Our first time at the bowl since Lucques took over. I know the food will be an improvement, but I’m wondering how serious they are about this endeavor. I’ve ordered dinner for two in our box, but there seems to be no way to order wine with the meal, and no option to add it to my order. There is a wine list on a different unlinked page, but nothing further. All the Bowl’s web page has to tell me is that I am not allowed to bring in my own wine. Further, deponent sayeth naught. Similarly, their food order form for asks for a box number, which doesn’t appear on the ticket. I called the LA Philharmonic (yeah, right?) and learned that the ROW number on my ticket is actually a box number. Do they talk to each other? The Hollywood Bowl web site is a maze of inconsistencies, so I called the Lucques number to see if they have someone fielding catering inquiries. No, I was told “We have nothing to do with that. You have to go to the Hollywood Bowl web site.” I’m hoping that the food will be something similar to the quality that Lucques is known for, but it seems to me to be more like those “famous chef” dinners cranked out by airlines. Has anyone had experience with this yet? (I have mobility issues, so cruising around the bowl looking for wine after we arrive isn’t an option.) Yes, the food from Patina was lame, but at least the ordering was, well…orderly.
We were just there last night. (Sting & Peter Gabriel = great show btw.) Ordered two picnic boxes and two three course dinners for our four person box and everything was good to excellent - I’ll try to write up a more detailed review soon. There was a wine list waiting for us in the box and we were able to order from the server; no need to stand in line at one of the concessions to get your wine. It did still get served in a giant plastic cup due to their no glass at lease events policy, but I can deal with that. Overall the service was good but a little slow; the servers were all hustling but it just seemed like there weren’t enough of them.
Have had many meals in the boxes this season, and the food is a huge improvement over Patina! We’ve tried almost everything on the menu and everything has been excellent (the Rotisserie Chicken is the only mediocre dish so far).
You order wine from your server when there, or bring your own. The bottle of French Rose is the best value ($38, or byob for $14). You are absolutely allowed to bring your own wine and champagne (we had a magnum of Ruinart Rose at Diana Ross, and happily shared with neighbors) during the season. Only lease events do not allow byob, and it is clearly stated on tickets and on the Bowl website when it’s a lease event.
Opulence. You has it.
and good taste! thats a great rose champers
Thanks for all the comments. I was pretty confident the food would be better, but I love hearing the feedback. I’m glad the wine is available from the box, but I’m even gladder to learn that Friday is a non-lease event, so we can bring our own wine. Come to think of it, Ruinart sounds like a good choice for a Weird Al evening, since we’re hoping to ruin a bit of art ourselves.
Well, don’t get your hopes to high. It’s mass produced food. I had the salmon dish- it had so much dill and mint crusted on it to render it almost inedible. Had to scrape it off. Salmon was cooked fine. Cous cous was bland. Short ribs are adequate, but wasn’t a fan of the pesto. Yes, food now better than Patina, but not really saying much. Brought some nice wines- Rose, Chard, Pinot and with our own charcuterie and cheese plate had a wonderful night. Nothing beats the summer Bowl experience.
We went last night, which was a great choice. Eating at the bowl tonight may be not so sweet, at least if the ash and soot from the Sand Fire makes it over the hill. I had the short ribs, which I loved. Of course, I hardly ever eat meat, so it was a real forbidden treat for me. The Mrs. had polenta with shrooms, which she loved. You’re right, it’s certainly not equal to having dinner at Lucques, but it’s far better than what Patina was putting out the last couple of years. We took our own champagne, which didn’t suck either. And Weird Al is a great entertainer. And Straight No Chaser is a very entertaining a capella group. We got to the bowl from Sherman Oaks in 35 minutes, which may be a record for us. When we left to go home, there was a red moon overhead, thanks to the fire.
For Supper in the Boxes, do they provide tablecloths and wine glasses if you bring your own wine?
TIA
They will provide tablecloths but not sure about the wine glasses. We normally bring our own.
Thanks, boogie! Really appreciate it. Can you tell me if it’s plastic or regular place settings?
Wow! What a great step up for Lucques at the Bowl. No more packing up containers and lugging baskets and bags. It was easy and tasty. Service was terrific and timely. Liked how the waiters wore gingham shirts to be indentifiable. They were there to open most every bottle of wine.
The table was set upon arrival with gingham tablecloths, proper flatware, napkins, plastic wine glasses and complimentary bottled water. Really nice.
It’s changed the quality of life and quelled the anticipated drudgery of dining at The Bowl. Totally civilized.
Has anybody tried any of the “street food”, grab n go stuff or items from the other food concessions yet? I’m going to a show next weekend and I’m trying to decide if I want to schlep a picnic, eat out beforehand or try some of the new food @ the bowl. thx!
We grabbed tacos from the Street Tacos stand for the Sting & Peter Gabriel show a few weeks ago. It was $10 for 2 very small tacos and the line was so long, and so slow, that we nearly missed the start of our show. And there was huge line still behind us when we went to our seats. My first comment to my husband was that we would pack food for any future visits, which is what we normally do. It wasn’t terrible food, though we were so hungry at that point I don’t trust my judgment, but for the price and the wait, it definitely wasn’t worth it. The other food lines might’ve had better food results, but the lines were just as ridiculous.
yikes! I usually pack a picnic also, but was hoping the new Lucques food could fill in the gap if I was feeling lazy. guess not. thanks for the heads up!
Has anybody tried any of the other food? any better experience?
Had their new Spanish fried chicken, fries and a few other things from one of the concession stands. Made me regret the one time we didn’t pack our own picnic… Long wait and pretty average.
If I was a big enough baller to get the boxes/tables the 3-4 times a year I hit the Bowl, I’d give the nicer dinner a go.
It is very average and expensive.
We tried many things - I liked the pork stew more than anything else and it was VERY salty.
But there is a real waiter who will bring beer and wine to your box. Very useful for shows that do not allow BYO.
wow—the new food is NOT sounding promising (although its probably light years ahead of the food/wine @ the Greek which I suffered through Thursday night).
well it looks like I’ll either be packing a picnic or eating out beforehand (I’m bringing my own wine since this is a Bowl/KCRW night and thankfully my other booked shows aren’t lease events either).
I’ve only had the pleasure of sitting in box seats a handful of times over the years and that is certainly the best way to enjoy a concert @ the Bowl, but the Bowl is one of the best summer experiences in LA and I always have a great time.
Me too, and that is really much more important than the snarky food chitter-chatter going on here. But, hell, that is our raison d’etre.
I certainly enjoy the snarky food chitter-chatter, so don’t stop on my account 
I’m just interested in finding out if there is anything worth eating @ the Bowl with the new Lucques set up for those of us not sitting in box seats. So far it doesn’t look that way….