ELEMENTS OF TASTE

Terranea is a resort that is decidedly of a place—the stunning Palos Verdes Peninsula—and its cuisine reflects its bounty. The resort’s culinary team looks to the area’s rich soil, warm sunshine, and Pacific Ocean to grow many of their own ingredients. Both land and sea are weaved into Terranea’s nine eateries to give guests a taste of the region. Here are just some of the hyper-local ingredients that make dining at Terranea a one-of-a-kind experience.’

GET SALTY

On Earth Day 2015, Terranea unveiled the custom-built Sea Salt Conservatory, a greenhouse right on the resort grounds. Water from the shores of the Pacific Ocean is collected by hand before it’s pooled in the conservatory's three beds, where it evaporates into salt crystals in the Southern California sun. Some of the 350 pounds of salt produced yearly are cold-smoked and infused with flavors like Meyer lemon and fresh herbs grown at the resort. Terranea’s sea salt is used in the restaurant kitchens—and it’s for sale at sea beans so you can take a taste of Terranea home.

KELPING OUT

In another effort to enjoy the ocean’s bounty, Terranea also harvests nutrient-rich kelp from the shores of the Pacific, hanging it to dry in the Sea Salt Conservatory. Every restaurant at the resort has a dish featuring kelp as an ingredient, and you’ll even spot it infused into the resort’s famous sea salt and handmade soaps.

FARM LIFE

Nearby Catalina View Gardens is a four-acre organic farm from which the chefs source a variety of seasonal vegetables. If you spot tomatoes, avocados, artichokes, chili peppers, fennel, or squash on a menu, chances are they’re from right down the road.

BEE MINE

Catalina View Gardens is home to 120,000 bees, which not only produce honey, but also help to pollinate the various fruit and vegetable plants at the farm and resort. The honey makes its way into candies, salad dressings, and cheese platters in the restaurants.

A GARDEN GROWS AT MAR’SEL

Walk down the winding path to mar’sel and you’ll notice three raised garden beds. There, the culinary team grow a variety of fresh herbs and greens that show up on the restaurant’s inventive, California- inspired menus.

OLIVE JUICE

While exploring the grounds, you may spot more than a couple of olive trees dotting the landscape. While they do produce some of the olives on the resort’s menus, the culinary team also works with Catalina View Gardens to supplement the supply. Every autumn, they press and blend the Greek, Spanish, and Italian olives into a bright-green, mineral-packed, extra-virgin olive oil.