Brace, Curtis Stone's Maude Hits Beverly Hills February 1

To work for celebrity chef/host Curtis Stone, you've gotta have at least one Michelin star under your toque, according to the website for Maude, his first ever restaurant situated in Beverly Hills. After quite a lengthy wait, Maude, an intimate prix fixe dining experience focused on one ingredient each month, will open to the public February 1. And although OpenTable isn't live just yet, if you call 310-859-3418 you can make an early reservation now. In fact, Stone is at the restaurant right this very moment, but it's unlikely he will personally take your call.

Named for his Granny who taught him to cook, Maude is a tiny 25-seat seasonal boîte that was previously home to Pici Enoteca on S. Beverly. With its open kitchen, every table is meant to feel like a chef's table dining experience.

Off Maude's website: "Each month a single ingredient inspires a menu of nine tasting plates, and this celebrated ingredient is creatively woven, to varying degrees, through each course. Some courses call for the hero ingredient to be at the center of the plate whilst at other times, it plays a supporting role to the rest of the produce and proteins making up the dish." February's theme ingredient, or rather category of ingredients, is citrus, while March is centered on artichokes and April is dedicated to peas.

Stone is charging $75 for a two and a half hour nine course tasting menu, and a wine pairing is $55 extra. According to the restaurant's reservationist, Stone will be at Maude as much as possible, and most likely on opening night, although that isn't guaranteed.

So who will handle the kitchen in Stone'a absence? A groups of chefs who come to Maude by way of places like Alinea in Chicago, French Laundry in Napa, Torrisi in New York, and even elBulli in Spain. Nbd.

It will be hard not to compare the 25-seat Maude to the 26-seat Trois Mec, another True Me-style prix fixe dining experience helmed by LA's most notable French celebrity chef, Monsieur Ludo Lefebvre. Both serve set menus, though Trois Mec is pricier at $75 for five courses as compared to Maude's nine courses for $75.

Maude will serve dinner only Tuesday through Saturday with the first seating at 5 p.m. and the last seating at 9 p.m. A credit card is required to secure a table.
· Curtis Stone's Maude Still Under Construction in BH [~ELA~]
· Curtis Stone (FINALLY) Confirms Beverly Hills Restaurant [~ELA~]
· Curtis Stone, Soon to be the Proud Owner of Pici in BH [~ELA~]