The Claremont Club & Spa in Berkeley, California has a pretty uptight reputation, so they've come up with a sure-fire way to loosen up a little. The facility has started offering weed pairings with its menu items. It's a "first-ever food-and-weed pairing, a four-course dinner that promises 'mind-blowing deliciousness' with a stellar high to match. To start, an amuse-bouche of crispy Hemp Honey Gougeres," The Mercury reported.
“We’re pairing to the notes in the strains,” explains executive chef Joseph Paire, who came up with idea for the "take-home Enlightened Dinner Series." The series isn't necessarily a first for the Bay Area, but the execution is. Food and weed pairings have been around since about 2015, but Paire's is special. The package starts at $150 for food only, and a weed specialist will talk with you over Zoom about what strain to best pair your meal with.
To clarify, Paire isn't selling or growing cannabis. Customers have to purchase their products at The Apothecarium, a Berkeley dispensary. Pricing starts at "$34-$36 for two grams; $110-$116 for two eighths." “We want people to feel that this is a relaxed environment,” he says. “We’re shedding new light on a property that’s been here for over 100 years.” Paire said. This dinner series is one of many ways the Claremont has attempted to expand their business appeal since the start of the pandemic and is arguably the most successful take yet.