DOWNTOWN WEEKLY THE SPIRIT OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
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DTLA APPETITE IL FIORE where Flavor meets destiny
CINCO dE maYO with
AnGER MGMT TEQUILA
THE INTOXICATING BLEND OF DOWNTOWN WEEKLY
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ON THE COVER
Il FIORE: where flavor meets destiny SQUARE ONE: OUR WARMEST WELCOME....4 DTLA APPETITE: IL FIORE: WHERE FLAVOR MEET DESTiNY...6 DTLA BEHIND THE LENS: WESLEY CLOUDEN...........8 CINCO DE MAYO WITH ANGER MGMT TEQUILA ....9 gary leonard take my picture.....11 ADVERTISE - 888-732-DTLA (3852) OR EDITOR@DTLA-WEEKLY.COM
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THE COCKTAIL CHERRIES
DTLA WEEKLY Special thanks to...
editor and chief KERI FREEMAN
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DTLA SQUARE ONE: OUR WARMEST WELCOME
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SQUARE ONE: OUR WARMEST WELCOME
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VOL 15 NO 8 - APRIL 29TH - MAY 5TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
sunright GOOD CLEAN tea studio FUN little tokyo
fashion district
17 shakes to happiness in dtla 134 S. Central Ave, LA, CA 90012
ALLL NATURAL WINE TIMES IN DTLA 868 OLIVE street, la,ca 90014
f at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it. ― W.C. Fields
LE PETIT PARIS OLD BANK DISTRICT
VISTA
bunker hill
DTLA POP
FRENCH RIVERA INCLUDED 418 S. spring street, la , CA 90013
DTLA’s cloud 9 of patio dining 633 w. 5th STreet, LA CA 90071
DTLA COMMUNITY POPS WITH STYLE 901 S. BROADWAY , LA CA 90015
little tokyo
5
DTLA APPETITE: IL FIORE By Keri Freeman
VOL 15 NO 8 - APRIL 29TH - MAY 5TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
DTLA APPETITE
GROUP PHOTO BY KILLFEAR
il fiore where flavor meets destiny
I
t's starting to feel like normal again in the streets of Downtown LA. As more and more people return to gather with friends they've missed these past months, newly opened IL Fiore DTLA and its Italian flare is quickly becoming one of Downtown's most admired dining and specialty cocktail destinations.
T
he promise of great cocktails, Michelin Awarded restaurants, and nights of extreme pleasures; at one time, this was the inspiration for many to frequent Downtown LA.
During this time, Downtown Weekly cast and crew first met Robert Katrikh, then operating partner of Circa 93, the geniuses behind the Queensbury, The Association, The Room in Hollywood, and the Old Bank District's The Continental Club. The musician first came to LA as part of a touring band and eventually settled in DTLA thanks to his newfound business partnerships. Flash forward to 2021, with our community still suffering the effects of a city laid dormant while visiting the O Hotel on 8th and Flower, our crew ran into Robert again. This time through his newest hospitality venture, IL Fiore.
The Flower With IL Fiore now operating at the street level inside the O Hotel, it is directly above Robert's former Queensbury location. As if the seed he planted in the fertile soil of our city had sprouted from its roots below. Behold, IL Fiore (the Flower) symbolically broke through to the surface, now having everything it needs to survive; sunlight, atmosphere, and plenty of admirers from the downtown community and beyond. It seems, during the Covid months, Robert turned his attentions towards reinventing the hotel's base into a rustic garden of wood, metal, and fire. Purposely dimmed ambiance lighting is set to complement the dancing flames of the room's fireplace, while daytime hours expose IL Fiore to rays of natural light.
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In the time she prepared our second drink, the Raspberry Daisy, Chou shared the motivation behind her beverage program. Her efforts to utilize healthy plant-based ingredients were evident with the Raspberry's Daisy's blend of Tequila, raspberry, lemon, seasonal fruits and mint; with a sprinkled bit of sugar to help the medicine go down. The two chefs Joel and Clay, arrived as a pair and placed plates of selected items from both the dinner and brunch menus. The first dish, Hen Egg Raviolo, was remarkable with unfertilized eggs from Joel's own hen coup, cubed beef cheek, fresh ricotta, and asparagus-pea cream. The second, Spanish Octopus roasted to perfection, adorned with Oaxacan Chile, Pickled Fennel and charred Spigarello. The Chefs prepare the tentacles so precisely we recommend beginning at the smaller end to work your way up to the larger slices for a savory experience that forces you to slow down the chewing process in hopes not to miss the moment of satisfaction an adequately seasoned and prepared octopus dish can give.
