Downtown Weekly LA

DOWNTOWN THE SPIRIT OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM VOL 17. NO. 09 OCT 13TH - OCT 20TH 2022

DTLA IT CAME FROM THE SEA

OOToro SUSHI

PLAYWRIGHT

LUIS ALFARO

REVIEWS "SCENE WITH CRANES"

The LONELY

OYSTER

SUPERFINE SUPERFINE ARTFAIR ART FAIR

THE FRESH CATCH OF DOWNTOWN WEEKLY

ON THE COVER OOTORO SUSHI

VOL 17. NO. 09 OCT 13TH - OCT 20TH 2022 - WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM

location: LITTLE TOKYO PHOTO COURTESY OOTORO SUSHI

THE BAIT

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SOLD! CLIFTON'S BUILDING FOR $8.6 MIL... 4 IT CAME FROM THE SEA - THE LONELY OYSTER...5 OOTORO JAPANESE SUSHI RESTAURANT ...6 #SURVIVING DTLA ....8 “Scene with Cranes” Reviewed by Luis Alfaro....9 Superfine Art Fair Returns...10 DTLA WEEKLY

editor and chief KERI FREEMAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

JACKSON ROBERTS KERI FREEMAN ABEL WEISS LUIS ALFARO

photography GARY LEONARD ERIC EPPERSON

VIDEO Production

@kerieatsdtla design and layout @kerieatsdtla

social media

@kerieatsdtla ART HUNTER

Special thanks to...

MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES & Council district 14 THE CITY OF LA ARTS DISTRICT CHINATOWN CIVIC DISTRICT BUNKER HILL EXPO/USC HISTORIC CORE LITTLE TOKYO FASHION DISTRICT FINANCIAL DISTRICT SKID ROW SOUTH PARK WAREHOUSE DISTRICT THEGRAWN ARTWALK NEWS

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4 DTLA REAL ESTATE EMPIRE: BY ABEL WEISS

VOL 17. NO. 09 OCT 13TH - OCT 20TH 2022 - WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM

DTLA REAL ESTATE EMPIRE

SOLD! Andrew Meieran Sells Iconic Clifton’s Building for $8.6mil

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os Angeles real estate investment firm Robhana Group has acquired Andrew Meieran’s Clifton’s Cafeteria, aka Clifton’s Republic for $8.6 million.

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staple of the Bringing Back Broadway movement, the return of Clifton’s Republic in early 2022 stood as a beacon of hope for a struggling Downtown – resiliantly shining light on an otherwise destitute portion of Broadway left darkened by the pandemic.

In the years prior to the shutdowns, the building (which keeps the world’s oldest neon light still burning in the basement),

became a labor of love for former owner Andrew Meieran who spent the last 12 years of his life refurbishing the old relic.

Adding to its interior of existing fountains, corridors and hard wood floors, Meieran’s “Cabinet of Curiosities” was filled with everything from vintage taxidermy peacocks and olden day furnishings to a 6 billion year old meteorite.

Meieran, who bought the building for just under $4 million in 2011, put in an earnest effort to restore the former cafeteria founded back in 1931 by missionary and all around do-gooder, Clifford Clinton.

While nostalgia and cafeteria favorites kept the doors open since old Grandpa Clifton’s care, when Meieran first reopened Clifton’s Cafeteria after a decade of reconstruction, guests found Meieran had filled his multi-level wonder from top to bottom with a collection of oddities, antiques, secret bars, flappers, live bands and good ole fashion cocktails.

The Party Won’t Stop

Weekends at Clifton’s promise long lines and a packed house after 11:30 as visitors anxiously partake in their chance to show off their dance moves under the clubs giant faux redwood tree.

Dubbed by Downtown Weekly LA as the Disneyland for party goers, time-traveling Meieran with the help of skilled musicians, dance troupes and rotating group of mixologists, successfully transported visitors back to the days of the downtown Speakeasy.

Despite the transfer of ownership it looks like the party won’t stop. It’s said Clifton’s signed a long-term lease with the new owner so that the nightclub would remain open.

