Why Three-Star Michelin Chefs Are Racing To This Los Angeles Pizza Joint (2024)

Last month, when Noma's chef René Redzepi visited Los Angeles from Copenhagen to promote his Apple TV docuseries, the three-star Michelin chef made a beeline for Leopardo.

This new pizzeria, opened in May by chef Joshua Skenes, modestly describes itself as "casual quality," but that hardly does justice to its culinary aspirations. Skenes, a titan of American cuisine himself, having earned three Michelin stars at San Francisco's iconic Saison and a “recommended” for Leopardo in the most recent Michelin announcements, has shifted from the heights of culinary fussiness to wood-fired pizzas and cocktails so innovative they could warrant their own patents. And let’s not even discuss the deliciousness of the frozen soft-serve ice with honeycomb alongside leftover sweet sourdough butter sandwiched between Biscoff cookies with sea salt.

Leopardo transcends the typical pizza experience. From the first glance at the menu, to the initial sip of a cocktail, to the moment you see the pizzas, it's clear this is Skenes' new creative arena—a deceptively relaxed venue that's crafting some of the most daring dishes on the West Coast.

Recently, after a meal there with friends, I had the opportunity to speak with the chef about this exciting new endeavor:

David Hochman: People are saying Leopardo is the most interesting thing to happen to Los Angeles dining in a very long time. How long have you been working on this menu?

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Joshua Skenes: We found the space a year ago and started right then, but our approach to R&D goes back to 2015 at Saison in San Francisco. For me and the team, it’s always about depth of flavor and texture—nothing else matters.

David Hochman: Let’s talk about the incredible pizza. I will go out on a limb and say the Hello Satan pizza with wild honey, chili, salumi, and herbs, is the best pizza I’ve ever had. What’s your secret?

Joshua Skenes: I appreciate that. The dough is a big part of it. We tested every high-quality flour we could find and settled on nine different grains from the West Coast. Our starter is two years old and the dough is naturally leavened, wild yeasted, and fermented for about three days, with a focus on lactic acid for a subtle, natural sweetness. Plus, we use tomatoes from my favorite Bay Area farm and fermented chilies for that kick.

David Hochman: Your kitchen looks like something out of a mad science lab. There are machines I’ve never seen before in kitchens, and a few of them look DIY. How does technology play into your cooking?

Joshua Skenes: It’s a big part of it, but any tech we use is in service to the flavor. Whether it’s custom fermentation or cooking methods, it’s all about making the food taste amazing. I’ll say more about the pizza, for example. We’ve dubbed our crust “neo-mochiko.” It’s light and pillowy, like a cloud of mochi. The process takes three days, two of which are about waiting for the dough to rise. We’ll use spring water not tap, and we favor Oregon sea salt in the base. But we’re also experimenting with the dough in some radical ways, by liquifying it in our lab and reconstituting it into sourdough crackers and laminated dough.

David Hochman: Aside from pizza, what’s been the unexpected hit?

Joshua Skenes: Our cocktails and raw bar are driving most of the revenue. With the drinks, it’s all about balance and highlighting single ingredients. I want the flavors to shine, like rhubarb in a Negroni. We’ve done mezcal infused with mesquite-roasted wild boar. There’s a Kyoho Frosé we make with a Kyoho grape, cachaça, and Asti spumante. Like with any good food product, good booze comes down to a few good ingredients rather than a ton of different ones mixed together.

David Hochman: How do you manage changing the menu every day? That sounds intense!

Joshua Skenes: It can be stressful, but it’s about keeping the guest experience top-notch. We’re still finding what works best and tweaking as we go.

David Hochman: Any feedback from notable diners, like René Redzepi?

Joshua Skenes: Yeah, he suggested a pizza tasting menu! We had a good chat about balancing quality in a casual setting—it’s tough but worth it.

David Hochman: What’s the biggest challenge you’re tackling now?

Joshua Skenes: Maintaining high quality at accessible prices. Everyone has subjective tastes, but quality is objective once you understand it. We’re always balancing the need to keep things affordable while using top-tier ingredients. It’s just really hard to find true quality standards in a casual restaurant because it's price prohibitive. As much as we can, we find a way to do it. It takes a ton of work but a lot of our prices are way lower than they should be—especially for items like the pizzas.

At the same time, you get your haters who don’t understand. Some reviewer wrote something with an eye roll that complained about the $160 waffle with caviar dish [crispy red flint waffles with Bordier butter and maple syrup, topped by Ossetra caviar aged for six months with country bacon salt]. To the critic, it was an expensive waffle, but they didn't pay attention to the fact that we’re serving the absolute best caviar that you can buy in the US,or that there’s a ton of that excellent caviar on the dish. Food costs for products like these can be high but we make sure the taste experience is worth it.

