Best Girl DTLA, Bistro Restaurant at The Ace Hotel, Los Angeles

Did you know, former, LA Chapter restaurant is now Best Girl DTLA?

Disclosure: I was hosted for dinner and drinks for two at Best Girl DTLA in exchange for a review. No conditions were made and all opinions are solely my own.

Given that Chef Michael Cimarusti (Providence and Connie and Ted’s) is responsible for the eclectic menu, my love for the food here makes total sense now.  I, however, did not know this when I happened to stumble upon this barely two day old restaurant last week.

Allow me to explain, and forgive me for getting side-tracked for a moment.

I love Christine H. McConnell, and have followed her on Instagram since the day I discovered her there. If you don’t know who she is, you will now. I have no words to describe how incredibly talented this lady is, in so many areas and on so many levels.

So, when I noticed an invitation to meet Ms. McConnell, attend a Murder on the Orient Express screening and a murder mystery hosted by her, I immediately clicked on her Instagram account to get tickets! Fortunately, I was one of the first to see the invitation and snagged two of these coveted tickets for the event at the Ace Theatre in downtown LA. I should mention, everyone was invited to dress in formal 1930s attire; it was so much fun!

The event also happened to be on my husband’s birthday, so when we planned the evening, we thought we’d have dinner somewhere near the theatre. Ta dah, how about next door? When I learned Best Girl DTLA had just been open for two days, it was quite exciting as I normally don’t venture anywhere within the first few days of its opening.

Best Girl DTLA

I was seated while my husband valeted the car. Our waiter, Adrianno, came to introduce himself with a strong Italian accent, so I asked. “You are Italian?” He confirmed, “Yes!” To which I responded, “Me too.” Then in perfect unison, we inquired, “Parli italiano?” and we laughed. This was the beginning to a lovely evening at Best Girl DTLA.

The cocktails weren’t run of the mill, and the same applied to the wine list (and more) and the fantastic menu. At Adrianno’s suggestion, I decided on The Sixth 13, a tequila, lime and Earl Grey vanilla syrup cocktail, and my husband had the Lucky Girl. This aptly named beverage was a combination of Pisco, lemon, grapefruit liqueur, hibiscus vermouth and luck! We both enjoyed our cocktails, although I was a bit more enamored of my husband’s drink, if I had to choose again.

Onto the food. Unfortunately, due to the fact that it gets dark so early in November, paired with the low lighting (which I loved) in the restaurant, my photos are absolutely not representative of how well presented the dishes were. My husband started with the freshest oysters (I had one to try), while I started with the crab cake.

The crab cake was made with jumbo lump crab, served with remoulade and pickles and I told Adrianno, it was so much better than the last crab cake I had on the east coast! (Sorry, east coast, but I cannot tell a lie.) I finished everything on my plate.

Antonio’s Amazing Crab Cakes

We ordered wine from the impressive wine list, but fear not, if you are not a wine drinker, as there are craft  beers to choose from, and even a dark cherry cider.

We both chose a French wine: I had the chilled Beaujolais, which was light, yet fruity, while my husband’s Braucol was a stronger red, and more suited to his pasta selection. What did he order? The calamarata with spicy pork ragu. A solid and very enjoyable pasta, but not as spicy as we both had expected.

My pasta dish, however, was something that made me swoon! Paccheri filled with bitter greens, served with bechamel, Parmigiano Reggiano and topped with fried sage leaves. It was one of those dishes that had me thinking that I had to make it at home after only the first bite. I would tell you to go to Best Girl DTLA just for this dish alone. And see that garlic bread on the side? Deliciousness.

The ladies sitting next to me heard me gushing compliments to Adrianno and ordered the same dish. Good choice, ladies, and kudos to Chef Adam Walker in the kitchen!

We didn’t have enough time for dessert, but Adrianno gave us two, perfectly warm and delectable chocolate chip cookies to go! I had spied a Bourbon sticky toffee pudding on the dessert menu, and it killed me not to try it. I’ll just have to go back!

If you’re in LA or plan to visit in the near future, give Best Girl DTLA a spot on your dining list. You won’t regret it.

Christine H. McConnell Presents Murder on the Orient Express

And in case you’re wondering about the event at the Ace Theatre DTLA with Christine McConnell: it was brilliant. I was elated to be able to meet Christine; she is incredibly humble and such a lovely lady!

I was “murdered” by the killer in the murder mystery game. Luckily, I only had to place a red dot on my forehead, and not pretend to fall over dead! I was simply in awe of the Ace Theatre’s lobby, where the game took place.

This short clip shows a bit of the evening’s events and atmosphere. I’m so happy that I was able to be part of it!

The theatre itself is also an architectural gem; the perfect place to see Murder on the Orient Express. Do go see the film; I thought it was a thoroughly enjoyable (I’m a rather harsh critic when it comes to movies)!

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*Thank you, Sarah, for letting me borrow your faux fur stole!