A
Michelin star is the ultimate hallmark of culinary excellence. Chefs are not awarded; their restaurants are. Because Michelin doesn't rate ambiance or interior decoration, it's the chefs' responsibility to create award-winning dishes of an exceptionally high standard. Enter Chefs Joel Stovall from Michelin Awarded Orsa & Winston, Clay Cassis formally of Vespertine and Bestia and beverage director Suzi Chou of the Wolves in the Historic Core.
Downtown, think about this culinary combination for a minute. Robert K, with his background in hospitality, music and interior build-outs, two young chefs of equal talents, genius pallets and Michelin Awarded restaurants on their resumes, joined by one of Downtown's most talented and most lovely mixologist (who may or not be a wolf in sheep's clothing, just like her delicious cocktails with the proper tendency to sneak up and grab you). At the bar we watched the delicate fingers of Suzi Chou carefully place tiny spoonfuls of bee pollen atop a King Ice Cube while it rested in a cup of our tasty cocktail pick, the Honey Bee Waggle; an almost creamy blend of Gin, honey, and lemon.
The third dish, Butter Poached Lobster Risotto, with wild Sorrel and uni is nothing less than surreal. At this point, we're pretty appreciative of the quartet's delicious bouquet of healthy memorial plates. Yet, the chefs want us to explore our time in their flower field just long enough to experience a plate of Scallops drenched in Shiitake mushrooms, Serrano Aguachile, Fuji and chickweed. This dish was followed by a twin pair of open-faced Spot Prawns stuffed with their own Roe, melted butter, finger lime and Nasturtium. It's this time that we're confident IL Fiore will be just as appreciated by anyone we recommend, even a secret Michelin judge out looking to share one of their prestigious stars, or two or three. IL Fiore is located at 812 S Flower and opens for breakfast and brunch from 8 am to 2 pm and again for dinner and cocktails Wednesday through Sat from 5 pm - close. @ilfioredtla
8 DTLA BEHIND THE LENS: WESLEY CLOUDEN By DYLAN LAMB
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DTLA BEHIND THE LENS
WESLEY clouden Hyper creative
Y
ou may or may not know the name Wesley Clouden, but you’ve definitely seen his camera work.
Wesley is the mysterious man behind the camera that has produced video content for Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, and Jay-Z, Mike Dean, Kayne West, and the list goes on... Not to mention his impressively large portfolio of commercial media work for various companies. Yet, despite the considerable success and having such high profile clientele, Wesley prefers to keep things low-key to give himself room to do the work he does with maximum creativity. Not only does Wesley do some spectacular camera work, but he is humble and down to earth. Wesley claims some of his life’s most significant accomplishments as simply being alive, being a father, being an educator, and helping others. Of course, you can find a few things here and there about Mr. Clouden with a quick google search, but there’s not much out there.
Wesley chooses to suppress most of the online stuff because he functions better as a ghost for many different creatives and quite a few businesses. So who is the enigma that is Wesley Clouden? Well, for starters, Wesley Clouden was born on the tiny Caribbean island nation of Trinidad & Tobago, the land of the hummingbird, Calypso, and Steel Pan. Wesley’s love of travel and unbridled enthusiasm for his creative work is inspired by his grandfather, Mr. Lesley Clouden. Growing up and traveling widely with his grandfather, he learned a lot about life and art. According to Wesley, his grandfather was a sharp man who spoke several languages and never had or used a calculator. “He was just always doing and always helping.” This dedication to craft and indomitable work ethic in helping others realize their potential sounds familiar to Wesley’s own story as an entrepreneur in tech and media for almost 21 years. continued on page 11
DTLA CINCO DE MAYO By Keri Freeman and Amanda Nicholson
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There’s a new Tequila taking the world by storm and it’s set its sites on Downtown Los Angeles.
V
eteran and President of Anger MNMT Tequila, Chris Cardenas, recommends his tequila for mixing and shots but not before a quick tasting, noting his tequila is meant to be sipped initially and appreciated for a taste so smooth there’s no salt or lime is needed. Time flies when you’re drinking great tequila. Only two years ago, Cardenas was using GoFund Me to raise the money to release his brand. Soon after, legions of heavy black bottles presenting bold letters circling an angry fellow pulling his hair out would begin making their appearance in local shops around his hometown in Santa Clarita. This year, the brand took the road for tastings and ranked high among the competition. Recently, AMT won two awards at the San Francisco Spirit Awards; a Bronze Medal and a silver medal for Anger MGMT Silver Tequila.