Speaking of nightclubs, rumor has it, Meieran’s team will be reopening the Edison in the basement of the Higgins Building some time in the near future.

DTLA APPETITE: THE LONELY OYSTER BY KERI FREEMAN

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IT CAME FROM THE SEA

The More the Merrier at The Lonely Oyster of Echo Park

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ecently opened this past September, Lonely Oyster Bar became the only restaurant of its kind in Echo Park.

Sommelier Adam Ohler’s wine list consisting of Californian and European favorites, are meant to pair well with all of Lonely Oyster’s seafood dishes.

Tally the cocktail and starter by adding a glass of wine.

Three is not a crowd at The Lonely Oyster.

Time to make even more new friends. There are six rotating flavor types of Oysters (depending on which picks are fresher each day) on the iced oyster he latest sea fearing bed, shucked and served with adventure for Don Andes three very compatible sauces.

(Little Joy) along with Creative Director Jena Corbin, Oyster team Sommelier Adam Ohler, Oyster members Aficionado Dillon Turner, and share General Manager Sam Valle is now setting the bar for what it means to have the most quaint seafood destination in the region.

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Serving a variety of fresh catch from coast to coast, The Lonely Oyster is the one place guests can catch high-quality weekend brunch menus, nighttime cocktails and late night eats all on the same hook.

Feeling lonely? There’s nothing like a date with a signature cocktail to break the ice and make some new aquatic acquaintances.

Mixologist Sam Tiews never fails to intoxicate cocktail lovers with her special set of skills, shaken and stirred.

Add a starter bowl of Seafood Chowder or Shrimp Arancini for the beginnings of a beautiful relationship.

varieties of steamed Tiger Shrimp,

their knowledge of where the oysters originate, what distinguishes each of them as far as flavor, and how the process of collecting these briny mates works toward a more sustainable planet – giving new meaning to the phase, “The world is your oyster.”

Variety is the spice of life.

Lonely Oyster’s Seafood Boils and combination “Plateaus” come loaded with chosen

Manila Clams, Uni Cavi Wontons, Scallop Carpaccio, Peruvian Cerviche, Chilled Pei Mussels and Lobster. Invite a few delicious Grilled Veggie Skewers, Old Bay Fries, and Mac n Cheese that top the list.

Lobster Cobb Salads, Short Rib and Brisket Blend Burgers, Fish N Ships, Lebanese Branzino, Lobster Rolls and Coco-Curry Shells also make for the best of friends at the Lonely Oyster.

Open seven days a week, Weekend Brunch at The Lonely Oyster serves plates of Lobster Hash, Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, and Banana Brioche French Toast that go hand in hand with Bellinis, Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas.

If one is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do, then please, let everyday bring at least one dine in experience at the Lonely Oyster. The more the merrier.

The Lonely Oyster is located at 1320 Echo Park Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90026 and is open 7 days a week from 5pm to 12am week nights and 12pm to 12am on the weekends. @the_lonely_oyster

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DT APPETITE - OOTORO BY KERI FREEMAN

VOL 17. NO. 09 OCT 13TH - OCT 20TH 2022 - WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM

OOTORO JAPANESE SUSHI

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n the corner of 2nd and San Pedro stands Ootoro Japanese Sushi restaurant a popular go-to for appetites looking to indulge in the freshest sushi and sashimi around town.

Little Tokyo is home to the first sushi bars in America with newly opened Ootoro expanding Little Tokyo’s dining experience with an emphasis on taste and visual presentation that goes unmatched in the District.

Best friends and lifelong Sushi Chefs Kun-Wu San and Okabe San head the establishment, both working meticulously to prepare each dish with utmost precision, giving every sliver the greatest attention to the slightest detail.

Today, sushi is considered an art in Japan. However, few know the origins of sushi date back to the Han Dynasty in China around the second century A.D. Flash forward a thousand years later with sushi making its way to Japan and quickly rising in popularity.

