connecting the dots

by salome nichols

a play for sustainability at solar harvest

Lately I’d been hearing a lot about a new sustainable organic restaurant called Solar Harvest. Always on the lookout for establishments that include my green values, I ventured out to give it a try.

It’s unusual to find a restaurant so committed to health and sustainability without any sense of righteousness, and even more unusual to find it in the middle of an upscale, boutique-filled shopping street in Beverly Hills. Walking in off the street, you’ll find yourself in a clean, uncluttered room, with a counter straight ahead of you and a collection of laminated bamboo-top tables to your right.

Solar Harvest is a living showroom of sustainable materials, including the kirei board tables, ecoresin-wall separators, cork on the walls, and recycled glass tiles in the restroom. At lunchtime, orders are taken at the counter and then brought to your table, but for dinner there is table service.

Solar Harvest is the manifestation of a passion for experimentation and quality, natural food. In this case, natural means “whole grains, unrefined sugars and flours, organic and sustainable produce and proteins, and minimal amounts of added salt.” Coming from the heart and mind of chef/owner Elissa Meadow, a former investment banker from New York, Solar Harvest provides a menu that addresses the issue of diversity. Ideally, we all value the nutrition and source of the food we put in our bodies, but we each have different needs according to body type, blood type, season, allergy or personal preference. Meadow embraces the differences of her customers, offering something for everyone, and actually presents a color-coded “Connect the Dots” system to help you choose what suits your personal dietary needs from the menu.

The menu here is large and full of variety. The “Connect the Dots” plan helps to make sense of all the options, and to support you in selecting the kind of meal your body will thrive on. The Green Dot signifies “Colorful Palates,” and will lead you to vegetarian meals with a rainbow of ingredients. Don’t miss the Veggie Burger ($7.95) made with quinoa, black bean, mushroom, spinach and nuts. This is a wonderful switch from the normal variety of veggie patty. Served with a sweet corn coulis and your choice of side dishes, it’s savory, sweet and satisfying. For sides, you can choose amongst such delights as Baked Yam Fries, Walnut-Miso Green Beans, a so-sour Cucumber Nori Salad, or simple and nourishing Steamed Greens and Tamarind ($3.25 each).

The Blue Dot will bring you to “Lean, Mean Protein” meals, which include vegetarian, fish and poultry options, including the divine White Meat Turkey Burger ($8.95), brought to life with a delicate seasoning blend and served on a crisp Napa Cabbage leaf with delicious, unsweetened house-made condiments. If you’re not avoiding carbs, you can order the Yellow Dot version of the turkey burger, and enjoy one of the best whole grain buns you can imagine. This one is light, but chewy, dense without being too stiff, and really holds its own as part of the sandwich.

Whichever dot you’re guided by, there’s a freedom here to indulge and explore, knowing that whatever you choose has been thoughtfully created and intentionally prepared. It’s as if you’ve been invited to your food-enthusiast friend’s house to taste their newest invention. After trying it, you are left infused with their intention and love, along with the nutrients of the food. That’s the same sort of thing that happens at Solar Harvest. The dishes may arrive at your table looking familiar, but the flavors and textures are distinct and different. This can be disorienting at first, but I encourage you to open your mind and let your palate be expanded. The end result is satisfaction without being weighed down, a lightness of being, if you will, that allows one to contemplate what’s next in the day, rather than being weighted down by the heavy work of digestion.

It’s likely you’ll find chef/owner Meadow in the restaurant, and available to chat. Invite her over to share her story as you indulge in the Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake ($3) with chopped almonds, or while enjoying an organic, fair-trade espresso ($1.50) with sugar-free, agave-sweetened macaroons. Chances are you’ll leave considering how you can coordinate your schedule to pick up a “Sack-it-to-me” brown bag lunch ($9.99) once a week, or how you can move your business to the one-mile radius that enjoys zero-emissions bicycle delivery service.

Regardless, it’s likely you’ll leave imbued with the Solar Harvest mission to serve “Food that Works for You,” and like myself, eager to return soon to sample the daily international specials, play the game of Connecting the Dots with the main menu, and enjoy another moment of good health in the city of Los Angeles.

Solar Harvest242 South Beverly DriveBeverly Hills, CA 90212310.777.6527solarharvestfood.com