WHY Yountville foodie elegance in Brentwood. WHAT Freshness is a fetish here, whether it’s braised sunchokes or perfectly cut shoestring fries from Weiser Farms potatoes. Jeffrey Cerciello, former culinary director of Thomas Keller’s casual dining division, has created an upscale larder featuring dishes (salmon rillettes, poached chicken salad) made with the best local produce alongside [...]
January 4, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Kala jeera (black cumin) and French four spice, and knowledgeable staffers who can tell you what to do with them. WHAT This Wisconsin-based chain is the Grand Cru of spice shops. At both the newer Santa Monica branch and in Torrance, you’ll find a dizzying selection of chile powder, cinnamon and pepper blends. The [...]
December 21, 2011 | Posted in
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You’ve been so very good this year…not to mention this season. Stay at the top of Santa’s “Nice” list while giving YOURSELF some holiday cheer by participating in the 3rd Annual SANTA Monica Pub Crawl, which benefits the Westside Food Bank and kicks off at 5:00 p.m. this Saturday, December 17th. Don your fave holiday [...]
December 12, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Luxe breakfast and lunch on the beach. WHAT Is $17 too much to pay for bacon ‘n eggs? Not with a setting like this—a white-washed California dream of a café at sand level in this beachfront hotel, with windows open to the ocean air and the cyclists a few feet away on the bike [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Quality cooking schools are like independent bookstores—distinctive and passionate about their mission. WHAT The focus is still on desserts, but savory classes, a pro series and team-building workshops are now offered at Clémence Gossett and Hadley Hughes’s trendy-looking space on the new third-floor food court at Santa Monica Place. WHO Amateur and aspirational bakers. [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For the chance to take home amazing edibles both decadent and divine—or eat them on the spot. WHAT More like Harrod’s food hall or Eataly NYC than the familiar food court, this collection of shops will put your appetite on sensory overload: Primi al Mercato (from Piero Selvaggio of Valentino) offers fresh pastas in [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY It’s like stepping into the neighborhood negozio di alimentari you frequented on your last trip to Italy. WHAT This family-run, 14,000-square-foot warehouse and teeny showroom teem with ‘tutti prodotti tipici regionali.’ It’s all here and it’s all Italian: excellent dried pastas (Spinosi! Columbro!); canned tuna, beans and San Marzano tomatoes; rice and faro; chocolates [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY An authentic Mexican bakery with westside-friendly touches, lunch and coffee drinks. WHAT The Boyle Heights stalwart now has a bright and welcoming Santa Monica location, where a French pastry chef brings a lighter touch to traditional Mexican pan dulce, breads and cakes (tres leches, coconut-flan), with a no-lard policy. Shelves are packed with appealing [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Because you can snack on squid-ink tagliolini and romanesco pizza at 3:30 in the afternoon. WHAT This casual spinoff of Piccolo in Venice may be a lot less expensive, but it has the same authentic culinary bent—think veal tongue in tuna sauce and baccala-filled ravioli. An upmarket pizza list of sauced and unsauced varieties [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Of all the great westside hybrid café/takeout/gourmet markets that have popped up recently, this is the first that doesn’t feel like a lunchtime splurge, with most sandwiches and salads priced less than $10. WHAT Regulars come here for Chinese chicken salad with fried won tons and sugar snaps; tomato, mozzarella and pesto sandwiches; and [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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