Coachella's Rose Garden Dinners Are Its Best Kept Secret
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is set for April, and to kick off the festivities, those with applicable passes will get to enjoy a little-known meal nestled away in the valley's VIP Rose Garden. Known as the Outstanding in the Field event, it features chefs that are just that — but this type of treatment comes at a price. On top of a ticket to the festival itself, participants must pay $350 to enter.
It's up to the average festivalgoer if it's worth the price, as the pass allows all-day access to the VIP area. Thankfully, the event does feature a payment plan for those who don't have $350 to shell out upfront. As part of the package, festival goers will be served a full four-course meal and a range of alcoholic beverages. While you probably won't eat what Beyoncé ate before performing at Coachella, last year's menu consisted of a sushi bar made possible by Scratch Restaurants' Chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee. Each night of the festival will feature a different chef preparing the dinner, so let's take a closer look at what they specialize in so you can plan accordingly.
This year's lineup features international-themed cuisines
At Coachella's rose garden dinners, no meal is the same each day. This year features seven chefs running the outdoor dinner — one for each day of the festival except for the last day which features two! On Friday, April 14, dinner will be orchestrated by Rustic Canyon Restaurant's Zarah Khan —a chef that's known for incorporating vegetables into her dishes. Rustic Canyon is a James Beard award-winning, Santa Monica restaurant that makes all of its meals from scratch. Night two features Ile + ile.eros' Tolu Erogbogbo on April 15. This restaurant calls Los Angeles its home and specializes in African cuisine.
April 16 sees Jared Simons from Restaurant Argento cooking the dinner. Simmons previously headed the casual eatery Violet, making a name for himself in the culinary world. Javier Plascencia is cooking up food on April 21. He owns the sustainably produced Tijuana-located Erizo and Caffe Saverios. Saturday, April 22 invites Chef Monty Koludrovic from Grandmaster Recorders, which is located in a remodeled record store in Hollywood. Finally, Bacanora's Rene Andrade and Derek Christianson will use their love of international cuisine to impress hungry fans. Whatever style of food is your favorite, there's a lot to love with these offerings if you have the right amount.