“The First Bread on the Moon”

In The Mood For California

Today we’ll feel and experience Helms Bakery District in Culver City featuring an interview with incredible Bernhard Mairinger! The first thing you notice about Chef Bernhard Mairinger is his height, for at 6’8” tall, he is arguably the tallest toque you’ll ever encounter. His towering size matches his culinary creativity, which has made him a standout chef since his career began in his native country of Austria nearly 20 years ago. In the years leading up to Mairinger’s Winter 2023 opening of Lustig, his newest eatery located in Culver City, California, the chef has racked up experience and accolades that make him one of Southern California’s most exciting culinary talents. His first position in Los Angeles was as Chef de Cuisine at Patina, working with Chef Joachim Splichal’s renowned Patina Group, which earned four stars from the Los Angeles Times during his time there. Leading up to making SoCal his home, Mairinger honed his culinary skills at a series of top-flight hotels and restaurants in Europe and beyond, including Hotel Alex (Zermatt, Switzerland); Ashdown Park Hotel (United Kingdom); Schloss Fuschl Resort and Spa (Austria); Hotel Zuerserhof (Austria); Restaurant Neichel (Barcelona, Spain); Ristorante Da Gianni (Mannheim, Germany); Restaurant Vendome (Cologne, Germany); Grande Sheraton Sukhumvit (Bangkok, Thailand). In 2012, Chef Mairinger opened BierBeisl Restaurant, his own eatery in Beverly Hills, and quickly took the city by storm. Serving authentic Austrian cuisine in a lovely setting led to two James Beard Award nominations, for Best New Restaurant and Rising Star Chef, and critical acclaim abounded as BierBeisl was named one of the Best New Restaurants on the lists of Zagat, Los Angeles Magazine, Gayot and Angeleno Magazine. National recognition of Chef Bernhard Mairinger’s talents expanded after his James Beard nominations, as Esquire Magazine named BierBeisl one of the Hottest New Restaurants in America and Chef Mairinger was invited to compete against chefs Michael Symon and Jeffrey Zakarian on the Food Network’s popular show, “Iron Chef America.” In the ensuing years, Mairinger reimagined BierBeisl with a Downtown Los Angeles location known as BierBeisl Imbiss & Bakery, a casual dining spot and bakery renowned for its perfect Austrian pretzels, while also creating MB Culinary & Consulting. With MB, Chef Mairinger has followed his passion, creating private dinners, providing custom-catered events and consulting with hospitality clients including the Petit Ermitage Hotel in West Hollywood, where Chef Mairinger spearheaded a complete overall of the luxury boutique hotel’s F&B department, Spring Place in Beverly Hills and the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska. Today, the very tall Austrian chef brings a new twist on European favorites at Lustig, his restaurant in the Helms Bakery District in Culver City, offering up modern twists on old classics, with recipes he has developed over the past five years. www.inthemoodforcalifornia.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maria.korpacheva.3 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthemoodforcalifornia/ Twitter: @InTheMoodForCA