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July, 2006 -- Could a tiny food stand, no larger than a two-car garage, play a key role in reshaping the future of architecture? Iconic architect Frank Gehry, whose innovative designs have changed the look of cities around the globe, thinks “Delicious” could do just that. “Delicious,” which opened its doors – or more accurately, its serving windows – in early July, offers healthy lunch fare prepared by renowned caterer and event planner Lisa Field. Her firm is best known for catering high-profile events for clients ranging from Britney Spears and MTV to Reebok and other major corporations.
At Gehry’s request, she agreed to operate the food stand. The Gehry Partners studio and its 120 architects are located at 12541 Beatrice Street, in what was until recently an industrial area of West Los Angeles. The architects, ad writers, prop makers, special effects artists, journalists and other creative folks now working in the area are a long distance from any restaurants, much less places offering the healthy fare Gehry himself prefers. The famed architect loves the menu, which includes main dishes such as glazed salmon on a bed of grilled vegetables, fresh sushi, BLT salads, barbecued brisket sandwiches, not to mention snacks such as hummus dip with pita chips, delectable pastries, frozen yogurt, and its specialty: dozens of different American and European coffee drinks. But is not only the food that has him excited about the opening of “Delicious” (which was designed by Gehry Partners, and could be the studio’s smallest project ever.) He believes the food stand will trigger informal but highly productive conversations between his firm’s architects and employees of TBWA\Chiat\Day, the global advertising agency, which just moved into 44,000 square feet of space in The Gehry Building. “Of course we needed a great food place for our people, but I also wanted it here because I thought it would a way for our people to intermingle with Chiat Day’s. Their world is colliding with our world in the public realm,” said Gehry. “We are seeing a marriage of architecture and advertising,” says Gehry. “It started with neon and moving signs, then LEDs, and it’s getting more and more high-tech. You see it all over the world – in the Ginza in Japan, in Las Vegas and Times Square, in Soho –buildings are becoming almost negligible. They are disappearing behind the signs and billboards that are all over their facades,” he explains. “For me that means architects are going to be faced with that a requirement for the buildings they create, and therefore they have to learn about advertising. Why not over a sandwich?” That may not be the only cross-pollination to occur over the tables arrayed on the patio around “Delicious”. Located just a few steps away from The Gehry Building are Rhythm & Hues Studios, which produces animation and visual effects for entertainment and advertising; Dennis Curtin Studio, which makes props, models and graphic design materials; Investors Business Daily, the financial newspaper; and other creatively-oriented companies. Although less than 400 square feet in size, “Delicious” has a 2,500 square foot kitchen. That’s because all of the food is prepared in the extensive, fully equipped commercial kitchen of Catering By Field on Robertson Blvd. in West Los Angeles, just a few minutes from The Gehry Building. (See www.CateringByField.com) The salads, sushi, sandwiches on artisan breads, fresh-baked muffins and everything else on the seasonal menus are delivered each morning. “It’s not fast food, it’s good food that’s served quickly,” says Lisa Field. “There are no chemicals in what we prepare, no additives, nothing that’s frozen, nothing that’s unhealthy. Too often Americans are served food that looks pretty but is tasteless. I love good food, and to me that means food that is satisfying, full of flavor and that titillates the palate,” she says. The cafe website is at www.delicious1.com. The phone number is 310-821-5806 Press contact: |
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Copyright © 2007, SLG Partners, LLC. |
