Alta in West Adams is a completely revamped restaurant with a fresh concept, new menu, and a makeover of the dining room, but the story of Alta is the story of its chef and owner, Keith Corbin.
The professional kitchen has always been one of the great second-chance rooms in the American workplace where one's grit, grind, and determination are tested every night. Plenty of cooks come up through hard roads, including hard time, and food service is one of the few industries willing to take a chance on them. Keith Corbin took that chance and turned it into two James Beard nominations, a best-selling memoir, and a spot on Eater's list of the 38 most influential restaurants of the last 25 years.
After years trying for a certifiate of rehabilitation from CA to be allowed a passport, his first opportunity to travel the world came in 2025 and quickly became the inspiration for the reinvention of Alta and Corbin himself.
The new menu takes the soul-food foundation from the original and builds on it with refined cooking techniques from Europe, Asia, and Latin America using the incredible bounty of ingredients in California.
The updated beverage program by Madeline McQuillan includes spirits and wines sourced from Black-owned and underserved-community producers.
https://www.altaadams.com/ @altarestaurant
0:00 – Intro
4:12 – Drinks Program Overview
6:20 – Watermelon Cocktail
7:50 – South Central Cola
9:32 – Sweet Corn Cocktail
10:39 – For Goodness Sake Cocktail
13:45 – Carrot Cocktail
15:10 – Strawberry Rhubarb Cocktail
16:24 – Sparkling Rose and Final Drink Thoughts
18:29 – Food Menu Breakdown
19:13 – West Coast Oyster
21:08 – Black-Eyed Pea Salad
23:07 – Miso-Glazed Japanese Eggplant
24:40 – Ember-Roasted Sweet Potato
26:26 – Roasted Cabbage with Harissa Miso Glaze
30:02 – Confit Duck Leg
33:56 – Wood-Grilled Half Chicken
36:23 – West African Osso Buco
38:15 – Dark Chocolate Cake and Final Food Thoughts
43:45 – Ambiance
46:40 – Service
54:36 – Verdict
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🍴 About Aftertaste LA: Join Chef Vlad and Nicole on their journey through the Los Angeles dining scene. Each episode focuses on a different restaurant, analyzing strengths and weaknesses from service to flavor, to creativity, and everything else
Nicole and Chef Vlad are the friends you trust to give a thorough review of the many restaurants of the diverse and vast Los Angeles dining landscape. They’ll break down the hits, the misses, and the avoid-at-all-costs so you can target your experiences to what fits you best. Whether you’re a local, just visiting, or dreaming of an LA vacation, they’re your source for tasty information about the restaurant experiences that make Los Angeles special.
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