This creation and evolution of sushi thanks to two separate nations parallel the origin of Ootoro and the lives of its head chefs; Kim-Wu San who began his formal sushi education in Taiwan 19 years ago and Okabe San of Japan who has been working on his craft since the earliest days he can remember, being the small son of a sushi Chef in Tokyo, Japan.

Respectfully, this union of like hearts and minds allows the doors to swing open for a diverse crowd of sushi lovers worldwide, night after night at Ootoro Japanese Sushi Restaurant.

Currently, Ootoro is offering Omakase and Wine Pairing Dining experiences to launch its new bar program. The new menu items include Kusshi Oysters, nigiri sushi, unique appetizers paired with select wines, and signature cocktails.

Omakase at Ootoro is remarkable not only for the veteran sushi connoisseur finally reaching the zenith of all Sushi

experiences, but for the beginning palate, indulging in the selections of two of our city’s most talented, experienced, and dedicated sushi Chefs is priceless. “Dishes and fishes” change seasonally, meaning many times guests will experience sensations they’ve never tried before at the mercy of the Chef’s content, and that’s Ooootoro?

ADVERTISE WITH US...888-732-DTLA - editor@dtlaweekly.com

Yes, Ooootoro!

TORO means tuna in Japanese. The O in Otoro takes this a cut further referring to the most seductive fatty underbelly slices of the tuna, Otoro, known to melt in your mouth. Encircle Otoro with an extra O in the logo, add a bit of Japanese stress accent, and discover the real feeling behind the Otoro Japanese Sushi experience…

OOOOTORO.

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The true measure of enchantment can only be found by the look of happiness on the face of each diner.

Looking around each of the Ootoro seating areas, including the restaurant’s

OOOOTORO

for timeless sashimi selects of thinly sliced Yellow Tail, Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp, Squid, Eel, Octopus, Scallops, and Sea Urchin served by a friendly and knowledgeable staff.

OOOOTORO

for extravagant Bento boxes, hand-rolls, stir-fried side dishes and crispy tempuras perfect for take-out and delivery or outside seating.

OOOOTORO

– for the new cocktail program featuring the Architect of Bartenders, Mr. Erik J. Lund alongside a new menu of tempuras and fried tapas.

As if partaking in the primal pleasures of consuming dishes so fresh sometimes they’re still moving isn’t the end all, presented delightfully before you at Ootoro, each sogigiri or hirazukuri slice is crowned with a hint of real Wasabi placed within handcrafted ceramics. Adorned with tiny flowers and other gifts of nature, some plates port the shells of the delicious bites that used to inhabit them.

Yet, it’s never enough to gauge the enormity of pleasure great sushi can bring by looks alone. Nor is it proper to give all the accolades to the chefs, however talented and experienced they may be.

long, spot-lit sushi bar, private party rooms, and intimate dining tables, expect to see plenty of wide eyes, nodding heads in approval, and closedlip smiles so as not to let the sushi escape. There may even be one or two faces of disbelief and a few diners standing, taking a breath between bites as the realization sinks in, Ootoro Japanese Restaurant takes pleasure seriously.

Ootoro Japanese Sushi is located at 232 E. 2nd Street #E, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Ootoro open 11:30 to 2pm, 5pm to 9:30-10pm most days with exception of Sunday and Monday. @ootorola

8 DTLA - TO BE OR NOT TO BE? REVIEW BY LUIS ALFARO

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VOL 17. NO. 09 OCT 13TH - OCT 20TH 2022 - WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM

Electrified at REDCAT – Octavio Solis’ “Scene with Cranes” Reviewed by Renowned Playwright Luis Alfaro

n other worlds, we are legends, avant gardists, multilanguage poets and experimental playwrights who write to the moment.

But, in this world, we remind ourselves that the way cultural genocide works is by making our erasure justifiable.

Oh, this world.

belongs to a community that include veteran artists like Migdalia Cruz, Cherrie Moraga, Nilo Cruz, Jose Rivera, among many others.

Solis is a writer who cut his teeth in the American regional theatre writing into the complexity of the Chicano experience, in both story, and approach. His other new piece, ‘Nuevo Quixote,’ could not be more different.

