics nor foam from the Lyndale bistro, I did wonder if it had been feeding the interests of eaters who might be looking for something innovative, dishes of the same quality they might find in its newer sister restaurants.

Ruiz and his wife took over El Meson in 2003 and gave the joint a fresh modern wash. Colors are bright and engaging and, despite the dated interior faux-stucco alcoves, convey sunnier climes. To be fair, El Meson is more than Spanish, its menu plays with Caribbean flavors and offers some Puerto Rican dishes that are hard to find elsewhere.

One of the hallmarks of this restaurant has been the carafe of sangria, which was on nearly every table the night we went. To be honest, I thought it was thin and cloying. It seemed watered down and uncomfortably Kool-Aid red, although I was happy to see chunks of real fruit floating about my glass.

Unfortunately, as tapas arrived, it didn’t get much better. On the fideos, the seared scallop was perfect, but the pasta on which it rested was oily, clumped together with coagulated cheese. Shrimp in a creamy and light al alillo sauce was bright and tasty, but the dish of patatas was greasy, and the spicy earthiness of the chorizo was masked by a sharp, vinegary flavor. Serrano ham wrapped around goat cheese, and asparagus spears was smothered in balsamic and rested on sadly pale tomatoes; it seemed dated and disappointing.

Luckily, the entrées made their own argument. Mofongo has been a fascination of mine, and this version of the Puerto Rican dish was right on: salty chunks of pork with slightly sweet smashed plantains in a vibrant sauce. Chuleta, a pork chop served over tangy green olive polenta, was well-balanced with a creamy piquillo-pepper sauce. But most importantly, the paella Valencia didn’t disappoint. As one of the most iconic Spanish dishes, paella is a litmus test for the kitchen: Get it right, or lose all credibility. The pan was generously piled with shrimp, crab claws, sausage, chicken, lobster, mussels, calamari, and richly flavored saffron rice. The proteins were juicy, the rice tenderly wrought, the entire dish decorated our table well.

It may well be that the attentions of the owners aren’t focused on the old girl, or possibly that the small plates are being hurried out of the kitchen. But when it comes to execution of bigger dishes, El Meson justifies its existence. –Stephanie March

3450 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls., 612-822-8062