Everything That Happens the Day Before a Restaurant Opening | On The Line | Bon Appétit

“It's been about two years of construction…six months of conceptualization of menu. In 24 hours we'll know whether we've accomplished it.” Join Ari Kolender, chef and partner at Queen Street in Los Angeles, for a day behind the scenes as he prepares to open his Charleston-inspired raw bar and grill for the very first time. “This has been ours by ourselves for over two years, and we're about to give it away.”
Director: Maria Paz Mendez Hodes
Director of Photography: April Maxey
Editor: Jared Hutchinson
Director of Culinary Production: Kelly Janke
Culinary Researcher and Recipe Editor: Vivian Jao
Producer: Sydney Malone
Creative Producer: Lisa Paradise
Line Producer: Jen McGinity
Associate Producer: Oadhan Lynch
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa; Peter Brunette
Camera Operator: Justin Abbate
Assistant Camera: Lucas Vilicich
Production Assistant: Fernando Barajas; Phil Arliss
Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araújo
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
Special Thanks: Liza Prijatel Thors & the Queen Street Family
Filmed on Location at Queen Street | 4701 E. York Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90042
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Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

[@hannac5535]

I was really shocked by hin pulling the legs of the alive crab

[@ZammyZamuel]

bruh lol

[@edmendoza1736]

Wow did he say he's "training" people 24 hrs before opening?

[@SC-ko9nk]

bro charges 46 bucks for some mid lamb AND tortures sea creatures? Yikes lmao

[@Shinkajo]

How you know the lamb is mid though?

[@SC-ko9nk]

@@Shinkajo C'mon, look at it.

[@CallieAnya]

Why did he rip the legs off a live crab? I do eat meat but this seemed unnecessarily cruel, even within the context that all meat eating is technically cruel.

[@anhthynguyen9253]

ikr, what happens to the method of ‘’putting them in the fridge to sleep’’ thing?

[@jameswelsh4479]

What a basted ripping claws off live crab

[@crimsonDyNaM0]

Fastest way to cook your meal

[@jameswelsh4479]

@@crimsonDyNaM0 huh?

[@thebe_stone]

​@@crimsonDyNaM0????

[@oliviadreisinger]

i'll echo all the comments about the violent way he tore the limbs off the still-alive crab

[@Chancethecapper]

Don’t nobody gaf abt that crab

[@etf42]

@@Chancethecapper exactly. fake outrage.

[@Angel-mi6qs]

@@Chancethecapperyou haven’t read the comments 😂

[@brendanconnelly1835]

As a carnivore I'm amazed that no one freaks out as this guy just casually pulls the claws off a live crab. Don't get me wrong the pigs, cows, lamb, etc. don't have a painless death. But when it comes to seafood I feel 99% of people just don't care nearly as much as they do for our four legged creatures. I would like to see a opening day video as well

[@ReganAtSea]

tru

[@matthewmarkham5096]

I got a kick out of him talking about a quick death by boiling, literally as he was ripping all its legs off 💀

[@creativgirl1]

I am also a carnivore. Had to stop the video at that moment.

[@annetteu.7226]

I found this procedure extremely cruel and almost stopped the video… 🥺

[@michaelmiller6822]

I've seen people take knives to brain stem of lobster to give an actual quick death. Guy probably just doesn't care.

[@sparklypinkleopard26]

this guy and his love for butchering fish is such an ick. idk what i expected but he gives psychopathic vibes 😅

[@sahilradio]

“Teaching” chefs the recipe or how to butcher the DAY before. Cmon.

[@ewiken5529]

I know, seemed wild to me you’re training your staff this close to open. Regardless of experience. Hope this was a “soft open”

[@brendanconnelly1835]

I agree it seems odd that he's showing his sous chef how to cook a pie dough the day before. I would think a receipe like that should have been locked in a month in advance. A dish with more seasonal ingredients is something I could see being worked on last minute based on flavors.

[@GrizzO12]

probably just “teaching” them for the video 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@MBP1990-z8i]

@@GrizzO12 I know. So many people take this literally. It's a production!

[@kinkinmyslinky967]

$42 for lamb ribs. There’s not much to a lamb rib. They used to be a gimmick 25 years ago when you served lamb loin on a degustation.

[@jesselopez904]

Their prices are absolutely insane 🎉😂

[@hotshot619]

Stopped watching when he was breaking claws and talking about how they boil alive. I hunt and eat meat but there is no reason to not dispatch an animal before harvesting. Take a bath in boiling water and then tell me its quick. Just use a knife to the head, as most modern chefs do now adays.

[@curlyb]

lol

[@JonnySublime]

How can it be the hottest anything if it’s not even open yet

[@St1of1]

Ribs for 42$! Mythhh😂 finesse the rich i guess

[@brandondeen4575]

I’m glad to see TJ Miller is doing better

[@mauriciocampos7915]

Lost me with the crab and again with the imported caviar

[@ambergarvey1360]

this guy is the chef in the little mermaid 🔪

[@sunflowerbaby1853]

Barbaric 🦀🦀🦀

[@yeaokaysure]

I need a part 2!

