On Friday, I was invited by Friend-of-BYT Eddie O'Brien for a mock service and first look at Masa 14. Having just gotten their permits in place the restaurant and staff needed to do a dry run before opening up to the public. A mock service is a hard thing to judge a restaurant off of, and I don't think it's appropriate to do. Instead I took the opportunity to check out the interiors, drink selection and menu.

First, the interiors. It's lovely, truly. It has a warm starkness to it. Lots of clean lines, nice woods, simple seating. It's a different look for 14th Street, really a whole different concept. But I think the timing is right and Masa14 will fit in nicely. It was funny watching the staff from the Black Cat peering through the glass, looking at their new neighbor with total curiosity.

The bar is 65 feet long and dominates the room. The cocktail list I saw focused on Latin-styled drinks like mojitosand margaritas, and the prices ranged around $11 to $12. The wine list had plenty of offerings by the glass and is worth exploring at a later time.

The menu is a mix of Asian and Latin-influenced dishes, opening with some interesting hand rolls; then moving into salads and ceviches; a selection of hot seafood dishes; meats and poultry; and then some flatbreads made in the  on-site wood oven. Some standouts based on menu alone included a steam bun with pork belly and pineapple, a Kobe beef brisket and yucca fries with a dipping sauce.

The dishes are all small plates, easy to share, with prices ranging from $5 to $14 dollars. I think it would be easy to run up a good sized check here, but I guess that's the point. The dining room is the kind of place you want to spend time, the menu is interesting and features bold flavors and Masa 14 offers a new feel to a very familiar part of town. I think it'll do well, and I look forward to going back once everything has settled in.

Masa 14 is open this week. I took some photos to give an idea of the menu. I thank the ladies sitting next to me who allowed me to shoot their food as well, and I thank Eddie for arranging this opportunity to show Masa 14 to the readers of BYT.

http://www.masa14.com/