Chef Ari Kolender's Hayden Brings Modern Chic Cuisine To Culver City

Culver City has come a long way. Last year, the ultra-cool retail strip Platform LA opened and brought a touch of chic to the area, which is known for being the longtime home of the Sony Pictures studio lot. Recently, Chef Ari Kolender's Hayden opened inside of Platform LA and the neighborhood is already abuzz about the James Beard nominee's restaurant and wine bar.

Before opening Hayden, Kolender worked at The Ordinary and Leon's Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop in Charleston, where he was nominated for the James Beard Rising Star Chef award. Kolender has also worked at Providence and Red Medicine in Los Angeles.

"We spent a long time opening [Hayden]. And the first year, every day is a new day," he said. "We have so many ideas, and so many visions of what it could be ... Everyone's been very supportive. I make it a point to go and talk to people who are enjoying the space and happy to hear that most of them live close by, or work close by."

The modern space has a super relaxing vibe and incorporates lighting and furniture from British designer Tom Dixon, whose flagship store is also in Platform LA. Kolender said he wanted Hayden to reflect both the Hayden Tract neighborhood of Los Angeles while filling a void that he felt existed in the area. 

"Part of the inspiration was going around Culver City and seeing what other people are doing and wanting to bring something unique to the table," he said. "We don't need to have another burger. We don't need to have another...whatever it is that other people are already doing well. We just came to the conclusion that we want to focus on giving people the best possible product in a, hopefully, a relaxed space."

Hayden's menu highlights local California ingredients with European influences for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During the day, Hayden serves up Kolender's signature waffles, a delicious Japanese breakfast bowl, tartines, salads, and sandwiches. For dinner, you can grab oysters, European canned seafood, and an extensive selection of new California wines, which are also available in Hayden's wine shop.

Kolender said the signature waffles are among one of Hayden's best sellers, but his personal favorite menu item is the European canned tuna.

"I'm very excited about it because it does mean a lot to me, traveling through Spain and Portugal and seeing all the hard work that goes into the canning process, and what it means to them, and how delicious it is," he said. "I'm just so excited that we can get any of it in the states. And I work with a few importers. We can only get a very small amount of what's produced, a very, very small amount, but what we can get is delicious."

Kolender is originally from Charleston, South Carolina, which he said has inspired the menu and his cooking techniques in some ways.

"Charleston will always be my home. It's a fantastic place," he said. "There's so much charm in every little pocket of the city. It's such a close-knit community. It's really a blessing to have grown up in such a great place."

And now, Hayden is a new home for both Kolender and Culver City residents as well.