There was magic in the hills on June 4. Incomparable views, exquisite and beautifully composed plates, easy and intriguing conversations... I could go on and on. It was a truly enchanting evening. (And I still dream of the soup!)

Brunch Feb 17th 2024

Belated but heartfelt thanks to Guy, Dylan, Matt, et al for the fantastic dinner on June 26. We had a great time re-encountering old friends, meeting new friends, and reconnecting with our LA community in the most welcoming setting imaginable. It was our first real social evening in a year, and what a perfect way to emerge from our pandemic cocoon. Beautifully curated food, wine, and company. We look forward to the next one!

Brunch Feb 17th 2024

“I remember getting a call from a good friend trying to explain to me about this dinner called the Meeting of the Masters. I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. I met some amazing people and shared life stories. We enjoyed great vibes, music, and great conversations. I walked away feeling very pumped about the connections I made. I lost track of time and wish the meet-up never ended. If anyone gets an invite make sure to be prepared for an amazing experience.”

“Great food and great company at saint Patrick Day’s Meeting of the Masters”

“This town and this business are inherently narcissistic and can make even an extrovert like me feel lonely and disconnected.

To sit and break bread with folks from all walks of life, ages, professions, gay, straight, somewhere in between, truly breathed life into my soul and made me feel alive amidst this crazy world of ours.

Meeting of the Masters Dinner truly reminded that collectively we can feel better, do better, and eat better!! One mouth watering dish at a time! A Doctor, an Author, a Ballroom Dancer, an Environmentalist, A Handyman and Graphic Artist were all at my table and to talk with them was healing, hysterical, and who knew…necessary!”

“Meeting of the Masters is an incredible gastronomic, social, professional, spiritual experience. Chef Guy makes delectable food and drinks and presents them in a beautiful setting which lends itself to easy conversation and new alliances. The crowd is always interesting and welcoming. MOTM is a treat—a unique, memorable adventure, which I highly recommend. Thank you Chef Guy! See you next time!”

“I’m not sure what was most spectacular, the food, the home, or the completely unique social experience I have never encountered in my 25 years living in Los Angeles. I can’t recommend this experience… (and it really is an”experience”) enough! I am guilty of going to social events and only talking to people I know, and this pushed me outside of my comfort zone and reminded me of how important connection is.❤️”

"Our lives in Los Angeles are each a journey that can feel alien and alienating. We've all felt it. But not at Meeting of the Masters, the prototypical mountaintop plateau from Close Encounters where we, the creators and artists, the strange personalities and egos, can land, join each other, and commune over some of the most delicious food in the galaxy. It's nights like these and amazing encounters with kindred spirits that make you realize this may be a voyage, but it's also where we're all at home."

"The food will not repeat on you; however, you will be repeating the stories you hear and enjoying the phone numbers you collect. A great reason to leave your home as well as your tablet behind for the evening. ”

“So chummy and so yummy, it’s no wonder people want to keep coming back for more!”

Last night’s Meeting the Masters in Los Angeles was one of those rare “magical” evenings. In my experience “magic” doesn’t behave very well and most certainly fails to show up on command except under the talented wizardry of Guy Shalem, Michael Sekera and Dylan Kendall. Every one of these events has been a touch of magic under the stars.

“My home and kitchen have been the beneficiary of many of Guy's feasts. The combination of food, people, food, conversation (and did I mention the food?) is just magical!”

“I was intrigued by the idea of how beautifully prepared food and artfully placed guests could bring strangers together, start conversations, and lead who knows where.

Our party was small, 12 guests, with business titans, an Olympic athlete, designers and artists.

Ideas swirled together and broke off into smaller, more intimate conversations and back together.

We were each given a small brown envelope with a charm in it and we matched our charms with each other to find our “soul mate”, which then created more conversation. We moved around the table while enjoying a 5-course, creatively prepared meal under the glowing stars and city lights of Los Angeles.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself as I stepped out of my comfort zone and stretched my social skills.

