My dinner plate is served. It's a Campbell's-inspired soup can, tilted slightly so that strands of broccoli stick out. I lift the can to reveal slow-braised short rib and mashed potatoes. An American plate to represent an American artist, here Andy Warhol.
The room is filled with projections, scenes of bustling New York traffic combined with bachelor-style guitar riffs. A selection of Warhol silkscreens is displayed on a wall above a table. It's Friday night in West Hollywood and I'm surrounded by a mix of out-of-towners and people celebrating an anniversary. And while this is a special occasion, we are encouraged to get our food a little messy: use our hands, paint a salad, draw a cookie.
The main course: a can of tomato soup? “7 Paintings” is an immersive event that occasionally hides dishes in artist-inspired presentations.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Play is the main accompaniment at “7 Paintings,” a technology-enabled dinner theater that aims to be a crash course in fine arts. That selection of vegetables paired with multiple mini cups of colorful dips? Guests are encouraged to mix and match the vinaigrettes in a mix of hues, a nod to abstractionist Jackson Pollock. And yellowfin tuna with touches of avocado and taro chips? It's an edible tribute to Banksy, of course. What does raw fish have to do with stamped street art? Is it bold, has many angles and has a short lifespan? Maybe? Maybe don't think about it too much.
Even the paper is edible.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
“Have you ever eaten a painting?” says Nadine Beshir, Dubai-based creator of “7 Paintings.” “We try to get people out of their comfort zone and eating paper. I want to bring out the child in them.”
“7 Paintings,” taking place at Sunset House LA through the end of August, is the latest example of immersive dining to come to this city. These experiences often involve guest participation and are accentuated with advanced multimedia technology and sometimes theatrical elements.
Around the world, there have been standouts. For example, Eatrenalin at Germany's Europa-Park, a dining and ride where participants are carried through the space on trackless “hovering chairs,” just received a coveted Michelin star. Ibiza's Sublimotion has similarly lofty ambitions, bringing together 12 diners in a room that will come to life with otherworldly projections and artists. Sometimes diners will win with a virtual reality headset.
But technology-driven immersive dining experiences have never taken off as a trend in Los Angeles. Last year, the Gallery, where fantastical cityscapes and projections surrounded downtown Los Angeles diners, was up for just a couple of months before the concept was abandoned.
“7 Paintings” combines food with art and music. It's “a fun dinner, not a good dinner,” says its founder.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Bartender Luca Famulari prepares a cocktail at the immersive gastronomic event.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
“Restaurant economics are not the same as theater economics, and the challenge of combining the two lies in thinking outside the box with respect to pricing and cost structure, so that the customer perceives high value from both the food and the experience,” says Gallery co-founder Daren Ulmer.
Entrepreneurs continue to aspire to that careful balance. Currently being held in Tangier, at the central Figueroa Hotel, “Le Petit Chef and Friends”, an event in which an entirely animated film is projected on our plates and tables. The long-running pop-up event Fork N' Film leans more toward dinner and a movie, combining dishes directly inspired by what's happening on screen. Upcoming films include “Ratatouille” and “Lilo and Stitch.”
The field presents challenges. “The costs are very high,” says Joanna Garner, an immersive designer and former creative director at experiential art firm Meow Wolf. Garner has been experimenting with immersive community dinners, and her next one, the flirty “Please Open Your Mouth,” is scheduled for July 11. (No technology there, as Garner is looking for a more sensual, adult-focused gathering.) Tickets for their event are $150 and a spot at “7 Paintings” dining room is $175, a price on par with several of the city's most acclaimed restaurants.
There is also the reality that all public dinners are immersive in some way, and typically require different combinations of participation, communication, and presentation. And then, are all these added elements distracting?
An animated Mona Lisa sits on the wall while guests enjoy their meals. Throughout the dinner, the painting offers insights into various artists.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Throughout “7 Paintings,” for example, an animated Mona Lisa, located on the wall next to the head table, will provide brief biographical details about each artist depicted.
“Being able to nail down the food and the story are two very difficult threads to weave,” says Garner. “I think ultimately people come to the table to talk to the people at the table and have intimate experiences. To have an experience where you're constantly pulled away from the food, I'm not sure if that's what people are looking for.”
Food is framed as the protagonist of “7 Cuadros” but savoring it is only one component. At one point, we must discover a plate of cheese in a small treasure chest, the code to the lock hidden in the projections (don't stress, it's not a difficult puzzle). Beshir highlights the Pollock-inspired salad plate as the thesis of the evening, accented with a jazz soundtrack.
1. A guest uses a silicone brush to apply sauces to an entree, a nod to abstractionist Jackson Pollock. 2. Projections fill the dining room table during meals.
“This course is really about getting people to free their minds from preconceived ideas,” Beshir says. “You have to eat with a fork and knife, or the salad comes and then the dressing. No, the dressing comes and then the salad, and you try with big brushes to paint like he did. A lot of people don't understand abstract expressionism and think they're people who just splash colors. But when you understand the link between the rhythm of music and painting, you live it. We give you time to paint with your salad dressing.”
In Los Angeles, Beshir has teamed up with nightlife entrepreneur Kim Kelly, who is planning a “Sleep No More”-inspired stage show for the Sunset House venue later this year. “7 Paintings,” however, is completely grounded and a bit silly on purpose. Beshir and Kelly have been evolving it during their performance in Los Angeles and recently added a stronger painting component by giving guests their own canvas to work on throughout the night. Each night a winner is crowned.
“Everyone comes to see his art,” Kelly says. “To be honest, it just changed the whole thing. Now people are creative all night long. Instead of just watching and painting occasionally, now you're painting all the time.”
As for what, perhaps, soba noodles with edamame and mushrooms have to do with Pablo Picasso, or why Salvador Dalí receives an unexpected dessert: a potato soufflé with white chocolate, Beshir clarifies the purpose of the evening. While the animated Mona Lisa will tell backstories of each painter, this is not an educational evening. “It's a fun dinner, not a fancy dinner,” Beshir says.
And at the end of my night, strangers were socializing, showing off their painted cookie creations, sharing Banksy treats, and asking for recommendations on various vinaigrette combinations. In short, it is a night of discovery, full of surprises, like finding an entire route hidden under a canvas.
Darryl Mayes of Charlotte, North Carolina, left, and Taylor Smith of North Hollywood, right, discover their direction.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
“We try not to have too much sophistication, like fried ants or something. Personally, I'm very adventurous in how I eat, but if I want to have this in 100 cities around the world, I can't be too meticulous.”
And Beshir has big goals.
“I want this to be your thing, the movie and the dinner,” Beshir says. “I want people to be looking forward to our next show and to be able to afford to come every two months.”
And return home not with leftovers, but perhaps with a painting of your own.
