Chef Ryan Ratino is the acclaimed force behind the two-MICHELIN-starred Jônt and one-MICHELIN-starred Bresca in Washington, D.C. He was awarded the 2023 MICHELIN Guide Washington, D.C. Young Chef Award and is...
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There are meals you remember because of the food. And then there are meals you remember because of how the entire experience made you feel.
Seven courses. Seven wine pairings. And an incredible evening at the Michelin-starred restaurant, Maass, at Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale.
The food was beautiful, thoughtful and genuinely memorable. The wine pairings made each course even better. But, as someone who has spent my entire career in hospitality, it’s the people I remember most.
The entire team was exceptional, but our server, Nicole, deserves a special mention.
There is such an art to truly great service. Knowing when to engage and when to pass by. Being incredibly knowledgeable without making the experience feel overly formal. Reading the table. Anticipating what we needed before we asked. Making something highly orchestrated feel completely effortless.
Nicole did all of it.
Seven courses is a long time to spend at a table, and she somehow made the evening feel both special and completely relaxed. That kind of hospitality is hard to teach, and even harder to fake.
The Michelin star may get you through the door, but it’s the people who make you remember how you felt when you walk back out.
What an experience. And what a beautiful reminder of why I love this industry much.
*4% server wellness fee is automatically included on bill. When no one including managers could identify where it really went, we asked for it to be removed and they did without hesitation.
MAASS at the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale is truly one of the city’s most special dining experiences.
I attended an intimate Chef’s Counter dinner featuring Catena Zapata as part of The MAASS Cellar Collection, and the entire evening was unforgettable. Truly 10/10 experience.
The Chef’s Counter (14 seats) gives you a front-row view of the precision, creativity, and artistry happening inside the Michelin-starred kitchen.
Executive Chef David Brito presented a beautifully curated multi-course tasting menu, with each dish thoughtfully paired with exceptional wines from Catena Zapata. My favorite courses were the Wellfleet oyster with Florida orange and ginger, the Hokkaido scallop with trout roe and caviar, the Koshihikari rice with tuna, stone crab, and beurre blanc, and the NY strip with MAASS A1.
Every course was beautifully presented, balanced, and full of unexpected flavor. MAASS seamlessly blends contemporary American cuisine with French techniques, Japanese ingredients, and local Florida influences.
* A few favorites:
🦪 Wellfleet Oyster | Florida orange + ginger
Trout Bavarois | Tasmania koji, almond + onion velouté
Hokkaido Scallop | Dill, trout roe + caviar
Koshihikari Rice | Niigata tuna, stone crab + beurre blanc
NY Strip | Cipollini, au poivre, hasselback potato + MAASS A1
The Chef’s Counter is perfect for a special occasion, date night, or anyone looking for a truly memorable culinary experience.
It started with the most elegant shrimp cocktail served on ice with a delicate tomato topping, followed by beautifully plated vegetable courses that were as stunning to look at as they were to eat. The brioche bread was perfectly golden and fluffy. honestly one of the best bread moments of my life.
The mains were extraordinary, seared scallops over a silky yellow sauce with a corn and crab medley, a beautifully breaded cutlet with roasted beets and greens, and a perfectly seared fish fillet over vibrant green purée with sautéed mushrooms and vegetables. Every single plate was thoughtfully composed and executed with precision.
And dessert? Equally impressive!
Mass is the kind of restaurant that reminds you why fine dining exists. If you get the chance to go, don’t think twice. Absolutely worth every penny.
Excellent dining experience from start to finish. Chef David, a friend of mine, recommended that I visit and I invited my friends to experience the restaurant with me, and it certainly did not disappoint. We were warmly welcomed and seated immediately, and the service throughout the evening was attentive, professional, and knowledgeable. The restaurant also treated us to a few complimentary appetizers, which was a thoughtful gesture and a great start to the meal. We enjoyed the Brioche Pull-Aparts, Wagyu Crostade, Tomato Salad, Tuna Crudo, Stuffed Crab Ravioli, and Brioche-Stuffed Amish Chicken. Every dish was beautifully presented and delicious, though we felt the chicken could have been more flavorful and a bit juicier. We also had the opportunity to meet the chef working that evening, who was incredibly friendly, professional, and took the time to speak with us. The only drawback was that the dining room was quite cold and no shawls were available. To top off the evening, the restaurant surprised us with a complimentary dessert, making for a memorable and generous ending to a wonderful meal. Highly recommended.
It did not look and feel like a Michelin star restaurant to me, but the food proved it should be up there. I am not very familiar with Florida dining, so maybe a Michelin/Four Seasons restaurant is a little more laid back than I was expecting (though the service was excellent); it was primarily the dining room seemed a little crowded and the lighting and overall feel wasn’t particularly elevated. That said, food was excellent. Started with the foie gras nutter butter, interesting and the foie gras worked well with the jelly. The star of the dinner was the burrata and apple salad with pistachios, lots of complex flavors and it came together brilliantly. For the main, I had the schnitzel, and it was schnitzel. The more of it I ate, the more I appreciated how the chef did not try to reinvent the classic dish, just executed brilliantly. Overall, I really enjoyed the food but not sure I felt like I was at the pinnacle of dining.