[@BogacGuven]

Exactly

[@asubaseball219]

What kind of psycopath's dream job is butchering live fish?

[@Talittli]

I love fish but this bothers me most about it same with any kind of meat actually as well

[@crimsonDyNaM0]

Never cooked fresh seafood a day in your life.

[@DanielGarcia-ro6lq]

Who cares

[@OhItsKobi]

​@DanielGarcia-ro6lq people should care. Just because humans are higher on the food chain, doesn't mean we have to act poorly. It's unethical

[@DanielGarcia-ro6lq]

@@OhItsKobi they are just things we eat it doesn’t matter if you are unethical or notn

[@karadigiacomo5856]

Ripping the legs off of something that is still alive is cruel.

[@snakemongoosepanther]

Agreed!

[@oliviadreisinger]

I was also horrified

[@phonedave]

Also. " we boil them alive because it is quick" as he throws them into a pot with no water after he ripped their legs off.

[@nicks8026]

It’s cruelly delicious!

[@henryt9281]

You type while you're snacking on chicken nuggets ...

[@tommyphu307]

Threw me off when he ripped the claw alive. Very unethical and just disappointing

[@semnome2jsjcia]

SHUT UP

[@calmkitten-meditationmusic5835]

And not a reaction to the fishs eye popping out?? Also happening while its alive. Just dont eat animals… so easy.

[@atp1130]

They grow back

[@samross8404]

Ppl say that all the time but I don't see anyone putting down crawfish because that's way to inconvenient but they are pretty much the same thing

[@First1ToComment]

Calm down y'all too sensitive

[@mosesbravo7622]

The Bear not enough fork reference is awesome.

[@quesiaevan]

WOW! I didn't need to see the crab scene.

[@slopper]

How can it be the hottest restaurant before it's open?

[@jameswelsh4479]

Pre hype and anticipation?

[@kpNov23]

😂 maybe literally?

[@PLF...]

Because hot means new. Its about clout, not quality

[@marklim6054]

Hottest. Poor ventilation

[@ijimenez145]

Man's not hot

[@PauIieWalnuts]

Glad Bachman landed on his feet after that opium den phase.

[@CreamyJalapeno]

I read the title in SNL Stephon’s voice

[@jenniferthomas6273]

If you close your eyes and just listen the guy in the yellow shirt sounds just like Aziz Ansari 😊

[@SolidLMG]

how much did they pay you to do this lmao

[@Booshay__]

This restaurant probably hired a PR firm to help build hype. One of those tactics was probably to get BA to film a piece on it.

[@pentagramparsons]

Patrick Bateman cooking

[@ChrisControversial]

Something about this just screams pretentious.

[@onestepza]

Crab 🦀 be like “ ouch “

[@brian-ld4vd]

How come people that own businesses seem like douches? Not the chef guy either.

[@nicks8026]

They’re a little late to the party. The “East Coast Style” raw bar, seafood restaurant has been something of a mini-trend here in Los Angeles for at least the last five years. I can name a handful of restaurants of this type, even a few that are within five to ten minutes of Queen St. I wish them the best but percolating in the concept stage for more than two years could prove to be a serious issue.

[@ReganAtSea]

can u actually name them pls

[@nicks8026]

@@ReganAtSea Here are two: The Lonely Oyster, Rappahannock Oyster Bar.

[@Rainokoe321]

Rappahannock has a few locations throughout the US including Charleston haha@@nicks8026

[@TheShelbinator3000]

@@nicks8026 The same group that does Found Oyster, and now Queen Street, also opened up Barra Santos in Cypress Park a couple months back. They've been busy.

[@ScottFidler]

Checkout the blue oyster bar

[@aenema1983]

Mid AF

[@MrAnarchy26]

Yeah. You lost me at ripping the crab apart alive.

[@GO-fl6cr]

Unethical restaurant. He mutilated the crab alive and say they boil them alive.

[@jorgeenchilada]

That to me was unbelievable. If you're already boiling the crab alive, at least put them in the boiling water immediately following tearing off the claws. It's the least you could do. Rather than throwing them on top of each other in the container while they suffer so much pain so slowly.

[@ghostid544]

I honestly was expecting more posts like this. Especially given his reasoning for cooking them alive was because it tastes better... I wonder how the front of house describe the taste. "Light with an air of agony and wisps of mutilation!." Nom nom nom nom.

[@GO-fl6cr]

@@jorgeenchilada couldn't agree more.

[@henryt9281]

@@brandonwilcox3273 As you munch on beef jerky ...

[@AL-lh2ht]

Yea none of you know a thing about cooking or butchering do you?

[@marieronrancesvlog]

The restaurant looks clean, big and cozy. It seems like that you are ready for opening coz you know what you are doing.

[@scottsummers4234]

Poor Sebastian 😢

[@morganoconnor9409]

Beachcomber shirt!

[@meticulouslyeliminatinghaters]

Reported for animal abuse.

[@96ftt]

😂😂😂

[@gracehebert7661]

Pulling the legs off a live crab and boiling it alive...also not even flash boiling, but brining it up to a boil with them in there, absolutely not

[@cloudeater9498]

Erlich Bachman is still alive 😯

[@devoncr]

Crab murderer!!!

