Northampton Neighbor Article: El Meson Latin Restaurant

This article first appeared in the Northampton Neighbor September 2019 edition:

When we decide to go out for a meal instead of cooking at home or getting the food delivered, we start eating with all of our senses as soon as we arrive.  The sights, smells and sounds of the restaurant are the “amuse bouche” before the appetizer.  When you arrive at El Meson, you know right away it will be special.  The dining area is well-appointed with examples of Colombian art—everywhere you look, you find something beautiful to see.

The food lives up to the promise of the interior.  El Meson offers a wide variety of dishes with influences from all over South and Central America.  I started off with an aguapanela, a drink made with sugar cane and lime juice.  It’s a very refreshing accompaniment to a meal.  For an appetizer, I had the beef empanada.  It’s beautifully done, flaky and crisp and not at all greasy.  Other appetizers include arepas (a corn muffin that can be a sandwich, or served on its own), hot dogs and hamburgers, making for a good lunch selection.

The Platos Tipicos section shows the Colombian side of the menu.  I’ve had the picada plate, a sample of many different meats accompanied by fried yucca and potatoes, with chimichurri sauce.  You can get it in pequena or grande, and it’s a great introduction to their cuisine.  A specialty is roasted chicken—the recipe comes from Peru.  There are menu items from Venezuela and Argentina as well, and the owner is considering adding more traditional Tex-Mex items as well.

Manuel Martinez is the owner and head chef of El Meson.  He co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Liliana Valencia.  It is a family affair—his daughter Samantha and his in-laws also work there.  Martinez came to this country 30 years ago, after operating a small restaurant in Colombia.  He started out working at K-Mart, but soon moved into catering and banquet management for hotels.  This is his first restaurant venture since the little place in Colombia.

Martinez pays very close attention to the flavors of his foods.  All his food is made fresh, and never frozen.  Many menu items are only available on certain days, so that they can be offered fresh.  For instance, Sunday is the only day you can get his special Sanchocho de Gallina soup, a chicken soup served at family dinners.

Martinez will source items outside when that’s the best way to get what his customers want.  His tiramisu comes from Italian chefs, and it is delicious.  For an in-house dessert, you can get Arroz con Leche, made by his mother-in-law.

El Meson is set up to host parties and special occasions.  Martinez offers special attention for these events, and will prepare items off-menu.

We are fortunate to have such a great variety of restaurants to choose from in our area.  El Meson is a fine addition to the local cuisine, and absolutely worth checking out.

El Meson is located at 419 FM 2920, Suite 100.  You can find them online at elmesonlatinrestaurant.com.