It took more than five years of planning, design and construction to open the much anticipated Redbird, chef/owner Neal Fraser’s newest restaurant and LA’s hottest eatery of the moment. Adjacent to the old Saint Vibiana Cathedral- a downtown landmark that was originally LA’s first Archdiocese Catholic Cathedral- Redbird is located in the former rectory and its name refers to the Cardinal who once lived there. Known for his take on New American cuisine, Fraser and his wife Amy Knoll Fraser, along with partner Bill Chait, became operators of Vibiana’s beautifully transformed events venue in 2012 and merged their catering business with the event space. As the architecture was already outstanding, designer Robert Weimer had the envious job of working with one of the prettiest buildings in LA.
A colorful altar to modern dining in LA, Redbird is divided into two parts; a lounge inside with a gorgeous marble bar and a collection of repurposed furniture; and a dining room with a retractable roof that has a full bar, citrus trees and space for a burning oven- you can see the church’s luminous bell tower through the roof. Fraser is offering seasonal fare with a California edge and some of his elegantly understated dishes include day boat scallops with carrot puree and sunchokes; rabbitchetta; Santa Barbara prawns with uni, nori and a wasabi snow made with liquid nitrogen, and squash salad with hazelnuts and goat’s milk feta. I’ve been to Fraser’s altar and vow to go back again. www.redbird.la
Tags: Culinary, DTLA, Los Angeles, Neal Fraser, Redbird, Restaurants, Vibiana
