Eats L.A.

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Downtown’s new condo dwellers have been hungry for more restaurants, and the market has begun to serve them up.


A handful of restaurants have opened recently, such as J Restaurant and Lounge, Royale, Pete’s Caf & #233; and Bar, the Bordello, Golden Gopher and Blue Velvet. On the way are Pinkberry, BottleRock wine bar, Takami Sushi and Robata Restaurant.


“Downtown has been largely neglected,” said Jaunenito Pavon, general manager at Royale. Several of the new restaurants, including Royale and Blue Velvet, are located in the ground floor of condo buildings. BottleRock, slated to open this summer, will also be located in a residential building.


Pavon said many of the residents have told him how glad they are to have the restaurants right in their building.


“Many of them talk about the convenience of being able to entertain their friends and family so close to home,” Pavon said.


Bret Mosher bought an old Holiday Inn at 750 Garland downtown in 2004. He turned it into a 205-unit apartment, rechristened it as the Flat and began renting out units in 2005. But something was missing.


Mosher took on partner Robert Hartstein and opened the restaurant and lounge Blue Velvet in the lobby in November. Mosher said that his tenants are very pleased.


The restaurants are handy for residents “whether they come down for a full-blown dinner or pop in for a drink before going out to meet friends,” said Mosher. What’s more, he said, “you don’t have to make guests stand in the lobby.”


Jhena Raskin, a resident of the Flat, said the relatively high prices at the restaurant make it an occasional treat rather than a regular sojourn. Nonetheless, “it’s awfully convenient. I’ve invited co-workers for drinks several times.”


Mosher lives in the building about half of the time. As a downtown dweller, he sees more restaurants as vital to the area’s turnaround. And he welcomes the idea of more eateries on the ground floor of residential buildings, especially since the area is still in transition.


“I think it’s something people in downtown need at this point,” he said. “You can go out to get a bite to eat without getting in your cars to drive eight blocks. It’s a much better way to go.”


At this point, the cuisine at downtown’s new eateries is probably more convenient than cutting-edge.


“There has been a resurgence,” Pavon said, “but it’s at least five years away from being mentioned in the same breath as other metropolitan downtowns, like Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Miami.”

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