Pop-Up Markets In LA Restaurants — Your Neighborhood Guide
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
Nearly a month into stay-at-home orders that have required them to shut their dining rooms, restaurants are scrambling to stay afloat. To do that, some have become de facto grocery stores, selling dry goods, produce, toilet paper, masks and prepared meals that only need to be thrown in an oven.
Whatever you call them — bodegas, marketplaces, larders — this new wave of restaurants-turned-markets has changed the food landscape. But it hasn't happened without hiccups.
Bacari PDR, one of the first restaurants to start selling grocery items alongside prepared food, was cited in late March by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for lacking proper certification and ordered to close. (Businesses need different permits to sell prepared food than they do to sell groceries.)
The restaurant community rallied and met with officials. New guidelines allowing restaurants to sell grocery items went into effect on April 2. Since then, dozens more Los Angeles restaurants have become markets. They sell flour by the pound, grains, beans, pasta, canned goods and a bevvy of items from basic staples to fancy foodstuffs. It's one way to turn all those unused lemons into lemonade.
We've highlighted a handful of restaurants, organized by neighborhood, currently offering grocery and pantry items on their delivery and take-out menus.
——-> For a broader list, check out the fabulous and extensive Los Angeles General Stores site created by graphic designer Kesey Stefanson. <——-
Please note: Things can change quickly. Be sure to look at the restaurant's website or social media to see what's on offer right now.
ATWATER VILLAGE
The Village Bakery and Cafe
Pick up prepared family meals, everyday staples like flour, sugar, rice, beans, eggs and butter, and pastries and baked goods. Delivery offered within a five mile radius, too.
BEVERLY HILLS
Maude
Curtis Stone's intimate restaurant is now a neighborhood marketplace for pick-ups of family vegetarian meals, soups, salads and pantry staples. Watch Instagram for the week's offerings or sign up for the newsletter.
Spago
Among the myriad family meals and bottles of wine you can now get delivered from Wolfgang Puck's flagship restaurant, pre-order a market box full of herbs, greens, vegetables, fruits and more for $55.
CULVER CITY & MAR VISTA
Rockenwagner Bakery
Partnering with County Line Harvest and Lady and the Larder, two independent, California-based businesses, Rockenwagner is offering an assortment of market-fresh produce, artisan cheeses, handmade breads, pastries, and reheatable meals available for direct-to-door delivery.
Roberta's Pizza
Reserve a Thao Family Farms market box to pick up, each one stuffed with things like carrots, Thai shallots, yams, greens, herbs and other seasonal specialties. Add DIY pizza and pasta kits from this pizzeria, and beer or wine, and you'll be set for a few days.
DOWNTOWN L.A.
Go Get Em Tiger
Download the GGET app to order whole bean coffee, bone broth, Bub and Grandma's breads, yeast (suddenly a hot commodity), dried beans, eggs, oat milk and more. Check social media for the week's offerings; available at all locations.
M. Georgina
Order CSA boxes from County Line Harvest and you can pick them up at the Row DTLA restaurant, along with fresh-baked breads, handmade pastas and various grocery items.
Rossoblu
The Italian restaurant's marketplace includes pasta-making kits (including fancy Italian rolling pins, if you want to splurge), pre-made meatballs, lasagna, eggplant parm, grocery items, cocktails, beer and wine. Curbside pick-up only.
EASTSIDE
La Monarca
All 12 locations of the Mexican bakery, including Boyle Heights, Whittier and East L.A, have family meals, bags of coffee and cookies, along with all the milks (oat, soy, almond, condensed, evaporated), dried goods and household necessities like bleach, paper towels and toilet paper.
ECHO PARK
Clark Street Bread
The bakery and cafe has sourdough starter for anyone who wants to jump in the baking fray, plus whole bean coffee, fruit, flour, milks, sugar and eggs, along with fresh-baked breads and pastries, pre-made sandwiches and prepared beverages for take out and delivery.
Tilda
The little wine shop was already doing take-away. Now, in addition to sandwiches and wine, it's offering eggs, breads, grains, dried beans, pasta, cheeses, deli meats, stuffed produce boxes, tinned fish, flour, yeast, spices, olive oil, vinegar, tofu, tortillas, chocolate and more. The selection changes often; check social media or call for details.
