Acclaimed siblings Billie Eilish and Finneas have joined forces with vegan restaurateur Nic Adler to introduce Argento, an upcoming vegan Italian restaurant. Located in Los Angeles, Argento marks a noteworthy culinary development for the two music stars.
The talented duo, widely recognized for their collaborative work in producing and composing most of Eilish’s songs, is stepping into the restaurant business with a vision to offer a unique vegan dining experience. Nic Adler, co-founder of the well-regarded Monty’s Good Burger, a vegan fast-food chain with multiple locations across California, and the creative mind behind the popular plant-based eatery Nic’s On Beverley, joins the siblings in this exciting venture.
Set to open soon in the former space of Little Pine, a vegan restaurant in LA’s Silver Lake neighborhood, Argento is poised to influence the city’s culinary scene. The restaurant’s menu will showcase a vibrant celebration of fresh, plant-based Italian cuisine. Distinguishing itself from Monty’s Good Burger, which offers vegan meat options, Argento will focus on a vegetable-forward approach, steering clear of processed plant-based meat alternatives. Nic Adler emphasizes the importance of highlighting the versatility of vegetables and allowing them to take center stage in this Mediterranean-inspired culinary space.
For Billie Eilish, the allure of Argento lies in its accessibility to everyone, irrespective of their dietary preferences. Eilish envisions Argento transcending the typical “vegan” branding. She advocates that vegan food is for everyone, emphasizing the positive shift in the culinary arena over the past decade.
The surge in the popularity of vegan food is not limited to dedicated vegans but extends to flexitarians, a significant driving force behind the increased accessibility of vegan options. Billie Eilish invites individuals to consider the environmental impact of their dietary decisions, highlighting the water-intensive process of meat production. Research indicates that over half of young people aged between 24 and 39 in the US identify as flexitarians. This shift is not only a testament to changing dietary preferences but also emphasizes the expanding accessibility of vegan alternatives.
Eilish’s commitment to environmental causes goes beyond her dietary choices. In 2022, she founded Overheated, a London-based plant-based event to raise awareness of environmental issues. Her recognition on the TIME100 Climate list further solidifies her influence in advocating for climate-conscious choices. During an interview, Eilish emphasized the significant role of animal agriculture in climate change and the urgent need for individuals to adopt a plant-based diet for the well-being of the planet.
Eilish’s mother, Maggie Baird, plays a pivotal role in the family’s advocacy for plant-based living. Co-founding the nonprofit Support And Feed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Baird aims to address both the climate crisis and food insecurity. Inspired by her family’s dedication to veganism, Eilish fully embraced the lifestyle, along with Finneas and her father, actor Patrick O’Connell.
Anticipation surrounds the opening of Argento, scheduled for December after ongoing renovations. Adler, Finneas, and Eilish envision the restaurant as a welcoming space, fostering a relaxed ambiance for patrons to enjoy Italian cuisine. Adler expresses his enthusiasm for extended Sunday dinners and hopes Argento will become an inviting gathering place that adds to the city’s diverse culinary offerings.
