Co-Owners/Co-Founders: Elliot Rubin and Mark Cannon

As kids, one grew up raising all manner of creatures from geese to goats, while the other slurped down noodles as a diplomat’s son in Thailand and Korea. As twenty-somethings, one followed his passion for the earth into the field of agricultural engineering, while the other got hooked on cooking and found himself opening up an Italian restaurant in Taiwan. And in their thirties, their paths finally crossed when they met over back-yard BBQs as next-door neighbors in Santa Monica. Ever since, they’ve bonded over a passion and insatiable appetite for good food.

Curious by nature, they’ve traveled and lived the world, from Africa to Europe to Russia and the Far East, not to mention almost all 50 states in the US of A (North Dakota, here we come!). Everywhere they went, as soon as the day job was done, they’d go on a culinary adventure of the palate, savoring the local fare – from duck tongues to sautéed fish stomach to, yes, ant larvae.

For many years they maintained their day jobs—Elliot as an engineer and product developer and Mark as a television producer. But, Mark eventually realized that he’s never happier than when he’s cooking for and feeding family and friends. And now, his best friend Elliot has joined him in creating THE CURIOUS PALATE – a heart-warming “home” built on the time-honored belief that the bond between loved ones flourishes at the table over well-prepared, creative meals.

Designer: Stephan Roggenbuck

Curious Palate's uniquely talented designer, Stephan Roggenbuck, is a European transplant whose green minded vision guides both his interior design and his own furniture line. Check out both or contact Stephan at www.bauwerkgreen.com.

Our Philosophy:

THE CURIOUS PALATE is much more than a place to buy food. We believe in exchanging ideas, and invite you to come in to talk food: get the back story on the foods we sell; discuss the latest culinary trends; swap a few tips and tricks with our staff.

For us, cooking is all about connecting with people – and with the earth. That means we’re always exploring new ways of supporting artisans and local producers who can provide us with fresh, sustainable, natural ingredients.

We also aimed to be as green as possible in launching THE CURIOUS PALATE, and we don’t mean by loading up on peas and lettuce. Just look around.

• Tables & Countertops: We asked a friend to handcraft these out of Douglas Fir rafters that we reclaimed from a Santa Monica teardown. The wood is finished and maintained not with polyurethane, but 100% organic plant-based oil.
• Doors & Boards: In transforming 12034 Venice Blvd. into THE CURIOUS PALATE, we demolished the ceiling to expose the original 1940s roof beams. Instead of taking the scrap wood to the landfill, we turned it into items like our menu blackboards, POS countertop, chair rails and the swinging doors to the kitchen as well as using some of the wood to reinforce the remaining ceiling. We found our “new” patio door at Silverlake Architectural Salvage, who do their own reclaiming of local teardowns.
• Décor & Display: Many of our knickknacks and product holders, dug up at local flea markets, are antiques and crafts made of reclaimed materials.
• Walls & Floors: All interior walls are dressed in zero V.O.C paint made from eggshells; our floor is all natural slate (no epoxy).
• In Our Kitchen: On the simple side, we’re not shy about using lemons, vinegar and baking soda to make things sparkling clean. And if you really want to know, the equipment includes a high-efficiency oven recognized by The Gas Company… and a modern 750-gallon grease interceptor. Thanks to Elliot’s engineering and mechanical genius, we can also give a lot of TLC to all our equipment to maximize energy efficiency to give ’em a nice long life.
• On Our Staff: The "GET CURIOUS" T-shirts are 100% organic cotton & and yes, they’re for sale!
• In Your Hands: When possible TCP's take-out bags, boxes, cutlery, etc., are made of recycled or biodegradable materials. But, of course we encourage you to bring in your own mugs, containers and bakeware for us to fill.

We hope that as we grow, this list will grow. Join us in being green and going local.