I wasn’t sure what to expect from Masa 14. It seemed to whisper, “you’re not cool enough, keep on walking” the few times I walked past. I was richly rewarded for looking beyond this facade. What I found inside was a friendly and unpretentious atmosphere. It was very crowded for a post-happy hour Monday night- packed with small groups and people on dates.
My bartender mixed a strong, very good grey goose and soda, but I was disappointed by the encore (rail) vodka and soda that was fairly weak and dominated by a heaping pile of ice.
We ordered a variety of tapas, which were almost all absolute winners:
Tuna ceviche- tangy sauce, soft tuna that melted in your mouth
Tuna flat bread- thin slices of smooth tuna draped over flatbread nicely complimented by acidic greens
Calimari- not too chewy or greasy, attributes that are hard to find
Shrimp- my boss liked it
Tomato soup- strong, smokey flavor…very good soup
Green curry- liked the potato and spinach accompaniment more than the chicken, which was not too memorable
My boss picked up the tab so cost was not really an issue for me. Let’s just say that Masa 14 is definitely not a cheap date, but it is worth your investment.
Overall, the food was fantastic and the atmosphere was sophisticated, yet relaxed and friendly.
Masa 141825 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20009
Cuisine: Asian FusionRating: 4 Stars
This is not a letter Cookie Monster was looking forward to write. Me apologize in advance if me gets emotional at times. It is with greater regret than missing out on the first batch of holiday cookies that Cookie Monster must announce retirement from public arena. Me find current working conditions unacceptable and me not want to be neutered and watered down like bland shortbread cookie.
A couple years ago, corporate masters tried to adjust Cookie Monster’s diet. Try to make Cookie Monster be Fruit and Veggie Monster. As if so many obese children was Cookie Monster’s fault. Not Cookie Monster’s fault if parents allow children to eat bag of Oreo’s to make up for fact that they fail to spend time with little ones. Not Cookie Monster’s fault that many parents think fast food good meal for dinner. Cookie Monster not Soda Pop Monster! At least cookies so devastatingly delicious that no one will say cookie not worth the calories. Cookie always worth calories. Hmm…thinking about cookies. One moment please. Ahhhhhh num num num, oh yeah, oh yeah, num num num (crumbs flying everywhere). Sorry, Cookie Monster sometimes not able to exhibit proper self-restraint.
To get back to point, things change for Cookie Monster over last year. Moved to second class status while annoying anorexic Elmo continues to be front line character. Even bad things happen to Cookie Monster off camera. Me always have jar of Nutter Butters at desk for when Cookie Monster need quick cookie fix but not want to break creative flow. Several months ago me find Nutter Butters replaced with celery stalks. Me not want to be Veggie Monster on screen, me certainly not want to snack on flavorless vegetable! Me wouldn’t have been so mad if cookies replaced by pretzels or even apples. But celery! Final insult for Cookie Monster.
Not as good as Nutter Butter
Cookie Monster tired of getting accusatory looks from co-workers. Cookie Monster tired of being forced to peddle kale. Cookie Monster tired of accounts payable staff always leaving breakroom fridge open making Cookie Monster’s milk go bad. Cookie Monster tired of being in skits where Grover lectures Cookie Monster on moderation. Grover not interested in moderation when on PR trip to Vegas, as Cookie Monster can attest. You hear that Grover, me have video taken from iPhone!
So, goodbye to all from Cookie Monster. This old monster will fade away. Me not care about publicity anymore. Me not care that Cookie Monster lose health insurance and matching 401(k). Me not care about educating children while counting cookies. Cupcakes trendy now, modern society have no place for cookie anymore. Do not worry about Cookie Monster, me make enough in royalties to retire with comfort. And me will be at Laugh Shack in Madison, WI on March 8th! So, I Cookie Monster, bid the public adieu. Enjoy not being entertained by Cookie Monster’s exuberant overeating of cookies. Last piece of advice, please enjoy holiday season and eat many cookies in Epic Portions.
Greetings, fellow food lovers! My name is Jeremy and I am honored and humbled to be joining the Epic Portions team. I have known John for several years; we used to work together and share/critique many a meal. (On a side note, if you ever need a projector malfunction fixed, John is your man.) I am a father of two (six year old and one year old) and currently a stay at home Dad, thanks to my lovely and talented wife who wishes she could wax poetic about food in her spare time. My duties include acting as primary cook for the family, and yes, that means many adventures in food. I will do my best to live up to the high standard set by John and Todd.
Now, on to the good stuff.
Now that I’m no longer working for the man, I have found that fast food has quickly disappeared from my diet. No more trips out of necessity for a quick meal, it’s just me and my daughter at home for lunch most days, and the opportunity to cook dinner for my family (almost) every night. It has been wonderful, lots of work and lots of dishes to clean but a quality meal is worth the cleanup. Being rid of the oppressive grip of fast food has been liberating to say the least. No more painful indigestion, no more annoyance with someone messing up my order, no more feeling guilty after the meal. I won’t say I’m forever through with fast food, but it had dwindled to a very rare event.
There is one chance that it could change. If a Chick-fil-a opens somewhere in Metro Detroit, I will be there faster than you can say buck-buck-buguckk!! Chick-fil-a is primarily a southern phenomenon, although it has reached its beak as far north as Indiana. It is a quirky operation, the owner is a devout Christian who has this odd habit of actually following the no work on Sundays commandment. In effect, all Chick-fil-a restaurants, be they franchise or corporate, are required to be closed on Sundays. Below is a photo of the founder:
I grew up in Atlanta and St. Louis, so this prodigious producer of prominent poultry won my heart at an early age. Since my life brought me to Michigan I have been denied this culinary delight. I’ve tried to fill the void. Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich? Please, you just lied to me three times. McDonald’s tried to bastardize a version (most likely by sending an intern to Chick-fil-a and reverse engineering) called the Southern Chicken Sandwich. This is a vile piece of food that made me weep real tears (that smelled of pickle juice or whatever the hell they used).
A couple years ago my previous job led me to Lafayette, Indiana for a day of coma inducing meetings. Imagine my surprise as I drove to the meetings when I saw… a Chick-fil-a! My drive back to Ypsi was a true Epic Portions moment. I stocked up on more food than a Glenn Beck listener waiting for the apocalypse. Two Chick-fil-a sandwiches, 20 of their oh-so-delicious nuggets, and a trough of their waffle fries. That’s right, I said waffle fries. Plus they had Diet Dr. Pepper!!! I was in hypertension heaven.
If all you know of Chick-fil-a is the idiotic “Eat Mor Chikin” cows they use to peddle their food, please do not judge. Yes, the ad campaign sucks. Aside from being insulting to cows (unless George Orwell lied to me cows can not only spell, they can also be enslaved by totalitarian regimes) it is a far cry from the greatest fast food marketing campaign in history:
As the nearest Chick-fil-a is about three hours away, I now feel honor bound to take a road trip and see if it still holds the power it once did. My gluttonous Indiana trip aside (road trips make most food taste better) I hope I find it to be less enthralling than I once did. It is amazing how when you have children you actually begin to care about what you put into your body. Odd thing, to be setting an example for impressionable young minds by merely shoveling food down your gullet. I’m not that keen on poisoning my kids with fast food, so the sooner I let it go the better. Besides, where is the adventure in a uniform, below average, saturated fat laden meal? Goodbye to all that, I’ll save my dining out dollars for places that earn and deserve them. .
