Faith and Flower: Living Up to its Hype?

Faith and Flower is a leader of the pack when it comes to LA’s ‘most talked-about’ dining spots. Hip, stylish and in the heart of Downtown, Faith and Flower knows its market and puts on a good show for those looking to post about the newest eatery they’ve checked off their list. A lavish dining area best described as ‘chic vintage’ and a menu that puts a fun play on American favorites capitalizes what’s trending and makes for great conversation.
 
When it comes to the actual dining experience, however, Faith and Flower has an unfairly high bar set before it. Unfortunately, this bar wasn’t met.
 
To give credit where credit is due, Faith and Flower has crafted a creative menu that uses standout ingredients. They’ve created an elegant atmosphere that fits in perfectly with Downtown LA’s energetic, eclectic vibe and follow through with great service. When it comes to their brunch menu [haven’t visited for dinner], some of their items are truly standout and fairly priced at that—Eggs benedict pizza layered with spinach, juicy bacon and rich hollandaise all over is worth coming back for. The salads are farm-fresh. The kimchi cornbread is clearly a house favorite, with just the right exotic touch to peak one’s interest.

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In the bigger picture, Faith and Flower falls into LA’s morass of trendy spots that make a big deal out of average food. A $15 ‘malt’ waffle, served without syrup and not enough berries and cream, offers nothing special other than it’s ridiculous profit margin. The ‘LA Breakfast’ somehow embodies the city through a semi-filling portion of barely distinctive turkey chorizo ‘hash’ [never seen a hash without potatoes], eggs and a few tostada shells. Even their cookie board, which has some amazing blondies, lacks ‘wow’ in its other offerings.
 
The menu itself shies from consistency and identity. There’s a few ‘traditional’ brunch items, but zero pastries. There’s also a lot of non-traditional categories that don’t necessarily go together. Faith and Flower has devoted an entire space to oysters and ceviche. They offer one pasta dish, a decent homemade cavatelli, but it’s half the size it needs to be. They’ve got basic bloody Marys and mimosas, and the rest of the drink lineup is extremely stiff. There’s a bit of breakfast and a bit of lunch, but very little that says brunch.
 
Faith and Flower has the creative wit to be one of LA’s hit restaurants. I hope to see it live up to its hype moving forward.
 
Faith and Flower is located at 705 W 9th St, Los Angeles, CA 90015. Average out-the-door brunch price for split appetizer, entrée, split dessert and 1-2 drinks is ~$76/person. Call Faith and Flower at (213) 239-0642 or visit them online.

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