Fundamental’s Bright All-Day Vibes Pair Nicely With Downtown LA

Fundamental LA, a small but plucky restaurant in Westwood that’s persisted for the last six years, finally opens a second location, this time in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles on the ground floor of a large residential building. Dubbed Fundamental DTLA, founders Jeffrey Faust and Woogene Lee will start the place off with breakfast and lunch, a boon for office and local denizens, with dinner service to come. The place opens October 13 with chef Andy Lee at the helm with seating for 40 and six at the bar. A patio looks out to Grand Avenue for another 16 diners.

The morning brings coffee, croissants, biscuits (from Good Gravy Bakes’ Beth Kellerhals), kouign amanns, and a slew of baked bread loaves. Breakfast sandwiches, granola, avocado toast, and a grain bowl round out the requisite morning offerings. Lunch stays grounded in over a dozen sandwiches, priced affordably from $10 to 13 with choices like roast beef with pickled cucumbers and their signature green goddess chicken with Korean green beans.

Soups and some vegetable-oriented sides roundout the daytime menu. Like Fundamental’s Westside original, the easy-going menu stays approachable while preparing things in-house or using original recipes rather than sticking to predictable classics. Eater Young Gun Alicia Kemper oversees a natural and small-producer wine list, with cocktails available once dinner service commences. The fresh interior look comes from Lucinda Pacé of Concept XL, who collaborated with Lee and Faust on the spacious, modern feel.

Fundamental LA. 750 Grand Avenue #30. Los Angeles, CA 90017