Before the birthday shenanigans began, I did what every intelligent person does pre-hurricane: went on a boat cruise!
Jessica had an extra ticket up for grabs and I wasn’t about to say no. I feel like cruising the Potomac is one of those things to do in Washington DC. The cruise went from Waterfront, up the Anacostia River, then around Haines Point and up the Potomac River. The weather was actually quite pleasant – not too hot and a little breezy – nothing like it would be the next day.
Hurricane (ahem, I mean Tropical Storm) Irene started around noon on Saturday and delivered consistent steady rain and a bit of wind all day and night. But it was LOTR-Emily’s birthday celebration, and neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night will stop me from delivering a birthday cake to one of my bestest friends!
An elite few hung out at her house through the stormiest hours of the storm, then made their way home in the still rainy night. 6x6 and I left LOTR-Emily’s around 1:30 am and walked home through Meridian Hill Park. We saw 3 people walking towards us…
"Are they naked???" 6x6 gasped.
"Nooo, I think they're wearing bathing suits?"
But as the trio (2 guys and a girl) came closer we realized that they were, in fact, completely naked walking through the park in the rain.
We passed right by them, “Happy hurricane!” they greeted us.
“Happy hurricane!” we responded. And that was that. Kind of a surreal encounter in the middle of a very rainy night…
The next morning we awoke to a sunny day and minimal destruction (in my neighborhood at least).
The true birthday partying was soon to come: all-you-can-order brunch at Masa 14. That means you pay a set price ($35) and can order as many small plates of Asian/Latin fusion food as you want from 11 am to 3 pm. And so we did.
Luckily Masa 14 is well-documented in the blogosphere, so though I didn't take any pictures of our food (I feel sliiiightly crazy doing so sometimes), there are plenty available for you to see all the amazing things we ate:
- Masa Breakfast Pizza - house bacon / egg yolks / gruyere cheese / pico de gallo / arugula
- Wild Mushroom Flatbread - oaxaca cheese / roasted red pepper / avocado
- Veggie Benedict - toasted bread / spinach / tomatoes / poached egg / green chili hollandaise
- Spinach Salad - pickled mushrooms / roasted red peppers / walnuts / black bean dressing
- Fruit and Granola - yuzu yogurt / blood orange syrup
- Daily Petite Quiche - chorrizo/green salad
- Smoked Salmon Omelet - goat cheese / spinach / caramelized onions / tomato jam
- Tenderloin Benedict - scallion kimchi quesadilla / poached egg / green chili hollandaise
- Smoked Brisket Hash - caramelized onions / chilis / chipotle hollandaise / yucca / poached egg
- Pain Dulce - ancho whipped cream / roasted pineapple syrup
- Grilled Chorizo Sausage - poached egg / salsa mexicana
- Crunchy Shrimp - chipotle aioli / sesame / scallion / masago
- Smoked Salmon - achiote ponzu / spinach / bacon
- Bacon Fried Rice - kimchi / scallion / poached egg
- Grits - chipotle pepper / oaxaca cheese / green onions
Are you impressed by the capacity of our tummies? (Or horrified?) We ordered over $200 worth of food and drinks, making the set price well worth it!
If I had to pick a top 3 (it was all so good!), it would be: the smoked brisket hash, pain dulce, and the crunchy shrimp. The grits were creamy and cheesy and intensely amazing. And the smoked salmon was cooked perfectly. Seriously, if you're ever in DC you have to try this place and go hungry so you can try everything!
Hope you all survived the storm this weekend, and had some fun too!
If I had to pick a top 3 (it was all so good!), it would be: the smoked brisket hash, pain dulce, and the crunchy shrimp. The grits were creamy and cheesy and intensely amazing. And the smoked salmon was cooked perfectly. Seriously, if you're ever in DC you have to try this place and go hungry so you can try everything!
Hope you all survived the storm this weekend, and had some fun too!
Happy Hurricane!
