I’m starting to have hostility towards DTLA.
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Wow that was fast. Very sad. I never got a chance to try it.
But reading the article, I’d agree. Despite the general location (neighborhood) being fine, it’s such a hassle to fight the crowds / parking to get into The Grove / OG Farmers Market location, we just never felt like going.
They should open up a 3 Michelin star level place to rival Alinea in that location, that’s the only way anyone will regularly put up with the hassles of that location it seems.
Very sad as the food was truly great there.
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But see, I don’t understand. Short Order closing was no surprise. No one was going. But the times we were at Moruno or passed by they were full. Yes the parking is bad. But it’s because there are a lot of people at Grove/FM. How can that be bad for business? It’s a little odd. Maybe the Farmers side of the mall is just bad juju for sit-down.
Agree.
I did not think it was such a hassle to go there.
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Hi @TheCookie,
Yes, bad juju! 
I say the same thing! I don’t remember where I picked it up from. 
I think it’s as you said: People wander into The Grove part, go shopping, watch a movie and you see the massive lines at Cheesecake Factory. But expecting them to walk over a few more minutes to the FM side (at night)? I guess it’s not as inviting or “cool”?
(I saw the article in the Times as well, no advance scoop) I think they were doing fine for dinner, but daytime/lunch business was lagging.
Baaad juju @Chowseeker1999!
I guess “cool” is subjective. When we go to a movie we prefer to eat at the Farmers Market. But getting over the initial shock, I must admit, Moruno is inconveniently situated. Location… location, location. Hey, if Nancy Silverton couldn’t make it…
Maybe @Aesthete is right. It should be a destination place. But destination places require valet, and the valet is at The Grove. As Chowseeker stated, people don’t want to walk that far.
Oh well…
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Good point. It’s a tough one for lunch business. No power lunches going on there. And Grove employees probably eat at the FM stalls.
What’s to become of that spot?
Bummer. That is too bad. Had couple of good meals and the wine was selection was very good.
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Opens tonight at the former Kettle Black space in Silver Lake. Full menu not yet available though.
The pics on Eater look great. I know these are professional photos but still.
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Ohhh butternut squash w/dukkah is back!
Dinner for two last night. Big emphasis on tart/sour and bitter flavors in both plates and the drinks, so nothing felt particularly heavy. Conserva very satisfying though that Jyaan Isaac baguette is too tough. Maybe I should have dipped it more thoroughly in the sardine tin oil. I’ve gotten it from the store before and felt the same way - it works best when softened up (French toast or wetted a bit with tomato confit). On the tomato front, the pan con tomate stood out as the big hit of the night. Salt and oil on the bread mix so well with the citric-sweet cherry tomatoes. The bread crusts were burnt, which I neither understand nor appreciate. The charred character was unpleasant so I ate around those sections. Gildas (skewer with sardine, green olive and some sort of mild chile) is a fun, funky bite with a lot of citrus as well.
Both G&T’s came in massive glasses. Large glassware, large flavors. Yuzu the standout with a consistent freshness and cucumber spear. ODB was imbalanced - sweet up top, bitter down below and with a huge leaf that always looked close to poking me in the eye. Big enough drinks that just one lasted each of us through the ~2 hours we were there. Also impressed that they’re the same price or cheaper than the awful cocktails up the street at Thirsty Crow. Come here for drinks instead.
Gem lettuce salad had wonderful English peas but hit the vinaigrette too hard. Very lemony. Those peas and their shoots popped hard, though. I did not love the morunos. You need to wake up pretty early around here to make your beef skewer stand out. These weren’t bad at all, and the super-soft rye pita they came with was so much fun, but they didn’t make “Walking on Sunshine” play in my head like they do at Mini Kabob or Bavel.
A hugely enjoyable time! Each dish had some sort of flaw but I didn’t particularly mind.
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I loved burnt/charred bread (to a certain extent). Was it overly burnt to the point it was bitter or do you just not like burnt/charred bread in general?
Gildas are made with anchovies, not sardines. Pretty sure that’s what you meant.
100% on the anchovies. Thanks! The burnt crusts were certainly bitter. I like a bit of char but this went over the edge.
A bad second experience here. Strawberry-dandelion G&T had no discernible strawberry character apart from the drink’s red tinge. Dominated by a Campari-esque bitterness, this was a large and dull Negroni. Flavors throughout the meal just lacked subtlety. Pan con tomate hit the garlic way too hard. Vegetable morunos, in which barely-detectable sweet potatoes are held in a strange edible sack, came off dry and musty, a vehicle for cumin. I did like the smoky taste of the rotisserie half chicken but found the texture overly tender and generally unappetizing.
Certainly did not expect such a negative return.
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I agree this place is not good. It also does not appear to be Spanish in any way.
But there IS a bar, lol.
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Do they still have a salmon martini?
And how’s the tortilla espanola?