Chef Fred Eric of Fred 62 and Liberty Grill wears a stylish olive hoodie as he walks amid the mint green and blossom pink walls of his newest project, Tiara Café.
The restaurant's relaxed space acts as clever packaging to the café's conscious message - the menu proclaims, "Eat healthier more often and diet less" - a step toward wholesome eating without the pretentiousness.
Bright green moss adorned with rhinestone beetles hangs from the high ceiling, giving the room a whimsical atmosphere.
Housed in the Fashion District's historic New Mart Building, Tiara Café's most prominent feature is its décor.
"Art nouveau meets Japanese anime," Eric said, emphasizing that he wanted to fashion a concept of "organic forms mixed with pop sensibility."
Most striking about Tiara Café is its approach to detail.
From the playful atmosphere, eclectic food and stylishly clad servers - they're dressed by Splendid, a line of luxury T-shirts - the establishment eliminates the strong hipster vibe that it might be expected to have.
Instead, people can come in and enjoy a meal in a cobalt blue booth or grab a chicken arugula sandwich with Parmesan flakes and balsamic reduction from the adjoining marketplace.
The mostly organic menu, which has a reasonable selection of wine and sake, features food with seasonal items that include the standard fare of soups, salads and sandwiches made with meticulous care and surprising details.
Items such as the grilled fish enchiladas with zucchini slathered with tomato habanero sauce rule the menu.
Surprisingly, Tiara Café has scarce vegan and vegetarian options, with only one true vegan dish: vegan pizzette with roasted eggplant, seitan and grilled bell peppers with an herb hache.
Various ethnic influences also shine on the menu such as the Asian-inspired grilled ahi tuna fresh'wich.
As crunchy as it is flavorful, the fresh'wich takes the taste buds on a welcome departure from the bland, soggy wraps one usually associates with diet-friendly sandwiches.
Combining cool, chewy rice paper, crisp vegetables, tender ahi tuna and the comforting creaminess of avocado, the dish's farmer's market taste contrasts sharply from downtown's dusty, smog-covered streets.
Eric also put on good old-fashioned lunch items so as not to scare away the more traditional eater.
Chicken noodle soup, skirt steak salad and a grilled cheese sandwich give those wary of the less-than-conventional ingredients, but with the Tiara Café twist.
Instead of opting for a greasy plate of fries, one can choose the chickpea fritters with a delightfully spicy crimson aioli.
Golden brown, the rectangular fritters are fried hummus with a warm, crunchy exterior and a rich, buttery interior.
With the mischievous zest of garlic and olive oil sauce, it's a far cry from the stale, transfat potatoes of fast food.
The pizza, however, disappointed. With the fanciful atmosphere and clear commitment to California cuisine, one would expect the perfect pie with inventive ingredients.
Instead, the sad, soggy toppings sat on a pool of greasy cheese dotted with the greens and yellows of indistinguishables.
Despite the hot mess on top, the pizza dough lived up to what Eric called "the best dough downtown."
Thin, warm and with a touch of sweet, the pizza crust had the perfect balance of toughness and tenderness, making a chewy, gentle base with a slightly earthy texture.
To finish off the meal, one can order the berry cobbler topped with brown sugar, honey-like pecans and a blend of vanilla bean ice cream and berry sorbet.
Warm and cozy, the combination of caramelized sugar, understated nuts and juicy fruit made a straightforward, rightly familiar dessert fit for a princess.
While a little too sweet at times, the dish cleaned off the palate nicely.
Though eating a meal at Tiara Café won't quite call for the royal bill, the pricing is more reasonable than some of the larger, casual chain restaurants that litter the downtown area.
The most expensive dish, a steak, costs about $16, but the sandwiches go for around $10, which, considering the establishment's commitment to using sustainable ingredients, is to be expected.
Tiara Café sparks interest, imagination and the stomach - with its appeal to both the precious and the playful. Dress-up kit not included.
- For more information, visit tiara-cafe.com.
