HOME > Chowhound > Los Angeles Area >


Dinner Detective at Cucina Paradiso

  • 5

I was interested in doing something fun with some friends and saw this in the Thursday entertainment section today. Has anyone been and could they tell me if its any good? I have heard that the food at Cucina Paradiso is actually tasty??

  1. Click to Upload a photo (10 MB limit)
  1. i don't know about the dinner detective part - but cucina paradiso (motor ave.?) is really tasty. their eggplant parm, bolognese, and spinach salad are all outstanding!

    3 Replies
    1. re: dtud

      Any other feedback on the dinner detective? I'm thinking about having a small birthday dinner here ...

      Thoughts anyone?

      1. re: maitai

        I don't know about dinner detective, but Cucina Paradiso has gone down hill. I use to be a big proponent of this place, and the last time I ate there it had completely changed. Dishes I had ordered before were just plain bad. I was shocked. A friend I had recommended the place to went a different time, and said her meal was horrible too. I felt so bad I had recommended it. I don't know if there's a new chef or what. One dish I had numerous times, the grilled polenta, had a completely different sauce, although the menu description of "white truffle oil" hadn't changed...in reality it was a cloying marsala sauce. It also didn't have the pleasant grilled taste or even grill marks. I mentioned to the server it had changed and he said no it hadn't. I thought maybe I had mis-read the menu, but I snagged one later...nope, the description was of the dish I remembered. The fish dish was breaded and heavy. Too bad, I used to think of this place as a find, but I won't be going back.

        1. re: maitai

          We were there last May for a birthday party and it was an OK experience. I would compare it to say, going to Medieval Castle for a dinner and show. You do it once and have no desire to do it again.

          For starters, it's not really held in Cucina Paradiso. They have a separate hall that looks like it doubles as a club at night. It's dark inside and people mill around as the host barks out instructions. You are then served hors d' oeuvres while waiting to be seated. This can be a very messy experience and really, they sort of force you to mingle with all the other "guests" because everyone is a "suspect" in the murder investigation.

          Once everyone is seated, the show starts and again, this was just me, but it was a bit corny and I knew right away who the killer was. He was sitting beside me and was just inconsistent with his answers. You can blame that on the actor and the little research he did for his role.

          The food is standard and you have the usual choice of beef, chicken, fish or veggie. It was fairly decent -- the only problem was, it was so frigging dark they could have served us mystery meat and we would not have known! Dinner is served during intermission and it would have been nice if they turned on the lights while people ate.

          The servers were gracious though and they made sure everyone's glass was filled and plate taken away. At the end of the show, I was just tired from the screaming and the too-hyper energy of it all.

          If you don't mind sharing a table with total strangers and enjoy screechy, hyper entertainment, then it would be a fairly good time with friends. Just make sure those wine glasses are perenially filled :)

      2. The original comment has been removed
        1. Went last year for mom's bday. She loved it...food and the show. I thought it was very average...the food..the service..its a step above the Olive Garden.