Alta Adams Review: Keith Corbin Reinvented His Restaurant. Did It Improve?

Alta in West Adams is a completely revamped restaurant with a fresh concept, new menu, and a makeover of the dining room, but the story of Alta is the story of its chef and owner, Keith Corbin. ⁠ The professional kitchen has always been one of the great second-chance rooms in the American workplace where one's grit, grind, and determination are tested every night. Plenty of cooks come up through hard roads, including hard time, and food service is one of the few industries willing to take a chance on them. Keith Corbin took that chance and turned it into two James Beard nominations, a best-selling memoir, and a spot on Eater's list of the 38 most influential restaurants of the last 25 years.⁠ ⁠ After years trying for a certifiate of rehabilitation from CA to be allowed a passport, his first opportunity to travel the world came in 2025 and quickly became the inspiration for the reinvention of Alta and Corbin himself.⁠ ⁠ The new menu takes the soul-food foundation from the original and builds on it with refined cooking techniques from Europe, Asia, and Latin America using the incredible bounty of ingredients in California. ⁠ ⁠ The updated beverage program by Madeline McQuillan includes spirits and wines sourced from Black-owned and underserved-community producers.⁠ https://www.altaadams.com/ @altarestaurant 0:00 – Intro 4:12 – Drinks Program Overview 6:20 – Watermelon Cocktail 7:50 – South Central Cola 9:32 – Sweet Corn Cocktail 10:39 – For Goodness Sake Cocktail 13:45 – Carrot Cocktail 15:10 – Strawberry Rhubarb Cocktail 16:24 – Sparkling Rose and Final Drink Thoughts 18:29 – Food Menu Breakdown 19:13 – West Coast Oyster 21:08 – Black-Eyed Pea Salad 23:07 – Miso-Glazed Japanese Eggplant 24:40 – Ember-Roasted Sweet Potato 26:26 – Roasted Cabbage with Harissa Miso Glaze 30:02 – Confit Duck Leg 33:56 – Wood-Grilled Half Chicken 36:23 – West African Osso Buco 38:15 – Dark Chocolate Cake and Final Food Thoughts 43:45 – Ambiance 46:40 – Service 54:36 – Verdict 🎧 Listen to the Podcast: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZUVt7hAf8JvrA4NvHRd7Z?si=3f3b627900fb4583 Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aftertaste-la/id1840083535 Amazon → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b94749de-3c4c-40a2-b549-f80ac2725a58/aftertaste-la RSS Feed → https://feeds.captivate.fm/aftertaste-la/ 📱 Connect with us here: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/aftertastela Threads → https://www.threads.com/@aftertastela TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@aftertastela 🍴 About Aftertaste LA: Join Chef Vlad and Nicole on their journey through the Los Angeles dining scene. Each episode focuses on a different restaurant, analyzing strengths and weaknesses from service to flavor, to creativity, and everything else Nicole and Chef Vlad are the friends you trust to give a thorough review of the many restaurants of the diverse and vast Los Angeles dining landscape. They’ll break down the hits, the misses, and the avoid-at-all-costs so you can target your experiences to what fits you best. Whether you’re a local, just visiting, or dreaming of an LA vacation, they’re your source for tasty information about the restaurant experiences that make Los Angeles special. ⭐ Our Rating System (1–4 Tastebuds): 1️⃣ Tastebud = Skip it 2️⃣ Tastebuds = If you’re in the neighborhood 3️⃣ Tastebuds = Worth a trek 4️⃣ Tastebuds = Can’t miss #AftertasteLA #LosAngelesFood #RestaurantReview #FoodPodcast