Fresh Produce At Los Angeles Restaurants: Tavern Restaurant, Fig Restaurant, Barbrix Restaurant, West Side Tavern Restaurant
Four new restaurants showcase summer produce at its peak
Tavern From the atrium dining room (pictured) to the grab-and-go larder, Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne's new restaurant is much more than the name implies. Fresh farmers' market finds invade the menu, from the heirloom-beet-and-carrot salad ($10) to strawberries and raspberries served on top of house-made granola ($11). At dinner, roasted apricots cut the spice of lamb merguez sausage ($15), and Bing cherries add a sweet note to duck confit ($27). 11648 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood; 310-806-6464 or tavernla.com
Fig With pillow-strewn banquettes and white-washed wood accents, the Fairmont Miramar's airy new dining room feels more like a neighborhood bistro than a hotel restaurant. It's just the right setting for "snacks" like roasted baby beets with Santa Barbara pistachios ($9) or a charcuterie sampler ($25). Other winners include farro salad with cherries and almonds ($14) and whole grilled trout with sugar snap peas ($25). 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; 310-319-3111 or figsantamonica.com
Westside Tavern This mall restaurant may look and feel like a chain–but it doesn't taste like one. Chef Warren Schwartz (formerly of Whist at the Viceroy) dishes out specialties like lightly battered, ricotta-filled squash blossoms ($13) and pan-roasted halibut with bright green pea pesto and chubby globe carrots ($22). Even the cocktails stand out: Try the white peach and basil gimlet or the blackberry julep ($9). 10850 W. Pico Blvd., West Los Angeles; 310-470-1539 or westsidetavernla.com