Photo Credit: Jakob Layman
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone’s Maude restaurant has completely reinvented itself for 2018. Since launching in 2014, the Beverly Hills restaurant has made waves in the LA food scene with its ever-changing monthly tasting menus starring one hero ingredient. Now, however, it’s changing things up and plans on rolling out four seasonal menus a year each inspired by different wine regions around the globe starting with Rioja, Spain.
Photo Credit: Mikael Vojinovic
Captivated and inspired by the region’s rich history and focus on family and tradition, Stone and his team traveled to Spain last year in preparation and completely immersed themselves in the culture of the region sampling the best wines, indulging in tapas, visiting local farms, hunting for mushrooms, making goat cheese and chorizo, and spending time in the kitchen with Rioja’s top chefs.
Photo Credit: Jakob Layman
Executive chef Justin Hilbert returned feeling completely inspired and crafted a menu filled with decadent dishes like wild mushrooms with juniper and pine and a bean dish filled with chorizo and crispy pig’s ear. Dishes are accompanied by wine pairings crafted by wine director Ben Aviram and sommelier Andrey Tolmaychov.
“It is one of the major wine regions of the world and yet, it’s not as widely understood as some of the more established regions, which will be fun for us to explore and discuss with our guests that are into wine,” Aviram said in a statement. “But at the same time, there is a lot happening at the forefront in terms of the younger generation coming in to do interesting things like adding forgotten varietals of white, rose, and sparkling wines alongside the authentic multi-generational wines from the region that are just spectacular.”
Photo Credit: Mikael Vojinovic
The interior of the 24-seat restaurant also got a makeover. The signature turquoise banquettes are now rendered in navy and maroon and accented with patterned pillows. The attention to detail also extends to the decor. Every element was carefully selected. Blue velvet Art Deco chairs with wood and gold accents were specially commissioned. The curtains are made of vintage fabric from France and a black and white gallery wall displays moments from the team’s trip to Spain all together creating a delightful experience for both your eyes and your palate.
