SoCal Real Estate Moguls Meet in The Kitchen at the LA Times for the Ultimate Power Dinner

The Real Deal’s Hiten Samtani and President of The Los Angeles Times Chris Argentieri had a rousing discussion about the Golden State’s bright future. The event, which took place in a new space in The Los Angeles Times building and was set up by luxury appliance manufacturer Gaggenau, also featured a dinner designed and created by chefs from two of California’s most esteemed restaurants: Chef Jordan Kahn, executive chef and owner of two Michelin-starred restaurant Vespertine, based in Culver City, and Chef Val M. Cantu, chef and owner of two Michelin-starred Mexican-Californian restaurant Californios in San Francisco.

LA’s top real estate personalities attended the event, with Kofi Nartey, the luxury real estate broker who has represented Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant, and spec developer Ramtin Ray Nosrati both making an appearance. Also in the audience were some of Southern California’s leading developers, including Richard Weintraub and Neil Shekhter of NMS Properties as well as executives from CIM Group and Hackman Capital Partners.

The esteemed audience enjoyed a pre-talk round of drinks and hors d’oeuvres featuring sweet potato and uni before turning their attention to the emcee and their host. During the discussion, Argentieri praised California’s role as a leader in everything from climate change action to design trends to progressive social policy, contrasting the state’s future prospects with those of other hot markets like Miami. “Just look around, this city is beautiful,” said Argentieri with evident SoCal pride, before launching into a spirited explanation of how California’s central place in the worlds of development and design position it as one of the hottest real estate markets both now and in the future.

Beyond its economic and cultural strengths, Argentieri also emphasized how the state’s work to combat the effects of climate change would make real estate investment more secure there than in comparable markets like South Florida, where hurricanes present an annual and mounting threat to infrastructure.

After the discussion, the group relocated to The Kitchen at The LA Times, where chefs Kahn and Cantu served a menu that combined the best California ingredients with flavors and preparations inspired by Gaggenau’s home in Germany’s Black Forest, all created to perfection in a kitchen decked out with state-of-the-art Gaggenau appliances. Over tables adorned with mossy centerpieces, the guests enjoyed seafood appetizers followed by main courses of turbot with mushrooms, leeks, and tapioca as well as quail in a sumptuous molé sauce,with wine pairings from the 2021 MICHELIN Guide Sommelier of the Year, Charlotte Randolph. The meal was the perfect digestif after the heady discussion, and the guests left The Los Angeles Times building full of delicious food and confidence in the Golden State’s prospects.