Restaurant 917 opened mid-November of 2016, so it’s barely a couple months old. It’s located on the second floor of the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles in Carson, and open to the public. I recently dined there for lunch with a group of friends and had a wonderful time! You don’t have to be a car enthusiast to enjoy it, but if you are, that’s an added bonus. Here are some highlights and tips from my visit:
It’s open for lunch and dinner: reservations are recommended
Some good friends and I, together with our respective children, ate a wonderful lunch here to celebrate the New Year. Restaurant 917 was a recommendation from one of the friends in our group, who lives in the South Bay. I’m so glad she suggested it because another friend in our group was visiting from the Bay area, so this was a unique “L.A. experience.” Reservations are recommended, and we were lucky to snag one for our large group.
A cool view
The restaurant overlooks the driver development track of the Porsche Experience Center, where drivers sign up to navigate a variety of terrains in the Porsche model of their choice. We had a great view from our table, but we still went out on the balcony to get a better look. My favorite thing to watch was the Kick Plate section of the track and see the cars slide and spin. [see the video I shot on my Instagram account]
Sleek, Modern, Decor
The restaurant’s name and decor are modeled after the Porsche 917, famous for it’s overall wins at the Le Mans race in the 1970s. The chairs are cushioned leather, which allowed us to chat and catch up in comfort.
Attentive wait staff and exceptional service
The staff was very attentive to our needs and even treated our kids like VIPs. Oh, and if you like wine and cheese and need a recommendation, this is the place to go. Jerry Perez, the General Manager, in an expert in the field. He and has a long list of awarded restaurants he’s worked with under his belt, including Providence in Hollywood, where he built the exceptional wine program.
Every dish is a work of art
Every single dish was presented as it looked – a work of art. The plating was creative and fun, so it totally made sense to me when I learned the Executive Chef, Matt Lee, previously worked as the Executive Chef at The Getty.
It was funny, because the kids were getting annoyed at the parents because we were busy photographing the food and wouldn’t let them eat right away. Lucky for us, the kids already enjoy diverse tastes. However, the presentation did make the food look even more appealing. My daughter would have eaten my entire entree if I let her – and it was vegan!
The cutest car-shaped butters
Charcuterie
Cheese Plate
A dozen oysters on a bed of rocks, seaweed, and foam
Seasonal Oysters with apple cider mignonette, 917 hot sauce
Spanish Octopus
Spanish Octopus with brussels sprouts, lardo, sherry vinegar, harissa aioli, bacon crumble, parmesan. (This was a dish my friend’s four-year old kid ordered for herself!)
Rabbit Mousse
Rabbit Mousse with candied carrots, aged balsamic, sumac toast, mustard frill
This was something new to me but thoroughly enjoyed. It is lighter and smoother in texture than chicken liver mousse, and was served with candied carrots, balsamic vinegar, and toast. The flavors melded wonderfully, and the carrots complimented it well.
Roasted Fuji Apple Salad
Roasted Fuji Apple Salad with belgium endive, wild rocket, pecans, sr. argue blue cheese, vanilla balsamic vinaigrette.
I shared this with my husband. It was very juicy!
Portabello Mushroom Garden (vegan)
Portabello Mushroom with foraged mushrooms, red quinoa, broccoli di cicci, baby squash, tamari glaze
This was my entree . I call it a very “photogenic” dish. I actually ordered it because I saw a gorgeous photo of it on Yelp. I’m not a vegan, but it was so pretty and Instagrammable, I had to have it.
917 Burger with fried egg
certified angus beef burger, wild mushroom aioli, smoked bacon, butter lettuce, tomato, herb frites
Two people in our party ordered this. One of them ordered it without the fried egg. I didn’t try it, but they both said it was delicious.
Beef and Dumplings
With purple chou sum, celeriac, red frill mustard, horseradish, braising jus
I did not try this dish (my friend ordered it), but she said it was really good, so I might order it for myself next time!
Pork Shank
With cheese polenta, escarole, glazed vegetables, pickled onion, braising jus
Another friend ordered this. I tried it, and found it very tender and flavorful. It was quite a large portion, she actually had some leftover to take home. The Pork Shank is served with cheese polenta, which is a nice change from mashed potatoes.
And now, Dessert!
I always save room for dessert. The best part of dining with a large group is tasting everything! I honestly couldn’t decide which I liked best, but my daughter’s favorite was the Yogurt Panna Cotta, mainly because she enjoyed the bright pink cotton candy that came with it!
Yogurt Panna Cotta
pomegranate glee, granola white chocolate crunch, pomegranate sorbet
Citrus Goat Cheese Mousse
walnut tart, caramel sauce, grand mariner clementines, chamomile honey ice cream
Chocolate Crémeux
flour less chocolate cake, strawberries, peppermint ice cream
Matcha Green Tea Creme Brûlée
white chocolate biscotti, market berries
Restaurant 917 at Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles in Carson, California
19800 South Main Street
Carson, CA 90745
(310) 527-0917
Website: www.restaurant917.com
Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles Website: porschedriving.com/porsche-experience-center-los-angeles
Restaurant Reservations available on OpenTable.com
