Photo provided by The Seabirds Kitchen, photography by Andy Reed
In the bustle of the kitchen, Seabirds Kitchen manager, Elizabeth Crawford-McNerney, put together the final touches of the popular menu item, Purple Taquitos. The taquitos are made with purple potatoes which give them their rich indigo color. She placed on top of them the fermented curtido, a Salvadorian relish made with cabbage, carrots, and onions combined with spices. She proceeded to gingerly garnish the dish with a sizable helping of almond feta — almond puree, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper. As Crawford-McNerney worked, the kitchen air began to fill with the distinct smells of grilling tofu, rich sliced avocado, and the Seabirds Sauce — a vibrant combination of cilantro, jalapeño, vegan mayonnaise, and other delicious flavors that make up the most popular condiment on the menu. The kitchen worked like a fine-tuned clock, everyone at their separate station creating their portion of each meal ordered. This station cooking is typical for Seabirds because of its efficiency. At that moment, Crawford-McNerney was in charge of garnishing.
Crawford-McNerney preparing Purple Taquitos.
Photograph taken by Emma Andres
Crawford-McNerney preparing Purple Taquitos.
Photograph taken by Emma Andres
After she finished sprinkling on the almond feta, she reached for a handful of minced cilantro which she generously placed atop the taquitos. She slid the plate into the ordering window and rang a small call bell. She turned around and smiled at me before she started on the next order. The purple taquitos are just one of the many authentic vegan dishes that Seabirds Kitchen is known for. As a vegan restaurant, they do not try to hide their use of natural, seasonal products and instead embrace the vegan culture in a natural, wholesome style.
The restaurant sits alongside the 405 freeway in Costa Mesa’s The Lab: Anti-Mall. The outdoor shopping and dining center is home to small businesses — hence the acronym ‘L-A-B’ or Little American Business — and has a feel of an offbeat urban wanderer’s paradise full of clothing outlets, vinyl carts, coffee shops, and Harry Potter-themed nights at the Ruin Bar. The center also is home to a large array of locally-produced art and the structures of The Lab are themselves infused with art. In such a landmine for innovative local businesses and creative inspiration, it is no wonder that the Seabirds Kitchen chose to set up shop here. The restaurant is fairly new to the area first arriving in 2013.
Photograph taken by Emma Andres
The restaurant originated as a food truck, according to their head of finances and business, Bill Denton: “The genesis of the Seabirds Kitchen actually came from our truck first. We were a food truck first – we believe the first vegan food truck in [the country]. We were successful but wanted to transition to brick and mortar business. The Lab owners had been talking to us about the space.”
The Seabirds company started their food truck in 2010, inspired by founder Stephanie Morgan. Morgan was a plant-based foodie who wanted to bring veggie options to local, west coast favorites such as burritos and tacos. The restaurant bases its menu items off of seasonal produce. None of their ingredients are artificially processed. All sauces and condiments are made from scratch in the kitchen. Denton assured that the quality of their customers’ experience is most important. Unlike other vegan restaurants, according to Denton, Seabirds Kitchen does not focus on convenience but rather the quality of food cooked.
“My background is in fine-dining and boutique hotels – so service is extremely important. Most other vegan restaurants are in the fast-casual segment of the industry. We felt that [that] would limit us in service, sales and experience,” he says.
Photograph taken by Emma Andres
A commonly held belief is that vegan food is insipid and nutrient-deficient because of its lack of animal products, which causes people to shy away from trying it. This is not the case, vegan cuisine can be delicious if cooked well. At Seabirds, veganism is all over the menu, but it is not used as the main selling point. According to Denton, the purpose of this restaurant is not to idealize veganism, but to create a community setting for friends and family to enjoy good food and good company:
“We want our guests to feel as if it’s like home. Comfortable with friends they might know with food that [they] can’t get anywhere else in the neighborhood. We don’t hide the fact we are vegan, nor do we act as “apostles” for the movement. We do it with our actions and core values,” he says.
As smiling waitresses deliver plates to tables and take orders, customers seem to enjoy the restaurant’s ambiance. The soft lighting, the subtle music playing over the air, and the open floor plan with picnic-style seating all contribute to the organic character of the restaurant. As the employees move about, it is easy to see that the environment contributes to a feeling of familiarity and casual dining.
Seabirds Kitchen outdoor seating alongside The Lab’s displayed artwork.
Photograph taken by Emma Andres
Elizabeth Crawford-McNerney first began working at the Costa Mesa location about six months after it opened and worked her way from line-cook to sous-chef and is now the head of the location. A vegan herself, she has been a supporter of Seabirds since Stephanie Morgan first began her endeavor with plant-based food in 2010.
“I love what she does. Pushing the boundaries on food and it’s sustainable… it works!” Crawford-McNerney said referring to first seeing Morgan on Food Network back in 2011. One of Crawford-McNerney’s favorite dishes on the menu is grilled cheese with avocado and Korean jackfruit, which is a fruit related to mulberry and fig and is native to southwest India.
“I love the grilled cheese with avocado inside and Korean jackfruit,” she smiled, “we take our jackfruit and cook it in our Korean marinade and it is just so flavorful and yummy and I put it on everything.”
Crawford-McNerney believes that the restaurant is an excellent move in the direction of vegan cuisine. The food is delicious and nutrient-rich but does not leave its customers too full. In all, she describes the restaurant as sustainable, family-oriented, exceptional, wholesome, and dedicated.
While still a food truck, Seabirds was featured on The Great Food Truck Race in Season Two on Food Network. Although they were ultimately eliminated, their impact on the public since then has taken off. There are currently two locations in Long Beach and Costa Mesa and a location in downtown Los Angeles and San Diego are in the works the next two years.
Ultimately, the message of Seabirds Kitchen is plain and simple: “You can eat healthy, savory, plant-based meals that are not boring!” Denton exclaims.