
LOS ANGELES: CHURCH & STATE
Americans love the idea of a second chance, watching someone persist until they get it right. So there’s something especially hype about the successful rebooting of Church & State, a French bistro in downtown Los Angeles. The place always had a great look—carnival lights, antique mirrors, brick floor, and a great location in the vintage Nabisco building—but it wasn’t until the talented chef Walter Manzke (formerly of Bastide) arrived earlier this year that the food began to match the charming atmosphere. For lunch we had a moist, bacon-y roasted chicken à la Bourgeoise with pearl onions and carrots, and a croque-monsieur so light and fluffy it could have doubled as a tea sandwich. Santa Barbara spot prawns, accompanied by garlic aïoli and topped with a handful of English peas and fresh wild arugula from Manzke’s parents’ garden is on the top of our to have list. The place was noisy, the tables full, the prices reasonable. Church & State is in a somewhat dicey neighborhood, but who doesn’t want to support a comeback, especially in this town? 848 Industrial St., Los Angeles (213-405-1434; churchandstatebistro.com)