Legendary French Chef Jean-Georges to Open First West Coast Restaurant

You're likely at least passingly familiar with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the uber-famous French chef who has helped redefine Continental cooking across large swaths of the world. Now the New York City-based restaurateur is hoping to do the same for Los Angeles, with plans to open his first-ever West Coast restaurant sometime in early 2017.

The big-time news is a bit buried in a newsy round-up from the New York Times yesterday, yet there it is: Jean-Georges is coming to L.A. The plan is to land an as-yet unnamed restaurant inside the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, which, you know, doesn't exist yet. But it's well on its way, and when the multi-story, 170-room luxury hotel does reach its opening date, Jean-Georges will be there to welcome in the first diners.

The NY Times piece notes that Vongerichten isn't interested in up-ending the dining culture or the cuisine of California. Rather, he'd prefer to work with the existing organic produce out here to create a menu that will "incorporate trends that are happening there." The restaurant will hold about 150 diners in all, with both indoor and outdoor seating.

Until the restaurant comes on line in 2017, superfans of Jean-Georges will have to satisfy themselves with one of the iconic chef's many other restaurant locations — with Las Vegas being the closest city for access. He's got two steakhouses in Sin City, along with more than a dozen other concepts across New York City, Shanghai, Miami, Japan, France, and the Caribbean. And now soon enough, Los Angeles.