New Restaurants

Fundamental

Photo Courtesy of Frank Wonho Lee

Photos Courtesy of Frank Wonho Lee

Opened in 2011 by owners Jeffrey Faust and Woogene Lee, fundamental LA is a beloved Westwood neighborhood institution, known for its counter service lunch, more refined full-service dinner, and eclectic wine selection. Faust and Lee have expanded their concept to Downtown Los Angeles - fundamental DTLA. The new location offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, offering continuous service, daily. Breakfast service offers a wide selection of pastries and baked goods on display, and all breads (except gluten free option) for sandwiches at both locations are now baked inhouse.

Andy Lee, who has been executive chef for fundamental LA’s popular events and catering branch since Fall 206, helms the kitchen. He seamlessly rounds out fundamental LA’s seasonal comfort fare, with an entirely new breakfast menu and additions to lunch standards. For dinner, the menu touts flavor-driven crowd-pleasers that feature farmers market produce, sustainable seafood and modern dishes influenced by an array of international flavors. The main dining room seats 40, the bar seats 6, and the outdoor patio provides an additional 16 seats along Grand Avenue. fundamental DTLA offers guests the choice to dine-in (full-service) or take-out (counter service) for lunch; there is also a call-ahead option for quick pick-up. General Manager Pamela Stampahar (Cultiva, Momofuku, Westville) oversees hospitality.

Wine Director Alicia Kemper (Tippler Club) curates an eclectic collection of easy-drinking small producer and natural wines, as well as a diverse beer list. Beverage Consultant Gabriella Mlynarczyk’s cocktail program features features signature cocktails and mocktails including the Earl Grey Tea (goat milk washed Scotch, amaretto, honey, peat) and Matcha Tea (Pisco, peach calpico, sparkling sake, absinthe, salt) as well as riffs on classics.

Owners Faust and Lee wanted the ambiance to be light and airy, and to create a space that offered a welcoming warmth that you would expect from a neighborhood restaurant. They collaborated on the interior details with designer Lucinda Pacé of Concept XL who integrated lush aesthetics, with plants and greenery all over and macramé accented planters. Comfy banquettes with warm

woods and brushed brass make up the dining space; marble countertops and a deep teal-blue tiled bar round out the space.The bar is a focal point for fundamental DTLA, offering a new facet that echoes their mission to create a place where friends can come together to enjoy great food and drinks.

Originally from Huntington Beach, fundamental LA co-owners Jeffrey Faust and Woogene Lee have been friends since childhood, and earned their degrees concurrently at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Initially pursuing careers at corporate powerhouses KPMG and Bain & Company, respectively, they opened Los Angeles mainstay fundamental LA in 2011. Located in Westwood, Faust managed the front of house operations, including curating an eclectic wine program, while Lee, who learned in the kitchen at Michelin-rated Mélisse in Santa Monica, developed the menu and supervised kitchen operations.

Inspired by the unique, chef-driven restaurants they frequented in the Bay Area while in college, Faust and Lee conceptualized fundamental LA – an intimate restaurant space that works double-duty creating two completely different atmospheres for lunch and dinner. Lunch features a more casual menu with artisanal sandwiches and salads, like their fried chicken sandwich and their real vanilla cream soda. Dinner presents a more composed, seasonal offering along with a compelling wine and beer list. Their teamwork, dedication, and the success of fundamental LA earned them a spot on Zagat’s 30 Under 30 list in 2014.

Now focused on growing the fundamental LAbrand and concept through catering, special events and an innovative lunch delivery concept, the duo has expanded their team with the addition of a general manager whose background is steeped in fine dining and a young, up-and-coming executive chef with a penchant for progressive and modern techniques fused with a very California sensibility.

FUNDAMENTAL

750 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012

fundamental-dtla.com

BREVA restaurant

Photo Courtesy of Breva at Hotel Figueroa

Breva is the brand new Mediterranean signature restaurant hotspot just opened at Hotel Figueroa’s. Chef Lane and cocktailier Dushan were inspired by their travels through the Western Mediterranean and have designed these culinary experiences to be the central heart and soul of Hotel Figueroa, making it a vibrant meeting place in DTLA.

Breva is a Basque inspired brasserie with Mediterranean influences. The menu captures the flavor and conviviality of the Western Mediterranean culture while incorporating California’s finest fresh and seasonal ingredients

Some of the most delicious dishes were the Broccolini served with chili vinegar, harissa, and bone marrow bread crumbs, Roasted Cauliflower served with a walnut and caper salsa, and the Flatiron Steak served with crunchy seasoned french fries. All are designed to be served individually or shared family style, in keeping with the relaxed setting that exudes an air of visiting in a friend’s home.

