First & Hope

I’m going to add my 2 cents worth now that it can’t hurt them anymore. I was always afraid that what I’d write about this place would be so harsh that it would put them out of business, and I didn’t want to do that. I had several good meals there when they first opened. There was a sort of old-​fashioned homeyness and camaraderie about the place in the beginning, before it started getting attention it couldn’t live up to. The fried chicken made by the original chef was wonderful, a stunning achievement that gave them instant credibility. So of course they took it off the menu when she left. The second chef might have been able to save the mess the kitchen was in, but they wouldn’t listen to him. They wouldn’t listen to anyone who actually knew anything. Plenty of people, mostly customers, tried. The owners were first time restaurateurs, and many of their day-​to-​day signals to the public were off base. The parking. The signage. The misguided hype. The stupid costumes they made the hostesses wear. The Mad Men theme that didn’t quite hit the mark, and their dependence on it to establish a «personality.» The bartenders not being told what was on the menu from one night to the next. The awful décor in the dining room and the outrageous wait for even the most simple food order. The overwhelming pretentiousness. Oh, and the dumb «man cave» promotion. Saddest part is that it was theirs to blow. The area desperately needed the place they could have been, if only they had known what they were doing — or even not taken advice from people who evidently knew even less than they did. Like other early supporters of that lovely fried chicken, I gave up on them years ago. But I’m actually surprised that they have finally closed — because for awhile there it seemed like the Music Center crowd, needing someplace to eat, would overlook the flaws and they might somehow make it. Evidently not.

As Danmi H. States, «Another one bites the dust» First and Hope restaurant is officially closed. They had a good run with many trial and tribulations on an uphill battle to flourish.
Food was inconsistent, sometimes delicious and tasty, while other times was mehhhhh. Sometimes the short ribs was spot on, and other times with way too dry or salty. They had many unique cool drinks also.
The Un-​cabaret will continue in the Fedora Room in the back until it does not. Let’s wish the old dust to settle for the new blood of a new Vegan restaurant to infuse life back to this corner plaza.

Closed!
Rest in Peace First and Hope !!!
A Vegan raw food restaurant will be open Soon.

Not great, not good. I wouldn’t eat here if you have time or other options available. The service was fine.

Another one bites the dust — and it wouldn’t bother me so much if they at least put up a sign on their door and STOPPED TAKING RESERVATIONS! We made reservations on line for last Saturday night, and when we arrived – all dark, door locked, nobody inside, and no sign on the door. When you call the business #, recorded message comes on suggesting you push the appropriate # to make reservations. Thank goodness there was a Subway 2 doors down. As we enjoyed our Subway dinner, we saw several other patrons walk up to the restaurant with the same surprised/​annoyed look we had and then walk away. Proprietors are lame, lazy, and rude. Not that difficult to shut down reservations and put up a closed sign/​disconnect phone.

Wow– — this place has gone downhill. Gone are the things that made it interesting and unique. Small batch spirits, interesting menu items, and the classy feel. In it’s place is bar food (pulled pork on store bought buns) and ralph’s cheese with some crackers.

Harlowe Gold Show — «Blind Tiger» at Fedora
AMAZING!!! I went as a bachelorette party and the show was awesome, the interaction, the music, the dancing, the bodies — amazing.

Let it die in peace.
I have never felt compelled to write a review until now. I do not write this easily either. I had the privilege of being in the restaurant before it opened and in its beginning. I brought my visiting folks there, had multiple birthday dinners there, as well as drinks when downtown there. Yes, it has been a few years since I had dinner there however I never expected what I encountered tonight.
When we first walked in I noticed how the hostess chair had worn imprints in the wall behind it. I missed the change of ownership and name change sign though. When we sat down I noticed the chips of wood missing from the various panels. It was sad seeing something once so beautiful and elegant fall into such despair. Later I noticed the hole in the wall on the way to the bathroom.
So apparently the «Summer» menu is just small plates/​salads ($ 5 – 10), pastas ($ 18), and pizzas ($ 10). I ordered the mussels and a burger, Being lactose intolerant I asked if the burger had cheese as I learned the hard way some restaurants don’t list that information on the menu when it is included. The waitress said yes it has cheese. I instructed no cheese. I was okay with having two closed mussels in my bunch even though it was disappointing to have any closed in such a fine establishment. When my burger came out to the table you could see the remnants of cheese scraped off the patty. I immediately sent it back. Approximately 12 minutes later, and after our ENTIRE party had finished their meal, I was brought a new burger. And not once did the manager come over. Avoid this place if you value your health and want a good quality meal.
RIP First and Hope. I wish the new owners great success.

