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If you found out about Da Prato through their website or Instagram, it would suggest that you’re being invited into this ancient Italian universe filled with magical dishes: pasta in luscious sauces, colorful ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, honeycomb, melting candles, and vintage photographs.
Raised between El Paso, Texas, and the medieval hilltop town of Barga in Tuscany, Elisa’s food is a harmonious interplay of botanical elements and hyper-seasonal ingredients, rooted in folklore and her deep love of honey.
Photo: Emma McCormick-Goodhart
Da Prato opened in May in a street-level loft at the historic Higgins Building in Downtown LA. From the outside, Da Prato is a nondescript storefront with white drawn curtains, but once you walk through the door, it is a portal into Elisa’s heritage, bursting with sensory experiences. A wooden table sits at the entrance with a lit candle, branches, flowers, and a portrait of three men. The hexagonal mosaic tile floor brought me back to my family’s kitchen in our countryside house in Spain. It instantly made me feel like I was in someone’s home rather than a restaurant.
Flowers are omnipresent in Elisa’s cooking. In 2019, Elisa was interviewed by Vogue, where she expressed her love of flowers—a passion passed down through her family.
Elisa said: “My mission is to deliver flowers into your body.” She continued talking about her mom: “She used to make us little salads with pansies in them. She had this really elaborate flower garden and would have me talk to the flowers to help them grow, so I would talk to the flowers, and, of course, I would go to school in Texas and have the shit kicked out of me for talking to the flowers.”
Da Prato might be the first iteration of Elisa’s hospitality concept in LA, but she previously lived in Brooklyn, where she started hosting pop-ups out of her apartment before opening Etrusca, which shared Da Prato’s emphasis on hospitality and a connection to the natural world. She described it as “a dinner that’s all about the sensation of sitting in a meadow, ingesting the meadow, and transforming it within their bodies.”
Photo: Vice
In 2018, Elisa permanently returned to Braga and opened Elisa in the town’s piazza. Fast-forward to December 2024, Elisa visited family for what she thought would be a three-week stay in LA. After a successful pop-up in Silver Lake, she was introduced to a landlord who offered her a space where she could temporarily test Da Prato’s concept. While I was dining, a young couple asked the waitress if Da Prato was going to be permanent, but she didn’t know.
At the bar, I could take a peek into the kitchen, where Elisa was surrounded by a colorful array of tomatoes. The server handed me the giant Alice in Wonderland-style handwritten menu, with her head hovering over the top asking me if I wanted any drinks.
Well-dressed pomodoro
This is a beautiful concoction of different heirloom tomatoes, garnished with dill, thinly shaved strawberries, tiny specks of peppercorn, and a very generous drizzle of olive oil, just like I do with my salads. I loved the combination of the juicy tomatoes with the strawberries, while the feathery dill added a grassy brightness that complemented their natural sweetness.
Pairing this succulent appetizer with the homemade focaccia—bubbly, lightly salted, and topped with rosemary sprigs—was perfect for soaking up all those juices and olive oil, completely elevating the experience.
La Tartare
Who would have thought berries would pair so well with tartare? The tender organic beef and blackberries effortlessly blended with the onions and bell peppers coated in Elisa’s special dressing — a mix of honey, colatura (fermented fish sauce) and different vinegars.
The berry marmalade is what tied everything together for me. Its tart sweetness balanced the acidity of the dressing without overpowering the delicate flavor of the beef. The edible coriander flowers looked so pretty, but they also had a purpose, adding a delicate herbal freshness without disrupting the tartare’s architectural balance, while the chilies, small yet punchy, added a nice kick. If you go, this is a must-order!
Speck & Gorgonzola Pasta
Plump pasta shells coated in Gorgonzola sauce — creamy, tangy, and intensely cheesy. But what instantly brought me back to Italy was the speck, adding a rustic, smoky depth that cut through the richness of the cheese.
Tiramisu
This tableside tiramisu, presented in a dramatic scattering of dark powder that resembled splattered black paint, was everything you could expect from an authentic tiramisu: moist, and gloriously creamy. The only thing I would have changed was the amount of powder as its bitterness slightly overpowered the creaminess of the tiramisu.
Just like in Italy, at Da Prato, you’re encouraged to slow down and savor each bite. This is more than just a restaurant; it’s an extension of Elisa, where hospitality, ethereal Northern Italian-inspired dishes, and a deep sense of history are at the core.
Da Prato is a beautiful example of mixing flavors and botanical ingredients with intention. Whether it’s the coriander flowers or the dill, nothing is added at Da Prato simply for decoration.
I’ve had so many disappointing experiences at newly opened restaurants, where American chefs tout their short-lived experience in France or Italy and throw together a hodgepodge of ingredients for show or to make the dishes look Instagram-worthy, without understanding the science behind flavor pairing. No, a pasta sheet drenched in clam sauce and cream with ungodly amounts of Parmesan cheese doesn’t bode well, nor does it make the dish an elevated spaghetti alle vongole.
Da Prato: Website and Instagram
Address: 108 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, California 90012
Walk-ins are welcome, but it’s always better to make a reservation. Keep in mind that Da Prato focuses on seasonal ingredients, so by the time you go, some things may have changed! I also underestimated the portions—they’re very generous! If you’re dining by yourself, expect to have plenty of leftovers.
