Lucques Restaurant’s Suzanne Goin and Carolyne Style Debut Caldo Verde at Downtown L.A.’s Proper Hotel

variety.com:

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorLucques restaurant has already been gone for a few years, but its many Hollywood devotees can now experience the rustic flavors and well-selected wines of Suzanne Goin and Carolyne Styne in two distinct ways at downtown L.A.’s stylish new Proper Hotel, whose interiors were designed by Kelly Wearstler.On the rooftop is Cara Cara: The casual lounge’s menu of salads, tacos and burgers is perfect for sipping a passion fruit caipirinha while looking out at the city lights.Off the lobby, the Portuguese-influenced Caldo Verde — named for the saffron-scented stew of rock crabs, kale and tomato — is the hotel’s centerpiece restaurant.But Los Angeles isn’t exactly known for its Portuguese food, so why now?

Goin says, “The inspiration was two-fold actually. I have always loved Portuguese food — since a trip there in my teens to the five years working in Providence, Rhode Island where there is a very strong and vibrant Portuguese community.

Beyond the delicious food, I fell in love with the humble, raucous, festive Portuguese version of joie de vivre — they really like to relax, usually around the table, and enjoy food, wine, long conversations and a good laugh.” Constructed in the 1920s, the building had a vaguely Moorish feeling that Goin decided worked with the Caldo Verde concept — which was first hatched seven years ago. “I was struck and in love with the old world vibe, the beautiful arches, glass and moldings — I felt transported to another time and place, she remembers.The restaurant isn’t purely Portuguese, but Goin says, “I have loved exploring the cuisine for inspiration and took a trip with Caroline and our chef Javier Espinoza back in 2019 — where my love for the food and culture grew by.