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Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Woodspoon LA

Downtown Los Angeles is a restaurant destination. When I was meeting a friend this past week to go to the final taping of The West Wing Weekly Podcast at the Ace Theater, we decided to first grab a bite to eat. I figured to make it easy, we would eat at the restaurant in the Ace Hotel. But he suggested we go to Woodspoon. I had never heard of the restaurant but gamely said yes and I am glad I did as Woodspoon is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

Woodspoon is an intimate little restaurant with only 12 tables. Nestled in the middle of 9th Street, between Broadway and Spring Streets, it is only a block away from the Ace Hotel. Inside the decor is simple and inviting. It feels like entering a friend's chic living room.

01 February, 2020

Dinner at Majordomo in Chinatown

Majordomo has been on my list for almost two years. New York Chef David Chang of Momofuku fame opened his first Los Angeles restaurant in January 2018. Located on the edge of Chinatown, the first issue was getting a reservation. The second issue was getting across the city to the restaurant. Sure, I drive downtown from West LA all of the time, but Majordomo is located just a bit further which made it a bit off-putting on a week night. The last issue was that I was traveling so much that I just kept putting it off.

I finally went and it was worth the wait! Located in an isolated warehouse district, just off Spring Street where it crosses the LA River, Majordomo is a beautiful space. Glass walls separate the inside and the outside dining areas. Ceilings are very high. The decor is minimalistic.

14 January, 2020

Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Bavel DTLA

Bavel DTLA has been on my list since it opened more than a year ago. Sister restaurant to Bestia, Bavel is owned by Chefs Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis and is located in the Arts District of Downtown LA. Between my travel schedule over the last year and Bavel's location which can take more than an hour for me to get to on any given weeknight, it took me a while to get there. But, this past Sunday when a friend came into town, it was the perfect excuse to head to Bavel, the Please The Palate Pick of the Week.

Located in a large old warehouse, Bavel sits on an isolated corner in the Arts District. Inside, white-washed walls, wood furnishings, high ceilings with skylights and ductwork and plants draping down from the ceiling make it feel like you have entered a Middle Eastern paradise.

12 October, 2019