This review is for the Harlow Gold «Blind Tiger» Show at Bar Fedora. I decided to have a birthday celebration here with 10 of my friends and had such a wonderful time! This was an awesome show! The girls were all sexy, professional dancers that interacted with the entire audience. They were dancing on stage, in the aisles, on the tables, and off the ceiIings! I could not help but scream, shout and laugh throughout the whole show. Loved all the numbers, choreography (don’t know if I spelled that right but you know what I meant), and costumes. Super FUN and SEXY show. There were people of ALL ages there from 25 to 80! There is a two-​drink minimum per person. I got a cocktail and a diet Coke. The show has two acts with an intermission in between so that people can go use the restroom, take a cigarette break, order more drinks, etc. Totally recommend this show!
FYI…Bar Fedora is located INSIDE 1^st and Hope restaurant. So you walk in to the restaurant and let the host know you are there for the show and then she walks you and your party towards the back like some cool vampire movie where there is another entrance for the bar/​show.
I believe the location does have parking too but we arrived in style via limousine so we didn’t have to worry about that. But I wish I knew so that I could tell you how much, etc.
Can’t say enough good things about the show but GO! One last note, no flash photography or video. And any photos that you do take and post on FB, just hash tag harlowgoldshow. AND… they even sell Harlow Gold t-​shirts which I wish I bought one. = (

The Unilocal reviews are all over the place for First & Hope.
I was looking for a place close to the Ahmanson to grab dinner before the performance. So First & Hope was ideal since it was caddy corner to the Music Center. Tucked away in the corner of shops across the street.
Since I had a big lunch, I wanted to keep dinner on the lighter side. So I ordered the buttermilk battered calamari, caprese salad, and a side of sautéed spinach. My friend started off with the deviled eggs and the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken Breast.
We started off with glasses of wine. I ordered the pinot grigio and my friend the cab. We were served with cubed foccacia bread with balsamic vinegar with our wine.
The calamari was okay. Not the best and probably on the upper end of the worst I had. The calamari wasn’t very crisp, and you didn’t get a lot in the order. The marinara that came with it was alright. My caprese salad was also a disappointment. The presentation of the salad looked great. But the buffalo mozzarella was probably one of the worst I tasted. It had a grainy texture to it which I didn’t care for. And also the tomatoes weren’t on the ripe side.
Could it get any worse? Yes, the sautéed spinach looked good, but the chef went crazy with the salt. It was so bad, I couldn’t eat it and had to return it.
Service however was good and friendly.
But overall food was a big disappointment. However, my friend liked their deviled eggs and chicken fettucini, which I didn’t taste.
First & Hope is a convenient place to grab a bite to eat before a show at the Music Center, but too bad the food wasn’t up to par. There’s other places in DTLA to have a much better dining experience. And several of them offer shuttle service to the Music Center.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Salmon…
Salmon who?
Salmonella!
Not very funny? Yeah, you know why? Cuz food poisoning or the threat of food poisoning is no laughing matter. Neither is overcooked food and absent service.
Here’s the short version
Pros: chocolate mousse was delicate with a coconut whip and a hint of mint. Carrot cake was moist, frosting was delish.
Cons: inattentiveness, over cooked food, undercooked food, hair in the food, poor customer service. 2 drink minimum. Long waits in between courses.
We were given a pre-​fixe menu for our dinner and show package, my first course consisted of a beet salad. This was very unimaginative. It was roasted beets (which truthfully tasted canned) with candied walnuts and arugula, it was sharp and bitter with nothing to marry the flavors. BORING
The second course is where we experienced most of our problems.:
I had the Salmon with veggies and lentils, or as I like to refer to it as Salmon jerky. It was over cooked and tasteless. Then lentils were salted… yeah nothing more.
Another dining companion actually had her Salmon undercooked, she told the waitress who then took it back and it was overcooked to match my salmon jerky.
Another friend had the burger and as she described it «the meat looked like it was fresh out of the package» Holy Salmonella!
The only saving grace for the second course appeared to be the chicken. Which in my humble opinion was under seasoned and overcooked, but I’m prejudice when it comes to chicken, I’m not a fan.
We chose to still take it all into stride, we made fun of the food, the experience and rode the funny train, until the hair happened. Our friend fished a hair out of her salmon, no it was not hers and no there was no courtesy given to address this issue. The waitress simply requested the hair and did nothing to address the issue. Perhaps she took it to the back so that it could accompany another patron’s meal. Who knows? Regardless… Poor customer service.
Finally, we were done and wanted our desserts. This was the only part of the meal which was decent. But we still had to negotiate to get it because the waitress wanted to serve it during intermission at the show. I found that odd, especially since no one was eating dessert during the actual intermission. I think she had just managed her time poorly by allowing such long waits after each course.
To sum up the food: unimaginative and a health risk.
To sum up the service: lacking, inattentive, and slow
To sum up the experience: go eat somewhere else, but come for the show.

