Agree. It’s a Levy restaurant and it shows. Every progressive pre-theater visit is more and more disappointing. Last reser, they texted the afternoon of our reser with immune compromised clients who cannot eat inside (and we’re not eating inside either) because they had a patio buyout and they don’t check their patio resers until the day of. The GM generously offered to waive their cancellation fee if we chose not to come . As much as we like Chef Ray, I told him we’re done there. It’s a corporate gig for him.
That gave us a chance to eat on the roof at Cara Cara on a glorious day with Caroline Styne pouring us Muga with chickpea fritters and fried piri piri chicken I can’t stop thinking about. So delicious !!! That’ll be our pre-theater standard.
Warrior: Asterid is good. The chef is one of the top chefs in LA. Dishes are well designed. Chicken was well executed. Broth for risotto was too watery and rice was slightly overcooked for risotto, but otherwise execution was on point. Good staff. Just not the right location. I’ve never met anyone who likes going to opera / theater / etc. I’ve never been able to make it through a whole performance.
Peony: I totally agree with Warrior. The chef has a good understanding of food and the dishes are well designed, plus the chef has a good palate. All the flavor combinations worked well tonight. Definitely spotted some Broken Spanish elements, but the chef has successfully created a different style from Broken Spanish. Looking forward to visiting in the future to see how they grow over time.
Right. I don’t think opera / theater is good. Wagner did very good stuff musically, in spurts, but even his operas are insufferable as a whole. Point being: this restaurant probably isn’t going to be able to survive based on the opera / theater crowd.
I didn’t infer it was the same level as Cara Cara. Cara Cara is much more casual, but it serves as a better pre-theater/opera/symphony/chorale choice IMHO.
Asterid is really not an ideal pre-performance spot.
That’s funny.
I always joke that it is my firm belief that the theater will never really “make it” as an art form, because (other than matinees) it forces one rush to dinner in early, or late (the latter is much easier in NYC, than LA but still is a PIA).
And yet, lo and behold, it is our civilizations longest running art form. #fuckaristophanes
I was really hoping Nils Frahm would play the concert hall next time he was in town just so I had a reason to make it to Asterid. Sadly he’s playing elsewhere.
. As much as we like Chef Ray, I told him we’re done there. It’s a corporate gig for him.
!!! That’ll be our pre-theater standard.
