From the moment you walk into Beverly Hills eatery Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop, it’s clear you’re not in your average sneeze-guarded, wilted lettuce salad bar. Greeted by a show-me kitchen and a large sandwich board menu sharing the restaurant’s tasty treats, freshness abounds on every level, from the food to the décor. And then there’s the cheeky title that owner Jonathan Rollo boasts on his business card: Commander-in-Leaf.
It’s all part and parcel with Greenleaf’s dedication to being au natural. From the moment Rollo began building his vision, he consulted with the U.S. Green Building Council to ensure that the venue was as green as possible. The tiles are composed of 30 to 40 percent recycled material, the bathroom sinks are made from leftover concrete from the floor, the bright green walls are courtesy of low VOC paint… and that’s just the construction. Nearly everything from the lighting and appliances to the take-out packaging has an eco-friendly take on it. “It was really expensive to do, and I might not see the return on it,” confesses Rollo. “But it was important. We still have a long way to go toward educating people.”
But it’s something to which Rollo is dedicated. A native Angeleno, Rollo decided to follow his gut after becoming a corporate refugee from the Hollywood ranks. “Food is always an event in my family,” Rollo says. “For us, Thanksgiving is the greatest holiday of the year. So when I realized I just wasn’t a corporate guy, I started to think, ‘Is there something I can do with this passion I have for food?’” After schooling at Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago and working with the Patina Group in various capacities, he decided to bring his eco-friendly restaurant concept to life.
And it’s in the menu that Rollo’s passion really comes through. Using local, organic and seasonal ingredients — at times coupled with free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free poultry and beef — Rollo’s salad creations aren’t just meals, they’re revelations. Seemingly simple flavor combinations take on a whole new meaning with the Greenleaf touch. For example, the Antioxidant Orchard, a tantalizing mix of Scarborough Farms mixed baby greens with grapes, apples, celery, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, crumbled blue cheese, mint, red onion, cucumbers and berries tossed with pomegranate whole-grain mustard vinaigrette. Or the Lemongrass Chicken, which puts grilled citrus chicken together with greens, toasted coconut, Thai chili and basil, grilled pineapple, jicama, mango and candied cashews tossed in lemongrass lychee vinaigrette. Both are simply heaven on a plate.
The specialty salads — split on the menu under the categories “The Obvious” and “The Not So Obvious” — are so outstanding that you could be forgiven for ignoring the panini and build-your-own options, but then, how would you pick your favorite? Not that you would be able to anyway. Rollo reports that he has customers who come in and cycle through the menu on the hunt for a go-to, and find themselves starting at the beginning over and over again because they like everything so much.
Though Greenleaf might tinker with the menu to offer seasonal treats, Rollo notes that his clientele tends to be resistant to change, so he wants to ensure that he offers a solid stable of favorites to satiate his lunch and dinner crowd. But there are exceptions to every rule — especially when upholding a green mandate. Says Rollo, “I had to remove something from the menu once because I couldn’t get the right dried figs, and people panicked. But you know, I’d rather tell people that something isn’t available than import it from Chile.”
And that’s how Greenleaf is going to educate Los Angeles, one stomach at a time.
Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop
9671 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills
310.246.0756
greenleafchopshop.com