At her female-forward speakeasy Force of Nature, longtime restaurateur Leena Culhane fosters connections and champions sustainability from a century-old house on Abbot Kinney
Leena Culhane didn’t imagine herself as a whirling dervish — albeit one as calm as a feather in a soft sea breeze — of the restaurant world. Nor did she envision being a woman whose name is whispered among the well-heeled hoi polloi of Venice, grateful that she opened a space for them. Meaning locals.
The term hoi polloi has often been misused to signal it’s a place for high society, but the red-bottom-shoed crowd can more likely be found waiting in line a bit further down Abbot Kinney than at her adorable new venue, the appropriately named Force of Nature.
Sure, it seems a bit of a cliché to describe a woman who has been on the forefront of the Los Angeles restaurant scene for years as a “force.” But for Culhane, her resume as an interdisciplinary artist, a skill she used as a bicoastal restaurateur, backs it up. After serving as the owner and longtime creative director of Santa Monica’s Main Street favorites Crudo e Nudo and Isla — plus contributing to the raw fish and wine bar at Manhattan’s Bella Dea in the West Village — Culhane has settled into her own space, quite literally.
Force of Nature’s scenic rooftopCredit: Simran Malik
Force of Nature is accessed through what appears to be a secret door behind a DJ booth inside the eatery Only the Wild Ones, which first began as a pandemic pop-up from The Butcher’s Daughter owner, Heather Tierney. The fun California coastal spot now permanently occupies the first floor of 1031 Abbot Kinney Blvd., a great complement to Force of Nature for the nights Culhane does not offer one of her famous female-driven chef dinners.
What makes Force of Nature special for foodies are these dinners that unfold in her soothing open-air space under the sway of palm trees that line the Westside’s shopping mecca. Her wine list is designed as a curation of the world’s best female winemakers and spirits producers who value sustainability. She has also embraced the non-drinkers with a lively list of mocktails. Some of the seating overlooks the picturesque Cook’s Garden (and its bunny houses). Check in with Culhane on Insta to find information about upcoming chef dinners.
Wine comes from female producersCredit: Simran Malik
What makes this place so special, however, is not just what you can taste, but what you can feel. Culhane calls Force of Nature “an ode to women — and the folks who support women — as they continue to hold, expand and deepen what is possible for all of us.”
Scroll to continue reading