I guess I must mainly go to the Century City mall during “off” hours (weekday lunch) b/c I actually find the parking situation there not at all bad, most of the time (my only truly horrific experiences were during Black Friday and such).
I actually think Century City mall would make a lot of sense (will eventually be close to a Metro stop), as long as they’re not in a bad Feng Shui area (eg., near Panini Kabob).
Wow I am very sorry to hear about your experience last night! I also have a reservation on Saturday and am now contemplating canceling as well. I remember going to Craft in Century City on their last night of service and they were firing on all cylinders, staff was in good spirits - it felt like a celebration of life. I perhaps naively expected that here as well, but I guess not 
Since I discovered parking by Eataly (maybe it was @J_L that mentioned it all those years ago when they first opened) it’s a lot less annoying! I also rarely go on a weekend.
Was told last night the move may be to Lumiere space in the Fairmont. Staff very unhappy because they can’t go with, it’s a unionized spot.
That explains why our waiter at Lumiere had been there 30 years. He built up a remarkable blind wine tasting ability over all those years and taught me about differences in how acids are perceived across an array of white wine varietals.
Not familiar w/ the space, but it looks gorgeous in photos.
That’s too bad about the staff, if the restaurant ends up moving to the hotel.
Had the same experience on Friday night. They were slammed to the max and the mood was tense. The Caesar was always a highlight in the past but that night it felt like whatever was in the bottom of the bag. Pickle chick - too thick! And barely any of the horseradish sauce so the dish wound up being largely tasteless. The sense that they’re bummed/pissed about closing, which I get, was right there on the surface so the visit was a drag.
The look of confusion on the 4 people in the next table when their Pickle Chick arrived - without anything else because their fries and salad were served first - was unpseting to see. Four people looking at a slab of fried chicken, didn’t know what to do. I’m so sad to lose Birdies, but what’s worse is how they’ve just given up - no sense of celebration at all.
Damn, I have a reservation for Friday night too. What to do?
MVJPL, I say go, if only to support the wait staff- who really are trying their best despite the situation. And the drinks are really good.
Going to a restaurant shortly before an announced closing is kind of like going right when they open: you need to be ready to forgive any rough edges.
It’s a tough position to be in as announcing the closure means they’re slammed, but since they’re closing it’s hard to get extra help, and likely they’re losing staff as people find new jobs. It’s a lot easier to get a new gig in mid-December than in January.
+1
Give em some grace. They’re probably understaffed and also…depressed! I’m sure they’re trying their best. The 8 nights dinners were incredible so I’m glad I went out with 2 of those.
I know for the 8 nights their old executive chef was back moonlighting for all the nights. They’re almost certainly losing people to positions at other restaurants who need them for the holiday season. In fact I suspect that might be why they’re closing before Christmas and new years. It gives people a chance to start a new positions during a busy season. The old GM had already moved on and the CEO was pinch hitting for GM duties when I was trying to book a larger table for 8 nights.
Honestly it feels like 8 nights was the real goodbye party…
Damn I’d hate to see Lumière go - I was just getting into a regular groove with Lumière. But their servers are very good at what they do, so I do take some solace in the fact that there will be some degree of stability for them…
Decided to keep our reservation for tonight. Service was great, pacing felt normal, and the dishes were as I remembered, with the only exception being that the steak was oversalted. They printed special “final night” menus - and yes, it was certainly an abridged offering.
Staff were upbeat. The music was turned up a notch but not overwhelmingly so. They had a bubble blaster at the bar area that they used whenever a particular drink was ordered - or maybe whenever they felt like it? It felt like a holiday party, not a funeral. Glad I went.
I asked my server about the century city rumors and she all but confirmed it. Not coming any time soon, but sounds like a done deal.
Yep, we had the same experience—so much so that a few days later we returned to snag an early bar seat, and it felt quite festive.
It would be really awesome if he gave fine dining another go.
Pretty Sure that’s not going to happen! If you heard his podcast with David Chang he doesn’t seem into fine dining.. But who knows.
Foxxy does tease an Ubuntu -the lost Album cookbook every once in a while. Don’t think he’s serious about it tho