Pasta|Bar: Removing the veil from kitchen to table. Creating an unconventional Michelin-star dining experience, with a tattooed chef and 90’s R&B.
Credit: Pasta|Bar’s website
Pasta|Bar gives all 10 guests their own chef’s table. It’s led by the magnificent Chef DJ Nelson, and they’ve earned six consecutive years of Michelin stars.
Here’s what they know about human luxury: hospitality.
If you are ever in Los Angeles, plan a month (exactly) in advance and a book reservation at Pasta|Bar in Encino. In fact, book two seatings because you will want to come back for more.
This gastronomical experience is owned and operated by Scratch Restaurants Group, with founders Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee at the helm. As serial restaurateurs, Phillip and Margarita know something about extraordinary dining: how to connect with the guest on multiple levels, from seating design to signature dishes and everything between.
The Unexpected Journey at Pasta|Bar
One of the things I enjoy most about Pasta|Bar is the journey it takes you on. It’s unlike any Michelin experience I’ve had across the globe in the best of ways — and that’s intentional. They provide a multifaceted, gently immersive experience while ensuing each guest is acknowledged and cared for.
Photo: canapé service, by The Luxury Hour.
First, it’s located in a commercial shopping complex, which is a strange location for such an expensive dinner. However, when you make it up to the second story, you’ll spot a long wall of frosted glass and a small doorbell. That’s Pasta|Bar. No flashy signage or fancy externals. They don’t play that way.
You ring the doorbell and are warmly greeted by your name. With only 10 guests per tasting, the staff makes intentional overtures to know guest names and needs before arrival. You’re invited into a dimly lit, speakeasy-type space, which transports you to another dimension.
This is the first stage of your dining experience.
As you settle in, you’re provided with complimentary canapé service and a welcome cocktail/mocktail made with herbs and sometimes produce from the chef’s garden, mixed thoughtfully with accompanying spirits. In the mix, Chef DJ Nelson, the GM, and attending staff introduce themselves and let you know you’ll see more of them in the dining room next door.
Note: In all of my visits to Michelin restaurants, I have never met the chef personally. At Pasta|Bar, that’s the norm.
Once you’ve enjoyed your canapé bites and have a lovely buzz, you’re escorted down a moody hallway and into a spacious room that holds a large curved table of 10 seats, right inside the kitchen.
With no barrier between kitchen and table, you get a front row seat to first-class entertainment: Michelin star magic.
Pictured: Chef DJ Nelson at Pasta|Bar - from Yahoo! News.
Tattoos and R&B Vibes
The layout alone gives novelty vibes by providing every guest a true chef’s table. And it doesn’t stop there.
Walking into the kitchen/dining room, you’ll notice nostalgic beats of 90’s R&B and hip hop playing in the background. You’ll find yourself humming along to 2Pac while the sommelier describes the wine pairings for the night.
In fact, Chef DJ Nelson has his own PastaBar Playlist on Spotify, reinforcing his moniker, which is a fun easter egg for guests.
Furthermore, as you look around the kitchen, you’ll observe a team of cooks with sleeves of tattoos, some with purple and blue hair and face piercings, each greeting you from you from their prep stations. In an industry that can take itself too seriously on staff presentation, the thing Pasta|Bar does take seriously is the perfection of what’s on the plate. Their unconventional social vibes are what keep guests like me coming back again and again.
And for people who don’t necessarily love the unique nature that Pasta|Bar serves up, they still love the food and the service.
What stands out is that Michelin stars are only awarded for the food that’s on the plate. Environment, location, decor, operations and hospitality are NOT considered whatsoever.
Even with six years of Michelin stars, Pasta|Bar intentionally chooses to value the guest experience. That’s what sets them apart.
Human Luxury Lesson: Being awarded with one of the highest achievements in your industry doesn’t mean you have to abide by the other norms that come with it.
What happens when you throw out the rules for your industry and rebuild it in your own unique way?
What if you remove the doors and walls (perhaps, literally) to show your clients and guests the full experience of your work?
Where can you create even more context, warmth, and thoughtfulness that takes your services or products from industry expectation to extraordinary and unconventional experiences?
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