Chef Dave Beran is working on a new, unnamed project in Santa Monica, which should be open by the end of the summer. According to the chef, “This is the tasting restaurant I’ve wanted to make for so long. It will really be an evolution of what we were doing at Dialogue.”
Dialogue, Beran’s 18-seat Michelin-starred restaurant, closed its doors in 2020. He intends to continue the storyline of his former award-winning concept with this new space.
“We’re still working on the dishes, but it will be a tasting menu experience with around 12 to 15 courses that will last between two-and-a-half to three hours,” Beran told What Now Los Angeles.
“We want it to feel like you’re walking up to a home. Guests will enter through large black doors and into a garden where the host stand will be. This is where we’ll start them with small bites and beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Moving into the restaurant, the tone will be a bit darker with moody lighting.”
Notably, there will not be any servers at the yet-to-be-named restaurant. The chefs will personally present patrons with their dishes, something Beran is quite passionate about.
“There’s no real separation between where the kitchen ends and the dining room begins. I initially started at Alinea as a food runner, and what I learned in that role was the importance of conveying the work that’s being done in the kitchen to the diner. I think there’s some magic in those interactions for the guests, our chefs and, selfishly, myself.”
Beran described the cuisine as eclectic, modern and progressive. “The menu will be framed around my own experiences and what I’ve done in the past. It won’t necessarily be French or Japanese or fusion, just the style that we’ve developed over time.”
“We’re creating an authentic SoCal experience that can’t be replicated anywhere else. The selections will change seasonally, and we’ll source our product from local fisherman, farmers markets, and even foraging in the mountains out towards Topanga and North Pasadena.”
Prices for the tasting menu experience will range from around $265.
Beran also helms Pasjoli, an elevated French bistro in Santa Monica.
