Cultivation Kitchen, in a greenhouse, will offer locally-sourced, organic dishes this winter
Cultivation Kitchen, a fresh fast casual concept focused on mindful eating by offering dishes made with picked-with-a-purpose ingredients, is coming soon to Orange County. The restaurant will plant its first location at Farmers Park in the heart of Downtown Anaheim at the Packing District this winter, with an expected opening in January.
Cultivation Kitchen will serve healthy and organic food and beverage items with ingredients sourced from local farms and purveyors. The goal of the restaurant is to nourish the community and cultivate the human connection through a common factor: food, which founder Dale LaFlam believes real food should be attainable for everyone.
“I do my best to live by the philosophy of giving back a little more than I take, and my desire is for the restaurant to follow this as well,” said Dale LaFlam, founder of Cultivation Kitchen. “This concept has been a long time coming; we’ve been developing recipes, researching the demands and habits of Orange County diners, meeting with local farmers, and building out the space for months. The three primary principles we’re trying to encompass with our restaurant are to: cultivate, focus on our craft, and support the community. Throughout the process, we have been as mindful as possible with where we source our ingredients from, what we want our guests to eat, and how we treat the environment. We’re excited to see Cultivation Kitchen finally come to fruition and for residents and visitors of Orange County to experience what we cultivate.”
Cultivation
The goal is for the dining experience to be a full sensory one. Most noticeable is the venue, whose walls and ceiling are built entirely of glass to replicate a modern yet rustic greenhouse. Guests will smell the fragrances emanating from the fresh garden onsite with seasonal herbs, fruits and vegetables. Other unique touches include a shovel as the door handle, information on which farms the ingredients are sourced from, and live edge communal tables. The interior will be an open space, eliminating barriers between guests and employees. Even details like the Modbar Espresso machine, which is installed underneath the counter to allow the barista and guest to interact easily, reinforces this notion. Designed by award-winning firm Olson Kundig, Cultivation Kitchen will blend natural elements with urban architectural styles. The restaurant’s seating areas will feature both standard and lounge style dining options. Studded with olive trees, the outdoor patio area will contain additional seating, a bocce ball court, and three fire pits. LaFlam also envisions using the surrounding park-like setting to provide the backdrop for gatherings like farmers’ markets, live events and more.
Craft
The menu will reflect the concept’s philosophy by utilizing organic and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible through relationships with Southern California-based farmers and ranchers who practice clean and sustainable methods. Cultivation Kitchen will use less than half the amount of ingredients than the average restaurant, and will place a large emphasis on ayurvedic and healing ingredients like ashwagandha, turmeric and more, further instilling their commitment to fresh, picked-with-a-purpose ingredients.
Cultivation Kitchen’s menu items are all cooked with avocado oil, with a majority of them gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan. Standout breakfast brunch dishes include the Blood Orange Ricotta Pancakes, The Full Shovel, Morning Toast and a Build-Your-Own Cereal option. Must-have lunch and dinner offerings include the Farmers Sando and the Mezzed Up salad. The eatery will also offer a build-your-own plate option all day with various protein options and healthy sides. The average brunch, lunch or dinner item will range from $10 to $12.
The concept is committed to sourcing all beverages locally. The rounded out beverage program will consist of coffee beans from Portola Coffee, loose-leaf tea from Los Angeles-based Art of Tea, bottled kombucha from Bambucha, craft beers from local purveyors in Orange County, and organic/biodynamic wine from only California wineries.
Community
Cultivation Kitchen strives to become a part of the local community, while cultivating its own community through its craft and offerings. The team has spend months meeting with local farmers and purveyors to source various organic and nourishing ingredients, all picked-with-a-purpose, and will highlight details on their partners at the restaurant. One of Cultivation Kitchen’s farmers will also maintain the on-site garden, and the team will host educational workshops and events in an effort to educate the local community about local harvesting, organic food, nutrition facts and benefits, and more. Cultivation has also partnered with Yoga Mat, a local Anaheim studio, to offer weekly Yoga in the Park gatherings.
Cultivation Kitchen will partner with a nonprofit tree-planting organization to offset its electricity carbon footprint. The team will also donate 1% of the eatery’s net profit to local charities annually.
Cultivation Kitchen will be open seven days a week and will offer breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner daily. Additionally, the venue and surrounding area lends itself to a unique private events space. The restaurant is located at 350 S Anaheim Blvd. For more information, visit www.CultivationKitchen.com.
