The breezy, rustic space that was once occupied by Axe on Abbott Kinney Boulevard will house the new Plant Food and Wine restaurant in early 2015. Headed by Chef Matthew Kenney, the new vegan restaurant is the chef’s most recent venture since M.A.K.E at the Santa Monica Market.
Many of Axe’s features, like the exposed beams, communal style dining and focus on vegan, organic ingredients, will remain intact, but the menu will be redesigned by raw chef Kenney.
The concept by Plant Food and Wine was hand-picked by Axe owner, Joanna Moore, to maintain the same values toward sustainability and health-conscious cuisine. The menu will feature lunch, dinner and weekend brunch dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. Dinner guests can choose from snacks, small plates, cheeses and entrees served a la carte or as part of a $65 tasting menu.
Notable dishes include Almond Burrata with spicy winter fruit and biscotti, Mushroom “Bouillabaisse” with black garbanzos, Buckwheat Spatzle with mustard greens and a plate of house-made tree nut cheeses served with accompanying pickles and fennel crackers.
While the dishes are in-house innovations, the coffee, tea and wine selections are sourced from local California producers: their Ethiopian beans are roasted in San Francisco by Sightglass Coffee; their artisanal tea hails from family-owned Red Blossom Tea shop; and their bio-dynamic wines are curated to complement the plant-inspired menu.
Axe Restaurant has been a popular hang-out spot for locals and visitors since opening in 1990. The dishes and chef may be different, but it seems the dedication to vegan cuisine and the original sense of community remain unchanged.
