The Fleiss Feast

Artist Chris Reynolds and head Chef Teresa Montańo of the renowned Otoño in Highland Park and Chef Mia Wasilevich from the experimental Transitional Gastronomy created the first ever culinary biography! The multi-course meal reinterpreted the life of the Madame Heidi Fleiss, once the wealthiest madame in American history. The six course biographical meal attempted to tell a story of Fleiss that was more than just scandal and instead looked at the complex life of a woman before and after the fall.

Channeling 90’s Los Angeles, the chefs wanted to sublimate the diner’s carnal desires for flesh into a more socially acceptable (but no less gluttonous) carnivorous love of food. Chefs Teresa and Mia created six different courses that included experimental recipes such as the bone broth “cocaine” soup, a Black Book Caesar Salad and a Parrot Caviar topped with little hard boiled quail eggs. Artist Christopher Reynolds created an installation inspired by one of Fleiss’s most infamous locations of business, the Beverly Hills Hotel pool. With a virtual shimmer, guests lounged around the holographic water while listening to a dance mix that only someone living through the 90’s could appreciate. And most importantly, each guest was given a numbered room key that took them to their reserved place setting. Attached to this key was a golden fork, the only cutlery the diner’s could use throughout the duration of the meal.