The Gorbals

The Gorbals

501 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013

For those of you who know me, you know my favorite type of bar is a speakeasy, and more generally, anything hidden/obscure.  Not those cheesy knock-offs claiming to be "speakeasy-esque", where the interior is made to look like a 1920's Prohibition-style underground drinking den, but the actual bar happens to be located on a major street with a giant neon sign reading something insulting like, "Speakeasy Bar".  [So much for "speaking easy", I guess.]  No, what I'm talking about is the kind of place where you have to walk down a hidden dark alley, around a few homeless guys and a dumpster with used heroin needles, down a sketchy flight of stairs, to a closed iron door where you need a secret password to get in, and then just when your date's about to mace you and run for her life, the large door opens and you escort her into a dimly-lit upscale establishment where the staff knows what they're doing and does it well.

So, The Gorbals of DTLA isn't quite that extreme; it isn't a speakeasy, nor does it claim to be.  But on a weekday night, it ranks very high on my list.  [I say "weekday," because the restaurant is located in the trendy/upcoming area along Gallery Row (5th & Spring), which can be pretty crowded and overrun with hipsters on the weekend; but mid-week, the scene's completely different and you're anxiously aware of how close you are to Skid Row.]

The Gorbals is located inside the lobby area of the historic Alexandia Hotel - one of Downtown Los Angeles' most notable landmarks, built in 1906 and formerly lauded as one of the most luxurious hotels in the country (frequented by Winston Churchill, William Taft and Theodore Roosevelt, to drop a few names), but recently renovated and currently serving as a low-income housing project.  The restaurant itself is marked only by a subtle, almost hidden sign, displayed above a thick wooden door, which is usually closed (making you think, "If there was a restaurant here, it's closed").  The door opens into a dimly-lit, simple yet romantic, small but uncrowded restaurant, with a modern looking stainless steel bar wrapping around the quaint room, accompanied by funky wooden art pedestal bar stools, large wooden communal tables, and a collection of small candlelit tables scattered throughout the darker areas atop the century-old tiled floor.

The restaurant was created by owner/chef, Ilan Hall, best known as the winner of the 2nd season of Top Chef, so you know the food's good. The place itself, as well as its food, was inspired by the Gorbals - a slum-like neighborhood in Glasgow, Scottland, where Hall's father had grown up; the kind of place widely known as a dangerous melting pot of poor immigrants (mainly Jewish, Indian and Pakistani) and multi-cultural food.

Likewise, The Gorbals is an amalgam of many different ethnicities and tastes, not limited to a certain style or cuisine, and is self-described as "Scottish, Jewish, Spanish, American; it is haggis burgers, paella, chicken skin sandwiches, gefilte fish 'n chips, and bacon-wrapped matzoh balls."

The menu offers a host of interesting and eclectic options (the bacon-wrapped matzoh balls are hugely popular), as well as a full bar, serving beer, wine, spirits and specialty cocktails.  So whether you're looking for a romantic dinner, a late night snack, or just a drink, The Gorbals has it all!

Oh, and for extra fun, make a right after leaving the restaurant, walk into another hallway, make a quick left up an unmarked flight of stairs [as though casually walking to someone's apartment], follow the music through another door, and you'll literally stumble into The Mezz - a hidden burlesque/jazz bar on the 2nd floor of the Alexandria.

All in all, The Gorbals has a great mix of ingredients that makes for a truly unique experience: a diamond-in-the-rough feel just outside Skid Row, hidden behind a closed door inside a blighted historic landmark currently serving as a housing project; upscale yet unpretentious; artsy but simple; dark hallways, corridors and unmarked stairs... For 2012, make this place a must.  And while you might be tempted, you probably won't need your mace.