Learn More About Granville West Hollywood from their Own Chef Glenda Galvan-Garcia
Granville West Hollywood isn’t new to me.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I’ve visited the restaurant a few times and I enjoy the moments that I’ve been within their space. With each visit I’ve found new favorites and new seats to sink into as I dive my fork into their plates. Although I’ve spent the majority of my time focusing on their food, I was happy to learn more about the restaurant after finding out that they would be a participant in The Taste by Los Angeles Times. Seeing the restaurant name on the event page was exciting as it meant I would get to try their food again surrounded by a handful of other food lovers.
As the event kicked off yesterday and continues tomorrow, getting to know more about the restaurant from their own Chef, Glenda Galvan-Garcia was a great way to learn a new perspective of a restaurant I already enjoy.
Follow My Gut (FMG): Granville is a beautiful restaurant with a great menu. How do you decide which items to put on the menu and which things to take off?
Glenda Galvan-Garcia (GGG): A great deal of the direction of the menu comes from our visionary “Village Chief”, Jon Weiss. We have collaborated on the menu for many years now and it has truly evolved along with the landscape that is California and its global influences. Through our respective travels and love of food, we feel very fortunate to express this on Granville’s menu. We listen to our villagers and guests to help us guide our direction along with culinary and dietary trends. As for taking items off the menu, that is a tough one. These menu items are our babies and it’s often hard to let them go (hence the incredibly shrinking font size on our menus!). Even if a menu item is selling well, we have to evaluate if it truly represents us. Ultimately, we strive to strike a balance of classic, on-trend and forward-thinking menu items.
FMG: Working at Granville, what gets you most excited about being in the kitchen and cooking?
GGG: I think what gets me most excited and about being in the kitchen is the creative freedom I have to develop new menu items. I spent many years in research & development consulting to large corporate clients where ideas often got “committee’d to death” and never saw the light of day. There were always so many operational and price restrictions that completely steal the joy of creating recipes. At Granville, I’m allowed to be as creative as possible without restrictions and it’s incredibly liberating and inspiring.
FMG: When you’re not in the kitchen, what do you do to stay creative?
GGG: I find a great deal of inspiration by dining out and traveling. It’s wonderful to be a guest and be on the opposite end of the restaurant experience. I love trying out new recipes with my family and friends after shopping at ethnic or farmers markets. I make an effort to buy something new and unusual and create something completely new. Sometimes (okay, often times) it’s a new cocktail inspired by a new ingredient– it’s sort of a gateway to a new food recipe.
FMG: What involvement does Granville have in the community it resides in?
GGG: At each of our locations we have an outreach ambassador that guides our volunteer and fundraising efforts. We have monthly events in the community’s homeless shelters and food pantries. Our outreach is such an important part of who we are—we pride ourselves in being a village that takes care of one another. Since 2006 we’ve donated and helped raise funds for over 350 organizations.
FMG: What made you want to be a participant at The Taste by the Los Angeles Times?
GGG: We feel so honored to be a part of the The Taste by the Los Angeles Times. I feel like in a way, I owe my career to this publication. Before I got my break into the food world, I was in the garment industry and not in a place that I felt I belonged. I religiously read the Food section of The Times and through that I realized that cooking was my passion and my calling. It truly gave me the impetus to pursue a new career. To be involved in The Taste is a full-circle experience.
FMG: Which items do you plan on serving during The Taste?
GGG: Our Uptown Mac and Cheese, of course! Who doesn’t love Mac and Cheese? It’s just one of those dishes that is so comforting and such a crowd pleaser. It brings people together in such a fun way that seems to inspire an almost playful, childlike energy.
FMG: What hopes do you have for Granville in the next five years and how do you plan to reach them?
GGG: We hope to grow Granville throughout LA and hopefully Orange County spreading our mission of approachable, accessible and affordable luxury.
Learning about Granville from their chef gave me the chance to understand the restaurant in a way that I didn’t know before. I loved hearing about what they do in the community, their plans for the future, and how their chef has grown to be where she is today. As if I needed another reason to visit the West Hollywood restaurant Granville’s story would definitely be it.
To see the full lineup of participating restaurants and to get your tickets to The Taste, click here!
Follow Them.
Address: 8701 Beverly Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048
Phone: (424) 522-5161
Hours: Monday through Wednesday – 11:00am to 10:00pm, Thursday and Friday – 11:00am to 11:00pm, Saturday – 10:00am to 11:00pm, and Sunday 10:00am to 10:00pm
Social: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
