Generally speaking, restaurant openings do not go smoothly or according to schedule. But for Lorrana Porras of the recently opened Le Pour Haus, things couldn't have fallen into place any better. "I got the keys on Sunday and opened the doors on Tuesday," says the first time restauranteur and former wine distributor. "I was talking to the owners and pitched them this idea... and they said, OK!" And just like that, a(nother) wine bar was born. Porras, who was most recently with Henry Wine Group and Veritas Imports, didn't believe that the enomatic wine system could thrive on downtown's Industrial Street -- "it's a lot of wine to have open at a time," -- and is testing the temperature of the neighborhood for a small plates, by-the-glass wine bar that also serves grab-and-go lunch. Not meant to compete with any neighboring businesses (including Church & State and Daily Dose), Porras is focused on bringing in hyper-local purveyors and friends to contribute to the concept.
Chef Mario Perez (Tortuga Bay) is offering menu guidance; local bread master Bread Lounge delivers bread daily and soon Porras hopes to bring in Dominick's dips and pestos from The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. "If I can get it from around the corner, I will," says Porras of her desire to use the neighborhoods energy and products to inspire. If customers want pizza, Le Pour Haus will arrange for delivery from nearby Pizzanista. While the concept isn't fully fleshed out yet, Porras hopes to serve a simple lunch daily consisting of a soup, stromboli and salad. Dinner's small plates currently include spiced nuts, cheese/charcuterie, and, for dessert, Le Pour S'mores with house-made marshmallows. Open daily now for dinner, Le Pour Haus will eventually serve from 12PM to 12AM with happy hour from 4PM to 7PM daily.
·Le Pour Haus Wine Bar Now Pouring Downtown [~ELA~]
·Swill Automatic, Tsujino Hana, Primi al Mercato Donzo [~ELA~]