The PrimaFoodie Guide to Los Angeles’s Best Eateries Serving Fresh Local Foods
Los Angeles has our hearts. It’s the city where PrimaFoodie was born. It’s also the home of some of the country’s best when it comes to living a clean lifestyle. Fresh juice shops, gorgeous hikes, naturopathic practitioners, and eateries focusing on quality ingredients abound here. (Not to mention, the farmers’ markets are stellar.) It’s no wonder why so many think of LA as the wellness capital.
All this considering, LA is a giant metropolis, which makes it hard to zero in on the best of the best. For this guide, we’re spotlighting our shortlist of favorite small independently owned restaurants that focus on fresh ingredients. Each of these is as inventive as it is intentional in how it sources, prepares, and serves fresh, nourishing food.
Destroyer
Jordan Kahn, the inventive chef and restauranteur, always amazes with his skill for amplifying the most hyper-fresh and local ingredients in a fine dining experience. At Destroyer, his small-but-mighty daytime café, he does so in an accessible way for lunch. The dishes here, from fried organic eggs to toasted heirloom grains, are perfect for a mid-day meal but noteworthy enough that you’ll keep talking about them.
The brunch and lunch scene in LA broke into a new portal when Botanica opened in 2017. This bright little spot in Silverlake serves some of the tastiest and freshest small plates we’ve had, all made of local ingredients. Everything is seasonal and made in-house, with an emphasis on plant-based bowls and entrees, and gluten-free desserts. They offer a robust selection of provisions and natural wines for sale upfront.
For its first few years, Wild was a quiet storm tucked in downtown LA. Few knew about the insanely fresh and delicious nutrient-dense, plant-based food they were serving. Its popularity has rightfully grown over these last few years (through the pandemic, even). It’s a terrific spot to grab a sandwich, small plate, or pizza from its entirely organic, plant-based, and gluten-free menu.
Breadblok checks all the boxes critical to us: It’s dishes are organic, gluten-free, and contain no soy, gum, or refined sugar. Their breads are unparalleled, as are their fresh salads and sandwiches. This is a fantastic place to meet a friend for breakfast, brunch, or lunch outside in the sunny LA weather. Be sure to grab a one of their loaves to freeze at home.
The location—a rustic patio on Malibu Pier overlooking the sapphire waters—pulls everyone in. But we love this oceanside spot for its clean and super fresh menu. Vegetables sourced from local southern California farms reign, complemented by sustainably caught fish and organic meats.
Juicy free-range roast chicken. Fresh salmon belly tacos with sliced avocado and crispy coleslaw. Black rice with coconut and ginger-spiced vegetables. Suman serves up farm-fresh favorites in Silverlake, all from a team that is super small and family-run. If you’re sensitive to gluten, you must parse through this menu a bit—but it’s worth it. Every dish here is made with produce sourced in southern California.
Chefs and owners Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson, two NYC restaurant superstars, teamed up with LA food celebrities Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo to conjure up this incredible minimalist, clean-food eatery. The dishes marry Middle Eastern notes with California produce, resulting in a menu that is bright, vegetable-centric, and mostly free of gluten.
Several years ago, Kye’s quickly won over locals for its healthy take on the hand-held burrito, which it aptly called “Kye-ritos.” Seaweed and lettuce-wrapped organic vegetables and grains with organic chicken or salmon, these bites are that good—so good that people from the east side often flock here at lunchtime. They also serve excellent clean smoothies and vegetable bowls.
For years, The Butcher’s Daughter was a hit in New York City, calling us every time we landed in the Big Apple. Thankfully, it expanded out west several years ago and is now a healthy staple right along Venice’s Abbot Kinney. Known for its avocado toast, this bright eatery—which has a lovely terrace—prides itself on plant-based dishes that are hearty, fresh, and nourishing. They also serve fresh-pressed juices.
When Gjelina first opened over a decade ago, you couldn’t get a table there for months. Well, years later, and it’s still a bit tricky to get into (showing up without a reservation is often your best bet). This Venice destination really is that good. The food is hyper seasonal and fresh, the service is friendly, and the menu is inventive but still accessible. Come here on any diet, from Paleo to gluten-free, and the staff will guide you toward the many fresh options. A stellar spot in a beautiful setting.
The magic of Gjelina eventually resulted in this this beloved communal Venice spot. Gjusta started at Gjelina’s commissary kitchen but grew into is own deli, cafe. bakery, and marketplace. The team here makes fresh gluten-free bread, and they source their produce, meats, and seafood as purely and locally as possible from many of the same sources we do at PrimaFoodie.
The founders of this small Echo Park eatery create food that is organic, community-sourced, and transparent. Everything in kitchen is gluten and refined sugar-free. They never cook with vegetable oil, and shop at the local farmers markets for most of the organic produce, grass-fed meats, and pasture-raised poultry that go into their vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes alike. With ample gluten-free options, everything here is bright, delicious, and nutrient-dense. Don’t skip the chocolate shake or the lambwich.
This tiny and humble spot, which has locations in both Altadena and Highland Park, serves food that is freshly made and locally sourced. We visited the Highland Park location and ordered the breakfast sandwich (served on a gluten-free English muffin!) and the Pearl & Rose tea, made with their housemade Amara nut milk and Chinese herbs. Gluten-free accessible and mostly organic, this is a great spot for a casual and healthy lunch.
We respect how Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo approach their food: with honesty and transparency. The integrity that fuels this restaurant duo’s work is one of the reasons why they’ve garnered such a following in the city and a respected name in the industry. This is their first restaurant, which now has three locations in LA. With a focus on fresh and minimal ingredients, the menu boasts fresh housemade pasta dishes, including their famous spicy fusilli, and meat and poultry dishes sourced from sustainable purveyors. While the menu is gluten-rich, there are many options for those looking to cut out gluten entirely. (The Niman Ranch skirt steak is not to be missed.) Be sure to make a reservation, as every location is a hotspot.