When I first saw these two guys, Travis Matoesian and Alan Rudoy, on Main Street in Santa Monica cooking street food they love with just Gozney ovens and an induction burner, I thought to myself, this is the type of creativity and passion that makes LA's food scene so inspiring for so many. They describe their food as "Californian," although many ingredients are familiar, with new twists and turns in each and every bite, reflecting their Armenian and Russian-Jewish upbringing. They're third coast kids with pedigrees, having honed their craft at LA's top kitchens—where they worked doing 700 covers a night—which included stints at Bavel, Vespertine, and Poltergeist. They've now opened a quaint cafeteria in DTLA, Bahr Cafe, that's deserving of finding a home at places like LACMA or the Petersen. The lamb neck shawarma on pillowy pita is as good as anyone's in LA—yes, even you, Ori Menashe—and their Taiwanese tea selection, like oolong, makes me long to go back. The heart it takes to break off on your own, to do something different and make a difference in LA, is truly remarkable. Watch out for El Gato Negro and the LA Kids with Two Gozney Ovens—whatever they do next, I'm sure will be on everyone's radar.
Restaurant Spotlight•
Bahr Cafe: LA's Third Coast Kids Bring Gozney-Fired Magic to Downtown
By Bron Hager
TLDR:
Two LA chefs with top-tier pedigrees bring Armenian and Russian-Jewish flavors, Gozney ovens, and creative heart to a new DTLA cafeteria that's as inspiring as it is delicious.
