Local Food

Description:

This is a slice of Venice Beach in Hollywood. Each Sunday morning this area is taken over by merchants selling everything from produce to handmade baskets. As many people only frequent the area for late-night clubs and gigs, this diversion can be a welcome surprise. There's plenty of free fun to be had exploring the stands for that perfect bargain. Specific offerings vary by week, but you can generally count on a plethora of entertaining toys and games to keep the kids occupied while the bigger kids shop. Admission and parking are free, and no credit cards are accepted.

Our Local Expert Says:

Breakfast is the new Lunch and no one has it down better than the people at bld.

Description:

BLD is the acronym for breakfast, lunch and dinner and that is exactly what you will find here. This neighborhood favorite is a great place to dine, although the prices do tend to pinch. Gorge on pork, turkey, Wagyu beef or even vegan burgers. Don't forget to sample the eclectic range of charcuterie and cheese. The gallery-like interiors have a touch of antiquity. On your way out you can also pick up something from the specialty food store.

Description:

Now entering its 8th decade, the original market was little more than an empty lot with wooden stands set up by farmers during the Depression so they could sell directly to city dwellers. Eventually, permanent buildings grew up, including the trademark shingled 10-story clock tower. Today the place has evolved into a sprawling marketplace with a carnival atmosphere, a kind of "turf" version of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. About 70 restaurants, shops, and grocers cater to a mix of workers from the CBS Television City complex, locals, and tourists brought here by the busload. Retailers sell greeting cards, kitchen implements, candles, and souvenirs, but everyone comes for the food stands, which offer oysters, hot doughnuts, Cajun gumbo, fresh-squeezed orange juice, corned beef sandwiches, fresh-pressed peanut butter, and all kinds of international fast foods. You can still buy produce here -- it's no longer a farm-fresh bargain, but the selection's better than at the grocery store. Don't miss Kokomo (tel. 323/933-0773), a "gourmet" outdoor coffee shop that has become a power breakfast spot for showbiz types. Red turkey hash and sweet-potato fries are the dishes that keep them coming back. The seafood gumbo and gumbo ya ya at the Gumbo Pot (tel. 323/933-0358) are also very popular.

At the eastern end of the Farmers Market is the Grove, a massive 575,000-square-foot Vegas-style retail complex composed of various architectural styles ranging from Art Deco to Italian Renaissance. Miniature streets link the Grove to the Market via a double-deck electric trolley. Granted, it's all a bit Disney-gaudy, but the locals love it. Where else can you power-shop until noon, check all your bags at a drop-off station, get a spa treatment at Amadeus Aveda Spa (tel. 323/297-0311; www.amadeusspa.com), see a movie at the 14-screen Grove Theatre (tel. 323/692-0829; www.thegrovela.com), have an early dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy (tel. 323/965-9665; www.maggianos.com), and be home by 7pm?

Description:

This village is a popular spot in the South Bay for shopping and eating. It feels like a quaint New England fishing village with a splash of Mediterranean style thrown in for good measure. There are plenty of interesting shops selling everything from nautical-inspired gifts to clothing to gourmet food. It's a really great trip for kids who can stroll along with you while snacking on cotton candy or popcorn. Credit cards may be accepted, but will vary by store.