Chef Roberto Cortez has spent the majority of his career as a chef to the rich and famous including the likes of Eddie Murphy, Paul Allen and Antonio Banderas. He’s even made a birthday cake for the infamous Lady Gaga served on stage for her 25th. Rubbing elbows with the stars is fun but the life of a private chef doesn’t necessarily lend itself to creativity. What to do if you are a culinary mastermind trapped in 7-course truffle dinner hell? Start a completely immersive experience for the senses called CR8 in ‘pop up’ form incorporating the elements of design, sound, taste, light and smell.
I recently got a tip from a friend about Cortez’s CR8 described as ‘something I’d never experienced before’. I admit it – I was skeptical. While I like the idea of pop ups, they are also becoming cliched in the world of food. I’ve tired of the ‘diner as guinea pig for a fee’ notion as I’ve experienced many an uneven meal not worth the price or fanfare. However, CR8 is no ordinary one night stand for food nerds.
Raised in El Paso Texas and classically trained in France; Cortez began to develop the CR8 concept while spending time in Berlin and London in 2009 after meeting several grads from the London’s Royal College of Art. These included Andreas Fabian (a glassblower with a Ph.D in Spoons!?), cutlery designers, sculptors, woodworkers. It was there that he decided to develop an interactive experience for diners while giving designers a voice and showcase for their work. The result was the foundation for the CR8 dining experience.Back in L.A., Cortez began the CR8 pop up series and, after only two of them, he was profiled by L.A. Times Magazine with a 6-page spread. By the evening the story was published, he had a waiting list of over 400 people. Diners were flying in from Vegas, Dallas and NY. People from around the globe were contacting him to stage. CR8 and Cortez were now big time.
I asked Cortez about how he comes up with the concept for each dinner. “I find each concept from some inspiration – I wait for something to literally buzz inside of me. The last CR8 event was called ‘Unnatural’. I had found this tiny bottle of Hermes shampoo made from the water of green orange which smelled amazing. I wondered why someone would take unripe fruit and do something with it. It seemed unnatural and I began to think of other unnatural concepts which then became the basis for the dinner.”
Each CR8 dinner is a creative and interactive experience. Music, place settings and lighting changes for each course. For example, at ‘CR8 Unnatural’ guests were given their plates and instructed to take a Calla Lily from the centerpiece and pour their edible green orange perfume onto their plates to complete the dish. The dish was sweetened with honey from killer bees. During another course, Brandon Paul Weaver of Slate Coffee Roasters brewed Geisha coffee table-side while describing its unique flavor profiles.
To create the menu for each event, Cortez riffs off the primary concept and creates eight related sub-concepts – each using ingredients related to the theme. All CR8 dinners are done in an ‘art installation’ environment created specifically for the event.
Unique presentation is an integral part of the CR8 experience. The menu for the event can only be read in the reflection of a mirror. Below, an ice flower bowl was used to house frozen sake that each diner spooned onto their plates.
Eschewing the traditional ‘be a Chef, open a Restaurant’ career path – Cortez has chosen creativity over the consistency demanded by a brick and mortar establishment. By only doing 3-4 events a year for three nights with twelve seats, he’s able to let his imagination flow freely. Cortez added, “People ask why I don’t do more events? These take a lot of time to produce and I don’t want to dilute them. When it’s right, I have to leave it alone and not mess with it.”
Of course, Cortez is a big supporter of local artists and designers. For each dinner, he builds a new team and often chooses specific objects to design dishes or drinks around to expand upon the functionality of the piece. “I want to create a truly emotional experience for the diner. Each concept has a different way of impacting each individual – it’s something you can’t do in a restaurant.”
At $225 a seat, CR8 isn’t for everyone. It’s pricey for the Seattle market. But if you are looking to splurge on a one-of-a-kind dining event for a special occasion this just might be it. Canlis will always be here – CR8 only comes around three times a year.
The next CR8 event – Arcanum – is scheduled for September 30th through October 1st. For a look at past CR8 check out his website. Contact Roberto at roberto@robertocortez.com to make reservations for this unique dining experience.