Fine china in varying patterns add charm to the tables which are set among comfortable banquettes and nooks, and the room sparkles both day and night with lighting that bounces off an expansive, custom designed mirror with faceted glass and wood features.

Another impeccable aspect of Breva’s dining experience are their Gintonicos, particularly delicious was the Maré with thyme, basil, green cardamom, mandarin, and Three Cents Tonic.

To top it off, the waiters are incredibly accommodating and warm, adding to the homey environment of Breva and Hotel Figueroa. This must be at the top of your DTLA restaurant hit list!

BREVA

93 South Figueroa Street Los Angeles, CA 90015

brevadtla.com

Photos Courtesy of Breva at Hotel Figueroa

Photos Courtesy of Breva at Hotel Figueroa

Rappahann Oyster Bar

Photo Courtesy of Katie Gibbs

ockPhotos Courtesy of Katie Gibbs

More than just an oyster bar, at Rappahannock, chef Nick Erven is building the seafood menu of his dreams where he’s pairing an East Coast foundation with his eclectic LA flare. The casual yet vibrant restaurant is nestled in ROW DTLA’s historic produce terminal, guests are invited into a space that takes cues from the organic nature of the oyster-farming process, blending live plants, blackened steel, zinc table tops, copper accents and colorful tile, while also exhibiting the artistic energy and raw industrial design of Downtown Los Angeles.

The menu and the space go hand-in-hand, with an organic yet progressive nature. Emphasizing on sustainability, locally sourced ingredients, ethically fished, and responsibly farmed ingredients - seafood is chef Nick’s natural canvas painted by the myriad of distinct ingredients and flavors that make Los Angeles unique. The end result is a masterfully articulated menu that’s ultimately balanced, familiar, comfort-driven yet uniquely it’s own.

in addition to California favorites to pair with the menu. The beers at Rappahannock Oyster Bar include local Downtown Los Angeles and Southern California craft breweries such as Boomtown, Angel City, Santa Monica Brewery and Iron Triangle.

Designed by Studio UNLTD, the 2,000 sq. ft. space features an open kitchen with a Carrera marble seafood counter, with 47 seats indoors and an open patio for 40.

Rappahannock Oyster Co. is owned by cousins, Ryan and Travis Croxton. Rappahannock is dedicated to using sustainable aquaculture methods to raise eastern oysters and hard clams in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. Established in 1899 by James A. Croxton, Rappahannock Oyster Co. has gone from supplying local dinner to serving some of the world’s best restaurants.

Rappahannock Oyster Bar soft opened with lunch service in early May. Dinner service will began on Friday, June 8th. The debut dinner menu highlights dishes such as: Hamachi with plums, shiso, serrano, radish and garlic ponzu vinaigrette, Shrimp and Grits with Anson Mills grits, Benton’s bacon, maque choux, chili butter, and egg, Smoked Trout Brandade with everything spice, soft egg and grilled bread, Slow-cooked Skuna Bay Salmon with basil dumplings, corn, smoked tomato and fennelpeach puree

The menu also features an array of equally well executed, non-seafood dishes such as: Loaded Potato Latke with crispy cheddar, bacon, scallion, crème fraiche and caviar, Skirt Steak with mole-bbq sauce, masa fries and brussels-lime slaw, Fried Mary’s Half Chicken with house kimchi and Benton’s bacon and onion gravy, Rapp Burger with double meat, double cheddar, caramelized onion, bread and butter pickles and smokey sauce. General manager, Anthony Ko and chef Nick have also carefully curated the wine program. It features carefully selected old world classics

RAPPAHANNOCK OYSTER

BAR

1318 East 7th Street Los Angeles, CA 90015

rowdtla.com/collective/rappahannock

Row DTLA’s

Rossoblu

Photo Courtesy of Ed Anderson - 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.

Photos Courtesy of Ed And

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

rossoblula.com

erson

Photos Courtesy of Ed Anderson - Rossoblu

INKO NITO japanese cuisine

Photo Courtesy of Frank Lee

Photos Courtesy of Ed Rudolph & Frank Lee

Opening in the heart of Los Angeles’ Arts District on December 28, 2017, INKO NITO is the a new standalone, casual Japanese restaurant conceived by Rainer Becker, creator and co-founder of Zuma restaurants worldwide, ROKA London, Oblix and ETARU.