Davi Hochman: What’s next on your radar?

Joshua Skenes: We’re exploring even more ways to use the pizza dough—liquified, laminated, crackling—and turning it into dishes beyond just pizza. It’s about creating a layered, fun dining experience. If you’re going out for a meal, you want it to be time well spent

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Why Three-Star Michelin Chefs Are Racing To This Los Angeles Pizza Joint (2024)

FAQs

What makes a 3 star Michelin restaurant? ›

Three Stars: The restaurant has exceptional cuisine and thus “worth a special journey” just to visit. Rather than being a stop on the way to a destination, this restaurant is the destination. This restaurant serves distinct dishes that are executed to perfection.

How many 3 star Michelin chefs are there in the world? ›

As of 2024, there are 146 Michelin 3-star restaurants globally. Europe leads with 86, followed by Asia with 50, and the United States with 10. Earning three Michelin stars is the highest honor, indicating exceptional cuisine worth a special journey.

How hard is it to become a 3 star Michelin chef? ›

To earn one star, a restaurant must be considered "a very good restaurant in its category." For two stars, the criteria is "excellent cooking, worth a detour." To qualify for the elusive three stars, a restaurant must serve up "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."

Why do chefs lose Michelin stars? ›

Restaurants lose Michelin stars when they fail to maintain the required high food quality standards, service, or dining experience. If you think once a restaurant is a Michelin star, it's always a star, you're mistaken.

Does Gordon Ramsay own a 3 Michelin star restaurant? ›

Holding three Michelin stars, Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant on Royal Hospital Road showcases elegant modern French cuisine, the finest seasonal ingredients, and both classic and innovative culinary techniques.

Are there any 3 star Michelin restaurants in the US? ›

In subsequent years, Michelin expanded its reviews to other major US cities. As of the 2023 Michelin Guide, there are 13 restaurants in the US with a rating of 3 Michelin stars.

Has anyone ever got 4 Michelin stars? ›

Perhaps disappointingly, the answer is no - three is still the maximum number of Michelin stars that can be awarded to any one restaurant.

Who is the #1 chef in the world? ›

Joël Robuchon: 31 stars

Have you ever wondered which chef has the most Michelin stars worldwide? Well, here he is. Joël Robuchon holds the number one spot amongst the world's top 10 chefs, making him the best chef in the world according to Michelin star ratings.

Who is the chef with 7 Michelin stars? ›

Chef Yoshihiro Murata is the only chef in the world to hold seven Michelin stars. He is the third generation of Japanese super chefs to run the century-old Kikunoi restaurant in the Japanese city of Kyoto.

Who is the youngest Michelin star chef? ›

At Adlards in Norwich, by age 22, Byrne was the youngest chef to win a Michelin star. He worked at a number of Michelin-starred establishments.

How many Michelin stars does Bobby Flay have? ›

The Las Vegas Mesa Grill earned Flay his only Michelin Star in 2008, which was taken away in the 2009 edition. Michelin did not publish a 2010 or 2011 Las Vegas edition, so the star could not be re-earned.

What is the average age of a Michelin star chef? ›

Average age is 39; however, the average age of chefs on first achieving a Michelin star is 34. Aries and Taurus are the most popular birth signs, each accounting for 15% of chefs. Typical Arians love challenge, and are charismatic to the point of annoyance.

How did Gordon Ramsay lost 2 Michelin stars? ›

In October 2013, the Gordon Ramsay at The London restaurant in New York lost its two Michelin stars owing to issues encountered by the Michelin reviewers. The guide's director Michael Ellis stated that he was served "some very erratic meals" and also experienced "issues with consistency."

Can Michelin stars be bought? ›

But only since 2019, when Visit California paid Michelin $600,000, have top restaurants in Los Angeles and elsewhere in the state earned stars. So while it is still true that individual restaurants can't buy stars, tourism boards and hotel owners can buy the possibility.

What happens if a chef leaves a Michelin star restaurant? ›

If a chef leaves a restaurant they are also not entitled to take any allocated stars with them. Rather the stars are considered the result of a collective team effort and remain attached to the restaurant where they were obtained.

What makes a 5 star Michelin restaurant? ›

We take into account five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time.

Are there 3 or 5 Michelin stars? ›

The restaurants, all of which were in France, were awarded a single star if they were deemed a “fine dining establishment.” In 1931, the rating system expanded to the three-star rating that continues today.

Can you get a 5 star Michelin? ›

Michelin stars are given out on a scale of one to three stars, with only the top establishments in the world qualifying.

What is the highest Michelin star? ›

According to the Guide, one star signifies "a very good restaurant", two stars are "excellent cooking that is worth a detour", and three stars mean "exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey". The listing of starred restaurants is updated once per year.

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