In a city where multi-course tasting menus often come with hefty price tags and leave diners still eyeing the snack cabinet, a pop-up in Los Angeles is offering a different approach. The culinary duo behind Vesti, chefs Adam Gertler and Shane Lyons, are serving creative, customized multi-course dinners at Maydan Market with the stated goal of ensuring guests are not just impressed, but genuinely full. Chef Shane Lyons frames it directly: you eat "till you’re full—and then we give you dessert."
Vesti's pop-up is set within a 10-person chef’s counter located in the back right corner of the beautifully designed Maydan Market. The experience offers a seven-course meal, preceded by an amuse-bouche, all for $70. The menu changes nightly and can be adapted, even accommodating last-minute dietary requests like a vegetarian diner. While some dishes might be recognizable from a posted menu, others are unique to the evening, showcasing the team's adaptability and creativity. Guests are reportedly served on charmingly mismatched, retro plates, and the chefs are described as engaging.
Adam Gertler and Shane Lyons, both co-founders of Vesti, first met as competitors on Season 4 of *Next Food Network Star* in 2007. Their paths diverged before they reunited to launch Vesti with co-CEO Chris Berardi. Lyons’ background is varied, having been a child actor on *All That* before attending the Culinary Institute of America and working with acclaimed chefs like Daniel Boulud, David Chang, and Tom Colicchio, eventually opening his own restaurant in New York. Gertler, meanwhile, brought a particular "fascination with extruded meat between bread" to his role as the "Würstmacher" and culinary director for the popular chain DogHaus.
While Vesti is primarily known for its catering services and grab-and-go sandwiches on freshly made focaccia—found at local spots like Alfred Coffee, andSons Chocolatiers & Cafe, and Canal Market—the Maydan Market pop-up allows Gertler and Lyons' personalities to shine in a direct dining setting. They first appeared at Maydan Market last December with expanded menu offerings, and after a successful run, they are back for an extended engagement.
Maydan Market itself is an expansion of chef Rose Previte’s Washington, D.C., concept, reimagined as a curated, elevated take on a dining hall in Los Angeles. Beyond Vesti's intimate chef's counter, the market also features a resident bar called Compass Rose, offering cocktails to complement the dining experience.
The multi-course Vesti dinner, priced at $70, includes options for add-ons like caviar and Hudson Valley foie gras. Patrons can expect to feel satisfied well before dessert arrives. The offerings are described as delicious, making the price point quite notable for a seven-course meal in Los Angeles.
For those who find themselves at Maydan Market but aren't looking for the full chef's counter experience, Vesti also offers à la carte items. Guests can grab a table anywhere in the stylish market and order Vesti dishes, such as their focaccia pizza, directly from their phone. These can be paired with drinks from the Compass Rose bar.
Vesti’s residency at Maydan Market is scheduled to run through January 31, 2027. Seatings for the chef’s counter are available Tuesday through Saturday at 4 pm, 6 pm, and 8 pm.
