There was but one mission: to drink.
Masa 14 has amazing happy hour deals, and they run weekdays until 7 PM. Everything at happy hour on this day was only $4. We arrived at 6:04, and made the most of our 56 minutes. All of these items are normally more expensive except the wine:
Starting with a Traditional Margarita ($4) made with El Jimador Blanco, simple syrup, and fresh (yes, fresh) lime juice, we eased into the food spectrum with a big bowl of Wok-Fried Edamame ($4), served hot, and enhanced by its light oil and occasional grain of coarse salt.
Then came the obligatory Spicy Tuna Temaki ($4) which I think I’ve gotten every single time I’ve come here – it’s a delicious hand roll stuffed with good rice, spicy tuna, wasabi, jicama and scallion. For a little variety, we also tried the Vegetarian Temaki ($4) with sweet tofu, hijiki, pickled cucumber, and basil.
Antonio Burrell came over to say hello, and recommended the Red Thai Curry Mussels ($4) with chorizo, cotija, fried garlic, and Thai coconut milk red curry sauce. My only complaint with this dish is that the sauce was extremely salty (I pointed this out to Antonio, he tasted the sauce, and agreed).
Well, eight margaritas, an edamame, three spicy tuna hand rolls, a vegetarian roll, and an order of mussels later, happy hour was over. Then came the wine.
“When in doubt, order a cheap Sauvignon Blanc” is a rule of thumb that has gotten me through many an unfamiliar wine list, and today was no exception. The 2009 Terra Andina Sauvignon Blanc from Chile was a ridiculous $20, and this was not a happy hour price – Masa 14 has numerous wines priced in the $20s, and whoever put this list together should get some sort of medal. Don’t hesitate to get this wine just because it’s the cheapest one on the list – it’s really pretty good, and complements much of what you’ll find on Masa 14’s menu.
Total bill for all this debauchery? $76 before tax and tip. Wow!