My friend Allison is somewhat of a food groupie of Australian chef Curtis Stone. She dines at Maude about once a month and knows many of his selective team of chefs and professional servers by their first name. Every time I see her, she raves about the prix-fixe, multi-course themed dinners. Recently, she enjoyed a plum-themed dinner. At $125+ per person, I’ve patiently waited for a special occasion to dine at Maude. With my birthday coming up and plums being one of my favorite fruits, I went online to make a reservation. You can make reservations on Maude’s website, on the first day of the month at 10 a.m. There are just 25 seats. Children under 10 are discouraged, as this is a two-and-a-half hour elegant dining experience.

Tsukune or Japanese chicken meatballs cooked yakitori style lie beneath a screen of grilled herbs. A delicious plum sauce accompanies this dish. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

Reservations are available for tables of two or four people only starting at 5:30 at 15 minute intervals. Want to dine at 7 p.m.? Forget it. The 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. time is never available. Unfortunately, the month of August was sold out.

Allison recommended I click on the wait list for a date and time that I prefer. If a spot becomes available, the restaurant manager will contact you. That is how I was able to secure a table for two recently on a Friday night.

There isn’t much signage at the front of the restaurant on Beverly Drive. As I stepped inside, I glanced towards the kitchen, hoping to see the tall and handsome chef Curtis Stone. Sadly, he was not present the evening we dined.

The décor at Maude is feminine and dignified with mirrors on the ceiling and natural colored wood beams. Blues music plays softly for ambiance. The restaurant is named after Stone’s beloved grandmother as a tribute for introducing him to his love of cooking and food.

The wine sommelier welcomed us and escorted us to our table. The guests next to us were leaving and left the menu on their table. I reached over to take a peek. That is a big no-no at Maude and the sommelier gingerly admonished me and took it away. It’s all about the element of surprise, he said.

Service at Maude is professional and swift. When my napkin slid off my lap, it was quickly replaced. Plates and cutlery are removed with each course and new place settings are presented with each dish.

Stone must have been inspired in creating the variety of plum dishes offered, because he and his team prepared 12, instead of the usual nine courses that night. I received an extra dessert course, because I was celebrating a birthday. When you make a reservation there is box to check for special occasions.

Every table is a comfortable distance from the open kitchen, where multiple chefs and servers congregate before the choreography and delivery of each course parades into the dining room.

The evening’s menu and tasty goodie bags are souvenirs guests can take home to remember their Maude experience. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

The sweet-tart plum grows only during the summer months. Not only does Stone incorporate various plum varietals with each course, he displays this pleasing stone-fruit in the center of the plate with skins ranging in red, purple, green, yellow and amber. Other dishes offer plum as a supporting role to enhance the produce and proteins with jam, foam, sauce and paste.

A wine pairing with each dish is offered, however we opted to just order a glass of wine each served in an exquisite thin stem glass. For those who would like to bring their own favorite wine to pair with the courses, a corkage fee of $50 per bottle applies.

Throughout the evening our server Ben described each dish as it was presented. Agretti, a verdant Italian succulent with a feathery texture was used in two courses.

The first course, an ornate shortbread-style cookie with lardo, also known as melted pork fat, and thinly sliced dark plums and fennel stems was unremarkable. The wafer was soggy to the bite due to the plum juice and had a shiny coating of fat.

I perked up with the cold, bubbly plum gazpacho with cucumber, sorrel and a sprig of slightly sour and salty tasting purslane served in a glass.

Another dish with hazelnut cream drizzled over sliced green plums with sweet yellow skin and bright purple beets was appealing, as were the anise buds and tiny edible flowers. The herbal hyssop leaves sprinkled on top were an aromatic condiment. The leaves have a lightly bitter taste, yet interesting minty aroma.

Foie gras topped with roasted eel foam on a bed of plums was interesting. It was served in an elegant pudding cup with green nori slices on top. The risotto course had a whole spot prawn served on a small bed of sliced corn kernels and flavorful okra.

Some of the courses were served on white plates, while others were presented on floral china plates that could have come from Maude’s dining cabinet.

The kampachi course is similar to yellowtail. The sushi grade tuna was dotted with dried black olives, wafer thin sliced yellow plums and tiny basil leaves with dainty white flowers. Another fish course was the red sea bream covered with a warm plum wine foam. Sliced yellow flesh plums were arranged as fish scales and dried artichoke crisps offered an earthy saltiness.

An interactive dish was the tsukune, known as a Japanese chicken meatballs or sausage cooked yakitori style. A small ceramic pot topped with grilled herbs was placed on a coaster in front of us. Then a large white plate with herbs of mint, parsley, cilantro and chives and a puddle of plum sauce and sprinkling of white sesame seeds was delivered. Under the smoking herbs were two plump chicken sausages. Ben removed them with tongs and served one tsukune on each plate.

My favorite dish was the perfectly cooked pheasant with crunchy lily bulbs. The game bird offers a rich white meat that is denser than turkey or chicken, cooked slowly at a low heat to keep it moist. Lily bulb scales scattered around the pheasant are white and skinless with a starchy element that offers a slight perfume scent. I enjoyed the delightful crunchy texture and refreshingly sweet taste. This course was also served with steamed gyoza filled with pheasant in a bowl of light broth.

The evening culminated with a plate of Humbolt fog cheese wrapped in dehydrated plum leather and Marcona almonds and a chocolate diplomat in a caramelized pastry. Even though the portions are small, after 12 courses, you become satiated with food.

A plate of two sugar plum gels, plum caramels and little plum Bon-Bons arrived at the end with the bill and a souvenir menu to take home. The online reservation of dinner, tax and service was charged when I secured my reservation, however guests receive another bill for wine, non-alcoholic beverages and coffee.

Upon finishing, we were presented with beautiful wrapped cellophane bags with blue ribbon, filled with a plum crumble bar to enjoy the next morning with coffee.

Will I dine once a month, like my friend Allison? Perhaps. The menu for the month of September features grapes. Besides plums, grapes are one of my favorite fruits. I wonder if Stone will create something decadent with cotton candy grapes. Maybe I should drum up another special occasion.

There is a public parking garage next to the restaurant or valet parking. www.mauderestaurant.com. 212 S. Beverly Drive, (310)859-3418.