Tables Already Filling Up at Massa in Ambler

Massa opened in late April and has been filling tables ever since.

The new restaurant, located at 131-A E. Butler Ave. in Ambler, is owned and operated by a father-son team, with a seasoned chef in the kitchen.

Owner Rick Felix grew up in Ambler, and after his father closed the family restaurant in Huntingdon Valley, PA, two years ago, both father and son were looking for something to do.

“We’d seen Ambler growing,” said Felix.

When the space on Butler Avenue became available, he knew it was the right size, small enough to be intimate while big enough to not be crowded.

Massa’s menu is all homemade, from its pastas to desserts. Chef Peter Alessandrini studied at the Philadelphia Restaurant School, where he learned the art of cooking, and traveled all through Europe, where he experienced a wide array of cuisines. He comes to Massa from the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia and has created the menu with a Mediterranean flair.

Felix said there are three traditional Portuguese dishes on the menu that his father added and taught to Alessandrini: the Carne de Porco á Alentejana, a dish of pork and clams with diced potatoes and pickled vegetables; Bacalhau á Lagareiro, which is grilled cod in garlic and olive oil; and Paelha Marinheira, a traditional saffron rice with shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops and lobster.

He added that his father also makes the pizzas at the restaurant.

Massa is a B.Y.O.B. in Ambler with no corking fee.

Felix said he and his father built the inside of the restaurant— it was just four walls when they first walked into the space. They laid the floor and did a lot of the kitchen work, all of the design work and more.

“Everything pieced together really well,” he said.

Reservations are accepted, and the restaurant does fill up quickly at dinner. Take out is available by calling ahead or walking in. To see the menu, visit the website or check Massa out on Facebook.