Food
A&Z Nut Wagon
816 S. Lorena St., Los Angeles, CA, 90023
323-267-1695
Gonzalez sells just the one variety of jerky (“I have no time for nothing else”), but customers line up for it at his counter…
Neighborhood: Boyle Heights, Los Angeles
Bill’s Bees
200 Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles, CA, 90401
(818) 896-6506
Unlike most commercial honeys, these are unheated and unfiltered to preserve their natural flavor and enzymes (except in the case of the rich, dark, caramelized honey, Bill’s answer to molasses)
Bird Pick Tea and Herb
10 S. De Lacey Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 91105
626-773-4372
Behold a world of leafy splendor at Bird Pick Tea and Herb…
Website: http://birdpick.com/
E. Waldo Ward & Son
273 E. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 91024
626-355-1218
The third and fourth generations behind the San Gabriel Valley institution E. Waldo Ward & Son cook up some two dozen jams and preserves…
Website: http://waldoward.com/
Neighborhood: Los Angeles, Sierra Madre
Galco’s Soda Pop Stop
5702 York Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90042
323-255-7115
Uncle Oinker’s strawberry-flavored Gummy Bacon shares shelf space with Slap Stix caramel pops at Silver Lake’s Zanzabelle, a wonderful spot to browse for confectionary oddities…
Website: http://sodapopstop.com/
Neighborhood: Highland Park, Los Angeles
Huntington Meats
6333 W 3rd St # 350, Los Angeles, CA, 90036
(323) 933-8577
Sausage is having a moment. On display at Huntington Meats is a rotating selection of more than 20 pork, lamb, and chicken links free of nitrates and preservatives.
Neighborhood: Beverly Grove
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2012: Eat, Best of LA: 2012, Best of LA: Eat, Food, Shopping
Kosher Club
4817 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90019
323-933-8283
There are many kosher grocers in L.A. Eilat, on Pico, with its pushcart-packed aisles, seems the most intent on replicating a 1970s Tehran traffic jam.
Website: http://www.kosherclub.com/
Neighborhood: Pico-Robertson
La Adelita PanderĂa
317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA, 90013
213-628-0777
Grab a round metal tray and a pair of tongs and start loading up: There are at least two dozen varieties of Mexican sweet bread, flaky pineapple and cherry turnovers, and oversize cookies, which go for about 75¢ apiece.
Neighborhood: Downtown
La Huerta
317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA, 90013
(213) 437-0100
We always treat ourselves to a few pieces of mango chamoy—thin strips of the fruit in a sweet-and-sour sticky red glaze—from the huge glass jar on the counter.
Neighborhood: Downtown
Le Sanctuaire
2710 Main Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90405
Mere shavings—an ounce is enough for four servings—over eggs or buttered pasta can be mind-blowing.
Website: http://www.le-sanctuaire.com/
McCall’s Meat & Fish Co.
2117 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90027
323-667-0674
Best Butcher, August 2011
Website: http://www.mccallsmeatandfish.com
Neighborhood: Los Feliz
Melrose Place Farmers’ Market
Melrose Pl. and Croft Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90069
The location amid beautiful design showrooms makes the Melrose Place Farmers’ Market feel like a stroll in Florence…
Neighborhood: Los Angeles, West Hollywood
Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market
6333 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA, 90036
Whether you’re roasting a bird or concocting a butterscotch pudding, a pinch of good sodium chloride can make all the difference…
Website: http://mrmarcel.com/
Neighborhood: Fairfax
Mrs. Winston’s Green Grocery
2901 Ocean Park Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90405
310-452-7770
At Mrs. Winston’s Green Grocery stores, run by Mrs. Winston and her sons Eddy and Corey, immaculate salad bars are the focus; they’re vibrant marriages of quantity and quality.
Nicole’s Gourmet Foods
921 Meridian Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 91030
(626) 403-5751
A passionate staff who understand the benefits of flash-frozen pâté, Peugot pepper mills, and French ham gladly pass along their knowledge.
Website: http://www.nicolesgourmetfoods.com/
Olive Hill Farm
200 Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles, CA, 90401
805-688-3700
The flavor is grassy, its opening flourish finishing in a subtle decrescendo.
Website: http://www.olivehilloil.com/
Spice Station
3819 West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90026
(323) 660-2565
Honestly, the abundance of powders, leaves, seeds, and other seasonings at Silver Lake’s Spice Station has us reeling.
Neighborhood: Silver Lake
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2012: Eat, Best of LA: 2012, Best of LA: Eat, Food, Shopping
The Curious Palate
12034 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90066
310-437-0144
Best Locally Made Peanut Butter, August 2011
Website: http://www.thecuriouspalate.com
Neighborhood: Mar Vista