Eating Up Downtown L.A.

The opening of the Staples Center puts the spotlight on downtown. It just may encourage Angelenos who haven’t ventured there in years to discover that there really is life in the city center. Music. Theater. Architecture. And restaurants. For those who need a quick update of the dining choices, here’s a list to give you an idea of the possibilities near the Staples Center. There’s everything from posh steakhouses and seafood restaurants to places for a bowl of noodle soup or a quick bite.

For a major city center, though, downtown has had a paucity of restaurants open after 9 on weeknights. (How early do people go to bed, anyway?) If the Staples Center manages to inject energy into late-night dining downtown, it can only be a good thing. Let’s eat.

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CAFE PINOT: This downtown entry in chef Joachim Splichal’s Pinot galaxy offers the best city views in all of downtown. The cuisine is California with a French accent, and includes both a spa menu and a heartier plat du jour. Enjoy a platter of oysters, a salade nioise made with fresh tuna, or a refreshing bowl of shrimp-laced gazpacho outdoors in the lovely garden next to the main library complex.

700 W. 5th St.; (213) 239-6500. Main courses, $17 to $25. Closed weekends at lunch.

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CHECKERS: For polished Asian/European cooking in a serene and sophisticated setting, try the dining room at this small luxury hotel. The staff is expert in getting diners in and out in time for shows at the Music Center--and presumably could do the same for something at Staples.

535 S. Grand Ave.; (213) 624-0000. Main courses, $21 to $36.

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CICADA: Stephanie Taupin and Adelmo Zarif moved their West Hollywood establishment downtown into this stunning space in the Oviatt Building after the city’s most elegant Italian restaurant, Rex il Ristorante, closed here in 1997. The food is northern Italian in a hushed, upscale Art Deco setting. On weekend nights, there’s live music upstairs in the stylish bar, and you can kick up your heels on the small dance floor.

617 S. Olive St.; (213) 488-9488. Main courses, $22 to $32. Closed Sundays, and Saturdays at lunch.

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CIUDAD: The lively new Latin-inspired restaurant is from Border Grill’s Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. The theme is the cuisines of the great Latin cities of the world, which include a slew of vibrant entradas, or starters, and main courses from Havana, Rio, Buenos Aires, Lima and Barcelona--along with a tempting list of sipping rums. Try the Argentine rib eye stuffed with jalapenos and whole garlic cloves. Consider noshing on Ciudad’s inventive cuchifrito, or snacks, at the bar weekdays for Staples events that start early.

445 S. Figueroa St.; (213) 486-5171. Main courses, $12 to $22. Closed weekends at lunch.

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EMPRESS PAVILLION: This grande dame of Cantonese restaurants in Chinatown is most impressive on weekends, when it’s open until the late afternoon for dim sum. At dinner, try the steamed live shrimp, or any of the long list of classic seafood dishes. Service is fast and efficient, and it’s set up to handle a crowd.

Bamboo Plaza, 988 N. Hill St.; (213) 617-9898. Dinner dishes, $7 to $60.

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410 BOYD: This casual cafe in the arts district at the edge of Little Tokyo is a local hangout for artists, architects, lawyers and the young crowd who work or live downtown. The food is California with an attitude--inspired soups, interesting specials and good sandwiches. Blackened catfish with crispy fried onions and Cajun remoulade, anyone? And the bartender makes a mean Manhattan.

410 Boyd St.; (213) 617-2491. Main courses, $13 to $20. Closed weekends.

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KYOTO: The sleek contemporary sushi bar caters to a clientele that’s one-third Japanese. Next to it is a terrific tempura bar, where the chef will choose a menu for you, if you like, dipping each vegetable or piece of seafood into one of several batters. The frying is impeccable, the batter like lace. Try the kara age (fritter) of asparagus and tiny bay scallops. Check out the sake list, too. Kyoto closes early (9 p.m.), making it more suitable for pregame dining.

Wilshire Grand Hotel, 930 Wilshire Blvd.; (213) 896-3812. Dinners, $20 to $30. Closed weekends.*

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LA SERENATA DE GARIBALDI: Scheduled to reopen this month after a long closure for remodeling, this beloved Boyle Heights restaurant specializes in Mexican seafood.

La Serenata de Garibaldi, 1842 E. 1st St., Boyle Heights; (323) 265-2887.

langer’s deli Sadly, Langer’s no longer is open in the evenings, but before 4 p.m., you can get curbside service, or even better, hop on the Red Line to get there (if you’re driving, validated parking is available a block away, at 7th Street and Westlake Avenue). Pick up one of their overstuffed pastrami sandwiches, still the best in town. Get some pickles, too. Add a celery soda, and you’ll be all set.

704 S. Alvarado St.; (213) 483-8050. Pastrami sandwich, $8. Closed Sundays.

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MANDARIN DELI: Here is the spot for crisp pan-fried potstickers, steamed fish dumplings and a huge array of soups brimming with vegetables and handmade noodles and slivers of pork or chicken. Try the seaweed and tofu salads, too, and the stewed beef tendon perfumed with garlic. The original Chinatown locale is your basic Formica-table noodle house. The 2nd Street location is larger; it’s easier to get a table there.

727 N. Broadway, Chinatown; (213) 623-6054; 356 E. 2nd St., Little Tokyo; (213) 617-0231. Potstickers, $5. Noodle soups, $5 to $6.

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MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S: The downtown branch of this seafood chain that’s based in Portland, Ore., boasts a great bar, a jam-packed happy hour and dinner in a clubby seafood house setting. Go for the oysters on the half shell, the crab louie and the simpler grilled fish dishes. It opens at 4:30 p.m. on weekends, so this could be the place for an early dinner.

