As you may have heard, Los Angeles City Council approved a plan Tuesday to restore the park surrounding City Hall post-Occupy L.A. The approved option calls for 51% less grass and more native, drought-tolerant plants. But what about other green, sustainable ideas like edible gardens? Farmscape, California's largest urban farming operation, has quite a few of these ideas and has been striving to get them heard. more ›

Spinach isn't necessarily a winter green, but in temperate winter areas like southern California, we get to enjoy it now. The spinach above is an heirloom variety that is quite toothy and probably best steamed or sautéed, but we also have sellers at the Hollywood Farmer's Market who specialize in young leafy varieties that are great for salads. more ›

Farmscape, California's largest urban farming operation, recently wrapped a first-of-its-kind project in Downtown Los Angeles, one that (literally) takes urban agriculture to new heights. Atop The Jonathan Club now sits a large rooftop garden installation designed to grow fresh, organic greens. more ›

A few months ago, the news of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi opening a vegan restaurant in L.A. had fans of the funnywoman and cuisine dancing in the streets. The details on the project have been scarce, but we learned a new juicy bit today. As it turns out, the duo will be investing in the revamp of an existing Studio City eatery. more ›

Tonight is bursting with event flavor, and we are itching to get out and check out at least one of the many local happenings. Art and happy hour combine in Culver City, the Los Angeles Fine Art Show and L.A. Art Show launch with an opening night gala, Sonia Leigh jams at the Whisky and Red Hen's Kate Gale reads poetry. But wait, there's more. more ›

Westsiders, rejoice. Native Foods Café, the popular vegan restaurant chain headed by the acclaimed Chef Tanya Petrovna, is coming to Santa Monica. With Los Angeles locations already in Culver City and Westwood, the mind-blowing eatery has announced plans to open 15 new locations in 2012. more ›

The Seed Library of Los Angeles - an exciting new addition to the Los Angeles food community - embarks on its second year in lending its seeds to the community. Seed libraries hold seeds in trust for the community, much like literary libraries. Members "borrow" seeds to grow plants in their garden, and at the end of the growing season save some seeds from this stock to return to the library. more ›

Fig & Olive founder Laurent Halasz wants to change the way we use and regard olive oil. In December, Laurent and Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil author Tom Mueller teamed up for a 4-course olive oil and wine pairing. more ›

In a recent episode of chef, activist and filmmaker Daniel Klein's "The Perennial Plate" via Grist, Klein follows a dedicated dumpster diver in Virginia as he gleans edibles from dumpsters behind Trader Joe's to feed his family. more ›

On one of the coldest nights of the year last week, we were invited to sample the wares of Neveux Artisan Creamery & Espresso Bar on Melrose. The creamery, which opened this past fall, is the project of owner Leo Neveux, who makes all of the ice cream on premises. (It's also served a few doors down at Chef Eric Greenspan's The Foundry on Melrose.) more ›

There's still time to get some shopping done for Hanukkah and Christmas and whatever else occasion is on the horizon, and if you have a food lover on your list and want to get them something "so L.A." we have put together a few gift ideas we think they would love. more ›

LAUSD students hate the new lunch menu. The district has received awards for improving lunches from the U.S.D.A and from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, but the students literally aren't having it. more ›

Nebraska-based Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. is recalling more than 40,000 pounds of ground beef products shipped to several states, including California. The massive recall of 10-pound chubs of chuck fine ground beef 80/20, packed in eight-chub cases, follows a routine monitoring test that confirmed the presence of E. coli. more ›

The word "concierge" most often relates to the hotel industry. But a new sustainable grocery delivery program via electric-powered bicycles is bringing concierge hospitality and convenience to Whole Foods shopping. FreshFoodBike.com delivers up to 100 pounds of concierge-shopped groceries and other store products from the Whole Foods at 3rd and Fairfax to L.A. residents from UCLA to USC and most points in between both campuses. more ›