In between tastings, the company is constantly looking for outlets where they can place their brand. Fans or those looking to explore the quality and taste may order the tequila for home delivery online. Tequila is only produced inside the Mexican state of Jalisco and in some municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Anger Mgmt Tequila is a high premium, 100% blue agave craft tequila from the hills of Los Altos de Jalisco in Mexico. About 300 miles away in the City of Pueblo, Mexico, marks the true story behind the origins of Cinco De Mayo. Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day; instead, it commemorates a single battle. The fifth of May, in 1862, when Mexican claimed victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. In the days of old, Mexican soldiers were known to take two precious items to war with them. Their Women and their Tequila! This year, Anger Management Tequila invites Downtown palates on a journey through history filled with the flavors and aromas of their smooth citric sweetened tequilas honoring blended herbal essences and regional fruits. @AngerMGMTTequila
10 DTLA MUSIC TO OUR EARS
VOL 15 NO 8 - APRIL 29TH - MAY 5TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
music to your eARS
SG
LEWIS F
ollowing the release of SG Lewis’ critically acclaimed debut, dance album of the year, ‘times’(Republic Records), today the London-based singer, producer and songwriter has announced a much needed and highly anticipated select run of North American tour dates, set to take place at the end of this year. “It feels super surreal to be announcing any form of shows, let alone headline shows for this year. The pandemic has separated me from a country that had become a home away from home to me, and I’m so excited to be reunited and play all this new music for you guys. The shows are gonna be insane. Let’s party.” For his debut album, Sam "SG" Lewis enlisted a blockbuster collection of guests, continuing a long line of stellar collaborations that have singled him out as one of music’s most sought after producers. Joining Robyn and Channel Tres (“Impact”) on 'times' is Lucky Daye, who appears on “Feed the Fire” which
'TIMES'
Billboard lauded as “effervescent” and a “breezy amalgamation of house and nu-disco,” with Entertainment Weekly bluntly labeling it “a disco-tinged banger,” and the legendary Nile Rodgers who joins Sam on “One More”, touted by The New York Times as “a dance party” with Pitchfork calling Rodgers’ guitarwork “kinetic”, hailing the tune as “a glistening ode to party flirting and the best track on the album.” On the album, Sam says "'times' is an ode to the present moment. 2020 has shown us that the experiences we took for granted in the past, are never promised tomorrow, and that the opportunity to dance together may not always be there again. After reading about 70’s New York and the birth of Disco, I became infatuated with the euphoria and escapism that the music from that period created, and the safe spaces the clubs at the time provided for people to express themselves. I aimed to create a world musically that captured those same feelings, and to imagine the music that would be playing in those rooms if they were to exist today.” The four date run commences in Los Angeles on October 15 at Shrine Expo Hall (18+). Tickets go on sale Friday, April 23 at 10 am via AXS.com. For more information, please visit www. sglewismusic.com.
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FOLLOW. LIKE. SHARE. cOMMENT. >>>Wesley Clouden
is a well-known cinematographer
and colorist because of his passion and enthusiasm to create compelling imagery with the camera. “I don’t do anything that doesn’t make me money. It sounds shallow, but I don’t because I guess that’s just how I am programmed in that format. Most people like that I’m very raw. I’m very direct, and I keep it 100. That’s all I can do.” These days, Wesley is doing what he does best by staying active in producing media content and keeping things simple for the foreseeable future. He is also currently building out some new brands outside of other brands that he already has established, like his art publication Quiet Lunch and Nappiee Corp Inc. “I’m building out a new brand; we’re most likely taking on an agency format for all the other hyper creatives that I micromanage in my network daily.”
"For example, I've been working with Fhedesh Fhedesh, a local goth musician and performance artist. His work is ridiculous. He doesn't just do it all, he does it well. We've been creating some really cool content and have some epic collaborations in the pipeline. He's an example of a hyper creative and true visionary in an urban environment." When Wesley isn’t traversing the globe or developing new ideas, he is usually in LA doing cinematography for various clients. As an artist, he is allured by the iconic urban grittiness of Downtown LA. “Downtown LA is pretty cool because I’m a bi-coastal person, so New York, to LA, to Japan, to Trinidad; it’s kind of like transcribing vibes. I like Downtown because of its grit, some of it is good, some of it is bad. I wouldn’t say bad, but questionably interesting.” Wesley is genuinely a one-of-a-kind individual whose authenticity in his work and private life are an inspiration. “People just need to be themselves. Keep things simple. Be a little more caring and be honest.” @wesleyclouden