Mas from Asado -- it's called Masa
The restaurant under construction at Sixth Avenue and Pine Street in Tacoma has a name: Masa.
That's fitting. In Spanish, "masa" means dough –- the raw ingredient that is cooked into tortillas. Tortillas will be made fresh on site at Masa, an upscale Mexican restaurant from the folks who brought South American flair to Sixth Ave. earlier this year with Asado.
The tortilla-maker will be part of Masa's café, a lunch spot that will also sell hot and cold deli items, including prepared sauces and house-smoked meats by the pound, co-owner Troy Christian told me.
In the rest of the space, look for "high-end" Mexican cuisine.
Décor-wise, expect hand-made Mexican terra cotta tiles and folk art.
Christian called the décor "a marriage between old-world Mexico and New York City."
There'll be private dining upstairs for 60-80 and outdoor patio seating for 60.
Opening is targeted for Nov. 1.
Tacoma's Sixth Avenue, 55 years ago: Casey's Tavern (left) is now Asado.
The hardware store and the bakery across the street were incorporated
into one building, soon to become Masa, an upscale Mexican restaurant and café.
This story was originally published August 29, 2006 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Mas from Asado -- it's called Masa."