This bold departure, an East L.A. tale of grief and loss, is told in a relentless series of tense heartbreaking extremely emotional scenes.

When NPR host, Scott Simon, queried guest, Ana Valdez, about it, she believed that among the many reasons for this is, ‘people are comfortable.’

Perhaps, it is left to those who make us uncomfortable, to imagine worlds where we not only see ourselves; our existence; our complexity; our difficult stories, but are also given caution to survive our murders in this time of forced absence.

Yes, the Yin-yang exists for us in extremes.

Last night, I was lucky to livestream the final show of a brief sold out run at REDCAT, of an electrifying new work, ‘Scene with Cranes,’ by one of our country’s essential playwrights, Octavio Solis.

Essential.

Solis, a member of a generation of Latino writers mentored by Maria Irene Fornes, Eduardo Machado and Luis Valdez,

Every actor is doing great work, but no one is astonishingly channeling the power of this moment like the veteran actor, Marissa Chibas, playing the mother of a young man killed in an accident, who wrestles between forgiveness and murderous revenge. It is a performance that almost unbalances the play.

The last ten virtuoso silent minutes are gut wrenching, deliberate and full of such pain.

We are not only the majority population (half of L.A. is Latinx; 5 million people) and even though we are touted as; its future; its dollar; its cultural expression; we rarely are its arts leadership or collaborator.

Yesterday, there was a report on NPR that said, ‘About 30% of the New York City Police Department are U.S. Latinos, but “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” on NBC has only one Latino co-lead.’

From the first moment, a synchronized entrance of actors who will assume their position in a state of grief manifesting into tears and wailing, this piece digs in and selfishly refuses to let go of its sometimes-unbearable sadness, rage, and despair.

At another point in the play, Chibas, does a magic trick. The play seems to lift off its East L.A. axis and into epic Greek theatre, and Chibas digs into the language with such elevated ferocity, while shifting her body into a realm bigger than the allowable environment. A performance for the ages.

Octavio and Yang Photo Courtesy Cal Arts REDCAT

They are unpacked in beautiful meticulous precision by the wonderful director Chi-wang Yang, and a design team that include Efren Delgadillo Jr’s realistic, but sharp-edged set, Chris Akerlind’s tense lighting, and a sound score by Cristian Amigo that was sub textually digging into me so hard, I was wishing I had an Ambien prescription.

In other words, the excellent effectiveness of tone and shift lived in such precision that the messy emotional state of the play was allowed to bounce violently in the architectural parameters.

What a beautiful example of that gorgeous place where community expression meets formal experiment, which, surely, has as much to do with Solis, and Duende CalArts, the initiative that brings Latinx artists together to expand aesthetic boundaries.

There is a lot to wrestle with here, its formalism can chill, but then an actor like Tony Sancho walks in and warms up the space in naturalism.

This project began before the pandemic and then came of age in isolation and is finally manifesting itself at the thaw of our current Covid period.

It seems the first in a series of entries that will attempt to answer who we were and what we became. And for this extraordinary writer, what is next possible. Bravo Octavio, your contribution to the canon continues.

I decided to write this today after I realized that no one might.

Our erasure continues, but so does our work.

To the uncomfortable!

DTLA ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE BY KERI FREEMAN

VOL 17. NO. 09 OCT 13TH - OCT 20TH 2022 - WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM

Superfine Art Fair Returns To Downtown LA, Better and Bigger Than Ever independent artists at annual fairs in cities across the U.S. since launching at Art Basel in 2015.

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ighlighting the Work of Women Artists, LGBTQ Artists, and Artists of Color, Superfine Will Take Over The Magic Box Downtown For 4 Days In October.

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he contemporary art fair highlighting the work of women artists, LGBTQ+ artists, and artists of color is returning to Los Angeles this month. Coined the ‘worlds most inclusive art fair,’ Superfine will take over the Magic Box Downtown October 13- 16th, featuring more than 80 handpicked artists.