A new L.A. delivery service brings freshly baked, all natural artisan goods directly to your door in a charming woven basket. Treatsa's treats, including cookies, brownies, cakelettes and seasonal eats, are delivered the following day after an order is placed and the same day the treats exit the oven. Chef Jamie Cantor, The French Laundry alumnus, uses one ingredient in delicious abundance - butter. She's bringing the fat back to L.A., and we approve. more ›

Soul Cups Cupcakes is baking into the holiday spirit today with festive soulful treats at Say Cheese Café. Guests of the café's Saturday sale can score new baked creations by Celeste Alleyne, founder and owner of the cupcake catering company. more ›

Taco Bell's taco supreme might come with a whole bunch of fillings, but staples are not on the menu. A local woman has filed a complaint against a Santa Monica Taco Bell location when she said she found four staples inside her lunch. more ›

Do you want to see genetically engineered foods labeled? Help get the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act of 2012 ballot initiative passed and attend a local training meeting this week. more ›

Hoffy has unleashed a double meat package of convenience, honoring L.A.'s official hot dog - the bacon-wrapped frank. One pack of Hoffy Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs rewards you with eight pre-packaged franks bundled in bacon. more ›

Chik-fil-A opened its Fullerton chain this morning, and one super fan flew all the way from Florida for its unveiling. Richard Coley, 60, flew in from St. Petersburg, Florida for Fullerton's grand opening, marking his 71st Chik-fil-A opening. Pinned to his shirt was a Chik-fil-A badge dubbing him a "Raving Fan." more ›

So begins the countdown to Thanksgiving. We found a few events tonight that you can take advantage of before leaving town or the guests arrive. Tonight in LA: ALOUD welcomes Margaret Wertheim and Jim Carter on Alternative Science; a beagle fundraiser at Tony's Darts Away; a documentary panel discussion and seminar; and It's a School Night at Bardot. Read on for all the details. more ›

Californians are one step closer to voting on a ballot initiative requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods. Last week, the coalition It's Our Right To Know filed a ballot initiative with the California Attorney General's office. Volunteers must collect at least 850,000 signatures by April 2012 in order to place the initiative on the November 2012 state ballot. more ›

With Halloween, we usher in a huge annual harvest of pumpkins that grace holiday tables winter-long. Though they are often carved into jack-o-lanterns, historically believed to ward off demons at Halloween, many varieties are thicker, juicier and more flavorful than typical Halloween pumpkins and make delicious, hearty meals. more ›

Imagine you could only choose one: Sex or Bacon? OMG. Noooooo! Why would we have to live in a world where we have to choose? Well, we don't. Two words, one product: Bacon Lube. more ›

Occupy L.A.'s tent city is considered a temporary "home" to many occupiers. But to some, the City Hall grounds are another shelter in the nomadic life of homelessness. Social workers are stepping in this week to provide services to the small percentage of the 99% who are chronically sans abode. more ›

The dance studios, theatres, and galleries of the NoHo Arts District will be opening their doors up Saturday for a free multi-arts festival. Experience NoHo is a combo art walk and festival, with the streets closed down to make way for a stage and booths featuring artists and other vendors. more ›

Mary Waldner, founder and owner of Mary's Gone Crackers, is passionate about only using organic, non-GMO ingredients in her gluten-free crackers. She founded the company in 2004 after discovering she had Celiac disease - an extreme allergy to gluten in wheat and other grains - and perfecting a delicious gluten-free cracker recipe. more ›

Friday marks November 11, 2011 - a date that some believe to be the end of the world. With tomorrow's highly anticipated triple identical digits comes special events happening all around L.A. Read on for the deets! more ›

The short answer: You betcha. Now for the longer answer. A study released today found that while in some counties, including Los Angeles, the childhood obesity rate is showing some decline, there has been an increase in more than half the state's counties. more ›

Admit it, you dipped your hand into the Halloween candy bowl more times last night than you're proud of. You enjoyed the immediate gratification that comes from processed sugary food-stuff, but if you're anything like me, now you crave a wholesome treat. Thankfully, National Fig Week is here to remind you that mother nature can satisfy that sweet tooth with this often overlooked fruit. more ›