Felix - Venice

Americas - USA West Los Angeles
21

Same bottom line for me. Even if he charged $50 per pasta I would still go lol

You saw my report on his Animal dinner, right? Things only seem to have gotten better, too.

The funny thing is that, by Venice standards, Felix is still a neighborhood spot. It has almost the same hours as Gjelina and The Tasting Kitchen (a place with a $15 Negroni ordered frequently by the regulars). It’s a place people will go regularly most likely if it catches the right traction with the right crowd. My only worry is that it almost fits the mold too much… although I find Funke’s food in another league even from Gjelina and The Tasting Kitchen, their food isn’t bad, and it’s focused on the same things: pizza, pasta, vegetables, steaks…

Hopefully, Funke and his backers are right that the denizens of Venice have a truly insatiable appetite for that type of cuisine.

Also, from the menu, Felix looks like an expanded Bucato, not even necessarily a total shift like The Spice Table going from a dark, intimate spot for a cheap, awesome meal to a massive 200-seat glowing white uber high-ceiling place with a few of its token old dishes served amidst a menu catering to taste for expensive seafood platters and Vietnamese takes on upscale brasserie fare. Cassia only has a faint resemblance to The Spice Table, whereas Felix truly seems to be Bucato 2.0.

22

$400 cocktails in NYC is petty change.

Just off the top of my head, both the bar at the London Hotel and the Ty Bar at the Four Seasons has $1200 cocktails. Then there’s the $10k martini at the Algonquin Hotel in Times Sq. Oh, and let’s not forget Table 55 at the King Cole Bar (@ the St. Regis Hotel), which requires a minimum of $2,500 just for the privilege of ordering cocktails.

23

Gotham.

24

Well, fair enough, lol.

Do places like that just get no press because the ultra-wealthy prefer it that way?

I wonder if a $10,000 cocktail really tastes much better than a $400 one or even a $20 one.

25

Felix’s opening makes me very happy–I have made a reservation for Friday evening and will give an initial report once I recover from the anticipated pasta coma.

1 Like
26

Unlikely in most cases. Most of the expensive spirits they’ll use are priced due to significant aging, which - assuming that entails more than just rarity - should result in the development of flavors and nuances that would probably be obfuscated or diminished by the addition of other cocktail ingredients. If an old cognac develops late rancio, the addition of walnut oil, some tropical fruits, or some kind of savory bitters would cheapen the rancio effect, even if they conceivably complemented the flavors. It would be harder to appreciate what flavors are the result of that age for which one’s paying a premium. The older spirits are probably best appreciated alone, just with the proper presentation, not slurried in ice with 5 other, ostensibly quicker ingredients. In short, cocktails at some fundamental level are about mixing ingredients, and why throw a very precious spirit into the mix, unless there’s money to burn? Like House of Cards’ character Xander Feng, the stereotypical ultra-rich nouveau riche with his $25,000 scotch mixed in cocktails. Though I haven’t tried a “$10,000 cocktail,” the ultra high-priced cocktails seem more like a gimmick at a certain price point. I don’t know if $20 is the limit - there might be combinations that work with some spirits that command a higher price, but anything near $100 and up is probably a marketing stunt more than anything, to me.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to Felix’s pastas.

1 Like
27

Menu looks delicious. Lack of prices is an ominous sign, especially when combined with the inevitably sky-high rents associated with that location.

For the most part I’m having a harder and harder time trying new places with hyped up chefs in LA given the silly price points. Especially given what you can get elsewhere in the city. Bucato was expensive at dinner, but I always went at lunch and had outstanding meals. I’m hoping they eventually open up a lunch service with reasonable prices. I do not like paying $35 for a pasta.

3 Likes
28

That was my thought, too. :frowning:

29

Nice to see the inside of the place on eaterla.
Looks beautiful. And it is fucking indoors.

One thing I hated about Bucato was the tiny amount of indoor seating. And they would never guarantee (me, at least) an indoor seat, no matter how much in advance I made the reservation. I brought my poor old man there and he was so miserable in the cold (despite the heaters) that he could barely pick up his silverware to eat.

