Per Departures magazine:
Starting in April, Wolfgang Puck, one of the true godfathers of the L.A. dining scene, will be debuting an intimate, once-a-week dining experience at his test kitchen in the Pacific Design Center. Cost will be $195 per person, $295 with wine pairings.
I am interested in trying it out. But sustainability-wise, how many $200 per person dinner venues can L.A. sustain?
Thanks @J_L. And to add to that, from the LA Times:
“Each reservation requires a minimum of eight diners with a maximum of 10. Dinners start at $295 per person and include a cocktail. The optional wine pairing supplement starts at $135, but you also have the option of bringing your own — corkage is $50 per bottle. However, the following stipulation comes in fine print: Seasonal menus and pairings at more approachable price points may be offered.”
Wolfgang Puck has the clientele to do this, and his food, while excellent, is safer.
Khan, I don’t know. He’s more of a trendy new boy on the block. Maybe in thirty years he will have built the customer base he needs to sustain it.
Or maybe Khan’s place will be the new Noma. On the other hand, Los Angeles is hardly an exotic travel destination and while experimental, his food so far seems to me to be somewhat derivative, twists on what other chefs pioneered (Noma again).
[I think I’m crossing threads here.)
You forgot one of the most important parts of the story!
The kitchen is helmed by Dave Beran of Next/Alinea!
How many tech firms does Playa Vista/Venice have room for?
//edit
the OP states that there is a $195 option, but LAT only mentions a $295 option. At $195 it isn’t terrible ($20 more than n/naka), but $295 is too rich for my blood.
Woah, I’m kinda stunned Beran ended up there. I figured he was gonna open up his own place. Still, it’s really exciting to see him actually cooking.
I’ll check it out, if only because Beran is there. He’s the actual draw for me, not Wolfgang.
Wolfgang is excellent at recruiting talent and recognizing raw talent and nurturing it. In restaurant empires, as in football, success depends on that ability.
Interesting. He’s really throwing down the gauntlet. Is this going to be the most expensive tasting menu in town, you think?
Providence is $220, Melisse is $185, I can’t even find pricing for Saam…
Certainly if we exclude omakase & chef tables $195 is up there…
Saam cost $250pp last time I went, food only. Totally worth it, in my opinion. I’d do Saam once a year.
I very much long to eat there. But I am practicing delayed gratification, and so am saving my pennies for Singapore.
A superb endeavor.