Bar Avalon
The Mohawk Collective wine bar shifted to full-on bodega with pick-up and delivery options (even to the Westside!) for everything from wine and beer to plant-friendly toilet paper, Peads & Barnett's pork products, seafood and more. There are wholesale options for larger quantities of proteins like chicken, duck and beef.
Ototo
The little sake bar (sibling to Tsubaki) along Sunset Blvd. has Japanese pantry boxes that includes things like mirin, miso, dashi-making kits, rice, kombu and panko. It also offers Japanese produce boxes, fantastic sakes and Japanese beer. Weekend pickups only.
FAIRFAX
Jon & Vinny's
From chicken stock to dried pasta, quarts of Bolognese sauce to rocky road ice cream, both locations have you covered. There's a wide assortment of grocery items, dried goods and fresh produce as well as latex gloves available for pick up or delivery.
HIGHLAND PARK
HomeState
The Tex-Mex restaurant has started doing its own delivery with no third-party service, which allows the staff to control food handling practices, from start to finish. Both the Highland Park and Los Feliz locations offer full meal kits, Thao Family farm boxes, tortillas, rice, dried beans, salsas, and gallons of margaritas.
Highland Park Brewery
Delivering all over Los Angeles, from Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights to the Westside and South Bay, the brewery offers beer (of course), wine and boxes of seasonal ingredients from Thao Farms, in addition to prepared food.
HISTORIC FILIPINOTOWN
Porridge + Puffs
In addition to a full menu of prepared foods available for pick-up from Minh Phan's neighborhood spot, order quarts of porridge, bottles of housemade habanero salsa, vinegary shrubs, pickled and fermented foods, sourdough starter and bulk grains.
HOLLYWOOD
L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele
The Italian pizzeria now has a fully stocked grocery selection for pick-up (or delivery within a five-mile radius): fruits, vegetables, cheeses, flour, eggs, dairy, batched cocktails and bottled spirits, wine and pastas. The "essentials box" is a great place to start.
Gwen
Luke and Curtis Stone's butcher shop has all the gorgeous proteins you'd want for the grill as well as essentials like fresh produce and eggs, dairy, beer, wine, family meals, soups and banana pudding (yes, it's essential). Available for curbside pick-up and delivery.
Osteria La Buca
Pizza dough, sauce, fresh pastas, cheeses, charcuterie, meats, fresh vegetables and lots and lots of wine are available for delivery and pick-up.
KOREATOWN
Park's BBQ
The popular Korean barbecue spot has made its prime cuts of beef available for pickup, along with jars of kimchi, pickles, sides and sauces for KBBQ at home. Call to place an order.
LOS FELIZ
All Time
Order individual items like steaks, seafood, grains, flour, beans and dried goods or choose a complete "Survival Kit" box with everything from eggs to meal ingredients and at least one roll of toilet paper.
Little Dom's
Get everything you need to replicate your favorite Little Dom's dish at home: frozen meatballs, pasta, jarred sauces, pizza dough, jams and baked goods.
Kismet
Choose from a wide array of items for pick-up including wine, Thao Family farm boxes, individual packs of vegetables and fruit, all sorts of baking and pantry staples and dairy items.
MIRACLE MILE & LA BREA
Republique
Everything that makes Republique's food so amazing is available to pre-order for pick-up via Tock but things go fast for the once-a-week menu drop. Expect pastries, breads, cheeses, Normandy butter, meat, fish, pantry items, wine and cocktails.
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
Olive & Thyme
Order grab-and-go meals, fresh market items, pantry staples, all the milks and juices, and much more from the Toluca Lake cafe.
Petit Trois Valley
Ludo Lefebvre has reopened the Sherman Oaks location as a marketplace, now offering dried goods and dairy staples including gorgeous French butter, cheeses, spices, fresh produce and baguettes.
Tender Greens
All Tender Greens locations, including Studio City, Glendale and Topanga, have an array of à la carte grocery items available for delivery. They include fresh produce, dried goods, meats, coffee and beer. The grocery boxes are your best bet — each comes with a roll of toilet paper.
Lazy Dog
Pantry kits, make-at-home family meals, eggs and other staples, and à la carte beers and canned cocktails are available to order from all locations, including Thousand Oaks.
Sharky's Woodfired Grill
In addition to making its full menu available for take-out or delivery, the Mexican chain has proteins, corn and flour tortillas, beans, rice and face masks available in Studio City, Toluca Lake, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, Burbank, Chatsworth and most other locations.