Bringing some bold new tasty flavors to the culinary landscape, INKO NITO will serve unconventional, contemporary robatayaki, developed alongside Becker, by Group Executive Chef Hamish Brown, and, by expanding the Arts District’s existing easygoing vibe, offer a highly welcoming environment and warm atmosphere for every LA transplant.

Working in partnership, Chef Hamish Brown brings INKO NITO’s robatayaki menu to life. Designed for the consumers to navigate the menu with ease, INKO NITO’s menu is diverse yet approachable with bold, banging and delicious flavors, serving an assortment of salads, Nigaki (new style sushi), hot dishes and robata meat, fish and vegetable.

Dishes include salads of Salmon Tataki with sesame ponzu dressing, baby spinach and ikura, Yellowtail Sashimi Salad with mizuna, yuzu truffle dressing and crispy garlic, Dungeness Crab Tartare with wasabi, mayo, chicken skin, and roasted nori.

NIGAKI is served with roasted nori, sushi rice and a choice of toppings including The Chirashi with salmon, yellowtail, and wasabi shiso, The Veggie with avocado, yuzu, garlic, and crispy rice, and The Cali with Dungeness crab, avocado, wasabi tobiko and yuzu mayo. The selection of hot dishes includes Panko Fried Chicken with chili garlic yogurt, Brussels Sprouts with sesame furikake and wasabi mayo, and Kimchi Rice with Korean miso, scallions, sesame and egg yolk.

In addition to the noteworthy Robata selection of meat, fish and vegetable; Chicken Tsukune with smoked teriyaki sauce and shichimi, Lamb Shoulder Chop with wasabi shiso marinade and roasted nori yoghurt, Baby Back Pork Ribs with chili and Japanese whiskey glaze, Whole Tiger Prawns with garlic and lemon sansho, Salmon Fillet with grapefruit miso and sansho salt, Scallops with shiso, sweet soy, shichimi yoghurt and lemon, and seasonally driven Cauliflower with roasted garlic soy aioli and parmesan panko, Tenderstem

Broccoli with onion wafu, Sweet Potato in Husk with chili nori butter and chives, and Shishito Peppers with dried yuzu and sansho salt.

Serving a full wine, beer, and sake selection, INKO NITO’s handcrafted cocktail program will include six signature still and carbonated cocktails on tap, including Inko Spritz, Plum Highball and Nito Old Fashioned. INKO NITO will also offer a selection of rotating beer taps, which on opening will include Orin Mugi Lager, Kirin Lchiban draught, and Echigo Red Ale, while Sake selections such as Kikusui Funaguchi ‘Red’, Ki kusui Funaguchi ‘Yellow’, and Nanbu Bijin Tokobetsu will be offered.

Designed by Los Angeles-based Studio Mai, INKO NITO is a casual and intimate, yet social environment, intended to recreate the lively energy of a street market dining experience. Utilizing reclaimed and clean-cut white oak furniture, INKO NITO’s interiors create an elegant but approachable setting, incorporating custom glazed handmade tiles throughout.

Broken into four warm and communal social spaces the thoughtfully designed restaurant comfortable accommodates 124 diners. With an open Robata grill allowing consumers to soak up the culinary environment, the dining area also encompasses a plant-lined outdoor terrace, and bar pod seating. A green wall feature adds an intimate feel, with low seating surrounded by lush floor-to-ceiling landscape.

INKO NITO

JAPANESE CUISINE

225-227 South Garey Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

inkonitorestaurant.com/arts-district-dtla

BAVEL Middle eastern flavors

Photo Courtesy of Nicole Franzen

Bavel is now open in the infamous Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. The incredibly delicious Middle Eastern food is the creative work of Chefs Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis. With family roots in Israel, Morocco, Turkey, and Egypt, Menashe and Gergis have always wanted to open a restaurant that showcases the cuisine from their family lineage.

Bavel brings together the flavors and dishes that Menashe and Gergis grew up with while adding a completely new perspective on the cuisine. The menu is meant to be a feast that everyone at the table partakes in.

The food utilizes slow cooking with aromatic woods, spices and pickling, a lot of smoke and herbs, and clean and fresh ingredients. There are different versions of flat breads and spreads, chef’s selection of cured Middle Eastern meats, cold and hot small plates with a highlight on salads and vegetables, and large format meat and fish dishes.

Gergis’s desserts take traditional flavors and ingredients found in the Middle East and builds upon their tradition with a touch of modernity. Pulling from regions all over the Middle East area, Bavel incorporates a complex and layered flavors with an authentic yet modern approach.

