Providence - Los Angeles, USA

Opened in 2005, by chef Michael Cimarusti and co-owner Donato Poto, Providence has aimed to set the standard for modern American seafood cuisine. The restaurant quickly earned two Michelin stars in 2008, which they have retained ever since. Chef Cimarusti’s continued focus on sustainability earned the restaurant a green Michelin star in 2023. Many of their ingredients are locally-sourced, and despite being in the heart of the city, Providence even manages to produce some of their own vegetables (and honey) via a small garden located on the roof.

The menu is primarily seafood focused, although a variety of dishes and ingredients are featured throughout the meal. Home-grown ingredients from the rooftop garden are found here and there, depending on what is seasonal, but the house-collected honey and pollen even find their way into the cocktail menu.

If you have been to LA, you may know that the difference between a nice neighborhood and a not-so-nice part of town can be a matter of a single block, or might even just depend on which side of the street you are on. With that said, rest assured that Providence is in a nice part of town, just don’t be surprised to see a mix of other run-of-the-mill businesses in the area. This is something that even the staff jokingly acknowledged as we chatted with them. More than anything, this fact seemed to increase their genuine gratitude for earning their coveted third Michelin star, which we made sure to congratulate them on.

Providence is situated right along Melrose Avenue, which isn’t the busiest street in LA, but a local thoroughfare nonetheless. Fortunately, there is a decent amount of street parking in the adjacent neighborhood, as well as a dedicated valet service out front. The building itself has a stylish sort of modern-organic aesthetic to it on the outside, which has remained relatively the same design since the restaurant’s opening. This theme is carried through to the inside as well, with a deep sea-green being the main theme chromatically, contrasted by natural accents of wood found throughout the space, such as the tables and cabinets. The whole restaurant occupies a relatively small space, but the design made the space feel elegant and comfortable.

The restaurant features a pre-fixe tasting menu, as well as several supplemental courses and upgrades. The classic menu consisted of eight courses, with a choice between three different mains. However the chef’s tasting menu, offered for a premium, includes all three main courses, taking the course total to ten.

Starting off the pre-menu meal was a collection of small bites, showcasing a variety of flavors and textures. From uni, to smoked salmon, even drilled cheese with black truffle, and of course, caviar. Each bite not only featured different ingredients, but also different varieties of pastry, and completely different preparation. It truly was a medley of flavors and textures to prepare us for what was ahead.

The actual menu started off with oysters, then moved through a variety of seafood and other shellfish, before arriving at the main course. Throughout this initial segment of the meal, the ingredients seemed relatively summer-focused, especially the accoutrements, which consistently featured small flowers or bright-colored herbs and vegetables that added a vibrant visual appeal to each dish. The plating, however, remained relatively straightforward, featuring protein on top of a well-constructed and flavorful sauce, all arranged with meticulous precision upon the plate.

Among these leading dishes were a couple supplemental items, including Providence's well-known ‘uni egg’, as well as a delicious chitarra pasta with added Australian black truffle. Also added to our menu as a surprise item was a tiny bite-sized lobster roll, with about as much shredded black truffle on top as there was lobster roll. About halfway through this series of dishes before the main course, bread was served, which was a hearty sourdough made with Red Fife grains sourced from Tehachapi Grain Project. The bread was served with a delicious French butter from Normandy, as well as salt, which we did not need, since the bread itself had plenty of flavor.

For the main courses, we opted to try the king salmon and also the wagyu, which was a supplemental upgrade. Both dishes, like the rest of the meal, were perfectly prepared, neatly plated, and full of flavor. The wagyu was accompanied by a side of creamy Brentwood corn, grown locally in central California, topped with popped sorghum, like miniature popcorn.

Following the main courses, it was almost time for dessert. First, however, a palate cleanser, which was a gently sweet mango sorbet, atop a mildly contrasting granita. After that, a cheese cart was offered, although we declined, since we were both starting to get full by that point in the meal.

Finally, dessert. Providence’s dessert consisted of another collection of small bites, primarily featuring chocolate that has been developed and prepared in-house by pastry chef Mac Daniel Dimla. During the pandemic when most people learned to make sourdough, chef Dimla learned the art of chocolate. An impressive array of preparations was set before us, including milk chocolate, macarons, mousse, and even mirror-glazed bon bons. We were even the first ones to try one of chef Dimla’s new creations that looked like a tiny banana but was filled with a rum raisin ice cream, which I really enjoyed, personally. A small cup of warm tea was served alongside the dessert spread, but what paired really well with all of the chocolate flavors was an espresso martini.

There were two levels of beverage pairings that were offered with the meal. We tried the premium pairing, which featured wines from a variety of regions. The opening pairing was Krug’s Grand Cuvee champagne, which is a personal go-to. The wine list did also feature a respectable selection of wines, including a variety of champagnes, some of which are pretty uncommon. On the spirits side of the menu, a handful of seasonal cocktails were featured, as well as a substantial list of spirits to please any palate.

The dining experience here at Providence is certainly Michelin-worthy. The dishes, the plating, the execution, all of it was neat and done to perfection. To me, the whole meal seemed very French-influenced, in the sense that the preparations were very straightforward, with a focus on fine traditional execution. On the flipside of that perspective, there was nothing exceptionally noteworthy about the meal. Everything was great; textbook fine-dining, if you will. But there was no ‘wow’ factor, no dish that made me think “this is the best _ I’ve ever had,” or “this is something I’ve never had anywhere else.” For that reason, I stand by my opinion that Providence belongs in the Michelin guide, but also three stars seems like a bit of a reach. Are they one of the best restaurants in town? Undoubtedly. Are they pushing the limits of fine dining and elevated seafood cuisine? No. The capability is there, though, and Providence is definitely not just a flash in the pan. This restaurant has two decades of solid, honest foundation, and they are not going anywhere soon. As they continue to build their hard-earned recognition, I look forward to seeing how they continue to grow as one of the big players in the region.