Library Tower, 633 W. 5th St.; (213) 629-1929. Main courses, $6 to $22. Closed weekends at lunch.

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NICK & STEF’S STEAKHOUSE: Opening this month, this steakhouse from Patina’s Joachim Splichal will feature two aging chambers, where guests will be able to select their steaks personally. Potato meister Splichal plans to offer a dozen potato sides and to give standard steakhouse appetizers and sides the Splichal touch. American desserts will be joined by French-influenced sweets. And the bar will offer an extensive martini menu.

Wells Fargo Center, 330 S. Hope St.; (213) 680-0330. Main courses, $22 to $33. Closed Sundays and Saturdays at lunch.

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OCEAN SEAFOOD: If you have a hankering for Cantonese seafood, you can’t go wrong with this Chinatown classic. Tucked in a Hill Street mall, Ocean Seafood offers live fish steamed on the bone with ginger and garlic, clams with black bean sauce, shrimp in many guises and a roster of classic Cantonese dishes. Dim sum is served at lunchtime.

750 N. Hill St., Chinatown; (213) 687-3088. Main courses, $8 to $15.

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ORIGINAL PANTRY CAFE: The original greasy spoon, now owned by Mayor Richard Riordan and celebrating its 75th birthday, is home of the gargantuan breakfast. The downtown landmark is always jammed (good thing it’s got its own ample parking lot). The food may not be stellar, but the price is definitely right.

877 S. Figueroa St.; (213) 972-9279. Main courses, $6 to $12. Open 24 hours.

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THE ORIGINAL TEXAS BARBECUE KING: At this Southern barbecue place, just west of Chinatown, rib racks, chicken and briskets are grilled on a smoke-blackened oil drum over hickory. The pork ribs are meaty and tender, the beef brisket generally juicy and the smoked chicken wonderfully moist. If you like your ‘que hot, rev up the mild-mannered barbecue sauce with some bottled pepper sauce. You can get any of the barbecued meats as a sandwich, too, plus a smoky 1/3-pound burger.

867 W. Sunset Blvd.; (213) 972-1928. Sandwiches, $4. Ribs, $9 to $10. Open until 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 8 p.m. Sundays.

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PACIFIC DINING CAR: One of the oldest restaurants in the city, modeled after a vintage railroad dining car, this steakhouse serves food 24 hours a day, which means even if that game goes into overtime, you can still head on over for a New York strip or some steak and eggs. It’s quiet and cozy, with excellent service and an extensive wine list, but it’s expensive for what it offers.

1310 W. 6th St.; (213) 483-6000. Steaks, $41 to $46. Open 24 hours.

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PHILIPPE THE ORIGINAL: Last October, this self-proclaimed “home of the French dip sandwich” celebrated its 90th birthday. Philippe’s French dip--made from beef, lamb, pork (all roasted in-house), ham, tuna or heart-healthy turkey--is still drawing the crowds to this exuberantly democratic spot with sawdust on the floor, communal tables and the best-stocked candy counter around. They’ve got a great little wine list by the glass, too. And for dessert, a wonderfully gooey coconut cream pie. Apply that ripsnorting Philippe’s mustard with care.

1001 N. Alameda St., Chinatown; 628-3781. French dip sandwiches, $4.

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R-23: The brick warehouse space, with its old wood floors and eccentric cardboard chairs, is an unusual setting for sushi. Just past Little Tokyo, it’s a little hard to find, so be sure to call for directions. In addition to sushi (served on handsome ceramic platters), you can order cooked dishes such as fried baby crabs or broiled yellowtail collar.

923 E. 3rd St.; (213) 687-7178. Sushi, $3 to $7 for two pieces. Closed Sundays and Saturdays at lunch.

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SEOUL JUNG: Remember this address in the Wilshire Grand Hotel for a Korean barbecue feast in handsome surroundings. Your waiter will help you grill kalbi (short ribs) and all the various meats and/or seafood. You also can stop in for such soulful Korean dishes as bi bim bap, a meal-in-a-bowl of rice topped with raw egg yolk, strips of rib eye beef, shiitake mushrooms and vegetables in a sizzling stoneware pot. Or order a hot pot of boiling broth, noodles and vegetables.

Wilshire Grand Hotel, 930 Wilshire Blvd.; (213) 688-7880. Main courses, $16 to $25.

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TRAXX: The grand 60-year-old Union Station now has a good little restaurant. Chef Tara Thomas turns out inventive contemporary California cuisine in a jewel box Art Deco setting, which offers sidewalk dining on the Grand Concourse. Order to suit your appetite from her menu of “small” and “big” plates. The Traxx bar across the station in the old telephone room could be a great place to hang before an event.

800 N. Alameda St.; (213) 625-1999. Main courses, $10 to $25. Closed Sundays and Saturdays at lunch.

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WATER GRILL: This attractive, clubby seafood restaurant made a big turnaround when Michael Cimarusti became the chef about 18 months ago. It offers impeccable oysters or giant seafood platters from the raw bar, the best clam chowder in town and fresh seafood cooked with imagination and verve. The wine list is worth noting, too. And desserts from pastry chef Wonyee Tom are worth a visit on their own merits.

544 S. Grand Ave.; (213) 891-0900. Dinner main courses, $18 to $34. Closed weekends at lunch.

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WINDOWS: Coinciding with the opening of the Staples Center, Tower restaurant at the top of the Transamerica building is changing its name and its concept--the latter to steaks and martinis. Its wraparound views and clubby setting make this the perfect place for a Bombay martini dry and a well-marbled Porterhouse. The kitchen accommodates diners attending sporting events with quick menu options. You can also leave your car there; parking is free for validated diners.

Transamerica Center, 1150 S. Olive St.; (213) 746-1554. Main courses, $9 to $33. Closed weekends at lunch.