In a time when words such as “green” and “eco” are thrown around like empty plastic bottles on a sandy beach,
Tender Greens is the real deal. The brainchild of David Dressler, Matt Lyman and Erik Oberholtzer, practically everything in its kitchen comes from local farmers and producers in order to support nearby agricultural economies, minimize transportation and reduce the burning of fossil fuels. While gastronomic localism—the movement to eat foods grown and harvested within a certain radius—is only one subset of sustainability, it’s a good place to start, especially given L.A.’s bounty of farmers markets. With two more Tender Greens in development in West Hollywood and San Diego, the owners are also examining more ways to incorporate eco-friendly building materials and energy-saving operations.
How committed is Tender Greens? When I point to an open bottle of Pellegrino at a nearby table and ask whether the manufacturer has a bottling and distribution arm in California, Dressler shakes his head with regret and says the imported water is something they’ve been meaning to replace. Later, he digresses: “I want to write down the Pellegrino thing. It never seems to make it onto the day’s list.” Pulling out a black marker, he immediately rights the oversight.
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