Matthew Kenney has been a pioneer in raw plant-based cuisine for over a decade. Kenney’s newest creation, Plant Food + Wine, takes a leap into that of the cooked variety. The appointed Venice location brings the farm-to-table concept to life with a youthful energy that encapsulates Kenney’s warm, creative spirit.
The 70-seat restaurant has a serene outdoor garden with fresh vegetables and herbs grown on site. The upper floor of the restaurant is home to Matthew Kenney’s Culinary Academy.
The lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch cater to the health-conscious with fresh plant-based fare paired with carefully selected biodynamic and organic wines. The menu offers a balance of hearty comfort food and light, fresh, raw dishes.
Start off with house-made, raw, plant-based aged cheeses infused with truffle or smoky cheddar, couple with pickled vegetables and grainy mustard, along with raw crackers to create a montage of flavors and textures.
The main courses venture into a new territory with exotic plant ingredients and unexpected combinations. Smoked Tomato Flatbread combined bursts of fresh tomato and smoked tomato with salty capers on a soft flatbread. The Mushroom and Vegetable burger, piled high with ketchup, pickled onions and parsnip chips is a house favorite. Zucchini Tagliatelle is an artful display of sweet corn, sunflower seeds, romesco, and zucchini noodles with a smoky, savory zest.
The desserts* are delectable masterpieces that are pure creative and culinary science genius. Aerated chocolate combined with a clouded chocolate ice and cocoa-filbert brittle— molecular gastronomy meets haute vegan. The banana split combines a surprising dehydrated banana cookie with raw ice creams of goji hemp, maca strawberry, and chocolate. A variety of raw chocolates, some filled with almonds and others with a fudge texture, amused the palate.
*some of the items contain raw honey, so be sure to take note of that
Image source: Plant Food + Wine Facebook
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