Culinary craft and nutritional science converge to bring nourishing and delicious whole-food, plant-based cuisine to Culver City
AUSTIN, Texas, May 4, 2023 — Love.Life is excited to announce the grand opening of its new restaurant on May 5 in Culver City, California. Located in Ivy Station at 8900 Venice Blvd on the corner of Venice and National Blvd., the 100% plant-based restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. It will be the first element of the Love.Life experience, which combines the power of nourishing food, holistic medical care and wellness therapies from around the world to make lasting health and vitality attainable. The medical and wellness offerings that complement the restaurant are slated to open in early 2024.
Love.Life was founded on the belief that food has the power to nourish, heal, and optimize the body. Its chefs and nutrition experts blend culinary craft and nutritional science to create nourishing and delicious cuisine that celebrates the freshness and flavor of whole foods while avoiding unnecessary oils, sodium and added sugar. Love.Life’s chefs aim to maximize the nutrient density and functional benefits of foods, and celebrate fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients.
“We want to create a different kind of plant-based restaurant that takes things a step further,” said Michael Robertson, president of the southern pacific region at Love.Life. “We’re focused on health and are fully transparent, so customers know exactly what they are ordering.”
By scanning a QR code on the menu, guests can see the full nutrition profile, functional benefits, and preparation methods for each dish, making it easy to order based on special diet, allergies, or personal preferences.
In partnership with Love.Life’s team of nutrition, medical, culinary genomic and human performance experts, Executive Chef Brooks McCarty created a menu that demonstrates his creativity and thoughtful pairing of ingredients to ensure the dishes featured are both nutritious and delicious. In addition to a made-in-house, 48-hour-cold-fermented, whole-wheat sourdough pizza program, menu highlights include:
- Chili-Roasted Whole Cauliflower: Heirloom Borlotti Bean Sofrito. Salsa Verde. Micro Cilantro.
- Pesto Pizza: Blistered Cherry Tomato. Cashew Farmer’s Cheese. Zucchini. Oil-Free Pesto. Wild Arugula.
- Thai Green Curry Bowl: Marinated Tofu. Gai Lan. Kabocha Squash. Shimeji Mushroom. Forbidden Rice. Cilantro. Mint. Thai Basil.
- Mushroom Farro Risotto: Cashew Cream. Leek. Baby Kale. Asparagus. English Peas.
- Wynwood Salad: Local Lettuce. Baby Kale. Roasted Seasonal Vegetables. Plantain. Cherry Tomato. Persian Cucumber. Carrot. Chickpeas. Quinoa. Hempseed. Pepitas. Sunflower Parmesan. Avocado. Superfood Basil Dressing.
A portion of the menu is also dedicated to food that helps optimize well-being, reduce inflammation and promote vitality. These “Optimize” dishes are the most health-promoting items featured and are denoted with an icon on the menu. They contain foods that have been clinically proven to help treat and reverse chronic health conditions as part of a whole-foods, plant-based diet. Recipes for this category focus strictly on whole foods, do not contain added sugars, and limit sodium and calories that come from fat. Highlights include:
- Beet Tartare: Balsamic. Pickled Mustard Seed. Butter Lettuce.
- Tajine Bowl: Moroccan Chickpea + Sweet Potato Stew. Quinoa.
- Oyster Mushroom Carnitas Tacos: Purée Black Beans. Cabbage Slaw. Pico de Gallo. Salsa Verde. Radish.
- Green Garlic Pizza: Green Garlic Sauce. Cashew Farmer’s Cheese. Broccolini. Oyster Mushroom. Leek. Wild Arugula. Lemon.
- Shepherd’s Pie: Cauliflower–Yukon Gold Mash. Carrot. Celery. Onion. English Peas. Corn. Shiitake. Oyster Mushroom. Chive.
“I have been passionate about healthy eating since the inception of Whole Foods and believe the food we eat is the most powerful choice we can make when it comes to health,” said John Mackey, co-creator and CEO of Love.Life and co-founder of Whole Foods Market. “The portion of Love.Life’s menu that is dedicated to optimization is my personal favorite. Not only are these dishes super healthy and delicious they also contain foods that promote longevity and have the potential to improve the health of people who suffer from chronic health conditions.”
Love.Life believes food should shine in its purest state, which means no deep-frying, and added oils, sugar and salt are used sparingly. The restaurant has adopted Whole Foods Market’s standards, which prohibit the use of hydrogenated fats and 200-plus preservatives, flavors, colors and other ingredients commonly found in food.
In addition to full dinner and lunch service served daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., the restaurant’s coffee and juice bar opens at 7 a.m. and features a variety of coffees, fresh juices and wellness shots, and to-go breakfast items like overnight oats, warm breakfast sandwiches, homemade granola and acai bowls. Love.Life’s menu also features several dishes that are bestsellers at Love Life Cafe in Miami, a plant-based restaurant that the company acquired in 2021 to help accelerate the R&D work for its culinary program. This includes their award-winning veggie burger, delicious salads and smoothies like the Sunshine Spice and Almond Butter Bliss.
“We’re thrilled to open our doors to the Culver City community,” said Betsy Foster, co-creator and president of Love.Life. “We’ve created a dining experience that will feature a range of options from super nutritious dishes to craveable comfort food, so there’s something for everyone at Love.Life.”
Love.Life was co-founded in 2020 by John Mackey; Walter Robb, former co-CEO of Whole Foods; and Betsy Foster, a former executive of the grocer. In addition to the acquisition of the Miami-based restaurant, Love Life Cafe, the company also recently announced the acquisition of Plant Based TeleHealth, which offers lifestyle medical care virtually across the U.S. and internationally. The company has been rebranded as Love.Life Telehealth and will add to the robust suite of medical offerings that Love.Life will feature in its physical locations.
To view restaurant menus and hours of operation, or to learn more about the company’s culinary standards, please visit www.love.life/nourish and @theofficiallove.life.
About Love.Life
Love.Life is an integrated health and wellness solution that makes lasting health and vitality attainable. The company unites the power of nourishing food, holistic medical care and precision wellness therapies to promote healing, optimization, vitality, and community. It was co-founded in 2020 by Whole Foods Market Co-founder and former CEO, John Mackey; Walter Robb, former co-CEO of Whole Foods; and Betsy Foster, a former executive of the grocer. For more information, visit www.love.life
