The Avenues Serve Up 'Taste Art'

Art and cuisine—they are not so different after all.

Take the Oskar Fischinger painting "Fried Eggs." Now imagine digging into a course of quail eggs with tonnata sauce and black truffles paired with a fine wine. All the while, a curator offers an explanation of the work of art.

This is the innovative dining experience that is , which kicked off Thursday at .

Billed as "a feast for all the senses,"  puts on the event each year as a means of pairing West Hollywood’s premier art galleries and restaurants. Food is often influenced by art, but it is rare to play witness to the creative process. Taste Art brings this to life.

“This is an intimate dinner to celebrate our area,” said Jamie Adler of , a custom furniture store.

Thursday's dinner and "art pairing" began at 6:30 p.m. with champagne and mingling, followed by a five-course dinner with wine pairings.

Each course, specially crafted by Chef Andrea Cavaliere, was inspired by a work of art. Andy Warhol’s “Chocolate Balls a la Chambord” begat a course of Chocolate Fondant with Cherry Preserves & Maraschino. Another painting, “Multiple Wave,” also by Fischinger, gave rise to a seafood-inspired course of Black Ink Risotto with Squid & Prawns.

Likewise, each wine pairing selected by sommelier Stacie Hunt of Splash Productions also seized upon the art for inspiration.

The dinner began with two delightful French whites from lesser appreciated regions (one from Loire, the other from Languedoc) and then progressed to bolder Italian reds. The final wine, a Primitivo from Salento, was chosen for its "primitive emotion" to pair with the painting "Blue Wave" by Fischinger, according to Hunt.

Two local galleries supplied the artwork for the evening. provided the three Fischinger paintings, each one more stunning than the last, while , one of the largest dealers of Andy Warhol’s art, shared two of his prints.

“We’re excited to be a part of The Avenues,” said Henry Koelsch of Hamilton-Selway Fine Art. “It’s a wonderful opportunity.”

A portion of the proceeds from the event are going to benefit the West Hollywood Library Fund.

As the evening wound to a close, it was clear that everyone shared this sentiment. Fortunately, The Avenues' annual celebration continues this weekend with more events, including Saturday's , taking place from 3 to 7 p.m. on The Avenues.