5 Green Restaurants in L.A.

Summer, with all its liveliness but also with all its heat, is the moment when one can truly enjoy a delicious meal made from palatable local produce and feel revived and good about oneself. There's nothing like eating a crunchy, fresh salad and feeling satisfied (salads can do that, really) but also enjoying some grilled meat from a local farm. If you live in L.A. or happen to be passing through and the above message is something you can relate to, then you should consider the following list of healthy and green restaurants in town.

Cafe Gratitude 

You've never been to a cafe such as this one, I promise. And probably you won't be going to another one like that anytime soon. So while you have the chance, make sure to stop by Cafe Gratitude for a healthy dose of, well, gratitude. The cafe puts a lot of effort or attention on not only providing green and healthy sustenance but also on creating an atmosphere among employees and guests alike, which is concerned with developing an attitude of thankfulness, of living consciously and lightly. This is their “Sacred Commerce” and apart from the delicious items on the menu (100% local, vegan and organic), it is well worth experiencing. Like going to a shrink at the price of a good meal – not only are you well-fed but you're also well taken care of emotionally and spiritually. What else could you possibly ask for?

M Café 

M Café's main focus is Contemporary Macrobiotic Cuisine. Macrobiotics are not simply yet another health-food trend but a dietary system based on Oriental medicine which has for many years been working wonders for its adherents. In accordance with that, M Café has entirely wiped clean its menu from all things refined, from red meat, eggs and poultry but let that not be a reason for you not to visit. What you will be getting in exchange is a particular attitude that is meant to really support and nurture you. Besides, there's a huge variety of cuisines from all over the world, such as the new Tunisian Chickpea Soup, Grilled Organic Scottish Salmon Filet and many more.

Veggie Grill

Veggie Grill are the healthy equivalent of a "fast food" chain, though these two words – fast food and healthy – don't really fit into one sentence well. With Veggie Grill they do though, since they offer 100% plant-based food, that is entirely devoid of all sorts of trans fats, cholesterol and the like. Furthermore, their menu is not simply veggies but is rich and specially devised to meet all your body's needs in an optimal way. This includes vitamin, protein and nutrient-dense foods such as kale, quinoa and a variety of beans alongside good amounts of fiber. All of these are then turned into things like "Sweetheart Fries", "Too Good Tempeh" and "Veggie Stake Burger". Their website even features an extensive sheet of nutritional facts about all their meals.

Tender Greens 

Only in L.A. Tender Greens has a total of 6 locations, with 2 more coming up soon – which is a sure sign of the quality behind their name. Most of their produce comes from local farms such as Scarborough or smaller ones whenever they use produce which is not available at Scarborough. Their menu is built around the idea of sustainability and organic food (whenever possible). They have a core menu which features a number of salads, soups, sandwiches and others, alongside daily specials that are created according to the inspiration of the chefs. Their Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Salad is worth a try (no wonder it's a 'signature item') but if you're not big on meat, just go for the Happy Vegan Salad and you won't regret it. Coupled with the really nice, environmentally friendly atmosphere, the restaurant is definitely worthy of being on top of this list.

Leaf Organics 

I was perplexed to find out that Leaf Organics was about to close at the time of writing this article. This is sad news for anyone who's never been to the Leaf. As chef Rod Rotondi himself explains, however, he received an offer he couldn't refuse. Luckily, his packaged raw and vegan foods will still be available at local retailers and he will also continue with his catering and special events. That leaves hope that you might still be able to enjoy some of his delicious cuisine, his “Raw Food for Real People” (as his book is called) which includes “Mushroom Rawsagna”, “Flying Falafel Burger” and a lot of extremely healthy and extremely tasty desserts. Though the Leaf will not be around by the time you'll be reading this, you should nevertheless find a way to follow Rod and see where you can get a taste of his culinary masterpieces.

What about you, do you have any favorite green places in L.A. that are not on this list? Would you like to recommend any of them? Please do, we'd love to hear about them.