RESTAURANT REVIEW: Café Vida

9755 Culver Blvd. | Culver City, CA 90232 | (310) 287-0140 | www.cafevida.net | Prices: $$

Luis Castañeda, part owner of the wildly popular Palisadian institution Café Vida opened his latest incarnation three months ago in Culver City. 

As a Palisadian, I would make the extra trek to the CC location for the food, the beautiful sidewalk patio and the beer and wine license. The new location has a decidedly “European” feel, thanks mostly in part to the twinkle-lit tree-lined street and view of the old City Hall.

While sipping and dining, we discovered Castañeda is not only an astute businessman, but also a compelling raconteur. And so, like the fruit in a pitcher of Sangria, I found myself totally absorbed in the stories and scenery.

Castañeda shared amusing anecdotes of his first impressions of LA, his successful career in the world of advertising and his first forays into the restaurant business (remember the Vida outpost at Spectrum Gym?).

In the Palisades we enjoy the healthy bevy of drinks offered up – my favorite is the watermelon lemonade – but some of the CC location options are decidedly more, um, alcoholic. I opted for a glass of fruit-filled White Wine Sangria, topped with a cluster of grapes and sprig of mint. It had a perfumy flavor that would be ideal on a hot summer’s night. Randy went for the Frozen Watermelon Soju Margherita, made with rosemary infused soju (a lower proof spirit made of rice, native to Korea). The refreshing Margarita is thick enough to be garnished with an upright rosemary sprig, adding fragrance to the sipping experience. It is the ideal complement to the health-minded Latin-American cuisine served at Vida.

The rustic-minimalist décor of the new location reflects the Vida brand. Simply put by Castañeda, “Our concept is very simple. It’s not formal. We try to get good-quality food.”

The “quality” was apparent in every aspect of our dinner that night. I was tempted to go with my usual – the moist and tasty turkey burger – but opted for the Mayer Ranch grass-fed Skirt Steak. This melt-in-your-mouth steak was punctuated with a zesty, herbaceous chimichuri (Argentinian green sauce) and a liberal drizzle of olive oil. A bouquet of farmers market veggies and dollop of mashed potatoes added color, texture and vitamins. I ate every bite.

Randy is big on salmon. He dove into the slab as it balanced on a spring salad with mint, mango, avocado and almonds. It was one of the special “specials” of the night.

After all that healthy food we decided to add a dash of naughty. Of course even the desserts have a touch of health to them – hello – carrot cake! This version was dense, moist, gingery – and the (cream cheese) frosting on the cake of our day.