EAT.DRINK.AMERICANO
MODERN AMERICAN PUB FAIRE
COMES TO DOWNTOWN L.A. ARTS DISTRICT

For a native of Los Angeles, it’s really great to see that the downtown scene has not only taken off but is thriving. It wasn’t that long ago that the area was considered “no man’s land” – a part of town you wouldn’t want to be caught in once the sun went down. Boy, have things changed.

Add another new great hipster spot to the thriving area on the border of Little Tokyo as Eat.Drink.Americano recently opened its doors in the downtown Los Angels arts district. Serving quality modern American pub faire at the former Café Metropol location, owner and photographer Michael Burke made a bold move re-launching the restaurant down the street from Wurstküche, who seemed to start the trendy gourmet eats and beer hall craze around town. Less proletariat than its German neighbor, Eat.Drink.Americano is an intimate open space where you can relax with sharable small plates and indulge with a good glass of wine or fine beer.

Offering seasonal selections of artisanal cheeses, locally sourced produce, Charcuterie, domestic wines and craft beers; think of Eat.Drink.Americano as a modern, locally sourced Gastropub, where the menu has unique offerings inspired by American history. In fact, consulting Chef Juan Pablo Torre took his cue from the WWI period.

“American food is food from everywhere else,” Torre said. “It's African, Asian, European, Peruvian and much more. This is what makes the beauty of this country, the mixtures. We tried to recreate this with Eat.Drink.Americano. Cuisine inspired by the beginning of the 20th century, with a modern touch.” 

During our recent visit, we started off with an impressive glass of Palmina red wine from Nevada that is actually served on tap, and a fine Hefeweizen, both of which paired well with the amazingly juicy Oxtail Sliders. Offering a fresh approach to the sliders sensation, this is a must-have order.

Other solid selections included the fresh and light Classic Ceviche, the extremely tasty King Crab Cateloni & Cauliflower Foam, and the wonderful Cheek, Mushrooms & Polenta. The pork cheek was ever-so flavorful and reminded me of Mom’s home cooked meals—hopefully you had an as adventurous mother in the kitchen, because we’re talking about damn good eats here.

Other popular menu items include the Soft Shell Crab Sandwich cradled between a soft English muffin with pickled seaweed, and the Flat Bread Pizza with Alaskan Red Salmon, cream cheese and delicately poached eggs. And you can’t go wrong with their local tap wine, or one of six other local wines by the bottle, as well as eight beers on tap and six by the bottle, including the hearty Allagash Dubbel Ale.

If you’re in the mood for dessert (and come on, who isn’t when you dine out?) go for the Pull Me Up, their savory take on tiramisu. This is a great choice for any and all chocolate lovers.

Eat.Drink.Americano made an immediate splash around town with its Steak Tartare topped with a Mustard Ice Cream, but unfortunately on this night, their ice cream machine was broken, which just means we’ll have to return very soon to try it. Life is good.

Eat.Drink.Americano is located at 923 East 3rd Street in downtown L.A. Hours: Tuesday through Thursday from 5 pm to 1 am; Friday and Saturday from 5 pm to 2 am; Sunday from 5 pm to 12 am. Call 213-620-0781.

 

 

 

Top Photo by: Michael Pool