Like most people, Vivian and I both love food, a lot. Being that food is a staple in our daily lives, recently, we’ve been thinking a lot about the conscious choices we make around where our food came from and how they are prepared. We love it when restaurants make it easy. On today’s blog, we’re highlighting Forage, a small but mighty farm-to-table restaurant located in Los Angeles, California.

Forage is a small family owned farm-to-table restaurant. The Forage Family team up with local urban growers and farmers to get their fresh produce each season. Their food features specialty cafeteria-style dishes with more than cafeteria inspired ingredients.  

When we entered the restaurant, we were surrounded by a fresh, sunny, and tranquil atmosphere. The place is heavily brightened with natural lighting; additional large windows instead of walls make room for breathing space in the small dining hallway.

Now the menu: it’s simple and changes according to the season. Ready-made dishes waiting behind a glass counter can be ordered according to your preferred portion sizes. It’s cafeteria style, meaning you pay for each side, with protein being at an extra cost. I love that each meal was specially made with fresh seasonal produce. It made for a very healthy and delicious meal. 

JENNIFER: “I got the Grilled Salmon with the kale salad. Usually, I’m not the biggest fan of kale, but I wanted to give kale another chance that morning. It just looked really appetizing behind the glass display. I ended up really liking it! The kale was seasoned a citrus lemon dressing, then topped with copious amounts of feta cheese (I love cheese). The salmon was very light and flaky, too. And the broccoli! I like my vegetables slightly cooked so that they’re still crunchy. Somehow, Forage got it just right with the perfect balance of texture and taste. I left feeling full and happy (and healthy!). I think… if you don’t like vegetables, Forage makes it a breeze to eat. But then again, I love my vegetables.”

VIVIAN: “When I was looking at the dishes behind the glass divider, the salumi Eggs Benedict immediately caught my eyes. It was only a display, but I was already drooling looking at it. I eagerly waited and when the plate came out, the presentation was beautiful: two pieces of French bread topped with corn-avocado mash, slow-cooked eggs and salumi (Italian cold cut), drenched in a chimichurri hollandaise sauce. Everything tasted amazing together. It had the perfect mix of tanginess from the sauce, saltiness from the salumi, and crunchiness from the french bread. My favorite part? Cutting into the eggs and watching the yolk ooze slowly down the entire dish. What sets this upscale Eggs Benedict apart from the rest is the unique ingredients and preparation that Forage puts into it. Somehow, they manage to fully complement each different flavor so well together. It really showed the level of care and expertise that Forage puts into their food. In the end, I was definitely one happy, satisfied customer.”

Besides the food, another thing we loved about Forage was the use of glass cups rather than plastic or styrofoam cups. This definitely stood out to us since a lot of self-serve restaurants don’t offer reusable tableware.

Overall, we really enjoyed our meal here at Forage. Every dish here is simple, fresh, and healthy — but each dish was carefully crafted to bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients. It was even better tasting knowing that we were helping to support local farmers — which is good for the planet and our body. The next time you find yourself in Los Angeles, consider giving Forage a try.

Cheers,
Jennifer