Modern Mexican Spot FOH Quietly Debuts in Financial District

It looks like the transformation of the former Maria’s Italian Kitchen in the Financial District is complete. Replacement FOH (which, of course, is restaurant parlance for front of house) has rendered itself essentially un-Googleable, but still managed to have a Yelp page crop up during soft-opening.

For now, there’s not much to say about the redone space, which planned back in June to convert the former large-plate Italian joint into something more upscale. Though claiming a Modern Mexican menu, the restaurant itself is surprisingly old school, complete with century-old piano, deep tan touches, puffy booths, and a brushed floor. At least there’s lots of light pouring in from the frontage along Flower street.

The attached chef, one Rodrigo Cabeza de Vaca, hails from the Cabo San Lucas area and is known for said modern Mexican technique, with key ingredients like huitlacoche getting stuffed into ravioli, and slower preparations like a duck pibil. There’s a full booze license on offer, and surely a happy hour to come once the soft-opening wraps up.

FOH
615 S. Flower St.
Los Angeles, CA