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Thanks for another thoughtful review, @Chowseeker1999.
David Chang was in town last week to check out Tartine Bianco with Jimmy Kimmel. I can’t tell how much booze they had all consumed, but I think Chris Bianco purposely intended to not have pizza on the menu. The video has to be piece-mealed together for it to semi make sense. They get into a flatbread and pizza discussion.
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Wow, chowseeker, im kinda disappointed in what seems like a monstrous ego-driven complex but way impressed by your review! you are awesome…flatbreads…not so much…when I first heard about CB, whom we at “Slice” dubbed the Pope of Pizza ages ago, I nearly collapsed at the thought of finally not having to drive 6 hours for his pies…I guess I still have a long drive ahead of me…sigh…
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Thanks @attran99. 
And thank you for the link on that IG video series. It is a bit confusing at first, but after you watch all of the snippets you get a feel for what he’s saying.
It seems like Chris Bianco wanted to use Baker Chad Robertson’s Bread as a base, so in that respect I can see what they’re doing. The Bianco Tomato Flatbread was tasty, but not something I’d drive from the Westside for.
And I’m glad that all 3 of the principal stakeholders want to innovate or branch out (nothing wrong with that), but what we’ve seen on the menu at Tartine Bianco feels like slight riffs on cuisine from multiple countries with local farmers market ingredients. The Sweetbreads “Salad” was tasty. The Fried Fish was also tasty, but their Uni Lardo Smorrebrod was ruined by bad Uni, their Fried Chicken Sandwich and Patty Melt were pretty mediocre in execution, so I’m not sure we’re getting any chow that’s really standout or destination worthy.
Given that all of them did excel at something previously (Tartine Bakery’s baked goods, pastries, etc., and Pizzeria Bianco’s much-lauded Pizzas), to show up in L.A. and not execute on any of their greatest creations, but offer us something else (or currently, many average Pastries / Desserts obviously not powered by the OG staff of Tartine), it feels disappointing.
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Thanks @lapizzamaven. We’re not sure where it’s headed right now, but hoping things straighten out for Tartine L.A.
The Flatbreads were fine, but nothing to write home about. At least we still have great Pizza around L.A. to satisfy the craving (Mozza, DeSano, Superfine, etc.).
Wow! This review is amazing. Didn’t think it possible to top your terrific previous posts but you’ve done it. So helpful!
This is not a good trend, a recent proliferation of boutiquey “star chefs” or “joints” expanding their base into these monstrosities, airport catering and “food” halls and offering sub-par formulaic products at beacoup $$$.
Sounds like a perfect corporate formula to milk the millennial market moving up the income scale 
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Man you guys with the ability to go to DTLA/Arts District/Gjusta all the time are spoiled as fuck. They should’ve opened up Tartine Manufactory in Studio City or something because that place would kill it here.
I realize the irony here, given Sgee’s previous sentiment 
Sounds like a perfect corporate formula to milk the millennial market moving up the income scale
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This is such a thorough (and disheartening) report, thanks @Chowseeker1999!
It does feel like we’re getting some real Vegas-ification lately doesn’t it? per @Sgee
The only thing I wonder about here is if they are trying to be full service for everyone who works at ROW DTLA. There are a bunch of offices down there, and now those people can get coffee and pastries in the morning, sandwiches at lunch, a drink after work, and then a nice dinner all in one room, more or less.
That’s not exactly what the marketing materials suggested it would be, but I wonder if that’s this place’s true destiny.
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Very nice touch with the mention of that since even perfect croissant deteriorates greatly when they sit for too long.
Do you know if they serve kouign amann?
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Thanks @Srsly. Yah it’s feeling a bit Vegas. Perhaps part of the expected clientele would be the local ROW DTLA employees coming in before their work shift and during lunch breaks, but that doesn’t seem like a strong enough reason to make Tartine Manufactory L.A. the way it is right now. The menu choices, execution, etc. Eventually will they have enough clientele just from ROW employees and those living nearby? Maybe. Thanks.
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Well said @Sgee. I hold out hope that Tartine L.A. turns it around. I think if they can get their Bakery in order (get their baking team to the level of executing at Tartine S.F.'s level (on their good days)), then Tartine L.A. would at least solidify in being a good-to-great bakery option for those around Downtown L.A. (and those wanting a break from L.A.'s current slew of awesome Pastry Chefs (Republique, etc.)).
If they revamped the menu and debuted things that excelled and really shined at Tartine Bianco that would help dramatically as well. We’ll see where this goes.
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Pretty darn comprehensive review. I am not in a rush to go here (having already tried once but it was closed all weekend), but maybe for the rum cocktail.
I think Paris Baguette’s croissants are pretty good among what I’ve been able to try in LA, and that is in the heart of DTLA, so much easier for me to get to on a daily basis.
Yawn. Another money-grab. Between this, Simone’s Lottery, etc, LA’s restaurant scene is becoming overly obnoxious.
Time to spend even less money and more attention on the truly hidden gems.
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Thanks @moonboy403. Yah in our pursuit of great Croissants, I definitely realized that this is an important factor. And “no,” they aren’t serving Kouign Amann.
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Agree with everything here, the menu is so vanilla and basic. Did not really enjoy my visit, feels like disneyland or something.
Why go here at all? Especially with such good restaurants in LA doing innovative and different things at the same or cheaper price-point???
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Hype.
Given the square footage of the production area, the plan must be for it to be the central kitchen for the other outlets of the chain.
It’s obviously a work in progress so it seems premature to make judgments, though it seems entirely plausible that the plans are too big and complex to execute.
Is there really not a place to sit to have coffee and pastries? Seems like that would be the bulk of the business before lunch and between lunch and dinner.
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Hi @robert,
Yah there are some tables outside, but it’s a public area (and not that many of them); we’ve seen them used for people eating from other restaurants or the food truck. Of course in the rain or when it’s really cold / windy (like now), that makes it unusable. It does feel shortsighted. At least Tartine Bakery in SF had indoor communal tables, a couple small tables and window ledge areas with bar seats to eat.
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