Eater LA

Oct 20

A half-block away from the bustling Cha Cha Cha in the busy Arts District, Hearts & Flame opened this week in the former Inko Nito space at 225 S. Garey Street. Though the interior is reminiscent of the former Japanese robata bar, the menu is fully coastal Italian. Hearts & Flame joins the assembly of coastal Italian restaurants popping up around Los Angeles, with the April opening of Capri in Century City and chef A.J. McCloud’s Sparrow at Hotel Figueroa.

Heading up Hearts & Flame’s kitchen is Tuscan-born chef Michele Brogi, who brings with him 35 years of experience at a number of restaurants, often Michelin-starred, in Florence, Lyon, and London, including Aubergine by Gordon Ramsay. The recent LA transplant describes his menu as 80 percent classic Italian, while drawing the remainder from his cooking experience. Though Brogi loves seafood, meat, and organic produce from Southern California, he sources his cooking oils and cheese directly from Italy.