Chef Evan Funke is opening his Roman restaurant Fingers Crossed this week, at 6417 Selma Ave., adjacent to the Dream Hollywood hotel, according to a press release Wednesday. The restaurant is billed as Funke’s “love letter” to the Roman pizzeria and will hold its first dinner service on Saturday, August 29. The al fresco dining experience can be found in a piazza along Dream Alley.
“We can’t travel, and I miss my friends in Rome so Fingers Crossed is a way to stay connected and pay homage to the extraordinary traditional cooking of The Eternal City,” Funke said in the release. “This partnership with Relevant has presented an important opportunity and responsibility to support our hospitality community in Los Angeles…”
Dream Hollywood Owner Relevant Group has partnered with Funke on Fingers Crossed, which will operate as a six-month residency with the possibility of extending longer.
“We could not be prouder or more optimistic about this new culinary venture with Chef Evan Funke,” Dan Daley, COO of Relevant Hospitality, said in the release. “During such a tumultuous time for our industry it’s easy to feel disheartened, but heartfelt hospitality has never failed us, and we strive to keep that spirit alive and well with Fingers Crossed. We’re excited to inject new life into a neighborhood that has given us so much, create jobs for the community, and give hungry Angelenos another opportunity to experience Chef Funke’s cooking.”
Fingers Crossed will highlight Funke’s longstanding relationships with local farms and farmers such as Kong Thao, JJ’s Lone Daughter Ranch, and Valdivia Farms. Its wine program pays homage to Italy’s best, complementing classically-executed Italian cocktails. And, in true Italian fashion, Fingers Crossed offers a selection of caffé, espresso, Italian soda, and birre.
“The aesthetic is romantic and inviting as if walking down the hidden streets of Rome,” as described in the release. The entrance, adjacent to the Dream Hotel in Hollywood, is decorated with rustic patina ironwork gates that open into a courtyard accentuated with greenery, ivy-wrapped walls, and strands of outdoor lighting.
The Fingers Crossed dining room accommodates 70 guests and the restaurant is open 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Fingers Crossed will donate a percentage of profits each month to a different non-profit organization, supporting causes including the Independent Restaurant Coalition and Black Lives Matter.
