Folks are Screaming About Massimo Bottura’s Absurd Beverly Hills Prices at Gucci Osteria

Respected Osteria Francescana chef and Netflix Chef’s Table star Massimo Bottura opened his first North American restaurant in Beverly Hills last month. Gucci Osteria is a gorgeous third-floor space above Gucci’s retail outlet, and as the spendy brand attached to the restaurant implies, all eyes are on the price tag — after all, the store downstairs sells t-shirts for hundreds of dollars.

There’s a big conversation happening over at Food Talk Central on all things dollar signs inside Gucci Osteria, including the $40 handmade tortellini, $42 trout with hazelnuts and mushrooms, $18 side dishes, and a $20 cheesecake with buttermilk, cherries, and licorice. Or there’s the upscale $35 burger with cotechino, parmigiano reggiano, salsa verde, and balsamic mayonnaise; that’ll run $50 for a burger with tax and tip.

One can opt for the $135 five-course tasting menu, which actually seems reasonably priced. Just know that over at FTC, readers are ripping apart the tasting menu’s small portions, the cost, or difficulty in securing a phone reservation.

In other news:

—Woodspoon’s chef/owner Natalia Pereira is looking to sell her Downtown Brazilian comfort food restaurant, or to take on a majority investor, according to What Now Los Angeles. The 1,100 square foot restaurant is still open for business as of now, just like it has been since 2006.

—The Los Angeles Times took a fascinating look into LA’s underground restaurants and how they utilize Instagram with customers.

—Tabula Rasa’s Burgerpalooza continues its travels throughout the Southland. Today, the Palm Springs-based The Heydey takes over from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tabula Rasa’s rear patio, with The Love Hour taking over the duties on Sunday.

—The forthcoming Interstellar will open in the former Air Food space this spring. It’s an all-day restaurant by husband-and-wife team Daniel and former Croft Alley sous chef Angie Kim. Think American, Asian and Italian-influenced food.

—Culver City’s Margot launched a new pasta tasting menu last week. It showcases chef Michael Williams seasonally changing signature handmade pastas. The four-course tasting is $55.

—LA coffee and tea go-to Alfred will be opening a new location in the former Humphry Slocombe on Abbot Kinney in Venice, where they’ll combine Alfred Coffee and Alfred Tea under one roof this summer.

—West Hollywood’s Warrior is in the brunch game now, with chef Hung Huynh’s vision on weekend eats. He’s got a kung pao shrimp, lobster rangoon, and wagyu beef potstickers and cocktails to wash it all down. Menu is below.

• Massimo Bottura’s Michelin-Starred Gucci Osteria to Open in Beverly Hills [ELA]