Four Seasons Los Angeles Transforms Culina, Inviting Coastal Italy to the City of Angels

Friday, April 26, 2024

The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills has introduced a fresh culinary approach for its acclaimed Culina Ristorante and Caffé, a mainstay in the LA dining landscape for over a decade. This transformation heralds a new chapter in Culina’s history, celebrated for its beloved Sunday brunch and as a venue for Hollywood’s elite during power lunches, while also appealing to the sophisticated tastes of both hotel guests and locals.

Under the guidance of Executive Chef Mitch Austin, who drew inspiration from the picturesque coastal towns along Italy’s Mediterranean and Adriatic shores, the restaurant collaborated with renowned Italian chefs within the Four Seasons network to craft innovative breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus.

These new offerings merge California’s seasonal harvest with authentic DOP-certified Italian ingredients, resulting in beautifully prepared dishes that embody true Italian flavors. Each creation highlights California’s rich waterways and diverse agriculture, featuring local ingredients perfectly complemented by premium Italian imports.

“When we set out to re-envision Culina, our intent was to introduce a new concept and menus that were deeply rooted in Italian heritage and tradition, and to capture the essence of the Italian Riviera in Los Angeles,” says David Wilkie, General Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. “The reimagination is an authentic love letter to coastal Italy, presenting refreshing new menus and an enriched ambiance that guarantees an unforgettable culinary experience for guests and locals alike.”

The updated menu includes elegantly simple yet sophisticated dishes, such as artisanal pizzas from an outdoor Neapolitan-style oven, a crudo bar with sustainably caught seafood, and handmade pastas. Highlight dishes include:

• Carciofi Fritti: Fried artichokes with lemon and caper aioli
• Crudo Royale: A selection of raw seafood with Petrossian caviar
• Risotto ai Ricci: Acquerello risotto with Santa Barbara sea urchin, prosecco, grapefruit, and chive
• Paccheri All’Aragosta: Lobster paccheri with San Marzano tomato sauce and fresh basil
• Costata Fiorentina: Grilled T-bone steak with Tuscan cannellini beans, grilled radicchio, and balsamic

Additionally, Culina boasts an extensive wine list focused mainly on Italian vintners, complemented by select Californian wines, promoting environmentally friendly winemaking. The cocktail menu captures the essence of coastal Italy with inventive drinks like the Amalfi Spritz, made with homemade limoncello, Aperol, prosecco, fresh basil, and club soda.

In sync with this culinary refresh, April welcomes the festa del limone at Culina, turning its patio into a vibrant lemon grove-themed space. This seasonal event features a menu rich in dishes and drinks that highlight the citrusy zest of the Santa Teresa lemon, celebrating the start of the Amalfi lemon season.

Offered daily for lunch and dinner, the festa del limone menu includes dishes like Tuna Crudo with Santa Teresa lemon, pistachios, and Castelvetrano olives; Lemon Arancini; Pasta al Limone with handmade spaghetti, blue crab, fresh peas, and sourdough crumb; and Roasted Artichoke Pizza with Santa Teresa lemon, Fior di Latte, spring onion, and Grana Padano. The Antipasti Hour, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Thursdays through Saturdays, features a chic roaming antipasti cart with an assortment of Italian delicacies.

The ambiance is further enhanced by a stunning centerpiece bar created by renowned Artistic Director and Floral Designer Jeff Leatham, complete with a lush bougainvillea arch and vibrant lemon accents, offering a slice of the Amalfi Coast in the heart of Los Angeles.

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