Photo Credit: Geoff Souder
There’s a new gourmet hotspot for vegans in uber-cool Venice courtesy of plant-based food guru Matthew Kenney and trust us, there’s a lot to love about Plant Food and Wine.
When it comes to fine dining on the Westside, there’s really no better location than Abbot Kinney. Plant Food, which is located in the space formerly occupied by Axe, is a 70-seat eatery marked by reclaimed wood and exposed beams. Its interior is cool, clean and minimalist, while its exterior is reminiscent of a secret garden thanks to fire pits, blossoming greenery, exposed brick and dangling strings of white night lights.
Photo Credit: Geoff SouderIn terms of fare, expect to find an ever-evolving menu of locally-sourced ingredients from Chef Scott Wineguard. You’ll find a veggie-heavy menu accompanied by a vast array of seeds, grains, legumes, and house-made cheeses with ingredients predominantly grown in the on-site garden.
The restaurant is open for lunch, brunch, and dinner, though for your first time experience we recommend requesting a corner booth outside on the patio at dinnertime. Start your experience with a sparkling or crisp white wine from the menu of low-proof wine before moving on appetizer-light snacks such as the wonderful sourdough bread with viola butter and Monterey sea salt. The house-made cheese is also a must try: standouts include the almond ricotta and white truffle with cashews and macadamia nuts.
If you aren’t completely full by the shared plate portion of the evening, we recommend items like the oyster mushrooms with tomato, black garbanzo, dulse, baby squash and saffron, the grilled millet with aduki beans, summer squash, baby bok choy and carrot tahini, and the sprouted farro risotto with watercress, fava beans, radishes and sumac.
Photo Credit: Geoff Souder
Cap your evening with an organic port or sweet sparkling wine or, conversely, a non-alcoholic libation such as coffee from San Francisco-based Vulkan Coffee Roasters or tea from Art of Tea.
Our haute take? Plant Food and Wine is a sensory experience for those who appreciate the beautiful, the healthy and the gourmet.
Photo Credit: Geoff Souder
Plant Food and Wine, 1009 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, (310) 450-1009
