John Sedlar’s Rivera to open Dec. 4
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John Sedlar says his new restaurant, Rivera, is set to open Dec. 4 -- that’s exactly one month after the election for all you tequila-loving politicos -- downtown at the Met Lofts at 11th and Flower. Rivera (Sedlar’s middle name) will feature a pan-Latin menu, with dishes drawn from Spanish, Portuguese, South American, Central American and regional Mexican cuisine -- with some Southwest from the chef’s native New Mexico thrown into the mix too. ‘It’s an unconventional definition of Latin,’ said Sedlar, who sounded very excited about getting back into the restaurant business after a 15-year absence.
Sedlar described the space (designed by partner Eddie Sotto) as ‘windows, windows, windows’ with a ‘vibrant metropolitan vibe’ featuring a Latin raw bar -- think yellowtail with mole verde -- 20 small- plates offerings and five ‘platos fuertos.’ Patrons can sit around a 16-seat communal table made from Red Dragon marble as servers bring tortillas made from house-made nixtamal and grilled on the big comal in the dining room. Sedlar recently planted a crop of agave in Mexico that he says will yield about 5,000 bottles of prime tequila in, oh, 11 years or so. In the meantime, guests can order flights of Rivera’s ‘tequila on tap’ with their tamales.
Rivera, 1050 S. Flower St., Los Angeles. www.riverarestaurant.com (no phone number yet).
-- Amy Scattergood
Rendering of Rivera courtesy Sotto Studios.
