Washington has its first lounge devoted to tequila, as well as a new restaurant serving creative Asian-Latin fare, both under one roof. On Monday, chefs Kaz Okochi of Kaz Sushi Bistro in Foggy Bottom and Richard Sandoval, owner of Zengo in Penn Quarter, opened Masa 14 along the rapidly developing 14th Street Corridor.
The 3,000-square-foot venue has an industrial look, with exposed brick walls, a soaring ceiling lined with exposed pipes, and a raw concrete floor. Just inside the front door, the 74-seat Tequila Lounge offers a menu of more than 100 tequilas, 14 beers on tap, and specialty cocktails made with fresh fruit and agave nectar. The long, narrow space has bar stools and hightop tables, both covered in rust-colored vinyl.
Opposite the bar is a glass-enclosed, 18-seat private dining room that looks out onto the street. In the rear of the venue, the open kitchen and 100-seat dining room are separated from the lounge by a low wall of natural wood. Red glass pendant lamps softly light the tables and booths.
Chef de cuisine Antonio Burrell oversees the menu, which is divided into cold and hot small plates, tacos, rice and noodles, and flatbreads baked in a wood-burning oven.
