WHY For some of the best prime beef in L.A. Consider going in with friends on a side of dry-aged beef. WHAT Inside the winningly old-school Howie’s Ranch Market is this superb purveyor of beef—it’s mostly from Harris Ranch, and it’s mostly prime. The butchers know what they’re doing. The marinated meats, notably the chicken [...]
WHY The on-site smoker, the Harris Ranch beef dry-aged on the premises and the homemade sausages. WHAT Part of the elite Beverly Glen Marketplace is this high-end butcher, known for its prime beef, veal chops and kebabs and other prepared meats. Good movie-star-spotting, too. WHO Bel-Air locals, for whom the price of prime, dry-aged beef [...]
WHY For small-town service with big-city products, from fine wines and prime meats to frozen organic baby food and boutique-label chocolates. WHAT This swank little market doesn’t have 50 kinds of toilet paper, but it has everything a Bel-Air resident might need, including artisanal cheeses and sushi. There’s an espresso bar, too. WHO Movie stars [...]
WHY For the celebrity cachet, of course, but also because Puck remains the standard-bearer in modern American cooking. WHAT L.A.’s original celebrity chef is now a national superstar, with restaurants, airport cafés and catering operations from coast to coast. His food is universally appealing, and the entire operation is completely professional. It’s no bargain, but [...]
WHY For delicious, reasonably priced catered lunches for business meetings, script readings or production shoots; they do good dinner parties and showers, too. WHAT Cheryl Canter-Valesella first found success with cakes and desserts at her wholesale and retail bakery operation. But she doesn’t just bake, and eventually she found herself in demand at studios and [...]
WHY For a lovely and reasonably priced wedding or garden party, as well as carry-out platters of comforting modern American food (grilled tri-tip, white-bean chicken chili, Southern fried-chicken salad) for all sorts of events. WHAT Many a wedding has been held in this secret garden behind a brick storefront on the south end of Old [...]
WHY Excellent food stations for large parties, as well as the full range of party services—and great gourmet-to-go goodies for that last-minute dinner party. WHAT If you’ve ever attended a big wedding, fundraiser or celebratory shindig in Pasadena and environs, you’re likely to have enjoyed Peggy Dark’s food. Her long-established firm, which has also catered [...]
WHY Fresh, live crab—especially the unique-to-California coastal species. WHAT For more than 25 years, this has been crab central in San Pedro’s Ports O’ Call Village. Boiled, steamed or packed up live to cook at home, these succulent crustaceans are the stars at this family-run seafood market/restaurant. Longtime customers check the tanks to pick out [...]
WHY For live ducks and chickens, slaughtered to order if you want—or the more conventional (very) fresh poultry. Also a fine selection of cuts of pork, whole fish on ice and live tilapia and crab. WHAT Poultry is the claim to fame, both live and butchered, but fresh fish and pork are also in abundance, [...]
WHY For authentic, crowd-pleasing Santa Maria barbecue, cooked at your site. WHAT Some parties demand the social consciousness of vegan cooking. Others cry out for the aroma of slow-grilled hunks o’ meat. Buckboard puts on a very good traditional Central Coast barbecue, with tri-tip, beef ribs, chicken and the trimmings (cole slaw, pinquito beans, white-bread [...]
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