el meson: bienvenidos from the latin gem of the gem. for thirty years el meson has been a latin staple in dayton's dining landscape. chef mark abbott explains, "we are taking the best of the year's recipes in the next three weeks and creating a menu for our thirtieth anniversary to celebrate our customer's favorite dishes. november and december we will also highlight some of the families favorite dishes. i have been with the castros for the last twenty years, and travelled extensively with them to latin america. it will be agreatmenu." each year, part of the formula for their success is that the castros close el meson for a couple of weeks in january to visit a different hispanic country and gather new recipes and ideas.
when my family was the most homesick for the cuisine of miami, florida - el meson came onto our radar screen. living amongst latinos in a coastal town like miami made for good eating, and el meson's owners try very hard to replicate the specialties of the hispanic world in this miami. each month to six weeks a different country is featured, when i revisited this month it was ecuador. this is one of my favorite latin american cuisines because our next door neighbor in miami for three years was luz from ecuador. she introduced us to authentic homemade ecuadorian fare. el meson easily became our outpost for these much missed cuban, puerto rico, and other latino culinary connections.
ecuadorian cuisine has some hallmark dishes that share universal roots with other hispanic fare like patacones or chifles (which are plantain plates). then there are plates that are unique to ecuador like llapingacho a potato pancake from the highlands. gloria castro admits, "some of our latino clients have been known to say, 'this isn't the same way my grandmother made this dish' but our american diners always appreciate what we serve."
here the llapingacho ($8) was very authentic and the sopa de quinua con chancho ($7) had rich, complicated flavors. the llapingacho is made with achiote which is a natural seasoning yielding the yellow color of the dish. this soup has ancient origins in south america, dating back to the time of the inca empire. it is a combination of leeks, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, lean pork, potatoes, peanut puree, and quinoa to name a few of the usual main ingredients. although the bread served with a unique salsa, is a nice way to start this meal - you might want to skip it because what will follow is immensely filling.
since it is a spanish establishment, you will find a hefty lineup of over 20 tapas with some of the most popular drinks to accompany the this style of eating. tapas range from $5-$10 with american favorites like tortilla chicken soup ($9) to columbian specialties (the owners' country of origin) like arepas de choclo (a bit crusty on the outside, they dribble mild cheese when you bite into their soft, steamy middles $7). the list is exhaustive with empanadillas, quesadillas, and plenty of seafood options. it goes without saying that the bar at el meson serves refreshing versions of; chile's pisco sour, spain's sangrias, mexico's margarita, brazil's caiparinha, and cuba's mojito's. there are also beers and wines from the caribbean, south american, mediterranean, central american and the philippines.
classic dishes also hail from all of these traditions with spanish flourishes permeating everything from the fiestaware-esque plating of the entrées to the room color schemes. this decor is as festive as the food and drink it supports. off the special ecuadorian monthly menu the pollo sudado ecuatoriano ($24) rose to the top. it is a delicious yellow stew made of chicken with potatoes. i stopped on paella night which is served up on thursdays. two traditional saffron styles of paella are the valenciana ($27) with chicken, pork, shrimp and the de mariscos ($29) a mélange of shrimp scallops, mussels, calamari, and fresh fish made of course with saffron rice, seasoned additionally with lemon and onions. off classic menu, i tried the chilean salmon stack ($28) a dish invented by herman castro the co-owner of el meson. it's a layered dish of rice, black beans, a special potato salad, salmon, then topped with plantain chips and garnished with caperberries and plantains. lovely!
colombia is the castro family's native land, so they would naturally have their own favorite "mi casa - su casa" entrées. these are asado of meats ($28) which is a platter of filet mignon, pork, chicken breast and chorizo served with a chipotle sauce or mariscada ($29) is a grilled seafood sampler of tuna, salmon, tilapia, shrimp, scallops, mussels, (sometimes lobster -i've heard), and calamari. there are a number of beef, fish, chicken and lamb dishes ranging in price from $16 to $30.
vegetarians will find various sautéed veggies in fajitas ($16), or the gallo pinto a typical costa rican dish of black beans, rice, onions, tomatoes, and cilantro served with yuca, plantains, and a house salad ($16). there are also vegetarian soups and side dishes ($3-$4). a seven page menu with over 70 tapas, side, salad and entrée combinations can be daunting to the dayton newcomer. but the staff are more than adept at helping you navigate your way through a first experience. for the devotee, you will never get bored with this mega-menu! this is why a friend recently told me that they have all of their family celebrations at el meson - always something new, always something festive. el meson has banquet size meeting rooms as well as intimate dining spaces for every occasion.
to finish our evening a flourless chocolate cake plated in a strawberry sauce was recommended, but they also have more traditional latin desserts like flans or latin twists on american favorites like guava cheesecakes ($3-$5). next time i plan to try a more traditional latin finish.
over the years el meson has been known to have roving mariachis, latin dj music on wednesdays and saturdays, organized tours of latin america with clients, a shop with import-export clothing, jewelry, and other bric-a-brac from the countries in the hispanic world. there is not much that el meson has not tried over the last 30 years in their efforts to bring a bit of south american sunshine to the miami valley. recently at my creative gourmet cooking group, the presenters welcomed newcomers by noting this latin kitsch experience, "if you've moved here from a sunny place and find that midwest winters give you a little bout of sad (seasonal affective disorder) - the best therapy is to go to el meson. the sun seems to be always shining in their simulated tropical patio dining room. it makes you feel warm and cozy, the food is fabulous, and the spirits are always high - even on the coldest of winter days!"
the next generation of castros are taking over this latino joystick and the adult children are running the place. the atmosphere remains crazy-busy, the food is good , the service is ober-friendly, yielding an excellent value. with any luck, this latin gem of the gem city will give us 30 more years of hispanic fare. this is definitely a destination restaurant in west carrollton that is worth the trip!
el meson is located at 915 e. dixie drive, west carrollton (south dayton). lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. tuesday-friday; dinner 5-9 p.m. tuesday-thursday and 5-10 p.m. friday-saturday. reservations recommended but not required. smoke-free, accessible to disabled, full bar, available for private parties sunday-monday. for more information call (937) 859-8229.
sidedish: el meson 903 e. dixie dr., west carrollton, (937) 859-8229 hours lunch mon-fri 11 am-2 pm, dinner mon-thurs 5-9 pm, fri & sat 5-10 pm. atmosphere festive hispanic american, family fiesta meets pan-latin american bric-a-brac. indoor and covered patio dining rooms, dj latin music, and a mega-menu with over 75 intriguing recipes from throughout latin america. recommended dishes : arepas de choclo, mariscada, asado of meats, gambas ajillo, tostones rellenos, empanadilla platter, papas criollas, steak encebollado, arroz con pollo, tostones, maduros fritos, and items from feature menu from ecuador - llapingacho, sopa de quinua con chancho, pollo sudado ecuatoriano. vegetarian choices: good. prices: tapas $5-$10, entrees $16-$29, desserts $3-$5. smoke-free, accessible to disabled, full bar, available for private parties sunday-monday. perfect for any celebration!