DETAILS:

Location: W Hotel Hollywood (6250 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028)
Hours of Operation: Two dinner services are available Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30PM & 8:45PM
- Please see their website below (under “resources”) for current dates and info.
Parking:
- W Hotel parking. ($20 with validation as of this post)
- Multiple area parking lots available, rates vary.
- Metered street parking also available. Please make sure to observe posted meter signs. As of this post, we were able to find meters south of Selma Avenue (just 1 block from the Hotel) for $2/hr until 8PM. So depending on when you arrive for the 7:30PM service, you shouldn’t have to pay for more than 1hr, and nothing for the 8:45PM service.
Cost: $100 plus tax / person (up to 6 people per group)
- cost includes 8 course meal (1 snack, 5 savory dishes, 2 desserts) & 2 drinks. (1 cocktail & 1 shot)
- additional drinks at full-service bar available, a la carte.
Time Commitment: Dinner service spans approximately 1.5 hours.
Miscellaneous:
- During Covid19 restrictions, Gastro Garage does an amazing job with their precautionary measures.
  - The event is held outdoors on the rooftop terrace of the W Hotel.
  - Temperature scan required before entry.
  - Dinner service is capped at 30 people which allows for ample space and social distancing, given that the terrace can accommodate upwards of several hundred.
  - Even though it’s outdoors, they still require masks outside of your designated stations. Each of these stations are distanced at least 6 feet apart from any other attending group.
  - Even with all of the above, please observe caution and good judgment when deciding to attend due to COVID19 as with any public event during these times.
- Each group that attends is assigned to 3 different & dedicated stations throughout the dinner service to accommodate social distancing precautions.
  - Station 1: Standing tabletop for snacks and cocktails.
  - Station 2: seated dining service for savory entrees.
  - Station 3: private pool-side cabana for desserts and additional beverages. (additional beverages are priced a la carte)

Since the dawn of humankind, our species has always been fascinated with fire. Providing light, warmth, protection, and the means to prepare food, it sustains as much as it terrifies. Some scientific circles would even argue that brain development as we know it today eventually occurred once pre-historic societies developed the skillset to utilize fire in order to cook, allowing more calories to be consumed by our brains. Whether you believe in this theory or not, that hypnotic smell emanating from the barbecue is the only proof you need that our primordial urges for this particular brand of combustion still need satisfaction today.

Thankfully, Gastro Garage exists to fulfill this urge. The brainchild of Stewart Levine who trained under Wolfgang Puck and Jose Andres, Levine eventually partnered with friends; Adam Manacker and James Campbell to bring this daring concept to our tables in 2014. Blending elements of steampunk, your favorite auto-shop (possibly an oxymoron), and tad traces of The Ghostbusters, Levine and his crew of “Gastro Mechanics” (don’t call them cooks!) wield a variety of blowtorches to entertain and feed throughout the one hour dining experience.

They set the concept of dinner theatre on fire… pun intended! But as amazing as the visuals are (in addition to the stunning backdrop of the surrounding Los Angeles skyline from the rooftop terrace), the night would flame out pretty quickly (is that too many puns?) if the food wasn’t just as good. Well, I’m proud to report that our 8-course meal was delicious! Once you check-in at the terrace, you’ll be guided to your own socially distanced table-top station to enjoy a quick blowtorch-roasted snack and a complimentary cocktail because every good night should start with a cocktail, right? After you’ve been allowed to settle in, you’ll be seated at your next station to enjoy five savory creations. This is where the bulk of the fire extravaganza occurs. (think a blazing-hot version of Benihana… okay, I’ll stop) Without giving too much away, this portion of the menu includes plays on pizza, hamburgers, vegetables, seafood, and steak. Finally, you’ll move to your last station which is located within a private pool-side cabana to partake of two dessert courses and any additional beverages, if you so choose. All in all, this was an amazing dining and entertainment experience that is completely one of a kind. If you get the chance to go during their limited run, I highly recommend!