Bad reviews bore me, but I have to protect the consumer.
We came to First & Hope with a group of 18 on a Saturday night to have dinner at 6:30 pm. The place was lonely, at one point we were the only ones being served or forgotten. We paid for dinner and a show. In addition to the $ 75 for dinner per person you have a 2 drink minimum inside the show room.
1. There was a lapse of 1hour in between each course. Mind you this is a pre-​fixed menu.
2. The chicken was DRY, salmon was under cooked, and the burger which was ordered medium well was pure bloody ground beef.
3. They never offered the dessert that was on the menu and when we reminded the waitress she offered to give it to us during the intermission of the show.
This was a poor experience to say the least. ¹⁄₁₈ people truly enjoyed her food and she was wasted. I really wanted to like this place and I can’t understand how you fail at making oven baked chicken and confuse salmon with sashimi, but it happened as such and I felt kind of raped with the price: service ratio. I will write a separate review for the show. However, if the option is available to you just pay to watch the show and have dinner ANYWHERE else.

I attend an event here about 2 years ago — loved it.
Just had dinner — was not impressed.
Big pet peeve of mine is attention, a full water glass, and a correct food order.
Is that too much to ask??? Apparently so.
Slow service, 1 water refill, and an order that was not correct — my dish was missing an ingredient that was clearly stated in the menu.
Maybe catering is their specialty instead of dinner service?
I expected more from a restaurant of this caliber. I will not be back.

A year and a half later still haven’t seen my paycheck. Enough said!
P. S. Im not a college graduate and i can tell you now your not going to make a profit selling $ 5 drinks to drunk people. Every night! Just close the place down, this place is a loss. File for bankruptcy.

made reservations online and came by after the matinée ballet at the Dorothy Chandler. First & Hope is just across the street. it’s quite fancy and the food is good.
the truffle mac & cheese so so yummy! the beet salad was nice and fresh. i got the fish special (trout with manila clams, cherry tomatoes, yellow squash and rice wrapped in parchment paper) which was also delicious!
for dessert we got a chocolate amore: warm chocolate molten cake with chocolate sauce… oh so good! i love a good messy dessert!
this was a nice place for a treat. it’s a great place to continue a «fancy day» if you’re coming or going to the ballet, opera, or symphony.

Happy Hour: $ 5 at 5 Social Soirée. Though they call is $ 5 at 5, they have 6 items for $ 5 and the rest of the happy hour menu is $ 8 or $ 10.
Truffle Mac N cheese ($ 10) –good
Crispy Baby Artichoke ($ 5) — very good but oily
Cheese & Crackers ($ 5) — good
Roasted Beets ($ 10) — very good, more of a salad
Though I think $ 5 is a good deal, the Mac & Cheese and Roasted Beet salad being $ 10 is pricey for being part of the happy hour menu.
I ordered the well cranberry vodka and it was on the weaker side. I believe it seemed weaker because they poured into a tall glass so the amount of cranberry juice was a lot more. The well drinks were $ 5.
Overall it was okay but I think there are much better happy hours in Downtown.

