In an absolutely huge coup for Los Angeles, it seems that former Manresa chef de cuisine and James Beard Award winner Jessica Largey will be stepping in to run her own restaurant in the Arts District Downtown. The upcoming spot, to be called Simone, has plans to arrive late this year.
The news was first debuted by the LA Times, who say Largey will be partnering with Bruno Bagbeni (Fraiche, Bastide) and longtime film and television director Joe Russo to bring Simone to life late this fall or early winter. The restaurant is slated to debut inside an old building on Hewitt Street right next to Urth Cafe, and will likely be a good deal more casual than Manresa, David Kinch’s beloved three-Michelin seasonal restaurant in Los Gatos.
For now, things like menu and full design details are still in flux, but Largey tells the Times that there will be room for lots of wine, an on-site butchery, and a rooftop garden. There will be a small chef’s counter for six-seat tasting menu dinners, but otherwise Simone is expected to become the next in a wonderful line of upscale casual, seasonally-focused Downtown restaurants to arrive in the past couple of years.
Back in the spring of last year, Largey left her post at Manresa after a six-year run at the genre-defining restaurant. The James Beard Award winner (for rising star chef) has spent quite a bit of time traveling since then, but actually worked as a line cook for a time years ago at Providence here in Los Angeles after going to culinary school in Pasadena. Expect Simone to open by the end of the year in the Arts District.
Simone
447 S. Hewitt St.
Los Angeles, CA