March 29, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Esteemed Chef Returning to Culinary World With Culver City Restaurant

Chef Bernhard Mairinger opening Lustig in Helms Bakery next year

By Dolores Quintana

Chef Bernhard Mairinger is returning to the restaurant world with his new restaurant Lustig which will open in Culver City as reported by Eater Los Angeles. The location is at 8758 Venice Blvd. in the Helms Bakery shopping area and has been scheduled to open in early 2023. Lustig will take over the former La Dijonaise space. 

Mairinger formerly worked in Patina and Nick & Stef’s kitchens before opening his own restaurant Bierbeisl, which served Austrian-influenced cuisine. His restaurant was a revelation within the more staid Beverly Hills area. The restaurant was elegant and served excellent wines and “polished European fare” according to Eater Los Angeles. Mairinger was nominated as a James Beard Rising Star Chef and the Los Angeles Times restaurant critic at the time, S. Irene Virbila, gave the restaurant a positive review. 

Bierbeisl was only open for two years and closed in 2013. Mairinger did open Bierbeisl Imbiss in a space inside the Spring Arcade building complex, which was more of a casual bakery and cafe concept, but Imbiss closed only a year later. 

In the interim, Mairinger has been working as a private chef and in catering for his customers who are very loyal and frequently employ his catering company for their parties and other special events. 

The six-foot eight-inch chef told Eater Los Angeles that “With Lustig, I’m thinking less Imbiss, more of a République except no counter service. This will be full service with a casual lunch for the neighborhood and a nicer place for dinner.” while reportedly cutting hamachi into separate pieces during the interview according to Eater Los Angeles. 

Mairinger is known as a friendly and good-natured person who occasionally used his notable height as a promotional tool and it is easy to understand why he has retained his base of customers during this time away from the restaurant scene. Those private clients have kept him going since the closure of Bierbeisl but clearly, the chef is spoiling to get back to having his own restaurant and feels this is the right time. Eater Los Angeles quoted the chef who said, “I’ve always missed having a restaurant, to be honest. There’s something about it, the energy, that routine. I do miss seeing all my customers and loyal clientele. It doesn’t get much better than this, with a great landlord, excellent neighborhood, and already a lot of excellent food around. I want to be known as a place to have a good time and a good meal. I think there are all the key factors that will hopefully allow this restaurant to last much longer.”

Eater Los Angeles spoke to him about the ideas for the food in his new restaurant and he said, “All the components are replaced by something else. Instead of green bean, I’ll do fava or sugar snap or English pea. The egg is a different preparation, like a confetti. Fish will be sashimi grade bluefin or albacore. It’s a Nicoise salad but it will be the lightest and most delicious version you’ve ever had of the classic.”

Mairinger’s famous schnitzel will be back for dinners at Lustig but will feature a yuzu cranberry sauce rather than the traditional lingonberry. The chef plans to debut a raclette pizza which is a traditional German dish, but it will also have a new twist according to Eater Los Angeles. 

The restaurant’s design will be handled by Studio UNLTD and it will hold 55 seats indoors and 30 more on the patio. According to Eater Los Angeles, the renderings are of a “colorful, modern interior with big windows and a semi-covered alfresco area”.

Mairinger has also brought in Martin Riese, who was best known as the first “water sommelier”, and a former co-worker from Patina. Riese will help Mairinger manage the full workload of the new establishment. Riese has gained a following of over two million followers on TikTok because of his posts on different types of bottled and spring waters. Mairinger said, as quoted by Eater Los Angeles, “I’m a water snob as well. I don’t drink tap water. I do events with Martin all the time, and we’ve been working together for so long. It will make my life easier to not worry about every aspects [of the restaurant]”

Related Posts

Fleurs et Sel Bakery Opens Storefront in West Adams, Welcomes Customers Three Days a Week

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

Indulge in Freshly Baked Cookies at the New West Adams Location Fleurs et Sel Bakery, known for its delectable cookies...

