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ROW DTLA's ROSSOBLU
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Photo Courtesy of Ed Anderson - Rossoblu
Photo Courtesy of Ed Anderson - Rossoblu
Photo Courtesy of Ed Anderson - Rossoblu
Photo Courtesy of Ed Anderson - Rossoblu
Photo Courtesy of Ed Anderson - Rossoblu
Photo Courtesy of Ed Anderson - Rossoblu
Photo Courtesy of Ed Anderson - Rossoblu
ROSSOBLU
Chef Steve Samson has vivid childhood memories of Bologna’s outdoor festas that recall a spirit of conviviality and celebration around food that was lovingly made and produced by the community. The city of Bologna and its region of Emilia-Romagna serve as Samson’s inspiration. It is the region where his mother, her parents, and countless generations before were born. It is also the place where he spent his childhood summers, fomenting a passion for Italian food and cooking. After years cooking in some of Italy and Los Angeles’ finest kitchens, Samson is opening a restaurant that tells the tale of his two cities.
Rossoblu showcases Emilia Romagna’s “cucina della nonna,” namely that of Samson’s mother and grandmother. He grew up eating tortellini in brodo, tagliatelle al ragu’, milk braised pork, and countless others. All of Rossoblu’s pasta are freshly made “al matterello” - by hand and with a traditional, large rolling pin in the underground, glassed-in Pasta Room. The kitchen pays homage to Samson’s grandfather with a large wood-burning hearth powered by oak coals and outfitted with a spit for roasting. Most fresh sausages and aged salumi are produced in-house. The downstairs Butcher Box, housing the butchering and preparation of the meats are on display for guests in the private dining room via a connecting glass window.
Wine director Jeremy Parzen curated Rossoblu’s wine program. The list is Pan- Italian, including a large selection of natural wines, and a collection of eclectic California wines. The open patio, which seats 60, serves as a Lambrusco garden, featuring the city’s most complete selection of the refreshing red sparkler. The bar features craft cocktails by bar director Brynn Smith (also of Sotto) celebrating Italian spirits and seasonal ingredients, and a curated selection of beers.
Architecture and design by Marwan Al Sayed, interiors by Mies Al Sayed (masastudio.com) and graphic design from J.P. Guiseppi, preserve the building’s raw, industrial feel of what was once the oldest wholesale produce market in Los Angeles and call forth a modern sensibility and understand elegance. A hearth-like open kitchen sets the stage in the center of the tall, vaulted dining room punctuated by industrial concrete columns and a sprawling, serpentine bar made of brass and marble. These details are softened by long couch-like banquettes printed with comfortably familiar “nonna” lace details and table tops that casually fit together like puzzle pieces when pushed together.
A large-scale mural by CYRCLE spans the eastern wall of the dining room. CYRCLE (cyrcle.com), an LA-based street art collective, created the mural directly based upon Steve and Dina Samson’s inspiration for Rossoblu using classical imagery and unexpected composition and pops of color to represent the melding of old Italian tradition and the urbane grit of modern Los Angeles.
ROSSOBLU
1124 San Julian Street Los Angeles, CA 90015
www.rossoblula.com
