WHY Fresh tofu made on-site, as well as some vegan grocery essentials, including soy milk, tofu pudding and packaged vegan foods. WHAT Kevin Tran is L.A.’s king of fresh tofu. Come here to buy the good stuff, and allow time to eat in his amazing vegan Vietnamese café while you’re there. WHO A steady stream [...]
August 11, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY One of the wealthiest zip codes gets its small-town mojo on with annual pie and chili cook-offs. WHAT This midsize market has easy-breezy street parking, a good selection of organic vendors, and a Persian New Year celebration. A-list growers include Harry’s Berries, McGrath Farm, Weiser Family Farms and Honey Crisp, which has exquisitely ripe [...]
August 7, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY One of most extensive cookery collections in the entire country is right in our backyard, and it’s free. WHAT More than 18,000 cookbooks, from 14th-century manuscripts, the first Spanish-language cookbook, and 1,000 California cookbooks to Nathan Myhrvold’sModernist Cuisine. Plus a vintage menu collection, advertising ephemera, periodicals and photos. WHO Serious scholars to the average [...]
June 24, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Because the city of Torrance loves its farmers, and you can feel the love. WHAT The jewel of the South Bay, this market runs on two days, Tuesday and Saturday. Saturday is bigger, but both have a tasty mix of seasonal produce, plus a strong Asian selection—Hmong grower Vang Thao’s stand, for instance, is [...]
June 20, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY To score that near-mint copy of The Silver Spoon, or another highly collectible cookbook. WHAT Not enough foodies know about the treasure-trove of cookbooks tucked away in Santa Clarita, just a half-hour north of L.A. This is one of the last of an endangered species: the bricks-and-mortar cookbook shop. Mimi Hiller’s store offers some [...]
May 20, 2012 | 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 hidden, 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; [...]
May 1, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Kids’ amusements, live music, great people-watching and very good produce. WHAT This sibling of the famous Arizona Avenue market is the social event of the week in south SanMo, where neighbors meet and families shop. It may seem to be more about the face-painting and music, but there’s also some terrific food from the [...]
April 13, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY All manner of fresh and fragrant exotic spices and a tea annex, too. WHAT Hidden down a Sunset Junction passageway, Spice Station is filled with spices and dried herbs from around the world. With dozens of salts (ghost pepper salt!), chiles and colorful flavored sugars, the shop offers many ways to make cooking exciting, [...]
April 6, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Enthusiastic tours of some of L.A.’s best ethnic-food enclaves, including Thai Town, Little Tokyo and the Chinese neighborhoods of the San Gabriel Valley. WHAT Jeff Okita and Alex Tao love L.A. and love to eat, and they’ve channeled those passions into seven tasting tours: Little Tokyo, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Thai Town, Downtown L.A. and [...]
March 16, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY L.A.’s passion for cheese spreads eastward, into a spacious gourmet shop facing Shopper’s Lane. WHAT A solid collection of imported and domestic cheese is kept in a temperature-controlled cold room, so shoppers tell the counterfolk what they’re in the mood to sample or choose from the cheese menu. Wine and cheese tastings are held [...]
February 22, 2012 | Posted in
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