Wherever you look in Maïz64, there’s corn. A neon cob glows on one wall, while framed gold painted cobs dot the room like modernist agro-art. The name itself nods to the fact that there are 64 types of corn identified in Mexico. Four types in five colors are utilized on the menu: blue cónico, blue chaqueño, white chalqueño, yellow bolita, and red bolita belatove. “In Maya culture, the gods made the first men with corn masa, so corn is in our DNA,” says executive chef Alam Méndez Florián.
Méndez Florián starts with traditional Mexican preparations and flavors, adds regionally sourced ingredients, and then elevates his presentations with contemporary plating techniques to create modern-minded Mexican food.
The chef heads up the well-respected Pasillo de Humo in Mexico City, where he focuses on the Oaxacan cuisine he grew up eating and cooking at his parents’ iconic restaurant, Las Quince Letras, in the southwestern Mexican city.
Working with different business partners, the chef previously oversaw Urbano 116 in Alexandria, which received a poor review from Tom Sietsema at the Washington Post and eventually changed to a Tex-Mex concept. “Even though Alexandria is close to here, it’s a completely different market,” says Méndez Florián, who is no longer involved in the restaurant. “People there are more familiar with Tex-Mex. So, when they see a Mexican restaurant, they think burritos and fajitas. In D.C., people are more open and there’s more knowledge about food from other parts of the world.”
Since opening in early October in the 14th Street space in Logan Circle that once housed B Too, the chef reports, “There have been no requests for burritos, fajitas, or chimichangas.”
The bilevel eatery got a complete refresh. Now there’s a long bar at the front and an open kitchen at the back. In between is a one-ton table imported from Mexico made from a single piece of parota wood, where up to 14 diners can sit for a communal meal.
The menu is divided into ceviches and raw offerings, appetizers, soups and salads, and entrees. Standouts include a sweet corn tamale inspired by those made in Michoacán, but this one comes with pecorino and mizuna on top. Another tamal dotted with mussels arrives with butter-seared lobster, playfully contrasting a high-end ingredient with a dish considered street food. Tuna tostada was a must-have for the chef, who brightens his up with crunchy, garlicky salsa macha, avocado, cucumber, and house-made ponzu sauce featuring lime, cilantro, jalapeños, and kombu.
Yes, there are tacos, but they aren’t your average al pastor or typical tinga. Charred broccoli florets sitting on black mole make up one vegan option, while a meatier choice features confit suckling pig belly dotted with avocado puree and tomatillo relish.
Entrees are all served with house-made tortillas, so they can be tacos, too. Done Acapulco style, the catch of the day – recently dorade and red snapper – is marinated in a mixture of charred tomatoes, chilies, and garlic. After it comes off the grill, it’s complemented by a salad of cilantro, mizuna, and carrot leaves. Though duck is not generally used in Mexican cooking, here a pan roasted breast comes with sweet manchamanteles mole made with pineapple, apple, and plantains. “Sometimes when people hear ‘mole,’ they think of a sweet sauce based on chocolate, but it is not always like that,” says Méndez Florián. “Some of them have chocolate and chilies, but most don’t.”
Mexican pastry chef Elisa Reyna oversees the desserts. Expect churros, a modernistic play on strawberries and cream, sorbets – such as vanilla-grapefruit, coconut, and mango – and ice creams in flavors like cream cheese and café de olla, a traditional cinnamon-laced Mexican coffee sweetened with piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar).
Cocktails were devised by Mexican bar consultant Arturo Rojas, who wove in the flavors of his homeland. The mezcal-powered Ponche Oaxaqueño features hibiscus flower and guava, while the Tomatillo highlights its namesake fruit alongside fresh cilantro, pineapple juice, and mezcal.
Currently, the restaurant is only open for dinner, but the chef plans to roll out brunch by the end of the year. Expect a mixture of Mexican classics – including pan dulce and conchas – alongside American favorites reimagined with Mexican touches.
Another dining experience in the pipeline will unfold at the six-seat counter at the comal, the wood-fired Mexican griddle set up by the restaurant’s front window. A tasting menu with frequently changing selections, it will serve as an incubator for dishes that may eventually appear on the main menu. Finally, there’s a basement bar with a small food menu in the works, but there’s no rollout date on that.
All this requires a lot of hands-on time from the Mexico City-based chef. “For the moment, I’m here 100% of the time,” he says. “I haven’t been home since the opening.”
Maïz64 is located 1324 14th St. NW. Open Tuesday-Thursday 5 p.m.-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
