Dominique Ansel has permanently shuttered the chef’s two-story restaurant in The Grove housing Dominique Ansel Bakery and 189 By Dominique Ansel. The news was announced on Ansel’s Instagram over the weekend.
“During the pandemic, we’ve had to make some tough choices and also had to make peace with not having a choice sometimes,” Ansel wrote. “A few weeks ago we quietly said goodbye to [Dominique Ansel Bakery and 189 By Dominique Ansel], which were temporarily closed in March with the government shutdowns. We now join the list of COVID-19 casualties, alongside our well-respected peers in the industry. It’s ironic to close when our last memories were of the lines every weekend and nights full of proposals, tree lightings, and blow out finale parties…”
It doesn’t come as a surprise that the Fairfax eateries are gone for good. Chef Curtis Stone on Friday via a press release announced plans to open—albeit temporarily—Picinic Society by Gwen in place of Ansel’s restaurants. Picnic Society is slated to open September 14 as a pop-up.
“…L.A. wasn’t always easy, as we set our bar as high as we could reach, but it was always exciting,” Ansel wrote. “And of all the things I’ll miss, most of all I’ll miss our team. A group of co-dreamers – who believed in what we did and put in the work to make it come true. And come winter in NY, I guess I’ll miss the sunshine a bit as well. Stay safe, LA. And let’s leave it as ‘see you again soon.’”
