Luxury Eco Dining in L.A. (Plus Recipes!)

It’s rare to find luxury and eco-friendly in the same sentence, but at Culina, Modern Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, these words go together like knife and fork. This fabulous find is ensconced on the border of Beverly Hills, literally nestled away in majestic foliage and blooms.

If organic, locally-sourced and low environmental impact are three pillars of eating green, the fourth is certainly appreciation of Mother Nature herself. With a peaceful waterfall and lush greenery (hand-designed by hotel owner Robert Cohen) surrounding this modern Italian restaurant in the Four Seasons hotel, I am content on all counts.

And there’s more. Reclaimed wood from a 200-year-old Magnolia tree that fell in Sacramento serves as tabletops in the crudo bar area (ahem, L.A.’s only live-action crudo experience). Birds chirp in the open-air patio and faux-wood tiles line the floor — no deforestation here.

Alright, we get it, but is the food any good? Sì, naturalmente!

Chef Victor Casanova draws inspiration from various regions of Italy, infuses it with California cuisine and serves up seasonal items daily, many of which depend on availability of farmers market goods. Eco-friendly, much?

But one thing Culina, a celeb hotspot, doesn’t cut back on is attention to detail: the Goldilocks of general managers, Mehdi Eftekari, tried over 40 different olive oils before finding the one that is just right. Fortunately you can bypass the scrutinizing and buy the perfect bottle on site.

Fresh fruits and veggies (straight from the Santa Monica market, of course), sustainable fish and homemade pasta are some of the basic elements used in unusual fare, and we got our hand on some of their divine dishes, like:

• Panzanella Salad (recipe)

• Garganelli Pasta (recipe)

and

• Salmone (raw salmon with caper salt and blood orange drizzle)

Pair that with passion fruit-infused iced tea or 100% organic Arabica coffee and dark chocolate truffles and tell me that life ain’t good.

For those on a budget, this hideaway offers sweet deals like a $6 glass of wine and complimentary valet parking any day during lunch (call for details).

Visit Culina, Modern Italian, 300 South Doheny Drive, Los Angeles,     310.860.4000

Photos via Emily Goldstone, Culina and Etsy