Maude Restaurant is the Beverly Hills jewel box of a restaurant from chef Curtis Stone. The name honors his grandmother, who appears in a photo from her wedding day on the open kitchen counter. Each month, the 1200-square-foot fine dining restaurant celebrates a different ingredient. Depending on the seasons, you might find a tasting menu devoted to Pomegranate, Fennel or Passion Fruit. Maude’s key ingredient for June is Avocado.

On the second night of avocado service, California Avocados invited media types to experience avocado in many forms. The menu had simple descriptions, but plates showcased intricate preparations that contrasted California avocado with Ice Cream, Jamon Iberico, Alaskan King Crab and Rib-Eye. My favorite course of the night co-starred Caviar.

Stone wasn’t in the house for this dinner, but he’s clearly hired and trained well, since his staff performed admirably in his absence. An unidentified chef sautéed a slab of avocado until crispy and plated with brioche crumble, tart lemon pudding, and a sauce starring savory, umami-rich caviar sourced from a farm in Italy, with dill and chervil teaming on the garnish.

Maude’s multi-course menu cost $125, with another $125 for wine pairings. The price of each month’s menu varies greatly. After all, white truffle is just a wee bit rarer than passion fruit. Still, I’m glad that they selected Avocado for June, since I prefer the fruit to every other ingredient mentioned on this page, and Maude represented avocado’s range particularly well.