Level 8 is like the board game Candy Land but for adults. Instead of Lollipop Woods and Peanut Acres, guests can visit Japanese eatery Lucky Mizu and Mr. Wanderlust piano bar and jazz lounge. This first-of-its-kind dining, drinking and entertainment experience, which spans 30,000 square feet indoors and outdoors, occupies the entire eighth floor of the Moxy and AC Hotel Downtown Los Angeles. It includes eight establishments, ranging from The Brown Sheep food truck serving street food favorites to Sinners y Santos, a cathedral-inspired nightlife playground.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inspired by their travels around the world, twin brothers Mark and Jonnie Houston of Houston Hospitality partnered with Lightstone to debut Level 8 in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Celebrated L.A. chef Ray Garcia helms both The Brown Sheep and Qu\u00e9 B\u00e1rbaro, a steak and seafood live fire grill restaurant. He was drawn to the opportunity to create a concept that could bring live-fire cooking and a strong point of view into a larger hospitality experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cQu\u00e9 B\u00e1rbaro was exciting because it allowed us to build something with energy and theater but still rooted in craft, generosity and the kind of food I love to cook,\u201d explained Garcia, who is best known for his own Broken Spanish and BS Taqueria and was previously at Asterid at the Walt Disney Concert Hall before joining the Level 8 team.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Qu\u00e9 B\u00e1rbaro\u2019s most recent addition to its menu is the Asado Experience ($79 per person), which is \u201crooted in one of the most meaningful culinary traditions I\u2019ve come to know: Argentine asado,\u201d Garcia shared. \u201cWhat has always stayed with me is that asado is not just a style of cooking; it is a way of gathering.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garcia first encountered the asado experience in his in-laws\u2019 backyard here in the United States, where they carried the tradition with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn Sundays, the fire would be lit early, and the table would slowly fill with grilled meats, vegetables, salads, warm bread, wine and conversation,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt was never rushed. There was just this steady rhythm of food, laughter and connection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Qu\u00e9 B\u00e1rbaro\u2019s Asado Experience is a reflection of that feeling. Guests can expect a generous flow of grilled meats, seasonal vegetables and thoughtful touches that honor the tradition. More than anything, it is an invitation to slow down, pour another glass of wine, pass plates and connect. The food sets the tone, but the experience is shaped by the moments shared around the table.<\/p>\n
Highlights include grilled selections such as entra\u00f1a (skirt steak), tira de asado (flanken short rib), brochetas de hongos (grilled mushrooms), chorizo (pork sausage), langosta (Maine lobster tail), pollo a la brasa (chicken thighs), morcilla (blood sausage), mollejas (sweetbreads), panceta (Kurobuta pork belly) and langostinos (Caledonian prawns). Garcia has also added new dishes like remolacha (coal-roasted beets with buckwheat honey and pistachio) and coliflor frites (citrus-marinated cauliflower with golden raisin agrodolce and yucca fries).<\/p>\n
\u201cLos Angeles has taught me that food needs a point of view, but it also has to listen,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cThis is a city where people bring their own memories, expectations and experiences to the table \u2014 whether they are longtime locals, part of a neighborhood community or visitors trying to understand LA through food. That range keeps you honest. LA diners can feel when something is coming from a real place. They are adventurous but also discerning. They respond to food that has craft behind it, that is generous and that feels connected to the city around it.\u201d<\/p>\n