On Food: Cultivation Kitchen in Anaheim is transparent about ingredients served in a see-through space
Cultivation Kitchen, a new restaurant planted in an unusual greenhouse-like building, recently opened within Anaheim’s Packing District.
The fast-casual concept tucked within Farmers Park Market promotes “mindful eating” and affordable food made from “picked-with-a-purpose ingredients.”
Cultivation Kitchen is the brainchild of Dale LaFlam, a first-time restaurateur with a background in apparel. Joshua Korn is the executive chef.
In an interview prior to the grand opening in May, LaFlam described his desire for the restaurant to be “transparent.”
“For us, what’s most important is serving healthy food but also understanding and knowing where it’s coming from,” LaFlam said. “We want to follow it from shovel to the fork.”
In addition to a commitment to transparency, Cultivation Kitchen is also translucent. The 1,650-square-foot greenhouse was designed by Kundig, and it employs a variety of features — tinted glass, blinds and an advanced air conditioning system — to keep diners cool.
On milder days, the sides of the greenhouse can, impressively, open to the outside seating area. A shaded dining space with communal tables, three fire pits, Adirondack chairs and a bocce court face Anaheim Boulevard.
Gardens also line the property, giving visitors a preview of what winds up on their tables.
At breakfast, diners will find items like blood orange ricotta pancakes (warm berry compote, oranges, lavender ricotta whipped cream and maple syrup) or breakfast burritos dubbed power wraps (organic scrambled eggs, potatoes, sweet corn, basil, heirloom beans, pico de gallo and guacamole wrapped in a spinach or tomato tortilla).
Lunch and dinner means acai bowls, smoothies, salads, sandwiches and customizable plates featuring tofu, chicken, steak or salmon.
The underlying mission is local and organic, wherever possible. This is why, LaFlam says, guests can expect non-GMO, hormone-free chicken, grass-fed meat and seasonal, sustainable seafood.
Cultivation Kitchen operates with an environmental mindset. The restaurant is working with the Irvine-based Shadetree Partnership to offset its carbon footprint. The business is also committed to donating 1% of its net profit to local charities.
“It’s about cultivating the food and cultivating the human connection,” LaFlam says.
IF YOU GO
What: Cultivation Kitchen, 350 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim.
Cost: The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner menues, as well as pastries, beer and wine. Items range from $10 to $12.
Hours: Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 .am. to 10 p.m.; and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Information: cultivationkitchen.com
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Bradley Zint writes about food for TimesOC. Follow him on Twitter at @bradleyzint
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