Award-Winning Chef Jonathan Waxman To Open First L.A. Restaurant At Westfield Century City

Westfield Corporation announced today that Jonathan Waxman's NYCA Restaurant Group will be bringing the world renowned chef's signature cuisine back to Southern California with a restaurant to open in Spring 2018.

Mr. Waxman first gained fame by pioneering and then popularizing California cuisine together with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley—and then subsequently made his mark at such prestigious kitchens as Michael's in Santa Monica and Jams in New York City. Today, he is the chef and owner of Manhattan's illustrious Barbuto restaurant, where his ability to make "sophistication seem simple" earned him the 2016 James Beard Award as Best Chef – New York City.

Waxman and NYCA Restaurant Group have now made the decision to open their very first restaurant in Los Angeles at Westfield Century City. The self-described "neighborhood restaurant" will be located alongside the property's front façade on Santa Monica Boulevard.

"I have been looking for the right venue for my return to LA," said Jonathan Waxman. "The location at Westfield Century City is the perfect spot and has everything – great street access, instantaneous valet parking and some of the best shopping in the world coupled with AMC Theatres and exciting new offerings like Nordstrom, Eataly, Shake Shack and Equinox. Our location is steps from Santa Monica Blvd and in close proximity to Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Culver City, Westwood and Santa Monica. All in all, this makes for a stellar location where I'm greatly looking forward to feeding folks in LA again."

"This is going to change the very nature of the food landscape on the westside of Los Angeles," said William Hecht, Westfield's Chief Operating Officer. "Jonathan Waxman is widely credited with bringing California cuisine to the world and—in the process—reinventing the way America eats, cooks, and seeks out farm-fresh ingredients. He is a native of California—he first made his mark here—and we're excited to welcome him back home."

The announcement of Westfield's partnership with NYCA Restaurant Group comes as the center prepares for its Grand Opening in Fall 2017. The redeveloped center will include over 200 stores and restaurants including a new Nordstrom, new Macy's, completely remodeled Bloomingdale's, and a luxurious Equinox fitness club.

In addition to the new restaurant (which has yet to be named), other new dining options at Century City will include the West Coast's first Eataly, Din Tai Fung, Javier's Finest Foods of Mexico, Petros Benekos (Petros fine Hellenic cuisine, The Kafe and Kafe Bugatsa), as well as Tender Greens, MidiCi Neapolitan pizza, Wexler's Deli, Asian Box, Big Fish Little Fish, La Colombe Coffee Roaster, Minamoto Kitchoan, Randy's Donuts, and Compartes Chocolatier. These new offerings will complement Century City'salready outstanding food and dining options, including Shake Shack, Meizhou Dongpo, RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen, the elegant Italian trattoria Toscanova, authentic Italian mozzarella bar Obicà and Gelson's gourmet supermarket. Among the property's many new nutritious food and probiotic juice bar options will be Pressed Juicery, Lifehouse Tonics + Elixirs, and Beaming Organic Superfood Café.