Towne Food & Drink, a colossal new restaurant and lounge under chefs Eric Hara (New York’s davidburke & donatella, Pier 9, and The Oak Room) and Ryan Morrison (former director of culinary development for Scarpetta), opens for dinner tomorrow at 6:00 P.M. on Downtown’s Ninth Street. Conceived by owner Armen Shirvanian, of Pasadena’s Mi Piace, Towne is dedicated to a menu of American classics bulked up through unique cuts and novel touches, with dishes like bone marrow matzoh ball soup, tuna tartare with duck cracklings, wood-grilled steaks and short ribs, kampachi tacos, handmade pastas, “pigs in a blanket” with smoky lobster instead of pork, beef cheek pot-roast, savory pies, and chicken liver popcorn.
All three meals will be served daily (lunch service begins next week), with desserts from Tamara Davis, the pastry chef formerly at Bottega Louie and Boule, and cocktails by The Roger Room’s Jason Bran. We took a look into the 7,000-square-foot Watermarke Tower space, with a grand design of red leather banquets, over-sized chandeliers, and a semi-open kitchen by architect Mark Zeff, and also had a look at some of Hara and Morrison’s dishes.
Check out the full dinner menu below and come take a look at what awaits at Towne in our slideshow.
Towne Food & Drink, 705 W 9th St. Downtown. 213-623-2366.
Dinner Menu
STARTERS
Slow Cooked Baby Carrots/ honeycomb/spiced almonds/ricotta salata 9
Line Caught Tuna Tartar/ apple/sea urchin/duck crackling/tapioca crackers 12
Watermelon Greek Salad/ feta/olives/cucumbers 9
Ceviche of Razor Clam/ cilantro/mint/piquillo pepper/basil oil 12
Kampachi “Tacos”/ avocado/hijiki/aji Amarillo 12
Tuscan Kale Salad/ Roasted Enoki/Monterey Jack/ Chili and garlic vinaigrette 9
Baby Vegetable Garden/ Ranch 9
SHARED
Farmhouse Egg & Olive Salad/ slow poached eggs/ grilled country bread 8
Lobster “Mac” 14
Bone Marrow Matzo Ball Soup/ shiitakes/beef consommé 9
Wood Grilled Octopus/ roasted heirloom tomato/artichokes 10
Toad in a Hole/ warm bacon vinaigrette/frisee (all day) 15
Brioche-Crusted Kumomoto Oyster with creamed kale/guanciale 10
Chicken Liver Popcorn with yoghurt/zatar 14
Pastrami Pork Belly Sliders/housemade sauerkraut/1000 island/swiss 9
Warm Pretzels/ fontina cheese sauce 6
Lobster Smokey “Pig in a Blanket”/ mustard seed relish/lobster mayo 12
Spiced Dry Roasted Mussels/ chili/ lemon/ garlic 10
PASTA & PIES
Lamb Sausage/ Broccoli rabe/ Smoked Mozzarella 14
Chorizo/ Mustard greens/ Tellagio 14
Artichoke /sheep milk ricotta/egg sauce /bacon/Fontina 14
Zucchini with blossom/burrata/white anchovy 18
Spicy Octopus/ prosciutto/ arugula 14
House made Cavatelli/lobster/oven-dried tomatoes 19
Tagliatelle/braised rabbit/minted peas 17
Spaghetti/ Crab/ Sea Urchin 20
White Bean Ravioli/smoked ham hock broth/ swiss chard 16
COMPOSED
Roasted Bluenose bass/ eggplant caponata/ parsley root puree 23
Whole Roasted Market Fish MP
Chorizo-Crusted Cod/swiss chard/borlotti beans/chorizo emulsion 20
Planche Skate/cauliflower/spinach/hazelnuts/caper berries 19
Ground Brisket Burger/onion marmalade/ sourdough gnocchi/roasted root vegetables/popover 15
Crispy Pork Shank/sweet & sour cabbage tellagio/pretzel bun 12
Glazed Beef Cheek Pot Roast/whole grain mustard spatzle/mustard jus 18pp
Seared Dayboat Scallops/ summer citrus/ coconut broth/ garlic chips 19
WOOD-GRILL
Halibut T-bone for 2/ Shell fish bordelaise 15pp
“Korean” BBQ short rib/Roasted Maitaki? Curried shoe strings/ parsley garlic sauce 18
Organic free-range chicken/slow cooked leeks/corn pudding 19
Bone-in 28 day aged Prime Creekstone Strip loin 46 Bone-in 28 day aged Prime Creekstone Rib eye 46
Served with choice of sauce: Bone Marrow butter/ Miso Béarnaise/ A2 sauce/ Choice of side
