In honor of Earth Day, here's a look at new Los Angeles restaurants, corporate event venues, hotels, and private rooms that factor the environment into their design or operations. Some of these new and renovated Los Angeles venues have LEED certification from the U.S. Green Buildings Council or another certification group. They can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, conferences, meetings, weddings, business dinners, teambuilding activities, cocktail parties, and more.
Café Gratitude's third Southern California restaurant opened at the Yards at One Santa Fe in downtown’s arts district in March. The all-organic restaurant is known for its responsible sourcing and seasonal dining. Designer Wendy Haworth oversaw the design of the 4,200-square-foot space, which is bright and welcoming to reflect the venue's community-oriented ethos. Muted tones and patterns decorate the space, which includes reclaimed oak panels, handmade tiles made by Fireclay, and the works of local artisans. It seats 104 inside and 28 outside.
Five years since the grand opening of the JW Marriott L.A. Live, AEG has announced plans to develop a 755-room expansion of the hotel. Combined, the new project together with the existing JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles will contain 1,756 rooms and more than 200,000 square feet of function space, making it the second-largest hotel in California. The JW Marriott carries the U.S. Green Building Council’s Silver LEED certification.
Craft brewery Brouwerij (pronounced “brewery”) West has signed an agreement to bring the energy-efficient, Meura-based mash filter brewhouse and solar roof panels to its new location, a reused warehouse in San Pedro. The combination of the brewhouse and roof at a reclaimed site will make the venue the greenest small craft brewery in the market. By implementing this century-old method, which has only recently become available at the small brewery scale, Brouwerij West C.E.O. and brewmaster Brian Mercer expects that the brewery can produce higher-quality beer and save time, money, and materials. He expects it can help the facility use about 30 percent less water than traditional brewhouses—a benefit in the midst of California’s drought. The brewery will also be 100 percent solar powered. The new location is being designed by Los Angeles-based architecture firm Oonagh Ryan & Associates and is slated to open in July. When the project is complete, Brouwerij West will have 17,000 square feet of outdoor space, 1,000 parking spots, and 26,000 square feet for events.
After a revamp, the Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey opened Cast & Plow last spring, a restaurant focusing on community-made, local, sustainable cuisine. The venue has an herb garden on the property and also offers hand-picked ingredients from local farmers' markets and farms. The venue seats 80 guests indoors and outdoors. Cast & Plow features a private space as well as a communal table for groups, plus a a patio, terrace, fire pit, and fireplace.
The vegan restaurant Gracias Madre’s West Hollywood location, which opened in January 2014, offers an all-organic menu for diners within a 5,000-square-foot space, designed by architect Victor Corona, where much of the wood has been reclaimed. The venue recycles and is part of West Hollywood’s zero-waste initiative, which commits to diverting 85 percent of waste from landfills. It has compostable packaging and green cleaning supplies. The restaurant has its own regenerative organic farm that grows produce for use in its dishes. It has a seed-saving initiative, through which it has purchased heirloom corn seeds and distributed seeds to other organic farmers. The inside dining room seats 100, and the patio seats 130.
The InterContinental Los Angeles in Century City has announced a multimillion-dollar renovation, including an upgrade to all of its 363 rooms and suites, expected to be completed next year. Among the updates will be an expansive Elite Honeymoon Suite, with an oversize soaking tub and French windows. Four new suites will have a connecting option, catering to extended-stay guests. A Royal suite, with two bedrooms, a library, a full kitchen, a double walk-in rain shower, and a whirlpool soaking tub, will sprawl over 3,300 square feet. The hotel recently added a Tesla Model S to its roster of house cars, as well as multiple electric vehicle charging stations for use by hotel and Park Grill restaurant visitors. Intercontinental has also removed draping ivy plants from the balconies and replaced them with drought-tolerant succulents to save water.
Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop opened in Hollywood in March; it’s the fifth Greenleaf location. The venue offers all takeout in packaging made from corn, which composts in 45 days. Takeout utensils are made from potato starch. The menu includes organic, local, and seasonal ingredients, as well as free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free steak and poultry. Beverage options include Revolution Tea’s line of hot tea and iced-tea products, brewed without the use of electricity. The restaurant also works with local family-owned and operated Scarborough Farms for all greens and herbs. Energy-efficient cars, scooters, and bicycles are used for delivery. Wooden stools, tabletops, and bar tops are made of reclaimed wood, as is other restaurant decor.
The Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, which renovated its 10 meeting rooms in November, has multiple programs in place with environmentally friendly aspects. The property just replaced the grass in Wetherly Garden with turf to reduce the amount of water used to maintain it. Water is served only on request in food and beverage outlets, and showers and toilets are all low flow.
Level Furnished Living is slated to open in July in downtown's South Park district. The luxury development is a $200 million, 33-story tower with one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites that range from 710 to 2,035 square feet. Event spaces can be booked by nonresidents. In addition to the typical meeting spaces, the outdoor-indoor spaces on the fourth floor L Club are also available for rent. The outdoor pool deck, which includes a pool bar, can serve as an evening function space. Green initiatives on the property include certified green cleaning products, refillable amenity bottles, energy-efficient lighting, and various recycling programs.
Matthew Kenney Cuisine is slated to open its new flagship restaurant, Plant Food and Wine, in Venice on Abbot Kinney in mid-May. The menu will offer locally sourced ingredients in a seasonally crafted menu, with an extensive wine list that includes organic and biodynamic varietals. The 70-seat indoor-outdoor restaurant, with reclaimed wood and exposed beams, has fire pits and greenery, plus a private room. Like Axe, its predecessor in the space, the venue is committed to sustainability and healthful food. (It was hand-picked by Joanna Moore, Axe owner, to take over the location.)