West Hollywood Barista and Founder Claims Top Honor at US Barista Championship

March 20, 2024

March 20, 2024

Be Bright Coffee Takes Top Honors at Prestigious Competition The founder of Be Bright Coffee in West Hollywood has won...

After Four Years, Vespertine’s Avant-Garde Culinary Experience Returns to Culver City

March 20, 2024

March 20, 2024

Chef Jordan Kahn’s Michelin Two-Star Eatery Finally Reopens in April  After a four-year hiatus, Vespertine, the avant-garde culinary experience helmed...

Erewhon Partners with Sofia Richie Grainge With Premium Cherry Smoothie

March 20, 2024

March 20, 2024

Sofia’s Sweet Cherry Smoothie Exclusively at Erewhon Tonic Bars Erewhon, the purveyor of organic and sustainable foods, is extending its...

Tensley Wines to Take Part in Wine Masterclass in Culver City

March 17, 2024

March 17, 2024

Join Joey Tensley for an Exclusive Tasting Experience  Tensley Wines will participate in an exclusive Masterclass hosted by Total Wine...

The Auld Fella: Brentwood and Culver City’s St. Patrick’s Weekend Destination

March 15, 2024

March 15, 2024

Join the Craic at The Auld Fella’s Celebrations: Dining, Drinking, Shenanigans If you are looking for an epic St. Patrick’s...

MICHELIN Guide Unveils 10 New Culinary Stars in California, Anticipating 2024 Selections

March 13, 2024

March 13, 2024

9 Los Angeles Area and Beverly Hills Restaurants Featured as New Additions The prestigious MICHELIN Guide has announced the addition...

Chef Roy Choi Brings Tacos Por Vida to LA With Soft Opening in Palms

March 13, 2024

March 13, 2024

The Lines Are Already Growing at This Newest Roy Choi Taco Stand Celebrated chef Roy Choi is celebrating the debut...

Sweet Lady Jane’s Santa Monica Flagship Faces Temporary Closure: New Owners Offer Solution for Cake Lovers

March 8, 2024

March 8, 2024

Montana Avenue’s Sweet Lady Jane Bakery Temporarily Shut, Julie Ngu Working to Reopen and Get Cake to Fans By Dolores...

Predict the Runtime, Win Delicious Rewards! Shake Shack’s Star-Studded Game for Tinseltown’s Biggest Night

March 7, 2024

March 7, 2024

Shake Shack’s Ultimate Award Show Guessing Game, and You Get the Prizes Get ready for a star-studded evening of predictions...

Wolfgang Puck to Wow Celebs at 30th Annual Oscars Governor’s Ball with Luxurious Feast

March 6, 2024

March 6, 2024

Chef Discusses His Three-Decade Legacy and Teases Decadent Desserts at the Oscars Chef and restauranteur Wolfgang Puck will serve a...

Sweet Lady Jane Bakery Returns with Surprise Soft Opening in Santa Monica on Monday

March 4, 2024

March 4, 2024

Exclusive: Four Other Locations Will Start to Reopen This Week  Things are moving fast with the reopening of the beloved...

CJ Foods Manufacturing Recalls Trader Joe’s Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings Over Plastic Contamination

March 4, 2024

March 4, 2024

62,000 pounds of dumplings recalled after reports of hard plastic in the product CJ Foods Manufacturing Beaumont Corporation is initiating...

Regarding Her Dinner at Hatchet Hall is Part of Planned Women’s History Month Celebration

February 28, 2024

February 28, 2024

Events Showcase Women-Led Farms, Vineyards, and Chefs, Supporting ‘Regarding Her’ Nonprofit Hatchet Hall, the renowned Culver City restaurant, invited patrons...

Leap Day Brings Once-in-Four-Year Deals at Popular Restaurants All Day Long

February 28, 2024

February 28, 2024

Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’, and More Roll Out Special Offers to Mark the Occasion Leap Day, that rare additional day occurring...