There’s a new tiki bar on Abbot Kinney serving fresh and creative vegetarian Mexican fare alongside a range of funky margaritas and cocktails. From the creator of Butcher’s Daughter, comes plant-based pop-up De Buena Planta, located in a colorful tropical garden that is unrecognizable as a former parking lot.
The gluten and meat free menu features a range of tacos, aperitivos like vegan ceviche and elote mexicana, and an “a la plancha” section that allows guests to create their own vegetable platters. For sweet lovers there is also a range of vegan popsicles and dessert tortillas with chocolate mousse.
De Buena Planta’s beachy garden conjures visions of vacation as guests sink into Acapulco chairs, cosy up by the firepit, or relax under sprawling palm trees. Heather Tierney, Founder and Creative Director, was inspired by her favorite coastal Mexican towns like Tulum, Todos Santos when designing the space. In keeping with the laid back vibes, the pop-up is first come first served and open Wednesday to Sunday 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
For those who don’t want to order a whole meal there is a selection of chips and dips and an even a wider range of housemade cocktails, many of which feature the Butcher’s Daughter’s fresh pressed juices. So far the most popular have been the yuzu basil cocktail (mico tequila, yuzu, lemon, thai basil, simple syrup) and the soft smoke (verde mezcal, elderflower, ginger bitters, lime, amaro nonino, charred citrus).
“Living in LA we naturally are heavily influenced by Latin street vendors and restaurants — this menu was a homage to the different dishes we are so lucky to experience here in our own home town. You can easily travel across LA and experience the different subsets of Latin cuisine as if you were backpacking through South America. So, this has been a great privilege for us to have the opportunity to add our Butcher’s Daughter twist to things,” said Executive Chef, Richard Rea.
In a time where the restaurant industry is flailing, the Butcher’s Daughter team is finding creative ways to flourish. With its entirely out-door seating plan, De Buena Planta does not have to worry about adapting to changing government regulations. They’ve even managed to bypass the need to build a kitchen by doing some light preparation at the Butcher’s Daughter and cooking everything else in a food truck parked out back.
Although L.A. already has several popular vegetarian and healthy Mexican eateries like Gracias Madre and Tocaya Organica, the creator of De Buena Planta believe it has something fresh to offer.
“De Buena Planta’s menu is entirely gluten-free and plant-based, so it is 100% vegetarian, not 100% vegan. Gracias Madre is vegan so it lacks some of the ingredients that take Mexican food to the next level, like Oaxaca and cotija cheese. Tocaya is fast-casual/quick service, so it doesn’t offer the experience of a full-service restaurant. They also do not have a full-bar program, which I think is essential. Tequila and mezcal go hand in hand with Mexican culinary culture!” said Tierney.
De Buena Planta is located at 1118 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, across the street from the Butcher’s Daughter. It will be there until the end of the year, with the possibility of extending until June 2021.
