Lauded Mexico City chef’s restaurant in Arts District dazzles

By Helene Seifer

I’ve always loved Mexican food, but I hadn’t discovered the revelation that is fine Mexican dining until visiting Mexico City in February 2020, a few scant weeks before the pandemic shutdown (see April 2021 Larchmont Chronicle, Section 2, p. 14). The trip was so delicious that my first big post-Covid vacation found me flying back to Mexico City in February 2023 for more culinary adventures.

Now home, I’m not ready to leave behind the earthy and brilliant cuisine of Mexico City’s best chefs, so my husband and I headed to the Arts District downtown to try Executive Chef Enrique Olvera’s Damian. His acclaimed restaurant in Mexico City, Pujol, was ranked #5 on “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” in 2022. I had eaten there on my visit in 2020.

Damian sits across from

Brookside

(Continued from page 9)

On behalf of CIM, its vice president, development, Lina Lee, gave an update on construction soon to be underway on three of the four blocks owned by CIM on the south side of Wilshire Boulevard. All projects have been reviewed and approved by the Park Mile Design Review Board and the city.

In CIM’s existing 3-story office building between Keniston and Hudson, the upper two floors and a portion of the first floor will be converted to apartments.

In the block to the east, between Hudson and Rimpau, construction will get underway on twelve townhouse condominiums to replace parking and a former house

On the Menu

by Helene Seifer

Bestia in an otherwise sketchy part of the Arts District. The restaurant buzzed with lively conversations. A long bar graced one side of the main dining room; wood two-tops and larger round tables were clustered in front of a warm brick wall across the way.

As we were led through the dining room, at least five different people welcomed us. We felt like celebrities by the time we reached a large patio filled with plants, well-spaced tables and a retractable roof, closed on this chilly, damp night. Sometimes patios lack the charm of the indoor space. Not so here.

along Eighth Street.

Between Rimpau and Mullen, the historic Farmers Insurance tower will be adaptively reused as condominium units and associated recreational facilities, with some office space and the surface parking remaining. The large parking lot block between Mullen and Muirfield will be replaced by construction of 16 long-approved single-family homes.

Lee said the Brookside association and neighbors would be notified in advance of commencement of each phase of construction. In response to a question, she said she did not know rental or sales prices at this time, but she did indicate that the pro forma analysis for developing the condominium units in the tower forecast market rate sales prices of $900 per square foot and up.

As expected, there are numerous tequila and mezcal cocktails, along with a hefty selection of other spirit-forward beverages. Most were in the $20 and above range. My husband loved his mezcal margarita. I was very pleased with my unusual “dtla,” made with tequila, absinthe, dill and lime.

Our server recommended ordering three small and one large format plates, and that worked perfectly. The staff is exceptionally well trained. In a world where many places face staffing issues, Damian seems to have had no trouble finding competent people who seamlessly dance from kitchen to table to bar and back again.

Chef de cuisine Chuy Cervantes infused every dish we ordered with multiple layers of flavor. Even the tetela, a simple triangular stuffed corn pastry, is elevated by Damian’s kitchen. Filled with mashed ayocote beans and garnished with pickled Swiss chard, it was extraordinary. Ayocote beans are particularly flavorful, but I’ve never before been blown away by a bean. The slightly vinegary chard added the perfect counterpoint to the rich, sweet, silky filling, $27.

We usually order a ceviche or tartare at Mexican restaurants, so we tried the $24 tostado loaded with fish tartare, tossed with avocado and furikake, a Japanese seasoning often made with sesame seeds, seaweed and dried fish. This was very fresh, balanced and one of the best tartare dishes I’ve had.

I love huarache, a large, thick, oval masa pancake used as a base for almost anything.

Damian’s $32 huarache was smeared with a thick layer of mashed potatoes, then topped with chipotle-tinged slices of tender octopus. Wonderful!

I would have been inclined to order the $48 lobster in pineapple butter or $68 dry-aged branzino, but I had heard so much about the celery root we had to try it. Celery root?

As a main? The hype is real. It was the star of the show. A whole trimmed root was roasted in chicatana salsa macha — a garlic, chile and winged-ant salsa. This happily reminded me of Quintonil, a stellar Mexico City restaurant with a fondness for insects. The $34 dish is served on a bed of white mole. Fold everything into delicious, rough-textured house made tortillas for a flavor-burst surprise.

For dessert, we ordered a refreshing $19 creamy meringue with raspberry pieces under a thin hibiscus meringue shell. I could have eaten five more.

Damian, 2132 E. 7th Place, 213-270-0178