A new restaurant upstairs at Gjelina: Just don't call it vegetarian
Gjelina chef Travis Lett is working on a new project -- a vegetable-based restaurant above the Venice favorite that he's planning on opening in a couple months. "I'm not a vegetarian," Lett says. "It's a place where any carnivore would enjoy eating, but it just happens to be a vegetable-based menu. I don't want to label it as vegetarian.
"It's rustic and earthy and wholesome, the same way cooking at Gjelina is," he adds.
Lett describes the intimate upstairs space (a 20- to 25-seater) as "very tranquil and airy, a nice change from downstairs, where it's more like a bustling bistro."
There's no name yet, and the entrance may be through Gjelina or via a side door.
Meanwhile, Lett has been working on his rooftop garden. "We buy everything at the farmers market for Gjelina.... I'm trying to go the next step and grow our own vegetables. Lately, I'm more inspired by a piece of cauliflower than a lobe of foie gras or pile of truffles."
-- Betty Hallock
Photo of Travis Lett at Gjelina by Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times
Why is it that everyone who comments on a site has to add their personal two cents of nonsense. The article is not aimed at you. To be such a Vegetarian Narcissist to claim that you should take offense to anything written is ridiculous. You are not that important. Bottom line Gjelina has amazing food and a great atmosphere. I am sure the "yet to be named" Vegetable based restaurant will be as well. As a carnivore who also loves and appreciates the amazing fresh vegetables we are blessed with here in So Cal I was sold by the description and disarming idea of a non "in your face here we are" Vegetable appreciation Restaurant. Perhaps this could bring me to the Vegan side of how amazing fresh vegetables are on their own. SO Vegans... do me a favor and Relax. It's not about you, it's about the vegetables they are more tasty and important than the idea of offending you.
Posted by: JLS | July 29, 2009 at 12:02 AM
He is not saying vegetarianism is a bad thing, he doesn't want to label his food to conform to your dietary ideas. He is calling the food manly vegetable based, but hes not afraid to throw some pancetta in there. I love Gjelina, and if your gonna write these pathetic things, PLEASE Don't come to it!
Posted by: Sullivan | July 26, 2009 at 03:26 PM
Whoa. Commenting Vegetarians, chill. Maybe he just respects the choice too much to claim that this restaurant will adhere to that standard, better than fooling you. Who said it was from a negative or smug place. I think it sounds like he's just trying to be forth right about the menu. Why take it so personally?
Posted by: c | July 18, 2009 at 02:26 AM
As a vegetarian, I find the need to qualify the restaurant as a "vegetable-based restaurant for non-vegetarians" vaguely insulting. Is there something wrong or inferior or geeky about being a vegetarian that needs to be marginalized? Reminds me of the time that the word "liberal" was like a dirty word - you could be progressive, democrat, left, but Liberal, oh no. I'm proud to be vegetarian. If that's the attitude of the restaurant, that it's "vegetable-based" but for those cool, regular-guys, non-vegetarians, then it's not a place that I'm likely to want to visit
Posted by: Heath | July 17, 2009 at 05:45 PM
No matter how you slice it, it'll still be a vegetarian restaurant. There's something inherently snobby about saying you (or in this case your business) transcend labels. What a jerk! I won't eat there.
Posted by: Kylo | July 17, 2009 at 12:50 PM
What's wrong with the term "vegetarian"? American's need to get past this idea that 'vegetarian' somehow equals 'boring' or 'bland'! Anyone who still thinks that is not paying attention.
Posted by: Scott M | July 17, 2009 at 09:19 AM
What a strange article.
From looking at the menu, it seems the reason this place shouldn't be called vegetarian is because it...isn't. There is meat (beef, chicken, pork, fish, duck, and lamb) on the menu.
Are we now thinking of dishes as vegetarian simply because they contain vegetables?
Posted by: Mo | July 16, 2009 at 08:06 PM
This makes me think of the wonderful food blogger and cooking instructor, Viviane Bauquet-Farre. I watched her cooking videos and read her recipe blog for 9 months before it dawned on me that she never cooks with meat. She too, eschews the term vegetarian. She just cooks French-inspired seasonal dishes that happen to be made with vegetables. See for yourself: http://foodandstyle.wordpress.com
Posted by: StreamingGourmet (Amy) | July 15, 2009 at 09:17 PM