Progressive Plates

Look up “spring” in the dictionary, and you just might find 118 Degrees—Tarzana’s new raw vegan restaurant boasting plant-based “living” foods.

No, “118” is not our area code typed wrong. Nothing on the dairy, soy and wheat-free menu at the eatery is heated above that temperature because “we lose enzymes and we lose nutritional value,” says executive chef Jenny Ross.

118’s cool, crisp, colorful menu is just right for the season. The restaurant uses dehydrators to create crunchy crisps from sprouted grains, seeds and vegetable pulp. Dairy substitutes using nuts or tahini lend richness. There is also a wonderful array of tempting desserts, like chocolate cheesecake and fruit cobbler, as well as an interesting organic and biodynamic wine list.

Chef Jenny, who also runs another eatery, Be Well Kitchen in Santa Ana, found a soulmate in Sharyn Wynters. Sharyn is a former actress who became a naturopath, author and motivational speaker after a cancer diagnosis at age 26. Sharyn is now a partner in the business along with Annie Carradine; both women have lived in Tarzana for more than 20 years.

118 also offers meal plans that provide prepared foods to be picked up or delivered, including a popular seven-day plan and their Shakti juice cleanse. λ

18636 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, 818-660-1118, 118degreesla.com

Marinated Kale Salad

Chef Jenny shares an easy, make-at-home salad recipe from her cookbook (with co-author Doreen Virture) The Art of Raw Living Food.

1 head Tuscan (lacinato) kale

1/2 cup kalamata olives

1 Reed or Hass avocado

1 cup julienned cucumber

1/2 cup walnut pieces

Dulce, flaxseed oil or seasoning blend such as Herbamare or our 118 all-seasoning blend (available at the restaurant and online)

Slice avocado in half lengthwise. Remove pit and scoop out the soft flesh inside and dice in a large mixing bowl. Combine with all other salad ingredients (except kale). De-stem the kale by pulling alongside the main stem. Layer, piece over piece, on a cutting board and roll tightly; then chiffonade into thin strips. Toss vigorously with other ingredients, massaging the oils of the avocado into the kale so it becomes soft.

Makes 4 tapas-size salads.