In addition to inclusivity, Superfine also prides itself on accessible pricing. With most of the art falling into the $75-$2500 price range, and no commission taken from the artists, Superfine has generated over $10 million in sales on behalf of

Superfine founders ALEX MITOW & JAMES MIILLE set out to change people’s perception of the world by forgoing the stuffiness found at most fairs. “When we looked at the art world as gay men in our 20s and 30s, we felt excluded. We built Superfine to be a welcoming space where people who love art could collect it without the ‘red velvet rope’ vibes they’re used to,” adds Mitow. www.superineartfair.com

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10 10 #SURVIVINGDTLA BY JACKSON ROBERTS

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Go Ahead, Risk It All – Jaywalking in DTLA is No Longer Illegal, But…

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hanks to a new bill signed October 1st

by Governor Gavin Newsom; on January 1, 2023, pedestrians may no longer be issued Jaywalking tickets for crossing the street outside of an intersection.

Interpreting The Freedom To Walk Act (AB 2147) now signed into law, ”No longer will law enforcement be able to stop people who are safely crossing the street and burden them with citations and heaps of debt”, proclaimed Zal Shroff, Senior Staff Attorney at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jaywalking has been enforced in California since the 1930s, making the act of Jaywalking a life long taboo for many. When the new law goes into effect on January 1, 2023, anyone with sound mind and a bit of caution may step out and share the road with oncoming traffic without a care in the world, right? Wrong.

Understanding jaywalking in the suburbs versus jaywalking in the big city.

Was Jaywalking Racist?

efforts pooling support from fellow lawmakers who argued Not the act itself, however data too many cases where ticketing jaywalkers resulting in unfaIn the suburbs, basking in the released by California Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) vorable outcomes including rays of peace and tranquility, heavy fines, escalation, false showed Black Californians one might not see a car for arrest, and even death. over 20 minutes, making most ticketed up to four-and-a-half times more than their White jaywalking experiences a walk “It should not be a criminal counterparts. in the park. However, in the offense to safely cross the big city, anytime between the street. When expensive tickets hours of 8am and 3am, there’s “Jaywalking laws do more than and unnecessary confrontaturn an ordinary and logical going to be cars whizzing by, behavior into a crime; they also tions with police impact only making sharp turns and just certain communities, it’s time create opportunities for police doing what cars do, which to racially profile. A jaywalking to reconsider how we use our sometimes ends in tragedy. law enforcement resources and ticket can turn into a potenIn September 2022, DTLA set whether our jaywalking laws tially life-threatening police a new record for number of encounter, especially for Black really do protect pedestrians,” hit and runs, the most recent said Ting. “Plus, we should involving the death of a pedes- people, who are disproportion- be encouraging people to get trian and his three dogs in the ately targeted and suffer the out of their cars and walk for most severe consequences of Historic Core. Each hit and health and environmental reainequitable law enforcement,” run happened while the pesaid Jared Sanchez, Senior Pol- sons.” destrians were either crossing icy Advocate for CalBike. or waiting patiently at a cross Regardless of how many peowalk. ple are marked safe from JayTo be honest, one less restricPoint being, if drivers have tion with chains to our wallets walking, pedestrians of all ethnicities should use extreme trouble seeing pedestrians at sounds like a good thing as caution while using the city the cross walk, imagine how long as pedestrians rememstreets. hard its going to be for drivers ber the age old adage, ”Look to get used to the sleepy turned both ways when you cross the For drivers, always remember sly, pedestrian soon to be enstreet.” Throw in, “Stay alert the pedestrians have the right titled to any parts of the road, when standing at the corners day or night. waiting for the lights to change, of way even when it comes to the lane walkers, sleepy pedesand stay alert while crossing, When driving in the more contrians, and soon the infamous, please and thank you”. gested areas of DTLA, motorist DTLA Jaywalker.

AB 2147, first introduced by already have to deal with nuAssemblymember Phil Ting merous mentally ill standing #SurvivingDTLA (D-San Francisco), passed their ground in the middle of thanks to years of relentless the street. Just one wandering lane-walker can back up traffic for blocks.

Get2DTLA - DTLA VEGAN WEEKEND RETURNS

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