My friend and I decided to try out this restaurant for pre-theater dining. The place is empty. I don't know why more people do not eat dinner here, but this restaurant is right across from the Music Center and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in the Bunker Hill community of LA. There were only two other tables occupied when my friend and I entered the restaurant. Part of the problem is that downtown tends to close after business hours. I'm sure that lunch is no problem for most downtown restaurants, but many of the folks who work downtown, like stockbrokers and bankers, do not stick around to eat dinner downtown, where you have to walk past the homeless and avoid the muggers.
My friend ordered insalata della casa, the house salad, while I ordered the insalata del contadino, which is organic lettuce with roasted bell peppers, zucchini, goat cheese and basalmic dressing. My salad was quite tasty. I did not expect the salad to be so big, so I was worried that perhaps my friend and I should have split the salad. I had the ravioli con zucca, which is pumpkin ravioli with cream, sage, and parmesan cheese. My friend ordered saffron farfalle ai scampi, which is bow-tie pasta with shrimp, zucchini, green asparagus, garlic, and bread crumbs. I tasted my friend's dish which was too bland for me. She enjoyed it, however, and had no problem with it. My dish was pretty good, although I have had better pumpkin ravioli at another restaurant. It was still good, and I enjoyed my meal. I ordered a Pinot Grigio to go with my ravioli. It was a nice complement. We finished by splitting a tiramisu, which was again just OK.
The waiters were attentive to our needs. We did not have to wait long for anything, mostly because there were not many patrons here. I was a little nervous, but after tasting my meal, I was assured that the restaurant was not empty because of the food. The price wasn't too bad for a fine dining establishment. Our bill came out to $60, which is $30 per person.
After our dinner, we visited the restroom, which was a little worn from wear and tear. I normally would not mention the restroom of a restaurant, but I ended up in a weird stall configuration where the toilet was placed perpendicular to the stall. Do not use this stall if you can help it. I bumped my head as I got up.
As we left, the waiters and the restaurant owner said goodbye to us. They wished us a good show. Whatever the place lacks in food or popularity, they definitely make up for in service. It's too bad that the food tends to either be either a hit or miss. If they were more consistent, I bet there would be more returning customers.