Rustic Canyon is the quintessential Santa Monica restaurant, embodying the casual, cozy vibes and slow food philosophy it was founded on in 2006. Nearly two decades later, under Chef Jeremy Fox's culinary leadership, the neighborhood favorite continues to earn national and international acclaim for its innovative yet comforting dishes and steadfast commitment to sustainability, seasonality, and locally sourced ingredients.

The heart of Rustic Canyon

Entering Rustic Canyon, guests find a warm and inviting atmosphere. Rustic wooden tables, exposed brick walls, a blend of modern and vintage elements, and a full-view kitchen contribute to a relaxed feel, inviting diners to observe the culinary team. A carefully curated wine list and inventive cocktail program further enhance the dining experience.

The restaurant’s "simple ain't easy" mantra is evident in the hyper-seasonal menu of shareable plates, which change daily to reflect California’s numerous micro-seasons and the freshest ingredients available. An array of vibrant vegetables, local seafood, and house-made charcuterie highlight the simplicity and dedication to flavor that define Fox’s culinary ethos.

Farmers' and producers' names are given prominence throughout the menu, adding authenticity to the culinary experience. Dishes might read as Zuckerman's delta asparagus with a sauce gribiche served over vibrant green spears with grated lemon zest and chicken skin crackling or Munak Ranch heirloom tomatoes, burrata, fresh herbs, and Tellicherry black pepper. Other more hearty offerings might be in the vein of poached Mt. Lassen trout atop a bed of sauerkraut in a riesling sauce mixed with smoked trout roe and finely cut chives.

A root-to-stalk approach is honored with every ingredient, drawing upon a vast larder where the team makes nearly everything in-house, from sea salt to mustard, ketchup, and cultured butter. The bar program at Rustic Canyon is equally inspired, with seasonal cocktails evolving as regularly as the food. Ingredients like snap peas, canary melons, green almonds, and opal basil are featured in drinks, while kitchen scraps find new life in infusions, fermented honey, and secondary fermentations.

Fox, one of the early innovators of vegetable-centric cooking, is revered by chefs and food enthusiasts for his groundbreaking approach to seasonal cooking. His lengthy culinary career includes stints in prestigious kitchens, like Los Gatos’ Manresa with David Kinch, before he revolutionized vegetable-forward cooking at Napa’s Ubuntu, where he earned the restaurant a Michelin star with his visionary cooking. Since taking up the reins at Rustic Canyon in 2013, he has remained true to his produce-driven philosophy and has expanded his influence with a more personal venture, Birdie G’s. Fox’s contributions to the wider culinary world have been widely celebrated, earning him recognition as a nominee and semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the West.

Rustic Canyon’s ongoing commitment to high-quality, seasonal ingredients and innovative culinary approach have garnered praise from critics and diners alike, solidifying its reputation as a premier dining destination. As the flagship restaurant within the Rustic Canyon Family, its excellence has also been recognized with a Michelin star. It consistently ranks among the top dining establishments in Los Angeles. With its exceptional food, welcoming environment, and focus on sustainability, Rustic Canyon has all the ingredients to remain a cherished focal point of the Santa Monica dining landscape.

The Chef

Fox's culinary journey began in a Cleveland suburb, but it was summers spent in Yardley, Pennsylvania, where his Jewish grandmother cooked tirelessly, which truly ignited his passion for food. A pivotal moment came at age nine when he first tasted her beef tongue dish, opening his mind to a lifelong love of cooking. Inspired by the Stanley Tucci film Big Night, Fox enrolled in culinary school at 20, gaining experience in Charleston and Atlanta before heading to San Francisco in 2001. There, he worked in acclaimed kitchens like Rubicon and Charles Nob Hill before staging at Michelin-starred De Snippe in Belgium, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, and Fergus Henderson’s iconic nose-to-tail restaurant, St. John, also in London.

In 2002, Fox joined David Kinch’s celebrated Manresa in Los Gatos, where he spent five transformative years, eventually becoming Chef de Cuisine. It was here that he honed his skills, applying the nose-to-tail philosophy of butchering whole animals to vegetables—a shift that would define his career. This approach reached its peak at Napa’s Ubuntu, where his vegetable-forward creativity earned the restaurant a Michelin star—the first for a vegetarian restaurant in the US—and landed him national acclaim, including a spot on Food & Wine's Best New Chefs list and the number two ranking on The New York Times' best restaurants list.

Since 2013, Fox has helmed Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, championing produce-driven cuisine. In 2019, he opened Birdie G’s, a heartfelt project named after his daughter and grandmother.

Known as a “chef’s chef” for his quiet dedication to craft, Fox has earned widespread respect in the industry. He's been a multiple-time James Beard Award nominee, and his restaurants consistently feature on the Los Angeles Times' 101 Best Restaurants list. Fox is also a vocal advocate for mental health, openly sharing his personal struggles with depression and addiction and working to destigmatize these challenges in the culinary world.

Restaurants

Rustic Canyon, the flagship of the Rustic Canyon Family restaurant group, has thrived under chef Jeremy Fox’s leadership for over a decade, showcasing a market-driven menu that celebrates local ingredients.

Each dish on the menu proudly highlights the names of local farmers, grounding the sophisticated compositions in humble, seasonal produce. The kitchen’s creativity shines in simple yet flavorful offerings, like green beans tossed in shallot vinaigrette, topped with a heap of shaved cheese.

The restaurant earned a Michelin star in 2019 and retained it through 2021, in recognition of its consistency and culinary excellence. The eatery has also consistently been featured on the Los Angeles Times’ 101 Best Restaurants list, celebrating its innovative market-driven menu emphasizing seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Additionally, Rustic Canyon has earned praise from well-known US publications such as Bon Appétit and Food & Wine.

Fox’s passion project, Birdie G’s, offers comforting California cuisine with a Midwestern sensibility. Drawing inspiration from his Eastern European and Jewish roots, the menu weaves together nostalgia and the bounty of California’s produce, evoking a sense of home, no matter where or when you grew up.

Recipes and dishes

Fox, often dubbed the "vegetable whisperer" for his focus on vegetable-centric cooking and hyper-seasonality, even has a rare heirloom tomato named after him: the Foxheart. His menus draw inspiration from local farmers, fishers, and ranchers, reflecting a commitment to hyper-seasonality, simplicity, and a zero-waste approach. Rustic Canyon's menu changes daily to showcase California’s diverse micro-seasons. While many dishes are fleeting, several have become celebrated signatures. Notable among them is the beets & berries dish, which features avocado, quinoa, and pistachio, highlighting a beautiful harmony of flavors. Another renowned creation is his twice-shucked spring peas, expertly paired with macadamia nuts and white chocolate, offering an unexpected yet highly successful flavor combination.

Dishes like Fox’s zucchini noodles exemplify his seasonal commitment, often tossed with fresh herbs and a vibrant sauce that evolves with the changing seasons. He even manages to make a simple carrot tart sing, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary with his nuanced understanding of produce and technique.

Regardless of what’s on the menu, Fox’s ability to attune himself to his ingredients—primarily vegetables—allows him to harness their flavors in a way that embodies his philosophy of sustainability and creativity in the kitchen. His first cookbook, On Vegetables, released by Phaidon in April 2017, was a James Beard nominee in the Restaurant & Professional category. This tribute to vegetables features 150 recipes that elevate vegetarian cooking and illustrate his "to stalk" philosophy, demonstrating how to utilize even the smallest scraps to minimize food waste while making vegetable cooking both accessible and exciting.

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