This popular Santa Monica Hanukkah-inspired dinner series, which pairs a visiting chef with a local chef for a one-night-only special menu, is back for the fourth year—but this time around, it’s bittersweet. Birdie G’s, one of the city’s best restaurants, will be closing for good on December 20, so these eight dinners are some of the very last chances you’ll have to dine at the Rustic Canyon Family-helmed spot, and some nights are already completely booked out. This year, Birdie G’s guest chefs will include Vespertine and Destroyer’s Jordan Kahn; Quarter Sheets’ Aaron Lindell and pastry chef Hannah Ziskin; and Bar le Cote’s Brad Mathews. In addition to specials, an abbreviated regular menu will also be served. Note the event runs on December 1 to 4, then again December 8 to 11—meaning you’ll need to go on a weekday to enjoy these special-edition dinners. The full lineup of dinners can be found below:
12/1: Sean Gray of Sergeantsville Inn and Elijah Deleon of Rustic Canyon
12/2: Trevor Moran of Locust and Justin Yu of Theodore Rex
12/3: Jeremiah Langhorne of The Dabney and Saw Naing of Joplin’s
12/4: Wylie Dufresne of Stretch Pizza and Aaron Lindell & Hannah Ziskin of Quarter Sheets
12/8: Alex Stupak of Empellon and Jordan Kahn of Destroyer
12/9: Beau Schooler of In Bocca al Lupa and Katiana & John Hong of Yangban
12/10: Chris Cosentino of Koast Maui and Brad Mathews of Bar le Cote
12/11: Tracy Malechek of Birdie’s and Tara Monsod of Animae