30%
Very average supper club dining.
***Short Review.
Came here for dinner with my gf in Aug ’11.
I didn’t care for ‘First & Hope’ for a variety of reasons.
Food here isn’t terrible (would have given 1 star if that was the case).
It’s just really average, and the value isn’t so great for what you get.
We spent well over $ 150 for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, a dessert, 1 beer, & a glass of champagne.
Portions sizes are a tad smaller than average, but I don’t feel it’s unreasonable.
I also don’t like how First & Hope doesn’t update their website menu.
As per 08/​11, their website menu doesn’t really correlate with their restaurant menu.
The location isn’t my favorite either,
it’s going to be difficult to find metered parking anywhere.
Service is about average.
Ambiance is pleasant, although the security guard by the entrance was a little strange.
If you must try this place I would probably suggest visiting during lunch.
They have a $ 22, 3-​course prix fixe menu
(or so I saw on the chalkboard on my way to the bathroom).
Beer selection is terribly limited and choices aren’t so great
(Sierra Nevada, Heineken, Stella Artois, etc)
I feel that if supper club dining is your thing, you may be better off at the ‘Tar Pits’ in the Mid-​Wilshire area.
***Detailed Review
Our dinner here was quite boring. The dishes were cooked competently enough, but I don’t feel anything stood out at all. To be honest, I don’t think the food here is particularly better than what you might get at say The Cheesecake Factory, only the prices are considerably higher and the portions are smaller. Most of the flavors were very muted, and lacked any complexity. Even if I spent less than $ 20 here, i doubt I would return.
To be fair, as per some other reviews (if it is true), the place has gone through a lot in terms of changing chefs. Maybe there are some organizational issues, I’m not certain.
I started with a corn-​fritter like appetizer.
Execution was alright. The ingredients seemed fresh. Temperature of the dish was appropriate. The batter was light, and not greasy. There really were no marked flaws, but there wasn’t much to it otherwise. The same theme carried over to my main course. 35%
I had a duo of grilled chicken breast, and a chicken thigh pot pie.
Both chicken were cooked nicely. They weren’t dry, and seemed competent. Unfortunately there wasn’t anything to make it interesting otherwise. The breast was rather bland, and the pot pie was served with a savory gravy that was very simple and dull. 40%
For dessert, I had a caramel & sea salt pudding.
The pudding was again uninspiring. The flavors were once again rather muted. It was also served with a pie crust that was too hard, and thus was a poor choice in blending the textures. Very amateurish dessert. It resembled something you might buy at Whole Foods (which is fine if it’s at that price point). 20%
I can’t bring myself to recommend ‘First & Hope’

Classic elegance personified with an impressive Deco-​inspired interior and period appropriate music.
I came here Saturday night for dinner with my partners in dine Lucy Y & Tuan C. The restaurant itself was tucked deep inside a corner strip mall across the street from the Disney concert hall, hardly visible if you were driving by. Consequently, it was no easy task to find this elusive eatery. So, after a few frustrating circles around the block, I called the restaurant for some much needed help. The hostess on the phone was friendly and proceeded to guide us to the valet… easy with guidance, of course! Valet was 8 $ with validation (don’t forget!)
As we approached the restaurant, we noticed it had a door man standing in the front with an automatic door opener! LoL With a push of a button, we were invited into the restaurant lounge area complete with automated wine dispenser… pretty nifty! We were early, so after a few moments of waiting, we were subsequently seated in a cozy and almost private corner booth, which was perfect! Our waiter proceeded to introduce himself in a professional but almost too pretentious and uptight manner for me. He presented the specials for the evening, gave us a few moments to deliberate, and returned to take our orders.
We didn’t go with the special but did order the following:
Appetizers:
Salt cured foie gras with pineapple slice & rye toast — although the dish was flavorful, I found the foie gras to be a bit too cold, firm and salty for me. Tasty nonetheless, but it would have been better if they took the saltiness down a few notches. The slice of sweet pineapple was a perfect accompaniment to the dish as it toned down the salty flavor of the foie gras substantially! Surprisingly, I preferred the foie gras with the complimentary soda crackers as the herbaceousness of the rye toast coupled with the salty foie gras was too overpowering for me. FYI: the complimentary cheese plate (smoked Gouda, mascarpone & cheddar mixture) with prepared soda crackers were addictively good!
Char-​grilled octopus with sweet potato purée — Amazingly good! Especially because i don’t really care for octopus or any chewy mollusk for that matter! But, this dish indeed was not chewy at all and it had a nice steak-​y texture and deliciously char-​grilled flavor that was surprisingly successful! The addition of the sweet potato purée was perfect in balancing out the earthy flavors of the char-​grilled octopus, as well! Highly recommended!
Main courses:
NY strip loin with tater tots spicy ketchup & olive salsa — The steak was cooked nicely with a perfectly pink center, but it was trumped by the amazingly crunchy and yummy tater tots! These tasty little morsels were fried crisp to perfection with a smooth and creamy mash center that was flavorful and satisfying. They reminded me of the popular potato balls at Portos minus the ground beef or chicken inside. Dipped in the savory spicy ketchup, it was music in my mouth!
Duck duck goose — I wanted to try this dish as many Unilocalers recommended it. Unfortunately, the menu had gone through some changes, and as a result, the foie gras was replaced with a gooseberry jam that was too tart and tangy for me. What was worse was the fried duck leg that came as the accompanying protein. It looked sad as it appeared over fried and leached of any possible juice and moisture! At first taste, the meat was extremely salty! I literally felt like I ran my tongue over a salt lick! Blech! I couldn’t eat another bite of this disastrous dish. We proceeded to tell the waiter about the salty dish and he returned saying that it was supposed to be salty. Strike two on the heavy handed salt dishes for me!
Spiced Colorado lamp chops with creamy mash — last but definitely not least was the lamb. This dish was the saving grace of the evening! The lamb was extremely tender and melt in your mouth scrumptious! It had zero gamey flavor and was seasoned perfectly. In addition, the smooth and creamy mash was a tasty accompaniment to the rustic flavors of the lamb!
For dessert, we had the trio of herb sorbets (mandarin basil, cherry mint, white peach tarragon). Lucy Y loved the strong herbaceous flavor of the White Peach Tarragon but I much preferred the subtleties of the two other sorbets. Our dessert was comped as a result of the unsuccessful duck dish (why didn’t they comp the unsuccessful dish? Go figure)
With the exception of the heavy hand on salt and cold and distant waiter, I enjoyed my experience here overall. I had great company and despite waiting 30 minutes for our entrees to arrive, I didn’t really notice the time pass if it weren’t for my darned grumbling stomach! If you are indeed pressed for time, ask them for the theater menu. Apparently, it comes out a lot quicker!
Recommended: Char-​grilled octopus & Spiced Colorado Lamp Chops
Happy Eats!

