Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/10329
HOT PROPERTY H Fine ollywood INNOVATIVE DINING GROUP BRINGS A PROFESSIONAL TOUCH TO THE NEW W HOLLYWOOD and t story and photos by David Gadd he fabled intersection of Hollywood and Vine once basked in the glamour of celeb- rity; then, as the stars moved westward to Beverly Hills and beyond, the corner faded into movie legend and dwindled into decades of neglect. These days, however, stars have become as thick as tourists once again at the world’s most famous crossroads, and with good reason: The new W Hotel & Residences has opened on Hollywood Boulevard, making it once again a nexus of hobnobbing, neo-Tinseltown-style. Behind the magic lies the talent of the team from Innovative Dining Group (IDG), already well-known in Los Angeles and beyond for its Sushi Roku and BOA Steakhouse concepts. The new French-Mediterranean brasserie, Delphine, and the indoor Living Room and outdoor Station bars have made the W one of Hollywood’s hottest destinations thanks to Brent Berkowitz, IDG’s Operations Director, and Christian Corben, on-site Operations Director at the hotel, and their dedicated staff. THE TASTING PANEL met the dynamic duo one morning as local residents and hotel guests were breezing into coolly casual Delphine for cappuccinos and moguls from nearby Capitol Records were booting up laptops for a working bagel breakfast. “This is really calm compared to what goes on here at night,” says Corben, referring to the see-and-be-scene that has become the essence of the trendsetting W ethos. 32 / the tasting panel / may 2010 Christian Corben (left) and Brent Berkowitz toast the success of new Delphine at the W Hollywood.