Cafe Vida in Culver City New Menu Items- November 2014- delicious, healthy food and drinks- March 2014 Review

April 5, 2014 Richard Ahrens, Todd Elliot and Photos by Mitch Sacharoff

CAFÉ VIDA CULVER CITY

Introduces

“TACO TUESDAYS” HAPPY HOUR & DELECTABLE NEW DINNER ITEMS

With Delicious Farm-Fresh Cali-Latin Fare & In-House Juice Bar, Café Vida

Has Become a Restaurant Row Fave for Dinner, as well as Breakfast and Lunch

Café Vida Culver City, and its farm-fresh California-Latin cuisine menu bursting with inventive flavor combinations, has become a favorite on Restaurant Row for dinner, as well as breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch. Now, endlessly creative Chef/Partner Francisco Cornejo is adding five delectable new items to the dinner menu, which can be paired with wine, beer, Soju cocktails or a delicious blended juice, shake, smoothie or house-made agave lemonade from the fresh juice bar.

Fans are happy that the crowd-pleasing Café Vida Culver City, with its unpretentious and inviting nature-inspired indoor-outdoor setting, is launchingTaco Tuesdays Happy Hour from 4-9 p.m. weekly.

The new Taco Tuesday menu features half-off draft beers or California wines when paired with one or more of the Taco Tuesday Specials, which include:

–TWO TASTY TACOS served on corn tortillas with black bean sauce ($7). Choose between Adobe Steak Tacos, Spicy Chipotle Chicken Tacos, Short Rib Colorado Tacos, Grilled Blackened Fish Tacos or Grilled Vegetable.

–TWO CRISPY CORN TOSTADAS with black bean sauce, ranchero cheese, sour cream and avocado ($6), and choice of Short Rib Chile Colorado, Spicy Chicken or Roasted Poblano con Queso.

HOUSE-MADE GUACAMOLE served with warmed Tortilla Chips with Sea Salt and Lime ($5).

Introducing Chef Cornejo’s Five New Dinner Menu Items:

New Starters

ORGANIC KALE APPLE SALAD ($8) – Organic kale, quinoa, apples, roasted almonds, orange segments, parmesan cheese and cherry-lemon vinaigrette.

CHILE ROJO SHORT RIB TACOS ($8) – Three soft tacos with all-natural prime short rib in a red smoky tomatillo sauce, chopped onion, cilantro, lime and guacamole.

New Wholesome Salads

CHICKEN MANGO AND AVOCADO SALAD ($13.95) – Grilled herb chicken breast, sliced mango, jicama, avocado, roasted almonds, red onion, mint, flax seeds, chia seeds, organic greens and mango-chutney vinaigrette.

New Comfort Dinners

STRIPED SEA BASS WITH SHALLOT WINE SAUCE ($18.95) – Grilled striped sea bass with shallot white-wine sauce served with sautéed organic quinoa and spinach with poblano corn succotash.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS IN CHILE ROJO ($17.95) – All-natural short ribs braised in a smoky tomatillo sauce served with golden Yukon mashed potatoes and poblano corn succotash.

Café Vida Culver City was built from the ground up and designed by Phillip Spencer Design. Spencer chose soothing nature hues juxtaposed with quartz and exposed wood grain, topped off by a double-height atrium. “I was inspired by the colors and moods of the rainforest,” Spencer said. “Key elements include striated woods that compliment walls the color of moss and lichen. I wanted the interior to create a sense of the vibrancy of life through organic color and texture.”

The three partners in the Café Vida Collection opened the first Café Vida in the Palisades Village in May, 2002 and a second location inside the Spectrum Club in El Segundo soon thereafter. Partners Luis Castaneda, a former ad exec from Mexico City, Marcelo Marolla, a lifelong athlete and restaurant-industry veteran from Argentina, and Francisco Cornejo, a 20-year professional chef and caterer from Jalisco, Mexico, all share a passion for healthy living, creativity and good food.

Café Vida insists upon hormone-and-antibiotic-free chicken and meat; zero trans-fat oils; no processed foods; top-of-the-line filtration for water and drinks; organic coffee and espresso drinks, and real maple syrup.

Daily specialties include low-fat, organic and vegan options, and catering and online ordering for take-out are available. “Food not only provides nutrition but it helps bring people together,” Castaneda said, “it’s all about enjoying life.”

Café Vida Culver City

Tel: 310-287-0140(Note: Reservations are taken for dinner only)

Address: 9755 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232(Directly across from City Hall)www.cafevida.net

Hours: 8am-9pm Sun through Wed / 8am-10pm Thurs through Sat

Please follow, like and gush about us here:

Twitter: @cafevida1 Facebook: facebook.com/CafeVidaCA

Tumblr: http://cafevidaca.tumblr.com/ Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-vida-culver-city

Located around the corner from the Kirk Douglas theater, and along Culver City’s trendy restaurant row near SONY Studios, is the recently opened Cafe’ Vida.

Including a sizable patio, there are 3 comfortable seating areas.

Lunch time is notably busy. For good reason.

The Culver City location (one of three), caters not only to Sony employees and tourists, but to locals who prefer fresh, healthy, nutritious foods with creative spices and flavors.

As you look at the menus for breakfast, lunch or dinner, you’ll see the words “organic”, “natural” and “fresh” constantly used in item description. This restaurant priority, results in customer preferred healthier choices.

No time to be seated? We definitely recommend one of the all natural super smoothies, or a vegetable juice — to go. A favorite is the date, banana, protein and almond milk smoothie. The home made lemonade, with mint, is another favorite.

On our relaxed dining visit, we shared 3 popular entree’s– Chicken Marsala, in a light wine/creme sauce, with mashed potato and side vegetable; Veggie burger -loaded, and a Shrimp and pasta dish with an accent of jalapeno slices.

Each entree’ was generous in size, loaded with flavor and perfectly prepared. See photo at the top of this story.

Not over salted, but flavor balanced with herbs, spices and fresh ingredients.

This was also true with the chicken and shrimp tacos. Nicely prepared, and abundant with flavor. Think Latin accents with a California style.

For desert, we sampled the coconut custard pie, which was exceptional. Again, not over sweetened, as expected, but simply delicious and fresh.

Cafe’ Vida is one of those restaurants that lures you to return and try something new on each visit.

The staff is fun, attentive and well informed.

Check their web site for locations, description and a detailed menu.

http://www.cafevida.net/menu.php

9755 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Phone: 310.287.0140