I highly recommend Meeting of the Masters to those of you who want to experience the excitement of meeting new people.”

Meeting of the Masters put together the perfect dinner party, pulling together an eclectic group of diverse and fascinating people, creating a warm atmosphere where everyone felt welcome and hosting at a venue that was nothing short of breathtaking. Everything was perfect - the food, the company and the location came together brilliantly, creating a magical evening that I'll never forget. Thank you!

“I’ve been two of Guy’s dinners and all of the guests really seemed to enjoy me which is refreshing because my personality is typically very polarizing. The food was super-yummy, too!”

“When I first heard about Meeting of the Masters, I was intrigued, and after experiencing my first dinner with the group, a few days ago, I can’t say enough good things about how brilliantly the actual event was executed, from their curating of amazing but down to earth guests, to crazy great food and drink, there’s really nothing like it in LA, It’s definitely a must do.”

“Guy Shalem creates these get-togethers and they are perfectly cast and produced. I met so many interesting people, from so many different fields (academia, the arts and of course, entertainment), and he and his team do an excellent job of keeping the participants circulating and having a great time. As all of Guy’s friends know, his cuisine is unique, healthy, and delicious. All together, a memorable and delightful evening, thank you!”

“Imagine you are paired with an Israeli pop star, violinist, professor, and a reality star to discuss politics and pegging. All while beautiful people serve you mystery grains popular 700 years ago. This was what I thought all Hollywood nights would be. Well I got one... “

When we arrived, the only thing we had in common was that we were all vaccinated. By the end of the night, I had caught up with an old friend and gotten some great advice from a new one. Thanks for an evening filled with delicious food and amazing conversation.

“As 'first-timers' who didn't know much about what to expect, Meeting of the Masters gathering came as a wonderful treat. My husband and I knew very few other guests prior to that evening (unusual for a night out in La La Land), but the group was so friendly and welcoming that it quickly felt like a dinner with all close friends. Conversations were great and the food was excellent -- what a delightful evening!”

“What a delightful expanded beautiful space Guy and Michael create with their meeting of the Masters gatherings… Too many lovely exchanges to count! I think I even made some real new friends! Can’t wait to be involved in another one as either master or servant or both!”

“Before I came, the word around the campfire was that this was an amazing event in all respects and boy, I have to say this exceeded that description. The themed food was excellent, giving me a chance to sample cuisine I may never have came across otherwise. The ambience,stunning. Guy has created a unique opportunity to be a part of a community where it is possible to feel completely at home surrounded by total strangers. (Though you certainly don’t leave strangers) This is so much more than an industry dinner or a networking event. It is a meeting of open minds that challenge, inspire, invigorate and stoke your passion for art, entertainment, social revolution, real conversation, and authentic connection. You walk away with genuine friends.”

“What a fascinating group of people. The family style meal was superb. We didn’t want it to end.”

“Brilliant idea, flawlessly executed. Guy, you are truly a master at this!”

“Meeting of the Masters was an enchanting and magical evening in a West Hollywood backyard. The dinner was beautifully served on an impeccably gorgeous table with delicious food and wine.. I met a collection of interesting, dynamic, and wildly intelligent new people and made quite a few good, new friends! I cannot wait for the next one!!!”

“As a person with social anxiety the idea of dinner with 20 complete strangers was my worst nightmare. Happily, all my fears about Meeting Of The Masters were completely misplaced. I spent an evening dining under the stars with the most warm, engaging, hilarious group of people I’ve met in ages. The menu was a Mediterranean / Israeli melange with enough Vegan/gluten-free options for the pickiest Angeleño and the wine was varied and well appointed. However none of this would’ve worked without this wonderful guest list. For an evening we all looked up from our phones, shared stories and connected. That truly, is the reason for going, and why I felt blue when the evening came to an end. So glad I leaned into my discomfort and got over it. Can’t wait for the next one!”

