As hard as I was trying to play it off, I was high.

But let’s put some particulars to that. I wouldn’t say I was “hallucinating” high because I’ve been there and you don’t forget the time your dog finally spoke English. While I wasn’t that far gone I was definitely leaning towards the, “I’m struggling to make complete sentences” high. Not to make this sound like an episode of Law and Order SVU, but the restaurant made me high. Euphoric, dazed, high, whatever you want to call it, that was where I was. In their defense, I knew that was going to happen walking in.

I was at Spring in Downtown LA with Alexis of Tiny Bee Cards and we were there to preview the restaurant’s CBD menu. The 3-course lunch is served Tuesday through Friday from 11:30am to 2:30pm in the beautiful atrium of the restaurant. With a menu in hand and Alexis across from me, we sat underneath a sprawling tree and in plain view of the kitchen and the chefs. The menu came about after Spring’s Michelin starred executive chef Tony Esnault experienced Will Kleidon’s Ojai Energetics. From that, Chef Esnault decided to create a menu that incorporated the only available CBD-elixir (cannabidiol) that is organic, cold pressed, and water-soluble. With it, Chef Esnault added Super CBD and CBD Coconut Oil to his plates for their specific health benefits. It didn’t take long for us to look over each plate offered and find the ones we wanted most.

The two plates offered in the first course were the Mixed Green Salad and Carrot-Ginger Soup. A plate of farm greens was drizzled with preserved lemon vinaigrette with drops of super CBD as expected. While the plate of leafy greens was a nice and healthy start to the dinner, the soup was clear winner between the two. Although this was Alexis’ order, I couldn’t help but drive my spoon further into her bowl. The simplistic soup had chops of celery, chervil, and crostini and smelled like a bowl of a warm winter night. The consistency was incredibly silky, the scent was inviting, and the taste was incredible. Yes, all that from a soup.

Starting in on each dish, I still hadn’t noticed anything from the CBD. The menu made note that the salad could serve as a mood lifter and that the soup could promote alertness, but at this point I felt no different than I had walking in. I wasn’t too concerned about that, because my goal wasn’t to get high, but to see if the food could get me there. I quickly changed my focus as the second course arrived to the table.

The entrées on the menu were presented with three options: a risotto, branzino, and chicken breast. Reading though each one Alexis went with the clear vegetarian plate and I ordered the branzino. A few bites into each and it was clear that Alexis had ordered the best dish for the second time. The Spring Risotto was made with an aged carnaroli rice, snow peas, asparagus, English peas, Meyer lemon, and parmesan. The colors of white against the green were vibrant, but the taste of it was unforgettable. I loved how earthly the vegetables were, how the snow peas snapped, and how delicate the risotto was underneath it all. It doesn’t take long to drag your fork across the plate for a repeated taste until it’s completely gone.

Opposite of the risotto was my Branzino. Not to be given alone, the fish was served with onions, bell peppers, piquillos, tomatoes, parsely, and espelette. The branznio was a beautiful filet whose skin was gently seasoned providing such a delicious taste. Adding in the vegetables gave way to a dish that was light yet weighted with each forkful. The visible incorporation of the CBD oil could be seen in the beige colored oil droplets across the plate. Here, the oil supports joint health and boosts metabolism, and by the time I finished the fish, I could feel it begin to kick in. The room wasn’t spinning and I wasn’t having the munchies, but I could feel myself relaxing more both mentally and physically.

The final course was dessert: the Panna Cotta and Chocolate. Between these two dishes there was a clear winner, the panna cotta. A Tahitian vanilla panna cotta had small cubes of mango sprinkled atop of it with passion fruit coulis and a coconut sorbet. This dish was beautiful and tasted remarkable! I found myself diving spoon after spoon into the dessert because the vanilla, the citrus, and the coconut were such an intoxicating combination. The CBD was clear as day against the white of the dessert and was designed to act as an aphrodisiac and sooth muscles. I couldn’t stop eating it and once it was gone I could honestly say that this has been my favorite dessert so far this year.

To follow the panna cotta, was the chocolate. A bittersweet chocolate ganache was topped with a lemon honey sorbet, praline, and citrus vinaigrette. It was dark, rich, and forced you to slow down as you ate it. To go along with it, the lemon sorbet was a pleasant fruity parallel that eased any potential heaviness from the bitter chocolate. The addition of the CBD was set to promote bliss and improve digestion. Considering the latter is little of an issue for me, I was intrigued by the former and continued to eat it until it disappeared. It was at this point and after all the dishes that I could officially say I felt the same type of high that I’ve had many times before. My mind felt calm, my body was at ease, and my thoughts — while normal — were a bit cloudy. Was I bothered by the feeling? Not at all, but I definitely wasn’t in the place to give an opinion on anything.

As the final plate of Spring’s CBD Power Lunch was taken away from the table, I had a strong sense of elation. Of course the obvious reason would be that it was a result of the CBD oil, but I knew it was also because of the food. The soup, risotto, branzino, and the panna cotta were exceptional dishes on a menu of delightful plates. The incorporation of the CBD oil only enhanced what chef Esnault designed to the point that the dinner became one you could taste and feel. Thankfully, there wasn’t so much CBD oil involved in the lunch that I stumbled out of the restaurant with an incessant laugh. However, when the chef asked how I liked the food I’m pretty sure I made little sense.

Hopefully, he took that to mean I enjoyed it.

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Address: 257 S. Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 372-5189
Hours: Tuesday through Friday – 11:30pm to 2:30pm, 5:00pm to 9:00pm, Saturday 5:00pm to 10:00pm, Sunday 11:00am to 2:00pm, and closed on Monday.
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