At OnMilwaukee, we believe in lifting up all voices and using our platform to support others’ dreams.  And that's what we hope to do for Dominic the Food Reviewer. When I first met Dominic almost two years ago, I was impressed by his passion, his curiosity and his interest in improving his writing. Over time,  I’ve not only enjoyed getting to know him better, but he has taught me as much as I have him. My hope is that you’ll not only enjoy reading Dominic’s reviews, but also glean understanding and joy from seeing the world of food through his eyes. -- Lori Fredrich, Dining Editor

I recently tried La Masa Empanada Bar. It is located at 1300 E. Brady, St. It is an Argentinian fusion kind of restaurant and bar. 

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I had the honor to meet the owner, Megan Todd. She said that she studied in Argentina in college. Her husband Karlos Soriano is Peruvian. He operates C-viche in Bay View and Kompali Taqueria down the street from La Masa. Megan said that La Masa Empanada Bar opened in 2015, and the first night they opened was when Brady street days was going on. They sold 5,000 empanadas that day. Before it became an empanada restaurant, it originally used to be a clothing store and then a beer and wine bar. 

The ambiance has colorful tile and a beautiful and modern bar. Milwaukee wood and iron made their build outs behind the bar. This restaurant is very open with large windows so you can look outside when it is hopping on Brady street at night. 

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Megan mentioned that their empanadas are all baked and not fried. Their most popular empanadas include the Argentine beef, lamb barbacoa, Thai chicken peanut, mushroom truffle parmesan and the baked aji queso dip. The most popular cocktail they sell there is the La Masa sangria. They offer parbaked empanadas too. 

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Our server's name was Elaine. Both Elaine and Megan were very knowledgeable to have a conversation about the restaurants history. They were both friendly and kind to meet. 

For my appetizer, I ordered their mini guava and cheese empanadas. They were nice and extra cheesy on the inside and very crispy on the edges.

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I dipped my empanadas into the aji queso dip, which had a nice and spicy taste to it. I’m a very big fan of any kind of spicy foods. For my main course I tried three different kinds of empanadas which included there black bean chorizo, Argentine beef and lamb barbacoa with jicama slaw and chimichurri.

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What I absolutely like about their empanadas is that they have special stamps they put on top of it so you know what kind of empanadas you are trying. It is just like a work of art how they are spread out and how they set it up. The Argentine beef empanada had just the right amount of seasoning and a flavor explosion. That barbacoa empanada was super tender and it had the right amount of spices in it. I have to say that the black bean chorizo had a great mix of flavors and the black beans made it have a full flavor and the texture on the top was very smooth.

All of these empanadas just melted into my mouth right at that moment and the crust was very flaky. I gave their jicama slaw a try. It was very succulent tasting and the juice at the bottom had a creaminess to it. It was very filling and the chimichiri sauce was very flavorful to dunk into a empanada. 

When I go back I would try more of their different selections of empanadas and sides. I would highly recommend checking this restaurant out because it is a perfect spot to hang out and enjoy a delicious meal. If you go there, I would try the Argentine beef and black bean chorizo because my mouth was watering when I had those.

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