Keep The Faith

There seems to be a lot of faith in Downtown LA’s restaurant scene these days, and that is where the latest culinary flower has bloomed. Faith & Flower is a 130-seat stunner located in the WaterMarke Tower where the name pays homage to the two major renaissance periods- the 1920’s and modern day- that have shaped downtown. This is the first full restaurant from David Bernahl and Rob Weakley, owners of Coastal Luxury Management which is behind both Pebble Beach Food & Wine and LA Food & Wine festivals. Bernahl and Weakley love the community and energy that is pervasive in downtown these days, and have partnered with influential Los Angeles restauranteur Stephane Bombet of Bombet Hospitality Group-  Picca, Mo-Chica and Paiche. Executive chef Michael Hung, formerly of Michelin-starred La Folie in San Francisco, has established a menu inspired by a global influence of flavors and techniques highlighting Asia, Latin America, North Africa and the Mediterranean.

Hung is rejuvenating rustic Californian cuisine with the use of a wood-fired oven while Michael Lay helms the bar as Lead Mixologist, featuring a creative cocktail program that includes absinthe and sparklers named Harry Winston. Some standout dishes include oxtail agnolotti with bone marrow butter, deviled jidori eggs, duck liver mousse tarts with grenadine-candies onion, and mushroom stuffed quail. If you choose to go lighter, a salad of roasted carrots and brassicas with smoked Greek yogurt; english peas and gold beets with smoked sheep’s milk ricotta; and seared branzino with marinated hook shrimp and blood orange bernaise are all bountiful with delicious flavors. The space was designed by AvroKO where the feel is very New York, and more luxe than some of the other industrialized interiors that are found nearby. Subtle tones of green, yellow and grey are just some of the glamorous touches which include a partition wall composed of distressed doors collected from the 1920’s, and a beautiful wall mural by highly acclaimed local street artist Robert Vargas. With close proximity to LA Live, it’s safe to say Faith & Flower will continue to gather the faithful. www.faithandflowerla.com