August 21, 2025 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Two LA Culinary Icons and Friends Reunite for One-Night-Only Dinner at Marelle

Chefs Team Up With Five-Course Tasting Celebrating California Flavors 

Two of Los Angeles’ most celebrated chefs will share the kitchen next month for a one-night tasting event at Marelle inside the Sandbourne Hotel. 

Chef Raphael Lunetta will reunite with longtime friend and colleague Chef Neal Fraser of Redbird and Vibiana on Sept. 4 for The Guest List, a five-course dinner highlighting California ingredients, inventive technique, and coastal inspiration. Tickets are $160 per person and available through OpenTable. You can reserve your tickets here

With overlapping teams, shared sous chefs, and decades of real friendship behind the pass, this dinner marks more than a culinary collab; it’s a reunion of the chefs who helped shape LA’s restaurant culture. The Guest List invites guests to experience that history, flavor, and connection, one plate at a time, and the dinner promises a very special experience at Marelle’s seaside restaurant. 

The Guest List Tasting Menu with Chef Raphael Lunetta and Chef Neal Fraser

  • Amuse: Hokkaido Scallop– Dashi Broth, Pickled Mushroom
  • First Course: Maine Lobster & Rock Shrimp – Brioche, Sweet Onion, Celery, Cornichon, Ossetra Caviar Potato Chip
  • Second Course: Late Harvest Stone Fruit Salad – Green Olives, Feta, Toasted Black Pepper Banyuls Vinaigrette
  • Third Course: Honey Squash Agnolotti – Truffle Fondue
  • Fourth Course: Sauteed John Dory – Chanterelle Mushrooms, Salsify, Parsley Nage
  • Fifth Course: Glazed Filet of Beef & Cured Ham Brochette – Scallion Avocado Emulsion
  • Dessert: Summer Corn Pudding – Honey Cookie Crumble, Blueberry Compote

Lunetta and Fraser first met in the early 1990s and launched their breakout restaurants, JiRaffe and Boxer, within months of each other in 1996, each earning spots on Los Angeles Magazine’s Top 10 New Restaurants list. Over the years, their friendship has been defined by collaboration, competition, and a deep-rooted support system, from charity dinners and Top Chef appearances to spontaneous fundraisers and late-night kitchen hangs.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the tasting menu beginning shortly after.

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