Culver City To Get a LYFE

Culver City is about to get a new LYFE – that is, a Love Your Food Everyday restaurant. Last week a team of LYFE executives, chefs, and healthy food ambassadors participated in a "fork-lifting" (the company's equivalent of a ribbon cutting) ceremony to announce the restaurant's new Culver Blvd. location. The eatery is slated to open in January 2013.

"LYFE Kitchen is a restaurant concept founded on the simple principle that food can taste good, be good for you, and be affordable," said LYFE CEO Mike Roberts."Our goal is to appeal to everyone…and to surprise and delight our guests."

The restaurant's menu will aim to please all palates, from vegetarian and gluten-free to meat-eaters, and each entrée will be made from fresh ingredients. Some of the restaurant's eco-friendly features include an "herb wall" on which will grow 25 different herbs, and a hydroponic garden wall. LYFE has also partnered with several local farms including Weiser Family Farms, Kenter Canyon Farms, and Malibu's own Thorne Family Farm.

Executive Chef Art Smith, a longtime personal chef to Oprah Winfrey, helped oversee the creation of the menu items, all of which are under 600 calories and have less than 1000 mg of sodium. At the fork-lifting ceremony, Smith displayed an "unfried" chicken, served with locally grown vegetables, and an ancient grains veggie bowl. Guests also sampled kale/banana smoothies, mini burger sliders, and a dark chocolate budino with a pomegranate-chia sauce.

Among the celebrities who have signed on as ambassadors to LYFE Kitchen is four-time Olympic gold medalist Janet Evans, who told attendees that she was "honored" to be a part of the healthy food movement. "I really wish this had been here while I was training in Southern California," said Evans, who noted that she supported the healthy food restaurant concept as both an athlete and a busy working mom: "As moms, we slave over these healthy meals at home. Pretty soon, we're going to just be able to go over to LYFE."

LYFE was founded by Roberts, a former global president and COO of McDonald's Corporation, and Mike Donohue, former chief communications and executive relations officer for McDonald's USA. Executive chefs include Smith and Tal Ronnen, a widely acclaimed expert and author on vegan and vegetarian cuisine.

This will be the restaurant's second location, after its first location in Palo Alto. LYFE foods are currently available at Amazon.com and HSN. In 2013, LYFE foods will be rolled out in Ralph's grocery stores and at Costco warehouses.

LYFE Kitchen
9540 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA
LYFE Kitchen website
Opens January 2013

Jeanne Ponessa Fratello writes about kids' nutrition at Jolly Tomato and about South Bay events and attractions at South Bay Sparkle.