Cipriani lands in Beverly Hills and thrice-Michelin-starred Quince reopens after a year
Words by ANDREW BARKER, KELSEY McKINNON, DAVID NASH, and S. IRENE VIRBILA
PHOTO: Joe Schmelzer.
Join the Club
Since Orange County–based hotelier Alan Fuerstman, the founder of Montage Hotels & Resorts group, and his son, Michael, launched the modern, design-forward lifestyle concept Pendry a decade ago, the idea has taken off. Sharing the same address as Pendry Newport, members-only THE ELWOOD CLUB has become a local attraction with three different dining concepts and access to exclusive programming, including sessions with workout guru Tracy Anderson, a simulated Topgolf Swing Suite, and nightly live music. 690 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, 949-688-8001; pendry.com. K.M.
 |
PHOTO: Courtesy of Slanted Door.
Different Slant
For 10 years, Charles Phan, the James Beard Award–winning chef-owner of San Francisco’s legendary restaurant THE SLANTED DOOR, quietly searched for a location to expand in the Napa Valley. Eventually he stumbled upon a standalone farmhouse-style building off the beaten path. The modern, 220-seat Olle Lundberg–designed eatery, which opened recently, features a circular bar and an interior courtyard with a roaring fireplace. On the menu are longtime favorites like shaking beef and daikon rice cakes alongside a roster of newfangled Vietnamese dishes (think: clay-pot chicken, caramelized shrimp, and gua choy cua). For a town with a famously early bedtime, perhaps the best part is that dinner is served until 10 p.m. 1650 Soscol Ave., Napa; slanteddoor.com. K.M.
|
PHOTO: Dora Tsui.
Jonesing for Quince
After two decades and a yearlong renovation and redesign, San Francisco’s QUINCE, one of only five restaurants in California to have three Michelin stars, has reopened with a new look and more flexible menu options. Staying at the top in a city with a stellar dining scene is no small feat: Quince’s contemporary Mediterranean-inspired food is just as deftly executed and exquisitely balanced, but instead of just one extravagant 10-course tasting menu at $360, chef-owner Michael Quince and his wife, Lindsay, have added a four-course menu at $270, with choices and a new à la carte menu in the first-come, first-served bar and salon. The chef changes the menus almost daily, depending on what’s come in from the restaurant’s own Fresh Run Farm in Bolinas. Expect dishes like Tomales Bay golden nugget oysters with pomegranate and Monterey seaweed, turbot cooked in the fireplace, or squab with red cabbage and huckleberry. If you’ve saved for a splurge, revisit this iconic spot. 470 Pacific Ave., S.F., 415-775-8500; quincerestaurant.com. S.I.V.
|
PHOTO: Courtesy of Cipriani.
Cip Cip Hooray!
When Giuseppe Cipriani opened Harry’s Bar in 1931 on a quiet side street in Venice, Italy, he surely never imagined the cozy little place — where he served the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Katharine Hepburn, Orson Welles, and Peggy Guggenheim fresh Bellinis and calf’s liver and onions — would be replicated all over the world. You can dine at CIPRIANI in New York City, Miami, Dubai, Uruguay, Milan, Hong Kong, Istanbul, and now Beverly Hills. Designed by Florentine architect Michele Bönan, the space shines with Murano chandeliers, lots of polished wood, tobacco leather chairs, and dark green velvet banquettes. The menu proposes Harry’s signature dishes, including carpaccio alla Cipriani, baked tagliolini with ham, risotto primavera, and that svelte calf’s liver. Because we’re talking Beverly Hills — and the first Cipriani in California — of course there’s a patio for outdoor dining, as well as a chic jazz café. 362 N. Camden Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-866-5060; cipriani.com/cipriani-beverly-hills. S.I.V.
|
Rodeo’s New Sushi Spot? Noted
An omakase sushi spot in a parking lot in Beverly Hills? You heard right. Nestled beneath The Hideaway on the primest of locations on Rodeo Drive, SUSHI NOTE OMAKASE is an intimate 14-seat setup and 20-course culinary journey helmed by Earl Aguilar and his mentor, Kiminobu Saito. The pair met at Sherman Oaks’ original Sushi Note outpost before opening this second enclave, which combines Japanese tradition with speakeasy vibes. Sample Saito’s choicest cuts of Spanish bluefin tuna and silver-skinned kohada before bottarga on amadai and smoky bonito cured in brandy explode on the taste buds. With a team of certified sommeliers, expect excellent wine pairings curated by beverage director Ian Lokey to elevate each dish. Tradition and innovation in every bite. sushinoteomakase.com. A.B.
|
High Society
A fabled San Francisco nightclub sees new life and a name change with the unveiling of STARLITE atop the Beacon Grand Hotel in Union Square. Previously opened in 1928, the former Sir Frances Drake Hotel’s 21st-floor hot spot was known first as the Starlite Roof. For its February redux, the rooftop cocktail bar returned with lavish Art Deco–inspired interiors designed by Maison A’s Alice Crumeyrolle that complement the venue’s stunning 360-degree city views. A sumptuous cocktail menu was shaken to perfection by Trick Dog’s Scott Baird, while Washington, D.C.–based chef Johnny Spero from Michelin-starred Reverie dreamed up a menu that includes a hot fried chicken bun. In the evenings, guests can mingle and groove to curated vinyl sets from music director and party host Nina Tarr. 450 Powell St., 21st Fl., S.F., 415-395-8528; starlitesf.com. D.N.
|
PHOTO: Justin Chung.
Baroo’s Back
Remember BAROO, the Hollywood strip-mall café where Korean chef Kwang Uh and his business partner Matthew Kim turned out experimental fermentation-focused dishes at unbelievably modest prices? Even though the innovative spot was wildly popular and much lauded by the food world, it shut down in 2018. Meanwhile, Uh married GM Mina Park. Five years later, the couple found a contemporary space in DTLA and opened with an eight-course tasting menu at $110 with the intention “to serve food with a beginner’s mind.” That sounds about right from a chef with unbridled curiosity who picked up his aesthetic from temple cooking in South Korea. The menu is updated frequently, and every dish is surprising. There’s nothing like it. 905 E. 2nd St., #109, L.A., 213-221-7967; baroolosangeles.com. S.I.V.
Portions of this story originally appeared in the Spring 2024 and Spring Men’s Edition 2024 issue of C Magazine.
Discover more FOOD news.
