Los Angeles's downtown has been winding it's way toward a renaissance for well over a decade now. But while a project like Frank Gehry's Disney Concert Hall may raise the profile of the neighborhood, and lend it the high-brow cultural cred that comes with a starchitect's landmark, it doesn't exactly cater to the existing community. The struggling residents of Skid Row aren't going to see the L.A. philharmonic.That's what makes the Nickel Diner so phenomenal. Founded by two downtowners, the Nickel is an "upscale" restaurant (with the Thomas Keller-trained pastry chef to prove it) that got off the ground with financing from local residents and businesses and employs community members as cooks, servers and busboys. Their hope is to provide delicious and affordable peach cobbler (among other things) to the entire spectrum of downtown denizens. They seem to be succeeding so far. Nicely done.The LA Times has an article and audio slideshow on the restaurant.Thanks Gordon.
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