Church & State

07/25/09

Mostly Good

by Noona at Citysearch

OVER ALL: C&S was pretty good and I'll go there again. Most of the food was flavorful and carefully prepared. THE STAFF: Mixed. Good sommelier, terrible bartender and strange waiter. We were the first to arrive so we sat at the bar for a drink. The bartender was MIA, then when she finally got there she managed to ignore us for a good ten minutes, even though we were the only ones without a drink at the bar. When we finally got her attention she was rude for no reason and mixed us a couple of extremely sub-par mojitos. This was particularly strange since the bar wasn't even that busy and it was or first interaction at the place. Really set up a bad mood for the evening. Our waiter was a bit goofy which would have been fine except we were having a serious dinner with the in-laws and it was a bit inappropriate. Luckily the food made up for that a bit. THE FOOD: The charcuterie, made in house, was a real highlight. We tried 4 dishes: Duck Confit, also made in house, was to die for. Steak Frites was equally delicious and cooked medium rare just like we wanted. A pork dish that I didn't try, looked good and our friend ate it all. The Bouillabaisse sadly was a major let down. Bland soup base, overcooked shrimp, and a very unpleasant fishy odor. normally I love love the smell of a fish dish coming to the table, but this was awful. WE had to send it back and we just ended up share the three first dishes. we ended the meal with a cheese plate that was fresh and yummy. Tried and full we head out to the adjacent parking lot, just to find ourselves ( and another couple) LOCKED OUT. A small sign indicated that we should go back to the restaurant and get a key. 10 minutes later the manager showed up and buzzed us in. Very unpleasant and seemingly unnecessary. Just hire the garage guy to stay open a few more hours how much could that possibly cost?

• Pros: NYCish atmosphere, charcuterie and most of food
• Cons: Bartender, parking lot closes before restaurant

06/18/09

Check It Out!

by gabriel213 at Citysearch

wanted to take my friend out for a nice, but not tooo expensive dinner. and wanted to go to a place that ive heard of, but never been. we decided on church & state. im not mad at the location. i actually enjoy the fact that our downtown is actually looking like a downtown should. the addition of C&S definately adds to the potential of what downtown LA could hopefully be one day. anyway. the food here is really great. i highly recommend the sea bass. very tasty, and melts in your mouth. we made a reservation for 8pm on a friday night, and were seated by 8:01pm. the service was really good. our waiter was friendly, and always let his presence be known, without over doing it. we had a great time. the noise levels are fine. we were able to have a great conversation, with some great wine and food. although the desrt looked good, we were too full to try. our total bill was $85, and that was with a $32 bottle of wine. the ONLY negative, if any, would be the parking situation. on a busy night you could find yourself in a dark alley in the industrial part of downtown. but we were fine. and there are enough people in that area to feel safe. hope this review is helpfull. and go try C&S!

• Pros: food, service, location, wine selection, atmosphere.
• Cons: parking. but not so much.

01/14/09

Hidden gem in Downtown LA!

by jojoba17 at Citysearch

Don't get thrown off by the surrounding neighborhood; Church and State is a hidden gem in the industrial part of downtown Los Angeles. Great vibe, great decor, great service. Our group enjoyed everything we ordered: marinated olives, mac 'n cheese, green beans, French onion soup, grilled cheese, lamb, sea bass, vegetarian casserole, apple crumble, and pistachio/cherry tart. All highly recommended. There were options for vegetarians as well, and the waitress was very helpful in pointing them out. We'll definitely be back!

• Pros: food, service, ambiance
• Cons: surrounding neighborhood

11/04/08

Where's the flavor?

by PrincessLtrain at Citysearch

We were really excited to go here for my friends birthday, but were all a bit underwhelmed. The food was lacking in flavor (except the bacon wrapped fish - which I fully concede was delicious). Our waiter, nor the menu, told us that the sides were a la carte, so we didn't know to order anything else. Unfortunately, being a party of 7, we were seated right next to the open kitchen. By the end of the night my eyes were burning from the fumes and we all smelled like we had sat IN the kitchen. The atmosphere of the place was great, but I think I'd rather check out the enligh pub across the street before I head back here.

