Maude
In addition to celebrating chef and TV personality, Curtis Stone’s (Top Chef Masters) first foray into the Los Angeles dining scene, the opening of Maude also marks his return to his roots in the professional kitchen where he began working under chef Marco Pierre White in London. Maude—Stone’s intimate 25-seat restaurant in Beverly Hills—showcases an eight to nine-course tasting menu that changes monthly, each time revolving around one peak seasonal ingredient. Artichoke stars in March, prepared in such dishes as caramelized artichoke consommé, artichoke barigoule gruyere and slow-cooked veal shoulder with caramelized sweet bread, artichoke, potato rosti and celeriac purée. Tues.-Sat., 5-9 p.m. 212 S. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.859.3418. mauderestaurant.com
République
Old meets new at République, the new fine dining spot chef Walter Manzke (Petty Cash) and restaurateur Bill Chait (Bestia, Rivera, Sotto). Previously Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton’s Campanile, and long before that, the site of Charlie Chaplin’s offices, the mid-city space is now home to one of the most buzzed-about restaurants in town, serving brasserie classics with new tastes: duck confit with farmers market vegetables, spätzle and orange juice; roast chicken with schmaltz-roasted fingerlings and kale; and dry-aged, bone-in rib-eye steak frites. By day, the front café/bakery offers pastries and breads from Manzke’s wife, pastry chef Margarita Manzke, and at night, transforms into a raw bar, shucking out oysters on the half shell or beef tartare dressed with tarragon aioli and potato chips. The nightly changing menu includes an optional chef’s tasting menu and an Old World-heavy wine list. End with a proper cheese plate and dessert such as bomboloni sandwiched with hazelnut ice cream covered with chocolate sauce. 624 S. La Brea Ave., L.A., 310.362.6115. republiquela.com
L.A. Chapter
Downtown’s hip new Ace Hotel draws the beautiful and famous to the restored United Artists building in the Broadway theatre district—and not just for the stylish rooms and rooftop bar. The lobby restaurant, L.A. Chapter, provides reason enough to stay awhile. Chefs Micah Fields (The Restaurant at The Standard Downtown L.A.) and Ken Addington of Brooklyn’s Five Leaves combine local ingredients with around-the-world flavors. The new American all-day and dinner menus offer standby favorites such as the Five Leaves burger with harissa mayo, grilled pineapple, pickled beets and egg, while a lamb pho sandwich with orange-anise consommé dip or sea urchin chitarra with cauliflower, chili and tuna butter underscore what innovative can be. Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway, L.A., 213.623.3233. lachapter.com
Orsa & Winston
Chef/restaurateur Josef Centeno started his empire with the acclaimed Bäco Mercat and followed up with also-praised Bar Amá. Not surprisingly, with Orsa & Winston, the third time’s a charm. The elegant 30-seat restaurant is mere steps away from Centeno’s other two restaurants in downtown’s Old Bank District. Diners can select a six- or eight-course tasting menu, family-style prix fixe or “super omakase” menu of more than 20 courses, available only at the four-seat chef’s counter overlooking the open kitchen. Selections from the frequently changing food menu, inspired by Japanese and Italian traditions, ocean trout crudo served on top of creme fraiche with pickled rhubarb and pomello; Satsuki rice with seared diver scallop and sublime San Diego uni; and hand torn pasta with carrot sofrito, spigarello and braised beef cheeks or Maine lobster. On the beverage list, wines from the Old World mingle with an edited selection of beers and sakes. 122 W. 4th St., downtown, 213.687.0300. orsaandwinston.com
Herringbone
One of San Diego’s hottest restaurants opens its new location in West Hollywood. Along with partner James Brennan, chef Brian Malarkey—a former contestant on Bravo reality show Top Chef and former judge on ABC’s The Taste—replicates his ocean-to-table concept at the swanky Mondrian hotel. On the seafood-heavy menu, Southern inspirations such as chicken-fried uni with a maple waffle and crab gravy mingle with surf-and-turf-style dishes (for instance, lamb agnolotti with lobster, porcini mushrooms, parsnips and sea beans) and wood-fired pizzas. From the raw bar, select fresh West or East coast oysters, California spiny lobster, Santa Barbara spot prawns or one of Malarkey’s innovative crudos. 8440 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 323.848.6000. herringboneeats.com
