Tender Greens Set To Open

If all goes according to schedule, Tender Greens will open in Studio City on Sunday, September 28. It will be the 15th location for this fast, casual restaurant chain co-founded eight years […]

If all goes according to schedule, Tender Greens will open in Studio City on Sunday, September 28. It will be the 15th location for this fast, casual restaurant chain co-founded eight years ago by Erik Oberholtzer, Matt Lyman and David Dressler, who worked together at Shutters in Santa Monica. Their mission: serving up farmers market-fresh seasonal dishes with health in mind—and at a reasonable price point.

Speaking on behalf of his co-founders, Erik says that their customers have been asking for a Studio City locale for a long time. “We've been searching for just the right spot for us, and this location's proximity to the Studio City Farmers Market seemed to be a natural place for us to be.” Studio City is the second location in the 818, following Burbank, which opened this past May.

It seems that the big trend these days is “seasonal,” “local,” “farm-to-table” and “community”—so much so that any of those terms become an eye-roller opportunity, because the authenticity often gives way to "marketing speak." That being said—Tender Greens appears to be the real deal.

The big difference between Tender Greens and a slew of other eateries is they truly “walk the talk,” which makes it stand apart from traditional “chains.” Rather it can be considered the "un-chain," as nothing about it is cookie-cutter.

To start off, each location has its own unique chef who creates signature dishes (in addition to the core menu at all locales) that revolve around their own individual passions. Plus, the design of each location has its own style. Products are sourced completely through small local farmers, ranchers, artisans, boutique wineries, breweries and coffee roasters with whom they have consistent relationships.

As far as community, they work with schools and groups, as well as advocate for homeless teens through their Sustainable Life Project, which serves emancipated foster kids with a hands-on paid internship program. Ultimately the hope is that it leads to an employment opportunity with Tender Greens.

Helming the Studio City kitchen is executive chef Roy Arendse, who moved from the Marina Del Rey location. A native of South Africa, he possesses true culinary goods, having working with Gino Angelini at his namesake Weho restaurant, and with Jason Travi, for whom he took over as head chef at the former Fraiche on the Westside. He credits both with refining his cooking skills and teaching him the art of Italian and Mediterranean cooking.

Chef Roy making fresh agnolotti pasta

Expect daily specials from Chef Roy to include seafood, grilled calamari, inventive vegetables and handmade pasta, which is his passion. Most everything is made from scratch in-house—this means anything from cured meats to sauces and condiments.

The core menu (shared at all locations) consists of big plates that can be made as a sandwich or salad, big salads and soups. The price point is $11.50 for plates and $4 for soup. Favorites include the chipotle barbecue chicken salad, grilled octopus salad, Chinese chicken salad, vegan salad and southern fried chicken.

Also look for home-baked sweets such as seasonal pies, lemon bars, old-fashioned Ho-Hos, cobblers, sticky buns, sweet and savory tarts, retro Pop-Tarts and more. Boutique wines and craft beers are offered, along with kombucha on tap and housemade agua frescas. If you're interested in nutritional facts, check out the menu on the website, where you can click on specific dishes, add ingredients and get the total count.

Take a look at some dishes you can expect from Chef Roy: