A Sleek New Taco and Mezcal Bar Targets a December Opening on 14th Street NW

A two-level Mexican restaurant with a taco bar and a mezcal lounge is moving into a space on the 14th Street NW strip that used to bank on Belgian waffles. The building that housed B Too, which celebrity chef Chef Bart Vandaele officially closed at 1324 14th Street NW in July, will become Maiz 64 in December, Washington Business Journal reports.

Three Mexican-born entrepreneurs are behind the new venture that plans to apply Mexican techniques to Mid-Atlantic ingredients. WBJ reports that chef Alam Méndez Florian, the Oaxacan chef who opened Urbano 116 in Old Town, will manage a kitchen that sends out lunches and dinners with estimated average costs of $38 and $50, respectively. Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema panned Urbano 116 back in 2019, but the chef’s Mexico City restaurant, Pasillo de Humo, has been well received.

Mexican options nearby include New York import Mexicue and Michael Schlow’s Tico. Richard Sandoval’s El Centro D.F. remains temporarily closed. Boston-based Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar is scheduled to eventually replace the corner space that housed Greek darling Kapnos.

In other news ...

• Starting Thursday, October 15, the luxe Conrad hotel in CityCenter will bring back food and drink service at a third-floor green space billed as the “Hidden Terrace at Conrad Gardens.” Customers will sample a three-course prix fixe and cocktail pairings with a literary theme. The Voltaggio brothers’ modern Chesapeake restaurant, Estuary, remains closed. The celebrity chef duo is not involved in the latest project.
• Michelin-rated Fiola just expanded service to its scenic rooftop to work with more alfresco seats:

• H Street sushi spot Sticky Rice scored a starring role on a playful new UberEats ad series that pits Mark Hamill (aka Luke Skywalker from Star Wars) against Patrick Stewart (aka Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek).