separating ‘church and state’ from the arts district
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Still winding down from its grand opening last week, French brasserie Church & State seems to be well-received in its new home at Biscuit Company Lofts.
A surge of people and vehicular traffic to the block of Mateo and Industrial can all be attributed to the new restaurant, ramping up the area’s appeal which has been suffering from shop closures and a recent loft project cancellation by developer Linear City.
Over dinner on a recent weekday, angelenic and company decided to take a spin around Church & State’s menu, hoping to experience for ourselves the positive experience shared by readers.
First impressions, selections were higher-end than expected with prices to match. Being familiar with a few of restaurateur Steve Arroyo’s other establishments — Malo and Cobras & Matadors — portion sizes were immediately a concern.
Trying not to be phased by the bill we were about to commit to, we opted for the full dining experience, each ordering an entree with starter plates and a bottle of Chateau La Fleur Bibian Bordeaux for the table.
Once those decisions had been made, the attention turned to the lively setting around us.
The dining room was surprisingly full, and every table seemed to be enjoying their meals. Back-of-house staff were hustling over food preparation, in clear view to anyone inside or outside thanks to the bright, exposed kitchen area.
String lights are a charming touch to a space dominated by brick floors, subway-tiled walls and large rustic mirrors, giving Church & State an East Coast industrial chic look Downtowners might compare to Pete’s Cafe. Music was contemporary and up-tempo, but bordering on too loud for conversation.
Despite demand on the kitchen, the waiter returned promptly with our wine and food. Plate presentations were simple and within minutes portions of grilled halibut, duck confit, scallops and bacon-wrapped trout were being passed around the table.
In short, the food is exquisite, flavorful and tender, but everything was served a la carte — making the $24 cost per plate hard to swallow and leaving us arms-crossed, wanting more. Even the complimentary bread was served sparingly with a small pat of butter.
Luckily, a forgotten plate of green beans arrived late, and all four of us dug in like a mad game of Hungry Hungry Hippos.
We also had no trouble polishing off the final drop of vino, one of the many exceptional picks from a long, impressive list.
For those seeking out an upscale dining experience and knowing what’s in store, Church & State will not disappoint.
The problem is, unlike Royal Claytons’s neighborhood-serving vibe across the street, Church & State isn’t the kind of eatery residents will want to patronize often — at least not if they want to be friendly on their bank accounts.
With so many other restaurants of a high caliber in more accessible parts of the city, particularly Downtown, can a high-end French brasserie survive in this relatively remote pocket past its initial honey-moon period… in today’s economy?
I hope the answer is yes, but if most people are like me, one visit is enough.
Church & State Bistro
1850 Industrial Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
213-405-1434
churchandstatebistro.com
Permanent Hours:
Mon-Thurs: Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner 6:00pm-10:00pm
Friday: Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner 6:00pm-11:00pm
Saturday from 6:00pm-11:00pm
Closed Sundays
4 comments
I so want Church and State to be a success. I live in the Biscuit lofts and had been patiently awaiting their opening for more than a year now. The place looks amazing, the staff are great and I know its only been a few weeks, but after three nights of dining there, I have to say I am disappointed. I agree re price point too high, dishes too small, and although the food very good… quite frankly, I expected a little more interesting bang- for-my-rather-hefty-buck”. Come on guys… I know you have it in you. The fact that I (and a few other local diners) had to hit Royal Claytons across the street for a post dinner “meal” is a little bit of a concern. That said, I am stoked to have you in the neighborhood… I know you are not our building’s cafeteria, but please. throw us a bone here…
I agree with Jo and Stephen, although I would say the food was good/very good, not exquisite. My husband and I went mid-week, had two glasses of wine and two entrees and walked out hungry and $90 poorer. Perplexed when the glasses of wine arrived, we asked if she had mistakenly served us the half-glasses. Nope. I had to pace myself for that glass to last through my small entree…a steak frites which I didn’t find to be a true French steak frites. I also really want Church and State to succeed. I want to go back! At that price point, though, my wallet says once was DEFINITELY enough and it’s looking like other people feel the same. What a shame.
To sum it up in one sentence: This place needs to get its act together.
I spent in excess of $100 on lackluster service, mediocre food & extremely skimpy wine pours. In relation to drinks, it’s tough to pace yourself when your food is served 30-40 minutes after your initial order. Then, when your food arrives (and you need another drink to go with your meal) the waiter is no where to be found.
Since this is a “new” restaurant, at the least, you try an give it the benefit of the doubt. You would expect a few quirks here and there - but this was literally a circus; clowns included.
The worst thing about the overall experience was the waiter even admitted how poor the service was and didn’t even comp us a round of drinks for the repeated problems we encountered - unbelievable!
Stay clear of this place for a couple months until they can get a grip on how to run a restaurant.
At this point in the game, Royal Claytons (across the street) may be the better alternative – and that’s not saying much.
If you’r up for a little drive, and like these type of restaurants - check out Palate in Glendale. great service, wine and food selection - you wont be disappointed.
The wife and I tried to check out Church and State last night.
We had reservations for 7:45pm and were seated right when we got there. We probably didn’t need the reservations, but the wife likes to use OpenTable.com.
Our table was right in the middle of the indoor dining area.
C&S wasn’t packed…there were quite a few tables available.
We scanned the menu…and sat there for about 20 minutes without a single person acknowledging our presence.
Of the 3 or 4 servers/bus staff on last night, none of them even bothered to look me in the eye when I was trying to get someone’s attention…they simply walked by us because, apparently, we weren’t their problem…
No one took our drink orders…no one approached us and said they’d be with us shortly…
Around 8:10pm, the wife and I just got up and walked out…
The one C&S employee who noticed us was the hostess who sat us…and when we walked out and told her why we were leaving, all she said was “Sorry” and turned right around and went about her business…
I hear the food is pretty good…but I don’t intend on finding out anytime soon, if at all…
I agree with MLA^, stay away from this place for a while…a long while…