Mixt Greens Opens First of Four SoCal Restaurants

Phone: 323-638-4885
Status: Open today
Chef Andrew Swallow leads the creative team at Mixt Greens, along with partners David and Leslie Silverglide who are all committed to expanding their eco-friendly, healthy, and extremely popular Bay Area salad concept. New York restaurants have flooded LA's streets for the past few years, and here, now, we have a San Francisco transport. Mixt Greens was recently rated the greenest restaurant in San Francisco - no easy feat. There's a talented team behind this easy-to-like local, organic, seemingly homespun menu. Switching gears for a second, Mixt Greens' D.C. outpost features a living wall. Okay, so that's been done before, but...hold your horses. This living wall is actually a miniature farm for the restaurant, providing herbs and salad greens for use among the menu items. Sadly, LA's first Mixt Greens doesn't sport such a novel concept, but look for it at future locations. Mixt Greens in Miracle Mile opens next, followed by a location further west. And, despite opening today, finishing touches are still being added to this downtown outpost.

On the subject of food, chef Swallow, a Culinary Institute of America grad, has a fine dining background. Nevertheless, he experienced a desire to take a chef's most overlooked menu item - the salad - and turn it into a winning fast-casual concept. Mixt Greens was a brainstorm a long time in the making, going back to when chef Swallow grew frustrated at seeing the damage fast food was doing to the culinary landscape, all the while being challenged by his mentors to create menus that were heavy on the fois gras and light on the salad. "But salad can be so delicious!" His excitement for such a simple and overlooked menu item also perked the attention of some at 10-Speed Press. They're putting out the Mixt Salads book by Andrew Swallow April 27. Expect to see information on a book tour and signings at Mixt Greens locations.
Additional Reading: Mixt Greens Comes to LA, 1/7; Four Mixt Greens Headed to SoCal, 1/8
Additional Photos: Eater LA Flickr Page
— Daniela Galarza