Culinary Quest

You’ll find nothing but the best ingredients at 1 Pico

Steak being fired onto the grilled to cook.
Text by Armella Stepan
Images by ETC Hotels

Constantly searching the world for the farmers, anglers, and ranchers who cultivate and harvest the finest ingredients is at the core of 1 Pico Restaurant’s philosophy.

Once discovered, those raw ingredients are delicately seasoned and prepared over flame  to bring out their inherent flavors.

We call our concept ‘simply grilled,’ but it is everything but simple,

1 Pico’s Amberjack is imported from the  Japanese island of Shikoku, famous for its warm waters and dedicated fish farmers who reportedly even have conversations with their finned friends daily to promote their development. The result is an enticing, meaty filet that is a slightly sweet and mellow umami of buri (yellowtail) crossed with saba (mackerel).

Also sought after by world-class chefs, including Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud, is the Elysian Farms lamb. Reared in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains, the lamb graze free with year-round access to these fertile fields. The result is a product with the most exquisite taste and texture.

Grilled fish meal paired with a seafood white pasta and white wine.
Cocktail with white liquor and lemon.

For produce, there is little reason to look outside of sunny California. One colorful 1 Pico find are the Candy Stripe Beets.  These striking heirlooms, also called Chioggias—for the Italian town where they originated—are now a favorite of California beet growers. Resembling candy canes with their red and white stripes, they are the perfect complement in the restaurant’s sweet and savory gazpacho with organic California strawberries, John Givens organic tomatoes (harvested just up their Pacific Coast Highway) and blended with a crisp champagne vinegar.

“Los Angeles is an international gateway and a city of foodies, we are passionate about impressing those who we have the pleasure to serve,” explains Chef Runyon.

Paired with stunning ocean views and exemplary service, the restaurant’s new menu is simply a feast for the senses and not to be missed.