What’s happening: Australian-born, Los Angeles–based chef Curtis Stone recently announced that he will close his 10-year-old tasting-menu restaurant Maude in Beverly Hills, Calif. The restaurant has held a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2019, and it is named after one of the chef’s grandmothers, as is Stone’s other L.A. restaurant, Best of Award of Excellence winner Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant (co-owned with the chef’s brother, Luke Stone).
“I’ve never been one that wants to get stuck in something,” Stone told Wine Spectator. “We always wanted [Maude] to be this beautiful creative outlet where we could cook with a certain amount of freedom and be able to create something very special from an experienced perspective. We didn’t have a signature dish because we didn’t want to have to keep cooking the same thing. And I feel like we did that. It’s a really special restaurant. But I do think you give yourself the creative opportunity to continue on.”
When it’s closing: Sept. 28, 2024
Why Maude’s closing: Stone pointed out that while Maude did fine financially and was quite popular with the public and critics, it was more a gastronomic endeavor than a financial one. But two other considerations were more meaningful in his decision.
The first is an ancient and universal one: “I’m just feeling a little tapped from a time perspective,” Stone explained. “So, I’m like, ‘How do I fix that?’ I walk into that restaurant and every little detail, every little trinket, every piece of artwork and knife and fork, I picked it all. It’s a real expression of me. But then, you know, I also have kids that I want to spend time with. And I think sometimes you’ve got to close the door to be able to open the next one.”
[article-img-container][src=2024-08/restaurant-news-maude-closure-chris-stone-082224-1600.jpg] [credit= (Ray Kachatorian)] [alt= Chef Chris Stone cooking in the kitchen at Maude][end: article-img-container]The other consideration came out of the COVID-19 pandemic: “I was trying to keep my staff together, so we sat in a circle and I was like, ‘What does the world need?’ Someone said, ‘The world needs a hug.’ And I was like, ‘Yup, how do we do that with food?’ Someone said, ‘What about a pie? You know, let’s make pies.’” What followed was the Pie Room by Curtis Stone, where Stone and his team served savory Australian and British pies and, later, also tarts, quiches and sausage rolls, all from a tiny kitchen. They sold out early every day. Ultimately, Stone asked “Why not just bring it back and [make it] time to say goodnight to Maude?”
Looking ahead: While the original Pie Room pop-up closed in 2021, the concept will reopen in the Maude space after Sept. 28. But the baked goods will be prepared off-site; Stone has secured a much bigger kitchen nearby, one with deck ovens, a chocolate room and space and equipment to produce just about everything a bakery might. He’ll also be bringing in charcuterie from Gwen. For now, it looks like the new Pie Room will primarily be a bakery and wine bar serving many tastes and needs. But since flexibility is part of what excites Stone, there may be more to come.—Owen Dugan
Grand Award Winner Picasso Turns Off Its Lights in Las Vegas
What’s happening: After 26 years as one of the most prominent restaurants in Las Vegas, Picasso has closed its doors at MGM Resorts’ Bellagio Las Vegas, where it had overlooked the hotel’s iconic fountains. For 22 of those years, the restaurant earned a Wine Spectator Grand Award (the highest level for our Restaurant Awards), in recognition of its world-class wine program.
Spanish chef Julian Serrano opened Picasso in 1998, following several positions in Europe and the United States, the most notable being a 14-year…
Source : https://www.winespectator.com/articles/maude-closing-beverly-hills-picasso-las-vegas
