Masa's Wine Bar & Kitchen (also known as Masa's Restaurant or Masa's) was a new French restaurant located in San Francisco, California, in the United States.
| Masa's Wine Bar & Kitchen | |
|---|---|
 Masa's Restaurant matchbook circa 1994 | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1983 |
| Closed | 2013 |
| Food type | Nouvelle French |
| Rating |  (Michelin Guide) |
| Street address | 648 Bush Street |
| City | San Francisco |
| State | California |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 94108 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 37°47′26″N 122°24′29″W / 37.79042°N 122.40805°W |
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Other information | Phone: 415-989-7154 |
| Website | www.masasrestaurant.com |
Background
editMasa's was opened in July 1983 by chef Masataka Kobayashi.[1] The restaurant uses Masataka's nickname, Masa, for its title.[2] Upon its opening, the restaurant had a six-month waiting list for reservations.[1] Kobayashi was murdered in 1984,[3][4] and sous-chef Bill Galloway ran the kitchen until Julian Serrano became executive chef.[2][5] He was chef for 14 years. Ron Siegel then became executive chef, followed by Richard Reddington. In 2004, Gregory Short became executive chef.[2] Alan Murray was master sommelier.[1] Short left Masa's on February 16, 2013, and the restaurant closed, with intentions to re-open. The restaurant is currently a sports bar.
Cuisine
editMasa's original concept mixed French cuisine with nouvelle cuisine. Upon his death, sous-chef Bill Galloway took over the kitchen temporarily. The food became less sauce-focused and "lighter," as it was described in the San Francisco Chronicle in 1985. Galloway started working with different food distributors, improving the quality of the seafood, and hired a larger dessert staff.[5]
The restaurant had food-focused theme dinners. In February 2013, the restaurant had a five-course prix fixe citrus themed dinner, to celebrate the citrus harvest season, with wine pairings.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c Lucchesi, Paolo (February 7, 2013). "Masa's to close when chef Short leaves". Food. SFGate. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
- ^ a b c "The history of Masa's". History. Masa's Restaurant San Francisco. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
- ^ "MASTER CHEF'S BODY IS DISCOVERED IN HIS SAN FRANCISCO APARTMENT". The New York Times. November 15, 1984 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ SFGATE, Katie Dowd (October 14, 2022). "The unsolved SF killing of one of the world's greatest chefs". SFGATE.
- ^ a b Gorman, John (January 2, 1987). "A Famed French Restaurant Survives A Tragic, Mysterious Loss". Restaurant. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
- ^ Cavatore, Alison. "Masa's Restaurant to Celebrate Citrus Harvest in San Francisco". Haute Living. Retrieved September 29, 2013.