Dissident Chef Comes to LaLaLand

What on god's green earth is a Dissident Chef? I'm not entirely sure at this point, but I do know one thing - homeboy can *cook*. See for yourself.

I first met this man of mystery via an online personals site. Shut-up, you know you're using them too. This was around Christmas time last year, and I wasn't even aware of his culinary interests when at first he popped onto my screen. Nothing materialized for us romantically, but I'm a very smart girl - I know greatness when it lands in my inbox. And once I tasted his cooking, I was once again reminded that my instincts are uncanny.
But I digress.

He's an LA born lad, this incognito gourmet, and in my humble opinion, he's still way more LA than San Francisco Bay. He made the jump up north years ago after a failed restaurant venture here in Hollywood - on La Cienega, no less - but his time spent here was hardly a waste. This is home, in all fairness, and he worked in various famed kitchens before running his own. He was and still-is a critic's darling (S. Irene raved - yes, RAVED!), but as we all know, this business is a bitch. The mission up north has been the fulfillment of a dream for him - to open a high-end, gourmet-without-pretentiousness hot-spot that highlights locale produce, farmers, and ingredients in imaginative and refined avenues. During my one-time visit to his San Fran loft, I got to sample the goods - a tasting menu he whipped up on a whim for myself and a couple of friends, and it was one of those - "Ohmagod I'm gonna cry it's THAT GOOD" experiences. Sure, it was heightened by the fact that I was in the man's home, experiencing this elevated, rare little treat, but I'd repeat the offering in a less-homey environment in a heartbeat.

Ah, but why wait for a grand restaurant gala opening? If you're curious about this mysteriously infamous chef, you're in luck - he's cooking in a kitchen near you. In part to raise additional funds for his upcoming restaurant venture, and in part to just get back to what he loves the most (he hadn't cooked for an audience in many moons, and trust me, the beast was starting to surface) - he created the Dissident Chef dinners, hosted by local friends and family, but open to anyone daring enough to reserve a seat. Visit the web site for the gory details, but trust me when I tell you this is an extra-special treat. How often do you get to sample dishes from a true food master without the pomp and circumstance of a pretentious LA eatery? You won't even have to be seated by the bathroom.

He'll be in town on August 8th through the 12th, with dinners nightly. Go deep. Go underground. And go get some killer grub.