La Semilla brings plant-based goodness to the masses

Catch up quick: La Semilla (Spanish for "seed") grew from husband-and-wife duo Sophia Marchese and Reid Trapani's Happy Seed pop-up at A Mano.

• Sophia discovered a love for vegan food and cooking while serving as a personal chef for a cancer patient, according to the AJC. She‘d bring home leftovers for Reid, who immersed himself in the cuisine.

Of note: This isn't a restaurant serving plate after plate of lab meat with fixings. The restaurant sources ingredients from local farms and trusted growers as much as possible.

• The decor is light, airy and subdued and centers on a portrait of Sophia's great-great-grandmother, who inspired some of the Cuban-Mexican recipes.

💭 Thomas' thought bubble: On a recent visit with friends we ordered delicious queso blanco, mantequilla beans, roasted cauliflower with mole sauce and Cubarritos, among other dishes.

• I knew from the first taste of the queso that we'd be making a return visit.

Yes, and: The cocktail menu — also Latin-inspired — is dotted with plenty of non-alcoholic drink options, including kombucha from Atlanta-based Kea.