As new restaurants continue to open further and further east in Downtown LA, the new Faith & Flower is located in the heart of Downtown LA, on the corner of Flower and 9th, in the former short-lived Towne Food & Drink. This long-awaiting restaurant is the vision of David Bernahl and Rob Weakley from Coastal Luxury Management and Stephane Bombet, who opened Picca, Mo-Chica and Paiche. Faith & Flower combines the glamour of old Hollywood with the modernity of current Downtown LA. Everywhere you look you will see a balance of old with new.  As you walk in, the restaurant, which seats 140 people, is lined with sofas along the wall, and to your left is the bar and lounge with long communal tables. The main wall from the front entrance is made up of vintage doors from the early 1900s (except one that was a dressing room door for Bob Hope). No attention to detail has been spared, even the host stand is an original ticket booth from an old theater in Downtown, and plates are vintage. But then adjacent to the bar is a mural of a woman by renown street artist Robert Vargas.
Lately, it seems with Los Angeles’ evolving culinary culture we are always on the hunt for the latest chef import and newly raved restaurant. And for good reason - LA is giving many other cities a run for their money on the foodie front. But every so often, right under our nose, is a local spot that has been there for years and is often overlooked. We came to find this true when we visited long time establishment Vivoli Café in West Hollywood, right off the Sunset Strip.
When a friend asked me to meet him for drinks in Culver City at the end of January, he suggested East Borough. I had not yet heard of the restaurant and learned that it had been open for less than a week. I found the restaurant on Washington Blvd., just east of Sony Studios and next door to City Tavern, and we enjoyed a few tasty cocktails. I knew I had to return soon for the food, which I did. East Borough is a contemporary Vietnamese restaurant with a first location in Costa Mesa. John Cao and chef Chloe Tran from Costa Mesa have partnered with Paul Hibler (Pitfire Pizza, Superba Snack Bar) and chef Jason Neroni (Superba Snack Bar) to offer Vietnamese flavors and the French-influenced side of Vietnamese cuisine. The staff is exceptionally friendly and very well versed in each dish on the menu. Starting with the cocktails, they are all made with fresh juice and house-crafted items. The cocktails incorporate Asian flavors and spices, such as thai basil, tamarind, ginger and lemongrass. The Saigon Soda (gin, kiwi, vinegar, lime, thai basil), In Eastern Fashion (bourbon, pomelo, chocolate chili bitters), Tamarindo (reposado, tamarind, lime, sriracha salt) were refreshing subtle cocktails. But, the subtlety was enhanced when paired with the spicy flavors of the food.   
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