Produce Driven Fast Casual Comes to Culver City with Picnic LA

Last month Edible Skinny was lucky enough to experience the new delectable world of Picnic LA.  Picnic LA is a fast-casual, produce-driven concept by Brad Zions (Lemonade), Elliot Silver (Vice F&B), and Noah Ellis (Vice F&B, Red Medicine) located at the corner of Culver Blvd. and Duquesne Ave. in downtown Culver City.  From Roasted Beets with Cara Cara Orange, Black Currant, Fried Garlic, and Shiso (a fabulous combination with a super tangy bite to it!) to Mary’s Chicken Leg “Tagine” with Caramelized Lemon, Tahini-Leek Sauce, and Parsley this is the world of the craft flavor profile combination.    If Restoration Hardware ever decided to start a restaurant, Picnic LA’s food would be their dishes!

The blue and white bedecked restaurant features a menu of elegant foods prepared simply, with an emphasis on seasonal veggies and composed salads, along with roasted free-range chicken, beef, and other proteins.  Its menu is dynamic, seasonal, and features flavors seen across the diverse city we call Los Angeles.  

 

Chef and partner Alex Resnick (not to be confused with Alex Reznik of Top Chef) previously worked with Ellis at Red Medicine and is heading up the seasonal, largely market-driven menu full of ins and outs in flavors and styles.  Resnick takes food seriously the way an IRS agent would approach doing his own taxes.   For Resnick, it’s all about the details. 

My absolute favorite dish was their Green Lentils Du Puy with Spicy Mustard Vinaigrette and Crispy Shallots, while my guest (Miss Julia Reed Nichols) adored the Farro & Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pickled Shallot, Peanut, Thai Basil, and Mint.  These are dishes as intricate as the Alt-J song they’ll accompany at the Hollywood Bowl. 

The masterfully branded eatery will also feature a retail component with picnic kits and accessories, foodstuffs, wines, and other specialty items curated by Silver and Ellis.  Leveraging the latest in hospitality technology, the restaurant is designed from the ground up to make in-store ordering, order ahead, and pick, and delivery as fast and convenient as possible for guests.  “Picnics on Demand” are available for take-out and delivery, making it easy for guests to picnic at the beach, the Bowl, or the back yard.  

And don’t forget to leave some room for dessert!  Picnic LA’s Pineapple Clafoutis was fantastically moist and peppered with thyme for that perfect sweet savory combination.    Other sweet tooth offerings included Picnic LA’s Key Lime Pie Bar with Graham Cracker Crust and made with Sour Cream and Dark Chocolate Pot de Crème made with Valrhona single origin dark chocolate, toasted coconut, and crunchy feuillentine.  Yummm (with 3 Ms!!!)!

So if you’re looking for that perfect 20 minute meal (other than Chipotle…) or require the perfect symphony of flavors for your trip to the LA Philharmonic, Picnic LA just might be the local neighborhood spot for you!  

Viva la Pizzeria MOD!

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow we though we would focus on the world of abundance and choice. 

While in Seattle Edible Skinny was introduced to the world of MOD Pizza.  Our native Seattleite guide, Julia Reed Nichols, noted that the Emerald City’s citizens’ viewpoint on pizza is similar to pretty much every other item they consume: I don't want to be like anybody else, just let me be my quirky self!

MOD, which stands for Made On Demand, brings scratch made organic dough and gourmet ingredients to a pie that’s cooked in three minutes flat over an open flame.  Guests can order one of the company’s Top 10 Favorites (such as the Calexico made of mozzarella, gorgonzola, chicken, jalapenos, hot buffalo sauce, and MOD red sauce or the Lucky Sunshine composed of mozzarella, parmesan, artichokes, garlic, and dollops of MOD red sauce) or they can add or subtract any ingredients they want. 

And the most awesome part, they are always the same price.  Always $6.28, no matter how many toppings you add or remove.

A pretty popular concept since MOD Pizza is now in 9 states and plan to have 47 locations open in the next few months!

CEO Scott Svenson and his wife Ally founded MOD Pizza.  The couple started out and grew Seattle Coffee Co. until its 1998 sale to Starbucks.  Svenson then served as president of Starbucks’ European division until founding the Italian-deli cafe chain Carluccio’s, which went public in the UK in 2005.  The Svensons opened their first MOD pizza in 2008 in Seattle’s Union Square.   "We were the first to bring together the best of made-on-demand, individualized pizzas with the convenience and value associated with fast-casual dining," Svenson says.

Svenson went on to become the CEO of Freestone Capital Management, the largest independent wealth and asset management firm in the Seattle market focused exclusively on the needs of affluent families before leaving to focus on MOD pizza full time.  Turns out a thin and crispy pizza's siren call was stronger than a good portfolio.  

And MOD isn't alone, 800 Degrees, Pizza Rev, and Naked Pizza have all be making waves in the world of "Fast Casual" Food (restaurants that blend the line between traditional quick service and casual dining concepts.  They are known to feature limited service or self-service, average checks between $8 and $15, contain made to order food, and have upscale decor).  So much so that the National Restaurant Association formed a new Pizzeria Industry Council aims to address issues specific to pizza operators.  

But what makes the Seattle MOD different is the ability to be your own quirky self.  Fun, fresh, and as much extra chicken (or veggies) as you want. 

Viva la Pizzeria MOD!