A Green Design
Seasons 52 (the name reflects a dedication to seasonal fare 52 weeks of the year) debuted in 2003, and now totals 23 restaurants in 13 states. The Century City location opened in November 2012. Earthy hues, a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired design, with autumn ledgestone and solid Honduran mahogany wood echoes the menu’s philosophy. But it is the show-stopping Living Wall, visible from Santa Monica Boulevard, that shouts out the restaurant’s celebration of a living-well lifestyle.

Koine says that the outdoor patio’s Living Wall “attracts plenty of attention.” It also offers a practical function by providing environmental benefits such as biodiversity, oxygen production, carbon sequestration and air purification. The wall is grand at 112-square feet and incorporates 36 living modules that contain a variety of dense, shade-tolerant plants, ground covers, aromatic, herbs, ferns and grasses, and edible plants and herbs. The patio is also populated with colorful container plantings of fragrant herbs and plants such as lavender, chamomile, nasturtium and garlic.

All three working gardens, and in particular the indoor glass-enclosed herb garden (located to the left of the restaurant entrance), are vital for Koine’s menus. This climate-controlled garden includes tarragon, rosemary, parsley and cilantro and houses 150 plants and 10 to 15 organic herb varieties. The herbs vary with the season.

Making Friends with Herbs
Koine, a graduate of the California School of Culinary Arts of Pasadena, did not begin her career with gardening expertise, but this position has taught her about edible plants and how they live. “It’s a new passion for me,” she says. “These plants are going to be on the plate, and I want each one to thrive.”

A horticulturist maintains temperature, humidity, feeding and lighting of the plants on a weekly basis, but it is Koine and her staff who take care of daily garden maintenance and the ordering and facilitation of replanting. “I check each and every plant,” she says. “They are my babies.”

Koine uses opal basil on the tomato flatbread; lemon verbena flavors cocktails; three mint varieties (spearmint, chocolate and pineapple) serve as garnishes; oregano and thyme are used in the shrimp pasta; and lemongrass complements the salmon salad. The restaurant prepares custom herb vinegars, as well.

The gardens also educate the customer about what is possible. As Koine harvests clippings each day, she chats with customers about the plants, their use and their individual needs. “When customers see that you can be sustainable, utilizing growing ingredients that are picked right out of a garden, it inspires them to want to try a variation of this at home.”

Guests are also impressed that the menu changes four times per year (a side menu offers weekly specials featuring the season’s bounty), and that each dish is under 475 calories. “We are not a diet restaurant,” Koine says, “but we don’t use fats or butter in our recipes, which can mask true food flavors.”

And with the exception of the housemade flatbreads, there is no bread service. Cream is only used in some of the desserts. The restaurant does not have fryers, and uses rustic cooking techniques such as roasting, grilling and caramelizing to enhance natural flavors. And Koine, when not tending to her garden, spends a good amount of time at the local farmers’ market, enabling the restaurant to practice farm-to-table dining.

Blossoming from a Plan
At age 30, Koine has worked in the industry for a decade, and has been employed by Seasons 52 for three years. She trained for four months in Florida with an experienced company team and still works closely with Clifford Pleau, corporate executive chef for Seasons 52, so that she would be equipped for the restaurant’s opening and her new position as executive chef partner.

Early on, Koine recognized that she preferred to be part of larger company rather than a smaller restaurant. “I wanted to have the opportunity for advancement,” she says. “Chefs at independent restaurants don’t tend to leave and there is little chance of moving up. I also like that large companies are able to provide great benefits.”

Koine has certainly moved up, but she has also kept a personal promise. “My goal was to be an executive chef by 30 years old. I turned 30 in September, and in October I received the title. I just made it.”

Koine admits that she has a driven personality. To attain what she wanted she stayed focused and motivated, even working two jobs while attending culinary school. “I believe you need to do everything you can to keep yourself inspired and excited,” she says. “If you feel you are getting bored or stale, grab a new book, get on the Internet, learn about a new fruit or vegetable, research how it grows.”

The Century City location is new, and Koine works more than 52 hours per week. “It’s what is necessary with an opening,” she says. “We are still learning and I want to be here for the line cooks. I want them to know that I support them.”

And does Koine have a new goal? “I love where I am,” she says. “I want to be part of everything that happens every day. With a company like this, there is plenty of room to grow. The opportunities are endless.”

Lynn Schwartz, a former New York City restaurateur, is a writer and writing instructor/coach (fiction and nonfiction) based in Maryland. Visit www.writerswordhouse.com.