Quick Look: Firehouse Hotel Restaurant, DTLA

The Arts District in downtown Los Angeles is having a moment. It’s been a long time coming despite the early successes of restaurants like Bestia and Church & State. This neighborhood at the outer boundary of Skid Row in downtown’s old factory/warehouse district appears to be reaching a tipping point thanks to two projects in general: Row DTLA (a massive co-work/retail space) and the new Firehouse Hotel (a new luxury boutique hotel whose mere nine rooms fetch from $300 to $800 a night — that’s more expensive than the NoMad or Intercontinental). That should tell you something about where this neighborhood is headed.

Inside the hotel is a restaurant known simply as the Firehouse Hotel Restaurant. The chef is Ashley Abodeely, who previously ran the kitchen at NoMad LA and worked with the Eleven Madison Park crew for awhile before that. She is a master of simplicity. I doubt anything she cooks is actually simple, but she makes it seem like it is, like the linguine and clams or an incredibly basic cheeseburger. The crab toast is made with only a handful of ingredients, and it is absolutely exquisite.

The pastry chef is Rose Lawrence, who might be the Rose Lawrence who owns Red Bread Bakery and used to make desserts for Rustic Canyon. The olive oil cake is sublime. I’ve eaten dozens of olive oil cakes over the years and never until now have I ever called a single one of them sublime. This one is unlike any other.

Aside from a small bar area, the entire dining room is outside on a covered patio. It’s super sexy and laid back. Here’s a quick look around.