The Wallace
Dining trends come and go, but one of the hottest of recent years—sustainable fare—seems poised to become the standard. Witness The Wallace, in downtown Culver City. Here, alongside his general manager/wife, Carol, chef and co-owner Michael Teich prepares seasonal, shareable dishes categorized as “jarred,” “cured,” “vegetable,” “sea” or “land” with hand-selected ingredients that are as conscientiously sourced as they are flavorful. Produce, for example, stems from local farms and seafood choices are deemed “safe and sustainable” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium (think scallops with butternut squash, radicchio, prosciutto and balsamic brown butter). There’s a playful side here, too: At the bar, beverage director Holly Zack shakes and stirs up inventive cocktails with names such as Dream Catcher (vodka, ginger, yellow chartreuse and lime juice). Make ours a double. The restaurant also offers stellar lunch and brunch options. 3833 Main St., Culver City, 310.202.6400. thewallacela.com
The Factory Kitchen
The rebirth of downtown’s arts district as a dining destination continues with the opening of an authentic Italian trattoria, The Factory Kitchen, in the live/work Factory Place Arts Complex. The restaurant’s digs retain elements of their industrial past, such as concrete surfaces, reclaimed wood tables and garage doors. The food, by contrast, harks back to the refined Italian restaurants where restaurateur Matteo Ferdinandi and chef Angelo Auriana earned their chops. On the menu: traditional recipes, prepared with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Among the offerings is a house-made mandilli de seta (handherchief pasta, ligurian almond basil pesto, fiore sardo), which might be followed by vitello (pan seared veal loin, garden herbs, jus and black truffle sauce), and paired with a barbera or chianti selected by sommelier Francine Diamond-Ferdinandi. 1300 Factory Place, downtown, 213.996.6000. thefactorykitchen.com
Gracias Madre
Dine on all-organic modern Mexican fare accompanied by stellar cocktails at the first Southern California outpost of Gracias Madre, from the team behind Café Gratitude. The vegan concept has been delighting diners in San Francisco since 2009, and LA foodies can expect everything from Sikil Pay Mayan pumpkin seed dip; to potato-masa cakes topped with warm salsa verde, avocado, and cashew crema; to stone-ground heirloom masa Tamal filled with sautéed butternut squash, poblano and onions; and the Pozole, their take on a traditional hominy stew with an ancho-chile broth. Pair those selections with drinks from the bar that focus on small-batch mezcals and tequilas and house margaritas like the Arándano with tequila blanco, cranberry jam, blood orange, lime, flor de sol, Chinese bitters, and a Chinese five spice seasoned rim. Lunch and dinner daily. 8905 Melrose Ave., L.A., 323.978.2170. graciasmadreweho.com
East Borough
Get your French-Vietnamese fix with market-driven fare at the new Culver City neighborhood spot. The stylishly designed outpost of the Orange County mainstay offers signature dishes for lunch: Banh Mi Sandwich with flamed grilled lemongrass pork; Bo Kho (Vietnamese beef stew soup) with onions, cilantro, lime and baguette; dinner: phocatini with oxtail; heo with pork shank, crab paste, lettuce cups, and pickled cauliflower and daikon carrots; and weekend brunch: egg banh mi with scrambled eggs, French baguette, cilantro, cucumbers, and chili; pan perdu (Vietnamese French toast) with custard, French baguette, Saigon cinnamon, sweetened condensed milk, and kumquat marmalade. Also find patio seating, crafted cocktails, wine and American craft and Belgian beers. 9810 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 310.596.8266. east-borough.com
Cavatina
Like many who relocate to Los Angeles, chef/restauranteur Michael Schlow fell in love with the city and the Sunset Marquis hotel and decided it needed to be a permanent location for his culinary talents. On the heels of the hotel’s 50th anniversary, Schlow’s restaurant, Cavatina opens in a breezy indoor-outdoor setting. Dine on a menu broken down among snacks, crudo, small plates and entrees. Items not to miss include deviled eggs with crispy guanciale bits, cauliflower panna cotta with lobster and caviar, yellow tail with Santa Barbara uni and caviar, and more including a selection of burgers and salads for lunch and fresh breakfast and weekend brunch offerings. 200 Alta Loma Rd., West Hollywood, 310.358.3759. sunsetmarquis.com