Sietsema First Bite

Tom Sietsema wrote about Masa 14 for a November 2009 First Bite column.

Antonio Burrell switched more than neighborhoods when he left the British-themed CommonWealth Gastropub in Columbia Heights for the Latin-Asian hybrid Masa 14 in Logan Circle this fall. For starters, his pantry at the new restaurant couldn't be more different. "Lemon grass, ginger, chilies. . . . I brought them all back into my life," says the chef, 34. After a year of focusing on Scotch eggs, fish and chips and London broil, he says, "I'm getting to do the food I like to cook."

Also a veteran of Vidalia in Washington and the late Aquavit in Minneapolis, Burrell is executing a blueprint drawn up by a small team of collaborators, foremost among them business partners Richard Sandoval and Kaz Okochi. Sandoval is chief officer of the New York-based Richard Sandoval Restaurants, which includes Zengo in Penn Quarter; Okochi is chef-owner of Kaz Sushi Bistro downtown. Reading the list of small plates at Masa 14, which includes tuna sashimi flatbread and pork belly "tacos" supported on steamed Asian buns, a diner can imagine who added what twist to a dish.

Masa 14's debut menu gives us ample reason to return. One of the better flatbreads, crisped in the restaurant's oak-fired oven, scatters serrano ham, sheer slices of cantaloupe, tangy goat cheese and peppery arugula on a cracker-thin canvas. Green-curry chicken, strewn with wisps of spinach and tender carrots, teases the tongue with its gentle heat. Those pork belly tacos pack some welcome flavors, among them pineapple and pickled onion. But the bun has been inconsistent: light one meal, gummy the next.

Captured by picture windows that dare strollers not to pause for a peek, Burrell's new roost became one of the biggest draws on the street when it opened last month. Masa 14 balances a bare concrete floor and industrial-looking ceiling with blond wood and gentle lighting; the effect is inviting.

So are the cocktails, shaken or stirred at one of the longest bars this city has ever seen. Tequila connoisseurs are in for an especially good time; there are more than 100 choices to mull, including my latest favorite, the El Tesoro de Don Felipe Anejo. It hints of white pepper and is poured with a generous hand. "Better a little more than a little less," the bartender explains, and I don't argue.

Small plates, $5-$13.

(Nov. 4, 2009)

Bar Review

Masa 14 offers a grown-up vibe
By Fritz Hahn
Friday, October 30, 2009

The buzz: Masa 14, the latest addition to the bustling 14th Street bar scene, has been creating quite a buzz since opening Oct. 12. Part of that is because chef-owners Kaz Okochi of Kaz Sushi Bistro and Richard Sandoval of Zengo collaborated on the Asian-Latin fusion menu. The gorgeous space is another reason. The modern main room, decorated with blond wood and steel, is a 5,000 square feet and holds 240 with plenty of room to spare. The 65-foot bar -- which they claim is the longest in the District -- dominates one wall and is lined with dozens of stools. On the weekend, when neighbors Saint-Ex and Bar Pilar are almost uncomfortably crowded, even a full Masa 14 is comparatively calm.

Throw in DJs, a Latin-flavored cocktail list and a kitchen that stays open until an hour before last call, it's no wonder there are hour-plus waits for tables.

The scene: "I'm a very discriminating bargoer," says Ana Molina, the chief financial officer for a video game trade association. "Sometimes you walk into a place and you know it's going to fail. And you walk in here and you get this vibe and you know it's going to work."

Although Molina thinks the wine list is "nothing to write home about," she says the bar scene is lively and comfortable. "It's not trying to be more than it is. You don't feel put off when you come in."

But, more important, Molina says, scanning the line of smartly dressed couples at the bar, "I like it because the crowd's not on the younger side. It's a little older."

She may be on to something. Last Thursday night, most of the patrons at the bar I spoke with were in their 30s and 40s. It could be that Masa 14 feels more "grown-up" -- like Cork or the Gibson -- than some other spots in the neighborhood.

Of course, I've visited Masa 14 with friends for after-midnight snacks on weekends, when DJ Dimitris George (of the HipsterOverkill parties) is spinning up-tempo electronic music, and the crowd feels a bit younger, but the atmosphere remains similar.

"You can definitely feel the energy in here," says Dave Mazzulla, a 43-year-old IT consultant from Virginia. His friend Noelle Coleman, a 39-year-old government editor, agrees. "What I like about it is that it's so expansive, but it feels cozy at the same time." She is sipping the house drink of the night, a vodka-and-lemonade concoction with strawberry puree and agave. At the far end of the bar, local developer Chris Donatelli is having drinks with colleagues. "I can't believe how popular it is. It's awesome," he says. Donatelli points to the mix of people hanging out at the bar -- people who live around the corner and a group of women from Bethesda. He likes the food, he says, but "it seems like the social part is what's driving" the buzz.

In your glass: Like the food, Masa's cocktails reach to the Caribbean and Latin America for inspiration. There are multiple variations on margaritas with fresh agave, though I was most taken with the light, sparkling Patron Paloma, which mixes Patron tequila with lime juice and grapefruit soda. The Caipirinha Pia adds a twist to the classic Brazilian cocktail, muddling pineapples along with limes in the glass. The bartenders also will make off-the-menu drinks, including virgin mojitos.

There are almost 100 tequilas in the house, with sampling flights of three starting at $13.

The wine program is interesting, too. Outside of the 16 by-the-glass selections, bar manager Ivan Iricanin has put together a list of 65 bottles that sell for $45 or less.

On your plate: Small plates may be a tired trend in the restaurant business, but they're perfect bar snacks. Choose from a short selection of sushi rolls, pork belly tacos or tasty flatbread pizzas prepared in a domed oven near the sushi bar.

Price points: Most cocktails cost $9 to $12, while glasses of wine are $7 to $9. Draft beers are a flat $7. Small plates are $4 to $14, with most between $6 and $11.

Need to know: Masa 14's kitchen usually stays open until 2 a.m. on weekends and 1 a.m. on weeknights, welcome news in a neighborhood where most options include half-smokes and jumbo slices. Just be warned that the kitchen might close earlier if business is slow that night.

Nice to know: DJs spin from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.