Plant Food + Wine Has Become An L.A. Staple For Upscale Vegan
In 2017 it seems rather cliché to reference vegan restaurants in Los Angeles as if the concept is rare here, but the sleek, minimalist, upscale vegan fare offered at Plant Food + Wine in Venice Beach sets this restaurant apart. Plant Food + Wine is one of the best restaurants in L.A.—it just so happens to be vegan.
Open for lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner, Plant Food + Wine presents an innovative approach to plant-based cuisine and biodynamic wines served in a restaurant conceived as a community gathering space. Chef Scott Winegard’s seasonal menu of vegetables, seeds, grains, legumes and house-made non-dairy cheeses is underscored in decor and in principle by the restaurant’s onsite edible garden. An olive tree canopy in the courtyard, when combined with French oak doors, reclaimed stone, and inviting fireplace that defines the space, makes the outdoor courtyard just as cozy and inviting as Plant Food + Wine’s interior (even in the winter).
Brunch menu items include chickpea frittata and king oyster mushroom agrodolce (an exquisite favorite among the GC staff, who visit the restaurant regularly in L.A., as we think it’s one of the best). Lunch includes staples like avocado toast and spicy udon alongside more inventive options, including kelp noodle cacio e pepe and hearts of palm ceviche. Dinner offers a splendid cornucopia of offerings, from kimchi dumplings with sesame + ginger foam, zucchini lasagna with macadamia nut riccota, butternut-potato gnocci with farro bolognese, and luscious roan mills polenta with blistered tomatoes, kale puree, almond ricotta and roasted fennel. Deserts, not to be missed, are also excellent and hardly feel like “healthy options” (those these days, vegan restaurants across the country have already proven this to be true. GC favorites include the Gianduja Cake (with hazelnut gelato and cacao whipped cream) and the Vulkan coffee-infused tiramisu.
Vegan food (especially vegan food in L.A.) is hardly a compromise– and with restaurants like Plant Food + Wine proving themselves to be neighborhood staples, the culinary tradition of animal-free eating is becoming a draw in its own right. Perhaps the ethos is best described on Plant Food + Wine’s own website, which reads: “When it comes to what we eat, we see things differently than others. Aligned with a world rapidly embracing the need for a healthier diet and an increase in plant-based food consumption, we are crafting the future of food.”
Plant Food + Wine is located at 1009 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice Beach, California. For more information on hours, events, and reservations, visit the restaurant’s website.
