Rate-A-Restaurant #386: Imperial Western Beer Company (Downtown)

Restaurant: Imperial Western Beer Company

Location: Union Station: 800 N. Alameda St. (Downtown)

Type of restaurant: Brewpub/Oyster Bar

We stipulated: For our 16th anniversary, Maria and I decided to return to where we first made it official: Union Station's Former Fred Harvey restaurant. It's where we held our wedding reception on Oct. 26, 2002, and now it's the site of the Imperial Western Beer Company.

They stipulated: "The new brewpub captures the glamour of 1940’s train travel while, in true beer hall fashion, also boasts custom game tables, pool tables, and shuffleboard. At the heart of Imperial Western lies the main bar, providing service for eighteen custom beer taps featuring Head Brewer Devon Randall’s selection of craft beer brewed in-house with light and refreshing options; such as a Mexican Lager and Cucumber Saison; and “hoppier” varieties, such as a Session IPA and India Pale Ale; dark and broody Oyster Stout and Vienna Lagers. LA-based chef David Lentz curates an extensive oyster and raw bar program, with daily fresh oyster selections available based on seasonality, as well as market driven American classics."

What we ordered: Crispy fried chicken (chipotle, chili vinegar, buttermilk) $12; chorizo and mussels (Spanish chorizo, romesco, sofrito, grilled bread) $16;  fried mushrooms (sauce gribiche) $9; cauliflower (brown butter, parmesan breadcrumbs) $7

High point:  What can I say -- being back in the Fred Harvey, home to so many great memories of that magical night, was wonderful. And seeing what they have done to fix up the place was amazing. It's classy, and a tasteful reuse of a space that had been woefully underused (well, except for events like our wedding!) in recent years. I love that the bar portion is also active now as the Streamliner. Really well done.

Low point: We're not big on oysters, which means for a bit of a more limited menu, but we still found plenty to eat and enjoy.

Overall impression: What a great spot. Love the homegrown beer selection, named after trains and other terms relevant to Union Station. Well designed so that even the TVs at the bar are hidden and not distracting. And the fried chicken, our favorite dish, had a great spice to it.

Will we return:  Absolutely. Not only is it a great spot to meet friends, but this could be a new anniversary tradition. More pics:

Plenty Of Movies Have Filmed There, But This May Be Union Station's First Live Opera

It's a late Saturday night at downtown's Union Station. Travelers (or perhaps they simply have nowhere else to go) are slumped in the train station's waiting room chairs, dozing. Janitors are mopping the station's floors. Traxx restaurant employees are cleaning up. People race to catch the next Amtrak, Metrolink or Metro trains.

Suddenly, one of those travelers -- wearing a bright red vest and carrying a too-small backpack -- stands up and starts singing in a strong, tenor voice. Across the train station, those janitors break into dance.

It's another performance of Invisible Cities, a new opera produced by experimental opera company The Industry and LA Dance Project. For our anniversary, Maria and I were at Union Station on Saturday night to catch a performance -- in the very location of our wedding reception 11 years ago (at the Fred Harvey, which has not changed at all).

Audience members are handed a pair of wireless headphones, and then directed to the Fred Harvey, where an 11-part orchestra is about to perform.

"Invisible Cities" was composed by Christopher Cerrone, based on the novel by Italo Calvino. The work centers on Kublai Khan and famed explorer Marco Polo. As Khan examines the ruin of his empire, he asks Marco Polo to describe his travels. It makes sense, then, that the story of travel, exploration and the life of a city would be performed at a train station.

The big revelation of the show is tenor Ashley Faatoalia, a big guy who is dressed like a regular Union Station patron, perhaps looking to board the Metrolink. The first moment you realize that, "nope, he's actually a part of the show," your mind is blown. Faatoalia plays Marco Polo, and you'll find yourself simply following him around by the middle of the show, not wanting to miss a thing. The other breakout performance comes from Cedric Berry, who plays Kublai Khan. Early in the show, Berry is alone, sitting in a wheelchair, appearing to nap. It's interesting to see how long it takes for people to realize he's in the show too.

Part of the draw of "Invisible Cities" is being completely immersed in a performance while also being surrounded by the real world. Some Union Station patrons are curious of the crowd wearing headphones. Others can't be bothered. Still others start to watch as well, although without sound. (The idea of staging a show in an unconventional public space reminds me of the several performances we've seen from the Collage Dance Studio, including shows at the now-gone Ambassador Hotel and Perino's restaurant.)

"Invisible Cities" has an extremely limited run, with just four performances a week (the final show is Nov. 8). Go here for ticket information.

Meanwhile, take a look at this "making of" video:



And here are more pics from Saturday night:

L.A. Ad Town: Liberty Mutual Edition

We always take extra notice when a commercial or TV production is shot at Union Station (as it's where we held our wedding reception back in the day). Above, this Liberty Mutual Insurance ad features scenes such as the walkway to the Fred Harvey restaurant space (above) and the large Union Station waiting area (below).

Nine Years Later

And still going strong! Here we are on Oct. 26, 2002, at Union Station's old Fred Harvey room. (Coincidentally, we're heading there tomorrow night for a TV show launch party.)

Union Station's Fred Harvey to Finally Get a Permanent Restaurant Tenant?

Union Station, newly acquired by Metro, is getting serious about its dining options.

Not only have several quick options opened up inside the train terminal in recent months -- including a Starbucks, Subway, Wetzel's Pretzels and Famima! outpost -- but Union Station is now looking at finally offering up the old Fred Harvey restaurant for lease to a restaurant tenant.



"Yes, we are looking for a restaurant to occupy this historic space," CB Richard Ellis' Derrick Moore tells us. "We have a few options for someone to occupy all or a portion of the space."



That's a big deal. The Fred Harvey hasn't been in operation as a full-time restaurant since 1967. Yes, that's more than 40 years ago. But it's seen plenty of life in the years since, as the site of countless film and TV shoots. And it's a popular spot for events, including (ahem) the wedding reception for Franklin Avenue's Mike and Maria (below).



The Fred Harvey's decor -- including its striped floor, center bar and leather booths -- makes it an eye-popping location (requiring little additional decoration, which saved us a ton of money). There's also a small bar in an adjacent room. The biggest problem: No functioning kitchen, as it ceased to be usable years ago. (Caterers must now prepare food in tents outside). The restroom facilities will also have to be updated. But that all can be done. The big news is the fact that Union Station, now under Metro ownership, finally believes that there's enough potential interest to go ahead and put the Fred Harvey up for lease.

Union Station, of course, is already home to Traxx, another restaurant that continues to operate inside Union Station (as does stalwart Union Bagels). But it was fascinating to see the addition of so many new options inside the terminal -- a recognition that thanks to new options like the Gold Line, Union Station is more bustling than any other time in years.