Strange things have been afoot on the rooftop at John Sedlar's Playa. For the past couple of months, the restaurant has been installing and planting a rather large rooftop garden (you may have noticed a crane doing some heavy lifting along Beverly Boulevard back in March) meant to provide Sedlar's kitchen and bar with a fresh variety of hard-to-find ingredients. The actual garden is laid out vertically. As Sedlar explains, “We considered several different systems, including raised container beds and a greenhouse, before finally settling on one we decided would be best: an aeroponic technology based on a system of 35 towers we have installed on our roof, each with 28 pots per 5-foot tower.”
Word has arrived that the first round of crops from what's been dubbed the cielo verde (green sky) is ripe and ready to make its debut. On June 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Playa will host a garden grand opening party complete with bites by Sedlar and summer cocktails by Julian Cox — both featuring the new rooftop-to-table produce. [We just received word that this party is not open to the public. 12:07 p.m.
If you're curious what Sedlar is actually growing up there (that we know of), he shared with us a list of his personal produce, which includes rare items like cactus fruits, Incan plums, Black Kabouli garbanzos, and a whole spectrum of chile varieties with names like Black Cobra and Thai Dragon. Here's the full list for those home gardeners struck with green thumb envy.
Cielo Verde Rooftop Garden:
Herbs:
Bob Marley mint (Jamaican spearmint)
Borage flowers
Chives
Cilantro
Epazote
Fire orach
Green shiso
Hoja santa
Mexican sage
Mexican tarragon
Micro amaranth
Micro chives
Mustard frills
Spanish tarragon
Leafy greens:
Black Tuscan kale
Bright Light Swiss chard
Golden purslane
Pac choi
Red Summer Crisp lettuce
Red romaine lettuce
Savoy Spinach
Wild Arugula
Chiles (as available):
Black Cobra
Bhut Jolokia (Indian Ghost Pepper)
Caribbean Red Sevina
Cayenne peppers
Fish peppers
Jalafuego
Manzano
Padrón
Scorpion
Thai Dragon
Tomatoes (as available):
Black Cherry
Carbon (Russian Black)
Cherokee
Copia Red
Great White
Julia Child
Purple tomatillos
Sungold
Tomatillos verdes
Vegetables:
Eggplants
Huazontle (Aztec spinach)
Manar cucumbers
Beans and grains include:
Black Kabouli garbanzos
Bush Bean trio
Incan lima beans
Peaches and Cream corn
Fruit:
Black raspberries
Finger limes
Incan plums
Mexican limes
Orange sapote mamey
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