2 Likes
30

This is one of the more annoying things about this kind of place. I am now recalling how strict Bucato was about things like this. One time I called Republique to get a birthday reservation,and it was available, but they told me there was no way they could guarantee a table and it might have to be community tables. I explained to them my 92 year old grandmother is coming, and cannot sit on a stool, and I would appreciate it if they could give me a table, and even offered to pay a deposit on the table. Of course, they refused. This is obviously about Republique, not Bucato, but it’s a similar kind of attitude.

1 Like
31

looks promising.

I like how the pastas are segregated by North, Central, South, and the Islands. And it’s such a breath of fresh air to see Pecorino Crotonese finally on a menu. Proper Calabresi.

I do wonder if the “Old School” Ragu alla Bolognese is what I think it is.

2 Likes
32

Made a reservation for late in the month last night, eager to try it.

On pricing…I do think going out to dinner in LA (and other places too) has become a bit on the high side. Sadly even my favorite restaurants don’t quite seem to be worth it. But pricing hasn’t really stopped places like Republique.

33

Did you use Resy? I looked last night and the only times available on any day in April were 5:30 or 10pm+ for 2 people. Not 1 table for any 4 person parties. I

34

both. perhaps i didn’t look carefully enough, but i only saw one bottle of red for
under 50 dollars. if i was wrong, i apologize to you, the readers here and to the restaurant.

35

Even though I would still pay the prices, I doubt they can charge $35 for the pastas when The Tasting Kitchen is a bustling gem just down the street (literally) serving pastas that are still really, really good for like $18-$22.

I am surprised anyone who ate at Bucato would call Evan Funke an overhyped chef, though.

36

Yeah, that’s sort of how I would imagine it, haha.

Did you ever have Funke’s pasta at Bucato? Or will it be your first time trying them? I will be really curious to see what you think if it’s your first time!

37

Indeed I did enjoy his pastas at Bucato.

Excited to try Felix. Maybe end of the month or June.

1 Like
38

There are at least 2 red bottles below $50:

Francesco Boschis
Grignolino d’Asti / 2014 / Piemonte
45

Fatalone
Primitivo Riserva / 2009 / Puglia
45

And another 13 reds in the $50-$70 range (order descending by price):

Azienda Agricola Grillo
Schioppettino / 2013 / Friuli-Venezia Giulia
50

Grosjean
Fumin / 2010 / Valle d’Aosta
55

Manincor
Schiava / 2014 / Trentino - Alto Adige
56

Calabretta ‘Cala Cala’
Etna Rosso / NV / Sicilia
56

Les Granges
Cornalin / 2015 / Valle d’Aosta
57

Azienda Vinicola Cherchi
Cannonau / 2012 / Sardegna
57

Caves de Donnas Classico
Nebbiolo Blend / 2012 / Valle d’Aosta
60

Antonelli ‘Chiusa di Pannone’
Sagrantino / 2008 / Umbria
60

Tenuta del Nanfro
Cerasuolo / 2013 / Sicilia
60

Castello di Verduno
Pelaverga / 2015 / Piemonte
64

Luigi Giusti ‘Rubbjano’
Lacrima di Moro / 2010 / Marche
64

Pratello ‘Nero Per Sempre’
Rebo / 2012 / Lombardia
67

Vigne del Malina
Cab Franc / 2009 / Friuli-Venezia Giulia
68

Poderi Aldo Conterno
Barbera d’Alba / 2013 / Piemonte
69

Massa Vecchia
Rosso / 2013 / Toscana
69

San Fereolo
Dolcetto di Dogliani / 2009 / Piemonte
70

Seems excitingly reasonable to me.

There are 23 bottles of white in the $40-$70 price range as well, which I can also copy/paste if anyone wants to see them ordered by price (just under $50, there’s 5 white bottles).

Seems pretty nice to me.

39

you are right and i am wrong.

i was off by one bottle.

i apologize, owners of felix.

i will look again carefully. while not as outrageous as some lists ive seen, i still think its more expensive than i care for.

40

Well, technically correct is the best kind of correct, etc… lol

Where do you typically drink wine in LA? I feel like this is really par for the course at any restaurant of this caliber in LA, and maybe even below average, especially for Venice.