LA Weekly
Hidden just off the Sunset Strip, the Sunset Marquis has always been a place where legends retreat and creativity thrives. But behind the hotel’s leafy pathways and rock-and-roll history, there’s another reason insiders keep coming back: Luis Morales, the chef behind one of LA’s best-kept dining secrets, Cavatina.
Chef Luis Morales of Cavatina (Scott Crawford)
Born in Costa Rica and raised in a Boston neighborhood where Italian American traditions meant food was the heartbeat of daily life, Morales was destined for the kitchen. At 12, he cooked his first dish from a Hunan cookbook he still owns today — a symbol of his early appetite for exploration. Though he once imagined a future in art or science, a culinary school advertisement changed everything. From that moment, his creativity found its outlet in food.
Morales’ training is classically French, but his career has zigzagged across continents and styles: Modern French elegance, Retro Continental grandeur, Latin American vibrancy, Modern American edge, even the exacting discipline of an Asian omakase bar. Yet it’s Italy — its seasonality, simplicity, and soul — that continues to ground his cooking. His philosophy? Stay curious, stay inspired, but never chase trends.
That ethos is alive at the Sunset Marquis, where Morales has spent more than six years reinventing the hotel’s culinary heartbeat. His latest brunch revamp shatters the mold of predictable hotel fare, swapping tired “classics” for dishes that are playful, indulgent, and perfectly in tune with weekend energy. As Morales puts it, brunch should feel like “a continuation of last night’s celebration.” (Pro-tip: definitely order the fries. If ever there was a perfectly fried potato, this might be it. Dipping them in their house-made ranch dressing is also delightful, albeit controversial in some culinary circles.)
Then there’s his Santa Maria Grill pop-up at Cavatina, an irresistible showcase of chef’s love for freshly-grilled cuisine. Positioned right outside the restaurant, it pulls guests in with smoky aromas and live-cooking theatrics. For Morales, it’s about more than flavor — it’s about recreating the electric connection between chef and diner.
The best part of dining at Morales’ Cavatina is that it feels less like a hotel meal and more like being let in on a secret.