Words by Adrian Farquharson / Photography by Oriana Koren / Video by Curtis Pickell
Enjoy this video recap and stay tuned for our “MARY’s Innovators” short film
In honor of the upcoming spring season, and the release of MARY’s second issue, The Home Issue, MARY collaborated with Michelin-apprenticed chef Chris Sayegh also known as The Herbal Chef to host an infused dinner in the heart of Hollywood, California at LA Mother. On the eve of Thursday, April 14th, fifty of the cannabis market key innovators, creative media professionals and selected press, enjoyed a night of food, music, art and cannabis.
Meet Chef Chris Sayegh also known as The Herbal Chef
Finding similarities in the progression of cannabis and fine dining, formed the alliance between MARY and The Herbal Chef with a desire to further explore and highlight the many wonders of cannabis culinary arts. Before the dinner, guests are asked to fill out a questionnaire on their experiences with edibles which then allowed Sayegh to tailor each dish to per guest’s liking to promote the use of responsible dosing.
Terpenes by Brightside Botanicals in the aroma of Northern Lights and Candyland were poured over dry ice throughout the evening to deliver a scent pairing for each course.
The Herbal Chef created a menu that honored the dawn of spring with courses such as a Japanese scallop laid atop micro-dosed citrus barley, Japanese pear, endive, garlic tuile, chive oil and chili oil.
“You will never taste the extraction in my dishes unless explicitly stated. I do not think cannabis extraction is a pleasant taste, and when you are using the best ingredients around, it is important to me to keep the integrity of the food at all times.”
Apertif: Fresh juiced Cannabis, Peach, Ginger and Aperol
Arriving at LA Mother, guests were greeted with champagne and wine courtesy of Jordan Birch, as they waited for the first course. The evening began with a toast – freshly juiced cannabis, ginger, peach and aperol. A highlight was the performance by a violinist and guitarist duo who lullabied the night away. Along with the backdrop of original artwork that focused on cannabis was displayed by Art420.
Chef Sayegh preparing plates for the “Peas & Carrots” course.
Each course of the dinner not only exposed the medicinal benefits of cannabis beyond inhaling but also further explored the wonders of cannabis culinary arts. Sourced out of the heart of Santa Monica’s Farmers Market, Sayegh gathered ingredients from local and organic vendors.
The Menu: The first course was “Bacon n’ Eggs” – egg yolk, hollandaise, bacon mousse, pancetta, cara cara, brioche, followed by “Peas & Carrots” – confit carrot gnocchi, pea emulsion, wild mushrooms, pearl onion, pea tendril, pomegranate, shiitake. The most desired dishes of the night was the “Japanese Scallop” – prepared with citrus barley, Japanese pear, endive, garlic tuile, chive oil and chili oil. Followed by the “Spring Pork Tenderloin” with an apricot gastrique, cipollini, pork jus, black garlic and watercress. To end the night guests had two desserts, “Citrus Cleanse” a rosemary sorbet with candied lavender and grapefruit chutney, and “Herb Garden” a blend of mint, strawberry, basil, wood sorrel, lemon verbena and carrot top.
HRVST California brought out beautiful and pungent treats from their collective which was composed of Sunset Sherbet and Cherry Pie strains in the form of gorgeous, healthy nugs and pre-rolled joints.
The evening was helped brought to life by Marley Natural, Evoxe Labs and The High Road Design Studio.
Marley Natural is crafted with awareness, authenticity, and a genuine respect for nature’s nourishing benefits. Their collection of cannabis flower and oil, smoking accessories, and body care products are all responsibly sourced and integrity driven. Each of the offerings is a direct reflection of the Marley ethos that integrates nature’s goodness with a belief in the positive potential of herb.
Evoxe Labs is the first company in the cannabis space to combine the principles of aromatherapy and cannabis wellness into a safe and balanced vaporizing experience for our patients. Evoxe blends the highest quality lab-tested CO2 cannabis oil with organically grown essential oils into four unique products, enabling patients to #ChooseTheMood that suits them, when they want, where they want and how they want.
Megan Stone, owner, and principal of The High Road Design Studio is the first interior designer to specialize in crafting incredible cannabis retail experiences, helping to reinvent peoples’ expectations and perceptions of the cannabis industry. She has worked with dispensary owners in nine states on projects for both medical and adult-use retail stores.
Each of our guests received a MARY Gift bag that had items from each of our friends and we want to give a special thanks to each of them as we’re sure everyone enjoyed their token of the evening.
We’d like to thank Blank Space Strategies, HUF Worldwide, KIVA Confections, Bloom Farms, Altai Brand, PuffCo, Foria, Grav Labs, Jetty Extracts, HRVST California, Jordan Birch Fine Wine, Art420 and all the other incredible sponsors for their involvement in this unique evening.