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY & PASADENA
Yang's Kitchen
The Alhambra restaurant has eschewed its regular menu to become a community kitchen for curbside or contactless pick-up. Order everything from GoneStraw chickens and Chino Farms eggs to dashi and produce.
Julienne
The longstanding San Marino spot has produce boxes, dry goods, dairy products, eggs and other meal essentials available for pickup at the market.
Dog Haus
All nine Los Angeles locations, including the original in Pasadena, offer packages of gourmet hot dogs and sausages, Kings Hawaiian rolls, condiments, frozen french fries and tater tots, paper products and milk for pickup or delivery.
SANTA MONICA
Bay Cities
The beloved deli and market remains open for all your Italian kitchen needs including wine, flour, yeast, pasta, beans sauce, olive oil, vinegars, cheeses, frozen lasagna, fresh pizza dough and eggplant parm.
Birdie G's
Schmaltz, chicken stock, banyuls vinaigrette, Calabrian chile oil, sauerkraut, flour, mushroom conserva, meat rubs, beans, matzo ball soup mix, sliced deli meats and batched cocktails from this spot for high-end bubbe fare ensures your kitchen will be one of the most uniquely stocked.
Huckleberry
Pastries, breads galore, take-and-bake family dinners, farmers market boxes, whole bean coffee, pantry items and much more are available for pick up or delivery.
Elephante
Pasta by the pound, bolognese by the quart, cocktails, beer wine, spirits, produce boxes and pantry boxes with eggs, olive oil, sea salt and cheese are available for delivery.
SILVER LAKE
Forage
Their housemade English muffins and seasonal jams are in high demand, but you can also order Forage's sauces, rice porridge, meats, cheeses, grains, grits and produce. Watch Instagram for what's available each week.
Wood
The pizzeria is selling pasta and lightly baked pizzas (to finish baking at home) plus produce, flour and other pantry staples. All wine is 50% off.
Maury's
Not only can you get bagels, schmears and smoked fish, you can also pick up CSA boxes, flour and Maury's sourdough starter, which was born in Silver Lake circa 2014.
SOUTH BAY
Bacari PDR
If Bacari PDR doesn't have what you're looking for, call them and they'll try to find it. But there's so much regularly available — steaks, seafood, sweet cream butter, coconut milk, eggs, paper products, beans and even Ensure — you'll probably be covered.
The Arthur J
Along with nightly dinner options, chefs David LeFevre and Ray Hayashi put together boxes of essential items like produce, eggs, milk, chocolate chip cookie dough and toilet paper. They also farmers market boxes with produce from some of the best local farms.
VENICE & MARINA DEL REY
Sweetfin
One way to get sustainable and healthy seafood is to order it from this local poke chain. Premium-grade raw fish, marinades, rices, sauces in bulk and produce boxes are available for next-day pickup at any location.
California Pizza Kitchen
Going beyond pizza, which is still always available (either prepared or as ingredients so you can make it at home), every CPK Market has family meal kits, fresh produce, proteins, bulk flour, sugar, eggs, dairy and tons of other basics available for pickup and delivery.
WEST ADAMS
Highly Likely
From County Line Harvest farm boxes to pantry staples and Bub n Grandma's breads, Highly Likely will easily help you stock your kitchen for a week — or longer.
WEST HOLLYWOOD
Secret Lasagna Market
Situated next to Formosa Cafe, this clandestine operation has trays of lasagna, as you'd expect from the name, but also so much more — meat, produce, coffee, condiments, seasonings and high-grade flour. Deliveries are made twice daily.
Uncle Paulie's Deli
The sub shop has fruit, veggies, bread, cold cuts, dairy items, toilet paper and heat-and-serve pasta dinners.
Tesse
The Sunset Blvd. spot has fresh produce, prepared meals, meats, wine, beer, cocktails, soups, paper products and produce. Delivery only.
WEST L.A.
Food on Pico
In addition to deli items, soups and sandwiches, the teensy cafe has basics like eggs, milk, cheeses, flour and a wide array of produce available for pickup.
WHITTIER
Masataco
The Whittier restaurant known for healthy takes on Mexican fare made waves for selling highly coveted N95 medical-grade masks at cost to hospitals and frontline workers. It's also selling bulk beans and rice, plus household items like toilet paper, hand sanitizer, Lysol spray and latex gloves for delivery or pickup.
