Drago Centro
There’s Urth Caffé in the budding arts district and Church & State in the Biscuit Lofts. And one of West Hollywood’s most beloved chefs Neal Fraser rolled up his sleeves to consult on the 1.6 million reopening of Cole’s, a formerly shabby Downtown LA institution serving French dip sandwiches.
L.A. LIVE now features an array of restaurants to satisfy any culinary penchant, including Katsuya, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, Fleming’s Steakhouse, Rosa Mexicana, Lawry’s Carvery, Rock ‘N’ Fish, the Yard House, WP24, L.A. Market and Trader Vic’s. Elsewhere in the Downtown LA grid, Latin cuisine seems to be on everyone’s palate. John Sedlar’s Rivera at the Met Lofts showcases a pan-Latin small plates menu and raw bar drawing influence from the Southwest, South and Central America, Spain and Portugal.
For contemporary flair, there’s Mexican eatery CASA, owned by Mario Del Pero. During the day, the large demonstration kitchen area serves as a taqueria line. By night, expect an authentic flavor experience utilizing chilies, nuts, seeds, sauces, moles and masa, tropical fruit and fresh fish.
Wine lovers can sample close to 1,000 labels at BottleRock in the Met Lofts. The space is much larger than the intimate Culver City location and serves up to 250 people charcuterie, smoked duck salad, truffled grilled cheese, or bacon-wrapped stuffed dates. The Bottega Louie sign in the Brockman Building at 7th and Grand is not for a high-end handbag store but a sleek restaurantand retail market where you can pick up artisanal cheeses, wines and pastries from former Boule chef Tamara Draper.
Acclaimed Italian chef Celestino Drago offers Downtown dwellers authentic Italian cuisine with the best ingredients and good service at Drago Centro. The space features a demonstration kitchen, two private dining rooms, and a lounge for nibbling chickpea fritters and sipping premium wines by the glass in view of the sixteen-foot wine tower. Signature dishes include langostine carpaccio and crispy risotto cake with octopus as well as salumi, house-made mozzarella and ricotta.
Bottega Louie, 700 S. Grand Ave., 213.802.1470
BottleRock, 1050 Flower St., 213.747.1100 (entrance on 11th St.)
CASA Downtown, California Plaza at 350 S. Grand Ave., 213.621.2249
Church & State, Industrial St., 213.405.1434
Cole’s, 118 E. Sixth St., 213.622.4090
Drago Centro, 525 South Flower St., Ste. 120, 213.228.8998
L.A. LIVE, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., 213.763.LIVE (5483)763.LIVE (5483)
Provecho and Remedy Lounge, 800 Wilshire Blvd., 213.489.1406
Rivera, 1050 S. Flower St., 213.749.1460
Urth Caffé, 451 S. Hewitt St., 213.797.4534
*Carole Dixon contributed to this article.
