This Earth Day, chefs from Los Angeles and New York are coming together for “Make Food Not Waste,” a collaborative, farm-to-table pop-up focused on sustainability. The initiative from Mill Food Recycler was created in 2024 to promote sustainability in the food industry and will feature an intimate, multi-day event at Little City Farm.
Chef Aaron Lindell of Quarter Sheets in Echo Park is teaming up with Chef Mike Fadem of OPS NYC Pizzeria and Wine. The series concludes April 23, when Chef Fátima Juárez of South Central’s Komal partners with New York-based chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske Valtierra, owners of Wildair wine bar.
Reservations are available on Resy. One-night dinner tickets are $125, and all proceeds support LA Compost, a community nonprofit.
Little City Farm is a community urban farm in Mid-Wilshire featuring a scenic, zero-waste gathering space spanning approximately 7,500 square feet. It occasionally hosts private events, workshops and close-knit dinners that can accommodate at least 40 guests.
Chef Juárez told The LA Local that the event aligns with Komal’s values of sustainability and transparency, ensuring nothing is wasted. “I want my dishes to spark conversations around the importance of sourcing and the traceability of where our food comes from,” Juárez said.
An advocate for traditional Mexican cuisine and co-founder of Komal, she draws inspiration from her upbringing in Mexico City. In recent years, Mercado La Paloma’s craft molino has received acclaim for rich Indigenous Mexican dishes using heirloom corn sourced directly from Mexico. Komal works closely with Tamoa and Somos Maiz, which source corn directly from Mexican farmers. Their dedication has been recognized with a Michelin Guide 2025 Bib Gourmand and a James Beard Award finalist designation.
“We are very excited to be partnering with Chef Jeremiah and Chef Fabián on that night’s menu. Chef Fabián and I both come from Mexican backgrounds, and we’re returning to traditional flavors and techniques that utilize every part of the corn,” Juárez said.
Quarter Sheets, run by chefs Aaron Lindell and Hannah Ziskin, started as a pop-up at their Glendale home during the pandemic and later became a restaurant in Echo Park. The restaurant is known for seasonal Detroit-style pizzas, Swedish princess cakes and wine.
In a video interview with Mill Food Recycler, Lindell discussed the upcoming dinner, which focuses on seasonality and sustainability: “When chefs speak about ethical cooking, we almost exclusively reference responsible sourcing as the end-all, be-all. But sourcing is just the beginning. Partnering with Mill on this dinner series is an opportunity to shine a light on sustainability as a holistic process.”
