LYFE Kitchen To Open in Irvine Spectrum

Irvine Spectrum is getting yet another new restaurant. This time it's Chef Art Smith, Tal Ronnen and Jeremy Bringardner's health-food concept called LYFE Kitchen, which stands for “Love Your Food Everyday”. It's planning to open at the outdoor mall in November, next to TLT Food (which is The Lime Truck's brick-and-mortar joint) and Pho Saigon Pearl's second Irvine location.

There are already locations elsewhere, including two in L.A. According to the Irvine Company description, the menu will feature “chef‐inspired, delicious recipes and plant‐based proteins.” Also, all LYFE Kitchen dishes reportedly “contain fewer than 600 calories and 1,000 milligrams of sodium, with most choices containing much less.”

If you recognize the name Art Smith before, he was on Top Chef Masters but might be best known as Oprah's personal chef.

]

Here's more from stuff from Irvine Company I'd rather not paraphrase.

Guests will enjoy signature dishes such as Art's Unfried Chicken and Tal's Ancient Grains Bowl which feature responsibly-sourced ingredients from local farms and sustainable whenever possible, and rely on herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables to deliver outstanding flavors. The diverse menu offers choices to meet guests' personal food policies, including menus for guests who prefer or require gluten‐free choices, vegetarian or vegan options. LYFE Kitchen also creates unique beverages like its popular Kale‐Banana smoothie, inspired by LYFE Kitchen ambassador and pro‐football star Troy Palomalu, and features prominent wines and locally-produced craft beers.

I've not tried LYFE, but here's what LA Weekly critic Besha Rodell had to say about it:

LYFE's ambitions are admirable, and some of the food is tasty. There's certainly a place for better, more wholesome food in the fast-casual market. It's hard to actually recommend the place, despite all that.

Follow Stick a Fork In It on Twitter @ocweeklyfood or on Facebook! And don't forget to download our free Best Of App here!