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Los Angeles may be known for its beach living and celebrity-infused backdrop, but it was once a farm town. The hillsides were covered in citrus orchards and dairy farms, and agriculture was a major industry. Today, even as L.A. is urbanized, the city's culinary landscape has re-embraced a local, sustainable, and seasonal philoso
Los Angeles may be known for its beach living and celebrity-infused backdrop, but it was once a farm town. The hillsides were covered in citrus orchards and dairy farms, and agriculture was a major industry. Today, even as L.A. is urbanized, the city's culinary landscap
Los Angeles may be known for its beach living and celebrity-infused backdrop, but it was once a farm town. The hillsides
Los Angeles may be known for its beach living and celebrity-infused backdrop, but it was once a farm town. The hillsides were covered in citrus orchards and dairy farms, and agriculture was a major industry. Today, even as L.A. is urbanized, the city's culinary landscape has re-embraced a local, sustainable, and seasonal philosophy at many levels—from fine dining to street snacks.
With a growing interest in farm-to-fork, the city's farmers' market scene has exploded, becoming popular at big-name restaurants and small eateries alike. In Hollywood and Santa Monica you can often find high-profile chefs scouring farm stands for fresh produce.
Yet the status of the celebrity chef continues to carry weight around this town. People follow the culinary zeitgeist with the same fervor as celebrity gossip. You can queue up with the hungry hordes at Mozza or try and snag a reservation to the ever-popular Trois Mec that’s much like getting a golden ticket these days. Elsewhere, the seasonally driven bakery and insanely popular Huckleberry in Santa Monica has been given a Brentwood counterpart with the rustically sweet Milo & Olive created by the same owners. In Culver City, a run-down International House of Pancakes has been turned into the ski chalet–inspired A-Frame Tavern. The Ace Hotel opened an L.A. chapter Downtown, creating a hip haven when you can enjoy cocktails and locally sourced menu items poolside or in the restaurant.
Ethnic eats continue to be a backbone to the L.A. dining scene. People head to the San Gabriel Valley for dim sum, ramen, and unassuming taco lounges; Koreatown for epic Korean cooking and late-night coffeehouses; and West L.A. and "the Valley" for phenomenal sushi. Latin food is well represented in the city, making it tough to choose between Guatemalan eateries, Peruvian restaurants, nouveau Mexican bistros, and Tijuana-style taco trucks. With so many dining options, sometimes the best strategy is simply to drive and explore.
When this music-influenced doughnut shop first opened on York Boulevard in the early days of Highland Park’s renaissance, there wasn’t much there, and its arrival helped shape the now-bustling strip and its vegan inclinations. Donut Friend has evolved into a destination in its own right, touting both a signature and limited menu of purely vegan doughnuts—which also happen to be inspired by the pop punk and emo music scene.
5107 York Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90042, USA
The award-winning Knowrealitypie, hidden in a shop the size of a large walk-in closet, is truly a passion project, with co-owner Tracy Ann DeVore furiously paddling beneath the water's surface to make those homemade pies on her own. That's why it's only open from Thursday through Saturday until it sells out, which it often does. Partaking in a rotating menu of seasonal savories and sweet pies, turnovers, and other pastries is practically a Northeast L.A. initiation, however, so it's an important stop when visiting the neighborhood. Tracy also holds pie-making classes every month--a terrific opportunity for travelers to participate in something local.
5106 Townsend Ave., Los Angeles, California, 90041, USA
A longtime darling for Angelenos, Milk Bar is a sweets shop that will cure any sugary cravings. The Milk Bar pie and cereal-milk soft serve are favorites, but you can also take classes with owner Christina Tosi to become your own baking master.
7150 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, California, 90046, USA
The haute cupcake craze isn't going away, so expect lines that extend out the door and down the block here. If you need an after-hours fix, not to worry: Sprinkles also has the world's first cupcake (and cookie) ATM, open round the clock. The most popular flavor? Red velvet, of course.
9635 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, 90210, USA
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