3.5 stars
I came here last week to try out their DineLA menu with some of my girlfriends. Fellow Unilocalettes Pauline L and Jenn Y were in the mix =)
We were seated pretty quickly and right off the bat they served us some crunchy flat bread and cheese spread. It was mildly addicting for me.
When it came to ordering my girlfriends all ordered the crab cake appetizer and the braised «kobe» beef for the main course. I on the other hand went against the grain and ordered the oyster-​brie soup for my appetizer and the fried «chicken little» for my main course. For dessert we had four apple crisps, one red velvet and one bread pudding.
My oyster-​brie soup was delicious, I really had no idea what I was expecting. The poached egg inside was perfectly cooked and added another element of creaminess when I broke it. The soup also had almonds which added texture but I wish they roasted it to add another flavor. I also tried some of the crab cake and thought the portion was good but nothing special.
The «chicken littles» for my main entrée was actually a friend cornish game hen. There were four pieces with a biscuit and mashed potatoes. I thought it was really good but to only have four pieces was a jip. The biscuit was a bit of a disappointment but I liked the mashed potatoes served in the small colander. I tasted some of my friends beef, it was tender but a little fatty. I couldn’t taste the duck fat in the potatoes.
For the desserts I think they were two for three. I liked the apple crisp with the maple gelato and they chocolate bread pudding. The red velvet cake bits were nothing to rave about.
I might come back for drinks and the entertainment in the Fedora room but I’ll skip out on food. Service was really good and we were given several $ 10 vouchers for our next visit.

We came here for dinner to celebrate my friend’s birthday.
The night started off with a little downer because we had to wait 15 – 20 minutes despite having a reservation but the hostess was so charming and sweet about it that it was kinda hard to get really mad.
The restaurant itself is classy and beautiful. Purplish/​blue lighting, glistening chandliers, and the hostesses are in lovely light blue dresses. Very elegant atmosphere overall, modeled after a 1940s supper club.
We started the night off with cocktails. I absolutely love their blueberry cobbler cocktail (normally blackberry cobbler but they ran out of blackberries that night which is fine by me because I LOVE blueberries)! It was mixed with champagne and it tasted light, fresh, and delicious!
The mac and cheese flight is a must-​get! We all loved the presentation and how there were 3 types of mac & cheese, each with taste pairings. Tasted great too!
My entrée was just eh. I got the duck with foie gras. I didn’t think the duck was that great and would not order this again.
Dessert was a lemon meringue beehive with a candle on top for the birthday girl. Presentation was amazing! Taste was pretty good too. I think overall, this place does a FANTASTIC job on the presentation of everything but the taste doesn’t quite completely match its looks.