[@RLH_ITALIA]

Great to see a new restaurant in LA menuing uniqueness

[@Ngan.marianguyen]

I’d shuck 20 of those oysters no problems!

[@thediner8929]

Guy with the glasses looks like TJ Miller.

[@DevinTheMaestro]

Does anyone know the title of the background music?

[@knarkarbengt]

Mellow version of The Bear season 2

[@3MUNISH]

Disrespectful

[@annaortega7329]

I don’t like how they don’t put a lid on their meat

[@saxonray4071]

I noticed no head coverings and everyone wasn't wearing gloves. But 1 when cutting the pork chops. Very unsanitary. As well as the crab situation. Count me out! I wouldn't eat there

[@creiglamb6036]

no one in high end restaurants wears gloves/hair nets sweetie

[@saxonray4071]

@@creiglamb6036 Any restaurant that serves food should wear head covering and gloves Sweetie

[@cococanes]

@@saxonray4071most high end restaurants don’t wear gloves or hair nets

[@96ftt]

No one wears gloves in restaurants buddy, and the heat burns off the germs anyways.

[@saxonray4071]

@@96ftt The heat burns off the germs 🤣🤣🤣🤣. Do chefs or cooks stick their hands in 165 degree products?? No 🤣🤣 they don't. I see you've never spent one day in an industrial kitchen. #2. Yes, Chefs and cooks should wear gloves. And the majority do

[@thales5955]

Great video, really cool to see the final hours before opening

[@rashaddavis1747]

Souf Cac💪🏾

[@IndigoStargazer]

Boycott

[@eighty9]

Where's the part 2?

[@ridethespiral1219]

No point to making she-crab soup anymore. Especially with how much a dozen costs here in Maryland.

[@anamariapatrulescu3137]

has anybody seen the prices?

[@90BUGAHSUGAH]

The bear season 3 😂

[@mattymattffs]

It's too bad all these restaurants open in LA. I'll never get to go.

[@erichooper9858]

head to South Carolina for the same menu but half the price.

[@Zeyek1]

rich people food

[@bdoom6283]

broke person comment

[@ewtam24]

Very cool! Thank you!

[@clausherther]

Total aside: but every time he gets flour on the Rolex, my watch nerd heart bleeds a little

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content guys🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤

[@IAM45327]

Yes!

[@LA-oh7ov]

This is amazing ❤❤❤

[@sandradaniel9026]

Nice

[@mryark83]

you should put the restaurant name in the title of these videos!!!

[@Chris-el4hd]

All the folks on here complaining about the crab, have to step into a real kitchen. Real kitchens aspire to be ethical

[@SC-ko9nk]

Evil isn't mutually exclusive. Just because real kitchens can be worse doesn't mean this kitchen isn't awful.

[@LONGBEACHORIIGINAL]

I went there. Worth every penny.

[@jamesrush07]

Somebody been watching the Bear 😂😂😂

[@xxgo0kst3rxx]

I’m pretty sure since they are opening having to get things in place so they can have a smooth first day played into the way he handled the crab, I mean people eat soft shells you know what kitchen people have to do in order to serve soft shells..

[@fraffeetan9395]

Interesting 💡

[@liteprotoss]

Come now, BA. You guys really didn't at least edit out in the dismemberment of a live animal? I thought culinary journalists would know better.

[@EazyMiguel]

oh shut up lmfao

[@Street-shitter]

Head chef🤣🤣🤣

[@reptocilicus]

I’m not impressed.

[@vin7281]

What’s their social page?

[@captaindo3569]

Hi

[@mrjoshuaburger]

Noooooo! Where is the rest?! I couldn't believe it when the credits appeared. Great video!

[@WendyRichards-uq3cu]

No one in their kitchen is wearing gloves or hair coverings for hygiene.😐🤔

[@bdoom6283]

you have no clue

[@thechateaufarm]

Great video but I’m a little dismayed by how everyone is wearing jewellery in the kitchen

[@DavidBenson2]

Not him talking about the Gullah Geechee heritage of the food and there being exactly one black person (maybe?) on the entire staff, and looks like none in the kitchen...🥲 When people talk about nice progressives doing just as much harm, this is what they mean. What a missed opportunity to employ some black culinary staff to show how much you ACTUALLY care about the roots of the cuisine you're serving instead of using it as a means to be an edge lord in the LA food scene. Very disappointing, smh.

[@DangerSquiggles]

Just hiring black staff because the Gullah Geechee are also black would be just as ignorant.

[@spoken2]

@@DangerSquigglesyeah, kinda like white people cooking culturally , authentic African American food and eating they created it …

[@jdelorenzod2725]

you want them to hire blacks just cuz they're black?

[@garthstruddlefudd8408]

Executive chef: Sam Hyde

[@Your_Wife.s_Boyfriend]

Dude's a serial killer.

[@TheOriginalArchie]

Should have called it "Non-Binary Street" because I already know if I search it on Google or Yelp it's gonna have bad reviews (even if they are fake). I'd eat there, but the search nerds wont.