• Pros: Great interior ambiance, close parking
• Cons: Open kitchen, Uninformative Waiter

10/28/08

Great vibe!

by winey1 at Citysearch

I went here Saturday night after seeing a play at the Hayworth...Lovelace which btw is AWESOME!!!!! We had 10:15 reservations and when we got there a little early the place was jumpin!!! We had to wait a few minutes to be seated but we were early and the hostess was very nice. The cocktail list looked really yummy but I had brought a special bottle of wine so I abstained. We ordered some oysters to start and they were absolutely perfect!!! I ordered the trout based on the reviews and it was VERY good. My date ordered the steak frites and I should have listened to the neg reviews I've read about the steak. It was just ok and the frites came out completely raw! I was actually shocked that the waiter put the dish down like that but we sent them back and they brought out a whole bowl of frites that were cooked. They didn't have any good dessert choices so that was pretty much our night. Definitely a place to try.

• Pros: great atmosphere, cocktail list and only $15 corkage
• Cons: bad desserts

10/09/08

Great Food and EXCELLENT service

by letyg at Citysearch

We dined at Church and State last night. We had a fabulous experience. it's an architectual gem in the historic Nabisco lofts. Prompt service with personable staff. The steak frites is a must. Also the best chicken dish in town. Big wine list. We sat outside and felt like we were in NY city. Can't wait to go back.

• Pros: Food, Ambiance, Decor, Staff, Location

The folks who brought us Malo and Cobras & Matadors take it downtown with this industrial-chic brasserie.

by Brandi Fowler at Citysearch

Appropriately situatued on Industrial Street in Downtown Los Angeles, this one-time loading dock for Nabisco has been transformed into a striking French brasserie. Though originally launched by Steve Arroyo of Malo and Cobras & Matadors fame, the space is now run by Yassmin Sarmadi with chef Walter Manzke helming the kitchen. Strings of light bulbs hang from the vaulted ceilings with exposed pipes, while the crimson and white brick walls add to the lofty feel. Smoky silver mirrors and small burnt orange lamps lend an intimate vibe for the adventurous foodies and Art District hipsters grabbing a cocktail at the bar (try the Fragrant Red Flower made with gin, Campari, Cointreau and lemon) or sipping from the restaurant's collection of more than 40 French wines. As for the food, the huge open kitchen provides a clear view of the white-coat chefs whipping up dishes like Noix de St. Jacques (scallops, frisee, mushrooms and citrus) and poulet roti (roasted chicken and polenta), charcuterie plates and escargot.

09/29/08

Delicious from beginning to end!

by viesteves at Citysearch

I had dinner here on Friday night (same week it opened), and everything was flawless - an impressive feat, considering most restaurants are still working out their kinks during week 1. I suppose that's a testament to Steven Arroyo's restauranteur experience. Wine was reasonable - a 2001 Bordeaux for $50 (other places charge that for a 2007 California wine you can by for $10 at Ralph's). We had the mussels as an appetizer and they were delicious and fresh; the broth was flavorful but not greasy or overly tangy - truly perfect melding of flavors. I ordered the bacon-wrapped trout as my entree with a side of green bean, and my date had the steak frites. Everything was amazing, though I have to recommend the trout - even my date admitted his steak was great but the trout was top notch in comparison. I was hesitant that the bacon would make it greasy or overly heavy, but it was just the right amount to lend it flavor and not overpower the fish. Finally, for dessert we ordered the donuts - again, perfectly cooked, not overly greasy or sweet. They are nicely balanced with a lemon cream sauce you for dipping.

Overall, highly recommended - everything was tasty, service was great and the atmosphere is very cool - casual, cozy, open and a true dining treat. The wanna-be chef in me loved the open kitchen and rustic butcher block used for the bread. Enjoy!

• Pros: Delicious food, atmosphere and service
• Cons: None I can think of