From Santa Monica to Downtown, new Los Angeles restaurants are enlivening neighborhoods and appetites across the city. See the full list of Los Angeles Restaurants Opening March 2012 in our LuxeEpicure section.
Artisan House
Chef Jason Ryczek, formerly of Innovative Dining Group’s Boa, is the man behind the stoves at this congenial downtown spot, but it’s much more than a full-service restaurant. The space in the historic Pacific Electric building includes a bar where mixologists concoct experimental libations, while up front is a deli counter and small gourmet shop for diners on the go. Don’t be in too much of a hurry, though, otherwise you’ll miss market-fresh dishes created by Ryczek such as seasonal ceviche with pomegranate, cumin seeds, red chile slices, almonds and crème fraiche; gourmet flatbreaks; and Duroc pork jager-schnitzel made with dry-aged pork chop, chanterelles in a juniper brandy cream sauce, cave-aged gruyere kaesespaetzle and red sauerkraut.
600 Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90014, 213-622-6333; ArtisanHouse.net
Bäco Mercat
This is the casual new downtown eatery from Chef Josef Centeno (Lazy Ox Canteen), that’s only been open a few months, but has already attracted an army of devotees. Though the chef serves up his signature cuisine of eclectic world foods such as Szechuan chicken ribs and chile relleno with pork and ricotta, the focus here is on the traditional Catalan flatbread sandwich from which the restaurant derives its name. Try “The Original” with pork belly, beef carnitas and salbitxada sauce he used to make just for friends, or the more innovative one with beef tongue schnitzel, pickle, harissa and smoked aioli, and leave room for little snacks like the spiced roasted peanuts with paprika, and the mixed olives with pecorino and lemon. We also hear the Sunday “Hair of the Dog” brunch will cure whatever ails you after a night out on the town.
408 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013, 213-687-8808; BacoMercat.com
