Whole Life Times: Ammo: Fuel for Thought

December 2006 | Tastebuds

Ammo: Fuel for Thought

Pulling out the big guns—the finest local ingredients —this Hollywood haven hits the target

By Lucinda Michele Knapp

Wholesome dining invokes sunlight and the outdoors, but with winter’s cool evenings and early darkness upon us, a subtler, more sophisticated indoor vibe is welcome. We’ve re-discovered a hidden Hollywood gem of a Cali-bistro where mood lighting, burnished wood walls, an amazing wine list and a refined ambience melts—like a warm bittersweet chocolate cake—into a relaxed evening of healthy, local eats created with Alice Waters-esque attention to seasonal, organic and regional ingredients. At Ammo, which opened its doors about six years ago, what started as a gourmet catering operation has evolved into a soothing, maple-hued decompression chamber for life’s daily assault, an urban bubble of relaxed space where a frisée salad with Mission figs, sweet gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and champagne vinaigrette takes on the dimensions of a great night out all by its lonesome. Add a glass of Tablas Creek Rosé from Paso Robles, and life’s cares slip away on a sweet stream of Radiohead gently burbling from hidden speakers.

It doesn’t stop at the sublime salads. General manager Benny Bohm—Ammo’s most recent addition, and the creator of its stunning wine list—is passionately committed to staying local, staying whole, staying healthy. He buys Ammo produce at the Wednesday Santa Monica farmers’ market, sticking with local farmers who tend their fields with attention to detail you can taste. Polito Farms for ruby grapefruit, Cirone Farms for silky avocados, Scarborough’s vibrantly-flavored lettuces and greens—the list goes on. “At some point people have to decide if they want another housing development or if they want trees. With the recent spinach scare, we didn’t have to worry. We know who’s in the fields,” says Bohm.

Fish and meat vendors pass not only Bohm’s rigorous standards but apply their own as well. “Our fish vendor, for example, only buys non-over-fished fish… our beef is Wagyu, which is Kobe beef.” Not a meat-eater? Bohm’s affection for tasteful ingredients ensures veggie options are snappily flavorful and downright fun.

To top it all off, Ammo’s considerate and thoughtful staff is a pleasure to be around. So to enjoy an eco-responsible a great date night, go for taste.

Ammo certainly does.

1155 N. Highland Avenue, LA, 90038, 323.871.2666. AmmoCafe.com.

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