Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/970887
s p r i n g 2 0 1 8 | 5 1 Any foodie or industry vet worth their salt has heard of the NoMad hotel. Known more for its food and beverage program courtesy of Make It Nice hospitality than its hotel rooms, the NoMad bar is the hipper, less formal sibling of Make It Nice's other dining establishment, the famed Eleven Madison Park. With a stylish lobby bar, a mezzanine dining area that gives a stunning view of the 1920's architecture, and restrooms built in a former bank vault, the NoMad has arrived in Downtown Los Angeles to make its indelible mark on the West Coast culinary and cocktail scene. Executive Chef Chris Flint joined the team at Eleven Madison Park in 2008, helping it earn three Michelin stars before opening NoMad in New York in 2012, and relocating to open NoMad in Downtown Los Angeles. Although signature dishes like the roast chicken for two are a mainstay on the new Left Coast menu, Flint and his team were careful to create a menu that fit California sensibilities. Flint enthuses, "Los Angeles is a really exciting food city. I've done so much eating in Thai Town, Korean- town, and Mexican restaurants; it's a whole new level compared to New York." That global influence is apparent in dishes like the Santa Barbara uni with nori crepes and accompaniments that allow guests to create their own tacos. Flint adds, "We're really excited to test out a new market here; it's a chef's dream to live in Southern California because of the climate and all the local produce. I've discovered so many types of citruses that I didn't even know existed! Seasonality is very different here than in New York, and we're letting that lead us to create new items for the menu with West Coast ingredients that inspire us, whether it's the aforementioned citrus, abalone, or geoduck." OPENINGS A HOME IN California by Jesse Hom-Dawson NYC'S NOMAD HOTEL MAKES ITS WEST COAST DEBUT One of the NoMad's classic dishes is a roasted chicken with foie gras, basted in butter and served two different ways. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NOMAD The Ma Cherie cocktail is a cool refresher with fino sherry, lime, falernum, Green Chartreuse, celery, cucumber, and salt.