Botanica

Botanica Restaurant Review:

About the chefs: Owners and partners Emily Fiffer and Heather Sperling are former food writers (they publish Botanica the magazine on their restaurant website) turned chef-restaurateurs. Their philosophical focus is on healthful cooking that includes all-local fruits, vegetables and dairy alongside sustainably raised meats, and no refined sugars, processed foods or products of industrial agriculture.

The décor: This super-chic little spot next to LAMILL on Silver Lake Boulevard buzzes with beautiful locals stopping by after yoga or gathering in the evening for a garden-to-glass libation on the shaded back patio twinkling with tiny lightbulbs. The lofty glass storefront houses a small market filled with produce, organic beer and wine, and artisanal gourmet goods; it opens into a slender room of whitewashed walls and exposed wood beams, with accents of twig, hemp and potted herbs. Young hipster couples stake out their own private corners of the communal table, and the bar is a lively spot to perch and flirt day or evening.

Likes: Beautifully crafted and delicious breakfast dishes; good coffee; a lively crowd.
Dislikes: Prices are hefty; weekend waiting time.

Food & Drinks: The breakfast and lunch crowd is high energy (it might be the Coffee Manufactory daily brew or espresso with fresh cashew-date milk), and expect a line for weekend brunch. Happily, the stylishly turned out Cal-Med dishes with Middle Eastern accents are quite worth the wait. The most popular signature item is undoubtedly the Turkish eggs --- poached and nestled in a bowl atop garlicky sheep’s milk yogurt, Aleppo-urfa butter and charred scallions; it’s offset nicely with a lemony salad and cornmeal focaccia. A soft scramble with caramelized leeks and wilted greens is another winner, and the almond-orange-honey breakfast cake with roasted fruit and organic cream makes a pleasing indulgence. Heartier dinner fare includes a cassoulet vert, spice-braised chicken with chickpeas and stone fruit, and lamb kabobs with persimmon-sumac yogurt. The curated natural and biodynamic wine list leans mostly European, with some interesting orange and pink selections. Seasonal cocktails are artfully crafted; there’s organic beer and cider, and a full bar with plenty of boutique whiskies, tequilas and amari.