Moruno restaurant at the Original Farmers Market has closed

Moruno, the Spanish small plates restaurant in the Original Farmers Market that Mozza alums Chris Feldmeier and David Rosoff opened in January, had its last day of service Monday.

Rosoff said that the decision to close the restaurant was because of difficulties with the “challenging” location.

“Everybody was really happy with what we were doing, just not where we were doing it,” Rosoff said Tuesday morning from behind the bar at Moruno’s second and now only location, in downtown’s Grand Central Market. Both restaurants were built around and named for the Spanish snacks called morunos.

“It was just time to find a location that can better support what we want to do.”

The Moruno at the Original Farmers Market occupied the space that previously had been home to Short Order, a two-story location jigsawed into the southwestern corner of the 3rd and Fairfax market. Feldmeier, formerly chef de cuisine at Osteria Mozza, and Rosoff, who was the GM at Mozza and ran its lauded wine program — the two men also worked together at the legendary restaurant Campanile — will focus on the Grand Central Market restaurant as they scout locations for another spot. They’re in no rush.

“Chris and I don’t want to open a 200-seat fine-dining restaurant,” Rosoff said. “I would prefer if I didn’t have to put on a tie again for a long time.”

No worries on that count at Bar Moruno, which boasts a cheery counter, open kitchen and serious wine bar amid the bustling near-century-old food court.

“Getting it right,” said Rosoff, dressed in his customary denim shirt and apron, “is more important than when.”

Bar Moruno at Grand Central Market: 317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, (213) 232-4650, morunola.com

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