The Dart Hotel & Restaurant Opening Downtown in 2014

Chef Juan Pablo Torre of hospitality firm Tuck Ventures is building out a three floor, 14-room hotel with a restaurant and bar on Spring Street between 8th and 9th Street, slated to debut by the end of this year. Reps describe the F&B at The Dart Hotel & Restaurant as "upscale casual" with an "affordable menu."

While not yet a household name in Los Angeles, Torre most recently consulted on the menu at Eat.Drink.Americano in the Arts District, but before that helped develop properties in Europe. While The Dart Hotel & Restaurant is his focus at the moment, he intends to pursue "several" more projects in Southern California. [EaterWire]