To spot Masa’s Wine Bar & Kitchen, look for the elegant sign at 648 Bush Street, where the name “MASA’S RESTAURANT” is written in golden letters against a dark, stylish background.
Now, take a deep breath-let me whisk you back to 1983, when the aroma of fresh French bread and bubbling sauces drifted out onto Bush Street for the very first time. Masa’s was named after its founder, Masataka Kobayashi, or just “Masa” if you wanted to sound like you belonged on the six-month reservation list! San Franciscans were buzzing, forks and phone lines in hand, just trying to snag a table at a place where clinking glasses and laughter mixed with nouvelle French cuisine. But the story had a sharp twist. Only a year after opening, the city’s beloved Masa was tragically murdered, leaving a cloud of mystery and heartbreak over the kitchen.
But if there’s anything true about kitchens, it’s that they never stay quiet for long. The menus continued changing hands-from sous-chefs to culinary wizards like Julian Serrano. Each chef added a flash of personal flair-lighter dishes, dazzling seafood, and desserts you’d dream about. There were even citrus-themed dinners fit for sun kings and queens. Today, Masa’s has put away its white tablecloths and become a lively sports bar, but if you listen hard enough, maybe you can still hear the faint pop of a wine cork and a whisper of old San Francisco elegance inside. Now, how’s that for a twist of the past and a squeeze of the present?
