Gary Menes' Le Comptoir Just a Few Weeks From Opening at Koreatown's Hotel Normandie

Gary Menes is getting ready for the opportunity of a lifetime. Not only will he have one of the highest concept tasting menus in Los Angeles, right in the heart of Hotel Normandie in Koreatown, but he'll be using the majority of the produce straight from his garden in Long Beach. Menes' Le Comptoir is taking on a model that the likes of Alma and Manresa are doing, incorporating a bulk of their own grown produce into tasting menus.

According to this LA Times article, Menes is scheduled to open Le Comptoir some time in late November using vegetables from the Gladys Avenue Urban Farm in Long Beach, which measures a mere eighth of an acre. The chef/farmer plans to split his time between the mini farm and the restaurant, thought he rest of his kitchen staff is supposed to chip in with help at the urban farm.

Will Koreatown be able to handle this kind of tasting menu restaurant? Prices are set to be $67 for six courses, plus $39 for a wine pairing, which is very reasonable. Hours will run with two seatings per night, one at 6 p.m. and another at 8:15 p.m., with a mere 8 stools at the counter.