I Tried The New Viral All-You-Can-Eat Italian Omakase In LA — But Did I Get My Fill?

We're bombarded with new viral food trends every day — but how many of them are actually something special? In our ongoing "Viral Verdict" series, we send intrepid food journalists to seek out and try the latest edible online sensations, and determine if it's worth braving long lines to get your hands on them.

The latest viral tasting menu in Los Angeles is served out of a sandwich counter. Vesti is a counter at Maydan Market that normally serves sandwiches and pizzas with freshly baked focaccia. It was started by chefs Adam Gertler and Shane Lyons, who met while competing in Season 4 of "The Next Food Network Star." 

Recently, Vesti launched the Eating Menu. It's basically a tasting menu: The chefs prepare whatever dishes they want to serve, but the dishes change all the time. These dishes may include variations on Vesti's regular menu, like the sandwiches and pizzas, but also anything from salmon to Australian wagyu.

The Eating Menu is offered at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. on Tuesday through Sunday, and reservations can be made here. The experience costs $70, and weekend seatings have been selling out since it's gone viral. I recently went and tried the experience myself to see if it's worth the hype.

The Eating Menu is served only at the counter at Vesti. The counter seats a maximum of eight people; every guest is served the same dish at the same time. During my visit, we were served a total of eight dishes, and the portions were pretty generous. 

We started with some cured Ōra King salmon topped with fennel and greens, followed by a cacio e pepe gougere. Then, there were fried chicken wings with spicy Calabrian chili sauce, meatballs, soup with a croquette, a slice of pizza, and roast chicken. The dessert was one of the best bread puddings I've had recently. 

When I asked Shane Lyons, he told me that more than half the menu changes even between seatings on the same night. Some items do tend to stay on the menu, like the fried chicken wings. While Vesti doesn't carry alcohol, you can order drinks from other vendors at Maydan Market, and they'll be delivered straight to your seat. 

Technically, the experience is "all you can eat," but unlike at buffets, you have to wait for the chefs to prepare the next dish, and you can only enjoy the dishes within your two-hour seating period. That said, there was definitely more than enough food to eat, even with the eight courses the chefs served. I even took some leftover chicken home. 

The chefs asked at the end if we wanted more food. One guest asked for another slice of pizza, but the rest of us were too full for anything else. All in all, Vesti's Eating Menu is a fun experience that gives you a front-row seat to watch the chefs at work and eat plenty of good food. 

For $70, the experience is certainly a good value. Vesti also doesn't accept gratuities, so you don't need to factor in an extra 20% on top of your bill (although, if you want to leave something extra, the restaurant can process that separately). Given how expensive dining out is getting these days, the Eating Menu at Vesti is worth the hype for being a good deal.