One of the other restaurants we chose to cover for the Summer Issue of LA Confidential was Chef John Sedlar Rivera's new restaurant on Beverly in the former Grace space, Playa.In the beautifully redone restaurant, he departs from his upscale Mexican mien and delivers international cuisine in combinations that dazzle the eye and the palate.
Take a look at what I ate (and what you should order!) below.
Link: http://la-confidential-magazine.com/dining/articles/summer-of-dining-in-la
Playa
Having evolved from his modern Mexican restaurant Rivera, owner/executive chef John Sedlar’s acclaimed Downtown LA restaurant, Playa, features a more casual take on Latin-inspired fare. The name and ambiance of the newly renovated space (formerly Grace)—highlighted by a lively open kitchen—are meant to evoke LA’s laid-back coastal lifestyle, as well as a relaxed urban-Latin vibe.
Seasonal platos, which incorporate local ingredients, include maize cakes with pork-belly confit, chile-lime jicama, pickled mango, masala and raita espuma; and the playfully titled Octo-Palm, made with grilled octopus, palm hearts, scallions and oven-dried cherry tomatoes and red onions. Sedlar aims to dazzle with pan-seared loup de mer with five tongue-twisting sauces—romesco, chimichurri, salsa verde, aji amarillo and aji panca—and equally complex (in a good way) desserts such as the Luna Mezcal chocolate cake with chocolate glaze, mezcal ice cream, caramel popcorn and Spanish peanuts.
For a different kind of treat, try a bottle from the wine list, which comes mostly from the Spanish-speaking world, or a cocktail like the Pear-blossom Highway with El Diablito pisco, Bartlett pear, Clear Creek eau de vie, citrus, Chartreuse and pear leather. 7360 Beverly Blvd., LA; playarivera.com
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