In addition to the spectacular cuisine, the restaurant’s design by Studio UNLTD and Genevieve Gergis, is equally magnificent. The restaurant embraces the influence of the regions from which the cuisine is derived, interpreting those ideas through the lens of its Arts District location. The worn brick warehouse, soaring sawtooth skylights, spacious patio and extensive raceway of planters give Bavel a wonderful ambience that is sure to captivate visitors.

Do not miss out on one of downtown’s hottest new spots and snag one of Bavel’s coveted reservations as soon as possible.

BAVEL

500 Mateo Street Los Angeles, CA 90013

baveldtla.com

Photos Courtesy of Nicole Franzen - Bavel

Zachary Hamel’s

KASIH

Photos Courtesy of Kasih

Photos Courtesy of Kasih

As Chef de Cuisine at KASIH, L.A.’s newest contemporary Indonesian restaurant, Zachary Hamel brings an L.A. style of cooking to authentic Indonesian cuisine in collaboration with world-renowned Indonesian chef Vindex Tengker.

At the age of nine, Madison, Wisconsin native Hamel’s family relocated to Thailand, where his parents were international teachers. Hamel spent four years of his childhood in the Southeast Asian country, during which time he developed an affinity for the region’s bold, exotic flavors that continue to influence his culinary style today.

Upon moving back to Madison as a teen, Hamel quickly worked his way from prep cook before landing a job at acclaimed restaurant L’Etoile where he met his mentor, James Beard Award-winning Chef Tory Miller. With a passion for cooking and learning various culinary techniques, but a love for Thai flavors, Hamel traveled back to Bangkok, Thailand to attend Le Cordon Bleu while simultaneously staging at Michelin-starred Thai restaurant, Nahm.

Following his graduation, Hamel moved to New York to cook at Momofuku’s Má Pêche before traveling around the world working in some of the most notable kitchens in the industry, including iconic restaurant, Ms. G’s in Sydney, Australia. Eventually, Hamel settled down in LA as sous chef at Hollywood hotspot E.P. & L.P.

To prepare for the opening of KASIH, Hamel spent months in Jakarta, Bandung and Bali, Indonesia, completing extensive training with Chef Tengker to refine his techniques and approach to authentic Indonesian preparation, and to gain a deeper understanding of the many unique cultures that influence Indonesian cuisine, which he hopes to share with Angelenos and all who dine at KASIH.

Kasih is a truly unique and diverse restaurant that reveals its nationa’s soul through culinary diplomacy. The Indonesian word “Kasih” means love and this is how they want to connect with the world...through their food. Kasih aims to be the beacon of love, hope and warmth to share and brighten everyone’s’ spirits through their wonderful culinary treasures that define Indonesia.

KASIH

200 South Los Angeles Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

kasih.la

Photo Courtesy of Nima Mirzai

Capital One Cafe

Capital One is about really empowering people to feel confident about their relationship with their money. Interesting nugget, only 36% of Los Angeles residents feel confident when thinking about their personal finances, and almost two-thirds (60%) of L.A. residents say they would like to do better when it comes to personal finances, but are not sure where to start. That’s not an uncommon sentiment as compared to other parts of the nation either.

That’s why Capital One aim is to redesign the banking experience, starting with making things really simple and straightforward and creating an experience that fits naturally into their customers’ lives. The Café is a space that has been intentionally designed for how people live and bank today. Most of us prefer a digital and mobile experience, but from time to time we want a human connection, too - that’s the role of the Capital One Cafés opening everywhere in the country.

Here is what to expect walking through the new Downtown Los Angeles Capital One Café: Walk in and be greeted by a Café Ambassador sporting apparel curated by former Project Runway contestant Shirin Askari. The Ambassador would order you coffee using an Apple Watch and then take you to sit on a comfortable sofa (not behind a desk) to help coach you through setting up an account, paying your bills online, applying for a credit card or any other bank related request you might have.

You would also have the opportunity to learn; new digital tools through the interactive Demo Bar, challenge your financial knowledge through interactive screens that provide educational money content, utilize one of the free Nooks or Multifunction Space, deposit or withdrawal in any denomination using the Cash-Deposit ATMs available, use free Wi-Fi while enjoying a cup of coffee or local baked good from Peet’s Coffee, or enjoy sunny days on the outdoor patio.

The space is also designed to continually give new experiences each time you walk through – from little messages and moments that make you feel good about what you’re doing there, to an interactive, visual-forward ethos that inspires you to do things on your own terms.

Capital One Cafe

801 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90071 capitalone.com/local

Photos Courtesy of Nima Mirzai