“Every so often an evening comes along where you’re reminded how magical Los Angeles can be and how lucky we are to live here. The common ground here is intelligence, curiosity, a genuine interest in the people around you. Not once did I hear someone ask “so what do you do?” as a way to start a conversation (and there were plenty of conversations). In fact, you might not even know what they do until you’re saying your goodbyes. This is as far from a stereotypical social gathering as you can imagine, where the focus isn’t on work, but on the quality of the people surrounding you. I attended my first Meeting of the Masters dinner not knowing a soul beforehand, and I was glad I did.”

“What a magical evening! After an incredible dinner our hosts announced that we should look under our seat cushions to find a hidden treasure. I opened the little envelope to find a tiny charm. Mine was a turtle, the sign of persistence, endurance, and longevity! We were told there were two of each, and to find the guest who had the matching charm. How fun! I was matched by divine guidance to SJ Hodges, and we had a wonderful talk about interactive and branching narrative. Those of us who push the boundaries of storytelling have certainly needed patience. The turtle’s hard shell represents resilience, and turtles are also masters of navigation, always knowing how to return home. Home is where the heart is, and this event was overflowing with love.”

It’s been a busy past month, though before I left LA for a week in France to return as Sports Director for @redbullcliffdiving, I had one night to decompress and experience Meeting of the Masters. I met amazing people, it was a unique and positive experience, and I’m looking forward to doing it again, even if I’m working in the kitchen!

“These dinners that Guy and company put together defy every cliche you’ve ever read about LA. A handpicked group of smart, creative, not-resting-on-laurels grown-ups sharing wine, war stories and inspiring plans. ”

”The Meeting of The Masters is a curated collection of interesting people designed to spark lively conversation while enjoying delicious food in a beautiful setting. I sat next to comedian Alec Mapa and across from entertainment executive Garth Ancier. Our conversation went from politics to dating to veganism. It was a night I won’t soon forget.“

“…You would go from small talk to deeper talk pretty quickly…”

“Over the years, and especially since moving to L.A., I avoided gatherings like this because I thought I would be subjected to people who, albeit accomplished, would be snooty, self-centered and pretentious. I honestly felt that I wouldn’t enjoy it for that reason. I was wrong. This experience offers so much including amazing food that is carefully prepared by Guy Shalem, stimulating and thought provoking conversations with interesting people from a variety of disciplines and it all happens in gorgeous and inviting home settings. Food for the body and soul. I’ve appreciated the opportunity to interact with down-to-earth movers and shakers. It’s been fun. This week, Meeting of The Masters graced the pages of The Hollywood Reporter (attached). I’m glad I put myself out there and look forward to once again sharing this experience with others.”

“Right away I was surprised. From the jump the conversations were at least fun and at best, invigorating. The home was gorgeous. The variety of people noteworthy. A number of hours later, broadened by many, many lovely, lively conversations and plenty of delicious food, a fellow asked me what I'd learned. Last night I was reminded of the value of community; the importance of constant re-invigoration through new adventure; how easy connection is when laced with intention; the stunning truth that, to at least some degree, there are plenty of 'awake' people out there; that our craving for intelligent relatedness is alive and well. I'd go again in a heartbeat and shall. Thanks Guy Shalem. Great to know this is happening.”

“It was such a delight to get to know all the fun and interesting people who attended. I felt at home, welcomed and engaged thru out the entire evening. So many great conversations and friends to-be. I laughed more that night than last I remember. The food experience was second to none. I particularly enjoyed the soup and the “hummus experience”!! AND… The Tower of Babel, I mean…!! My pallet was overjoyed! I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for amazing food, with an even more amazing cast of characters. Thank you again for including me!”

"Being included in dinner with the 'Masters'- Shalem is a parallel experience of blending ambiance and great conversation with just the right touch of this and the best pinch of that-his secret sauce is his engaging energy and talent that he puts into every bite we are privileged to enjoy!"