Editor’s Note: This visit took place prior to the coronavirus outbreak. Due to the severity of the pandemic, Factory Kitchen was forced to temporarily close.
When a search result comes back with “249 Best Italian Restaurants in Los Angeles” from OpenTable, that is amazing. And that is only the Italian restaurants that take OpenTable reservations. One such Italian eatery that continually rises to the top is The Factory Kitchen. Fortunately, my wife, my cousin and her husband paid them a visit before the coronavirus hit.
The Factory Kitchen has a strong pedigree. Co-owner Matteo Ferdinandi ran Spago’s in Las Vegas for 20 years as their general manager. Chef Angelo Auriana ran the kitchen at famed Valentino for 18 years. Together they founded Factory Kitchen Hospitality Group and opened The Factory Kitchen.
The Factory Kitchen is located in the Factory Place Arts Complex within DTLA’s Arts District. This area has been revitalized with many eateries springing up like Bavel, Bestia, Bread Lounge, and Manuela. This building houses mixed-use creative space for both living and working. Looking at this industrial building from the outside, you’d never know that there was a popular restaurant inside.
The day we visited, the main dining room was packed. The interior is largely uninspiring with massive concrete pillars and tables that are spaced close to each other. Because we had reservations, we strolled past a group of people waiting for a table. It didn’t matter that the tables were spaced close together, at least we were able to take a seat and begin perusing the menu.
We began the evening with their Prosciutto di Parma. This delicate thinly sliced air-cured ham has a salty, yet uniquely sweet flavor and is topped with fresh arugula and a large dollop of creamy burrata.
Next up was the popular pesto handkerchief pasta. It’s a plate of al dente sheets of pasta topped with an almond basil pesto and grated pecorino. The sheets are silky soft and the almond pesto is quite remarkable in taste. Almost everyone orders this dish.
What made their porchetta special is that the pork is slow-roasted. Fresh herbs nicely enhanced the flavor of the pork and I definitely wanted to eat more of this dish.
I have a weakness for Diver Scallops and I was ecstatic that they were perfectly prepared. The scallops were nicely seared and firm, yet soft inside. Biting down into a diver scallop is nothing like a regular scallop. They were plump, juicy and full of flavor.
Our token vegetable that evening was the charred brussels sprouts with pancetta. After all, everything tastes better with pancetta, right?
For dessert, we selected the Bigné (puff pastry) and the Pane (bread pudding). Both were delicious. I was happy that the Bigné was delectable and not heavy. The bread pudding had a strong banana taste which was nicely complemented by the caramel sauce.
I was quite happy that my cousin suggested Factory Kitchen. Every item we selected was prepared to showcase the ingredients. The food was outstanding and the service was excellent. I look forward to their re-opening.
Factory Kitchen, 1300 Factory Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90013; 213.996.6000
thefactorykitchen.com