On the outskirts of Hollywood is the massive Universal Studios which is both a theme park and the actual working, television studios where films and tv shows are magically made. Tonight the entire complex was closed down for a private party and I was going. With a head count of over 6,000 it’s often difficult to prepare a dinner that would please on a quality level, but who would have thought that Universal’s Executive Chef Eric Kopelow could create a magnificent dinner with as much surprise and drama as they create in the movies.
Throughout the park there are food stations themed to the ride they sit next to. In this case each food station was turned gourmet for the night. Depending on where you went in the park, there was everything from roasted chicken and potatoes to the best electronic cigarettes giant racks of barbecued ribs. Pinks Hot Dogs, a Beverly Hills institution set up a booth and had long line-ups for a famous Pink’s hot dog. There was a Thai food station near the Terminator ride with black bean chicken over rice or spicy Thai pizzas. In between the food stations were drink stations with a full selection of California wines, fancy cocktails that glowed and smoked and a great selection of local beers.
The night was one of nibbling, walking, sipping and of course having a blast going from one ride to the other. We were the first to try the new Terminator ride that was to open to the public the next day. I highly recommend the 3-D adventure, it was a blast.
In total there were 42 different desserts and you can see most of them here.