Coalo Valley Farms Announces Collaboration With Grain Lab Deli and Kitchen

    BURBANK, CA, November 04, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Coalo Valley Farms, Los Angeles' first farm to produce insects for human consumption, has teamed up with Owner Timothy Kang and Chef Flavi Mancera of Grain Lab Deli and Kitchen to create a sustainable and nutritious dining experience in Burbank. Grain Lab will be featuring Cricket Burgers as a special menu item from October 28th through November 11th.

Crickets have risen in popularity among nutritionists over the past few years as a low- calorie, low-fat source of protein that contains high levels of iron, fiber, calcium, and Omega 3s. The insects are also widely praised for their sustainability, as they require less water and produce fewer greenhouse gasses than other forms of protein. Still, many consumers have remained skeptical about eating insects. In creating a cricket burger, Grain Lab hopes to introduce edible insects to its health-minded customers as part of a holistic dining experience.

"We've long been looking to partner with a local restaurant in order to make edible insects more accessible to consumers, and were very lucky to connect with Grain Lab, an eatery that shares our vision and values," Says Coalo's CEO, Elliot Mermel, "We couldn't be more enthusiastic about working with them and are very excited for diners to taste the delicious end product that Tim and Chef have created."

Grain Lab launched the special this past Friday, October 28th and has already seen a great deal of interest from the public. The dish is presented on a harvest bun with horseradish aioli, fried onions and serrano peppers, pineapple relish, butter lettuce, oven roasted tomatoes, and a patty consisting of quinoa, garbanzo beans, zucchini, and roasted crickets.

About Grain Lab Deli and Kitchen: Grain Lab is an independent, family-owned restaurant that creates fresh, innovative and nutritious meals for health-conscious diners.

About Coalo Valley Farms: Coalo Valley Farms is an urban farm in the San Fernando Valley that utilizes sustainable farming practices to produce organically grown insects for human consumption. The Farm's unique approach to food production has been featured in LA Weekly, BBC, Buzzfeed, Los Angeles Daily News, and NPR.

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