destInatIon IntervIew

DEST IN AT ION INTE RV IE W by Calum Donoghue

Eating Local in Beverly hills

Beverly Hills has long been recognised as a renowned culinary destination and home of the ‘celebrity chef’ with Wolfgang Puck, Curtis Stone and Thomas Keller. 2016 is set to elevate Beverly Hills’ credentials even further with the opening of three new dining establishments throughout the year; Avec Nous at Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills; The Belvedere at The Peninsula Beverly Hills; and Georgie and The Garden Bar at Montage Beverly Hills, partnering with star of the Food Network, Geofrey Zakarian.

At the start of the year, the city launched a global luxury trend report, The Future of Luxury, which has determined many key food trends. This includes the rise of the ‘Localtarian’ - a sustainable lifestyle choice where conscious customers only eat local. Restaurants within Beverly Hills, such as The Belvedere and Maude, are leading the trend to cater to the infux of those seeking a menu made only of locally sourced seasonal ingredients. As the city embraces the ever changing food scene, we chat to the Chefs at the helm of these two restaurants…

David

Codney

Executive Chef at The Peninsula Beverly Hills

Iwas fortunate to learn in the early stages of my career as a chef that you should never give up and you can do anything if you have passion and drive. I started fresh out of high school at a restaurant in Cleveland. Straight away I understood the importance of knowing the detail of the ingredients, and at that restaurant the emphasis was on cheese so I learned the art of ripening, composing cheese plates as well as seasonality. Learning those details is what flls me with passion and provides a thrill each time I step into the kitchen. The diversity of the ingredients is fascinating to me and that’s why I, where possible, try to grow my own. We are growing as much as we can at The Peninsula, from lemon trees and kumquats to basil and blackberries, and anything else that we can put in our planter beds. I love that we grow food and produce here on the premises and make the most of the California sunshine - I feel that we should expand this principle into all public places throughout Beverly Hills. Working in a hotel kitchen is an experience like no other, because every single day is different. The guests staying at

the hotel come from all across the world, some new and some returning, and that is what is so exciting. The success of the restaurant does not just lie with me, but with the entire team, and I have a phenomenal group surrounding me at The Peninsula. Together we are like a big wheel. We are the spokes and at the centre of the wheel are the guests. We take great pride in giving our guests a memorable high quality excellent experience that is expected of this hotel and our dining venues. We prepare and serve them the best and most refined cuisine we can no matter what the meal, occasion or time of day. I oversee all aspects of the hotel’s cuisine. Most recently, I was tasked with the tremendous undertaking of creating the new menu for the hotel’s signature restaurant The Belvedere, which re-opened in January. Seafood is at the heart of the Mediterranean concept menu and we focus on seasonally-driven dishes which have locally sourced ingredients of the highest quality and features a large selection of sustainably caught fish. Signature dishes such as Salt

Cod Croquettes and Grass-fed Lamb Tagine are rustic and simply prepared to really let the produce shine. Fine dining is paramount at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, which isn’t just refected at The Belvedere, but also The Living Room, which serves the legendary Peninsula Afternoon Tea while a harpist plays, and The Roof Garden, which is adjacent to the rooftop pool. Enjoying an alfresco lunch or afternoon cocktail in the California sunshine is a treat for our guests, and of course we have some of the best views of the city. The opening of The Belvedere, I feel, has really set the bar for the city’s culinary credentials this year. The full transformation of the menu and interiors starts a new chapter in the 25-year history of exceptional cuisine for the hotel. We really recognise that guests now want to know where their food comes from and it excites me to tell them that many come from our very own roof. I am constantly on the hunt for inspiration, which means I am always hungry for the new, the up-and-coming and, more importantly, what it is that I currently don’t have.

Curtis Stone

Chef-Owner of Maude

My restaurant, Maude, named after my granny who opened my eyes to cooking and food, is the culmination of all my life and career experiences captured into one intimate, little space. I’ve been so fortunate in all facets of my career, but truthfully, I’d been yearning to get back in a restaurant kitchen ever since I left my job as head chef at Quo Vadis in London, so when a small restaurant space in Beverly Hills became available down the road from my home, I jumped at the opportunity to snap it up as my own – and Maude opened in February, 2014. Each month a single ingredient inspires a menu of nine or so tasting plates, and this celebrated fresh ingredient is creatively woven, to varying degrees, through each course. In May, the highlighted ingredient is garlic, it’s cherry in June and zucchini in July. Some courses call for the hero to be at the center of the plate whilst at other times, it plays a supporting role to the rest of the produce and elements making up the dish. By choosing a special ingredient to star in each course, from frst bites right through to our petit fours, a beautiful challenge is born. By concentrating wholeheartedly on one monthly menu, inspired by one ingredient, we’re able to trial, test and taste to the nth degree. As chefs, we get to break down the ingredient by thinking about each of its edible parts, produce that will pair beautifully with it, cooking techniques to draw out the very best favours and textures, and how it can work seamlessly through the entire menu. My hope is for my guests to leave loving and appreciating the ingredient, the seasons, and its extraordinary versatility, just as much as my chefs and I do. When I dine at my peers’ restaurants, I often choose not to see the menu and allow the chef to prepare something that they want to create. All of the most incredible dining experiences I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy take place at my mates’ restaurants, where they take the menu away, pour each guest a glass of champagne and we can sit back and enjoy each course presented. I love that element of surprise… It’s the royal treatment and what a great perk of being in the industry! My aim is to give every guest at Maude that royal treatment, a true chef’s table experience. I feel so fortunate to have gathered together a small team of chefs and dining room staf at Maude, who have come from esteemed restaurants around the globe including Alinea, French Laundry, elBulli, Torrisi, Vue de Monde and Joel Robuchon, to help bring this unique vision to life night after night.