Celebrate the Sunday Suppers at Lucques anniversary dinner at A.O.C. on Dec 7. A soulful, flavorful tribute to a Los Angeles culinary tradition.
In cities where great meals count as currency—Los Angeles, Manhattan, Miami Beach, Aspen—people know the power of a Sunday table.
And this year, the Sunday Suppers at Lucques anniversary dinner lands with extra meaning.
On December 7, 2025, A.O.C. celebrates 20 years of Suzanne Goin’s James Beard Award–winning cookbook, the one that shaped how California cooks, eats, and dreams. The book didn’t just share recipes.
It built a community.
It taught us how a season can flavor a dish, and how a shared meal can soften a hard week. It’s the kind of tradition even the most fast-paced cities crave—warm, fun-loving, and full of flavor. A ritual with soul.
How a Sunday Table Became a Los Angeles Icon
When Sunday Suppers at Lucques debuted in 2005, Los Angeles was already a city of stylish ambition. But the weekly prix fixe dinner at Lucques offered something rare: comfort with elegance, flavor with finesse, and the kind of hospitality that felt like slipping into your favorite seat at a friend’s home in Washington DC or Berlin.
As Goin wrote:
“When I opened Lucques in 1998, my partner Caroline Styne, and I envisioned a place where food would be the catalyst for so much more.”
We wanted the restaurant to be part of the community – a meeting place where friends could gather, relax, escape, celebrate, and, of course, eat”—a vision that still resonates in cities where long workweeks demand a Sunday exhale.
The dinners soon evolved into a cultural marker.
Hollywood Bowl musicians stopped by after rehearsals. Writers tucked themselves into corner banquettes. Neighborhood regulars claimed the same table every week. And as any fun-loving Angeleno will tell you, the ritual became as reliable as sunshine.
A Celebration Filled With Flavor and Memory
The Sunday Suppers at Lucques Anniversary Dinner Menu
For the December 7 celebration at A.O.C., Goin and Styne have created a menu that blends nostalgia with bold, modern flavor:
SUNDAY SUPPERS AT LUCQUES
20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2025
james’ broccoli with burrata,
pine nuts and warm anchovy vinaigrette
***
pancetta-wrapped trout with verjus,
crushed grapes and fennel gratin
***
grilled squab with farro, kabocha squash,
cavolo nero and pomegranate salsa
***
portuguese-style pork and clams
with chorizo and fried potatoes
***
jessica’s favorite meyer lemon tart
with a layer of chocolate
$125 per guest
$65 supplemental wine-pairing
This is California cooking in its purest form—playful, generous, and grounded in seasonal truth. Anyone who has eaten across Hong Kong’s star-driven dining rooms or Chicago’s brash, flavor-forward kitchens will taste both refinement and joy here. And if you’re the type who lives for big flavor and a fun-loving night out—Las Vegas, this includes you—you’ll feel right at home.
Why the Cookbook Still Matters
The cookbook didn’t just outline recipes; it mapped out how to live with a farmer’s market at the center of your life. Long before “local sourcing” became a buzzword on menus from San Francisco to Atlanta, Goin championed farmers and artisans who defined Los Angeles’ emerging identity as a produce paradise.
The book’s impact reached far beyond LA. Chefs from Aspen to Manhattan have cited it as a blueprint for how to craft a menu with intention. The message was simple and deeply relatable: great food doesn’t need to be flashy; it just needs care.
For anyone who has rushed through a grocery store on a Wednesday promising themselves they’ll “cook more on Sunday”—yes, we’ve all been there—Sunday Suppers remains an aspirational yet attainable guide.
For more background on the significance of farm-to-table cooking, readers can explore trusted resources like the USDA’s overview of local food systems at https://www.usda.gov.
A Dinner Rooted in Ritual
Why This Anniversary Matters
The Sunday Suppers at Lucques anniversary dinner isn’t just a milestone; it’s a reminder of why shared rituals matter—especially in fast cities where time slips through your fingers. The Lucques tradition helped define what “California cooking” could look like: bright, soulful, structured yet relaxed. And above all, flavorful.
Guests can reserve seats through OpenTable Experience. The cookbook will be available for purchase and signing—a smart move for holiday gifting—and longtime fans are invited to bring their original copies for Suzanne Goin’s signature.
Explore more about A.O.C. stories
About The Lucques Group
Founded in 1998 by Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne, The Lucques Group now includes A.O.C., The Larder Baking Company, Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine, and Hope & Grand Events by Lucques at the Music Center. Their impact radiates far beyond their dining rooms, influencing how Los Angeles—and other global food cities—gather, celebrate, and savor.
FAQ
Q: When is the Sunday Suppers at Lucques 20th Anniversary Dinner?
A: The event takes place Sunday, December 7, 2025, with dinner beginning at 5:00 p.m.
Q: Where is the celebration being held?
A: A.O.C. 3rd Street, 8700 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048.
Q: Can guests have their cookbooks signed?
A: Yes. New books will be available for purchase, and guests may bring personal copies to be signed by Suzanne Goin.
Conclusion
Two decades after its debut, Sunday Suppers at Lucques still embodies the joy of seasonal cooking and shared tables. Whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering the tradition for the first time, the anniversary dinner at A.O.C. offers a night rich in flavor, warmth, and connection. If you’re craving a culinary experience that blends history with the fun-loving spirit of Los Angeles dining, this is your seat at the table. Make your reservation—and let the ritual feed you.
Celebrate the Sunday Suppers at Lucques anniversary dinner at A.O.C. on Dec 7. A soulful, flavorful tribute to a Los Angeles culinary tradition.
