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L.A. Represent! Sunset's Best Butchers, Bakers, & Other Food Makers
Sunset Magazine has released their picks for the "50 Best Local Food Shops,"and L.A. is well-represented in the collection of the western states' artisanal spots.
Not surprisingly, when it comes to butchers, the top of the crop is Lindy & Grundy, where you can get high-quality humanely-raised meats (and for your little dog, too!) and Sunset's favorite, the beef and bacon blend (LAist story).
Three area bakeries get nods in the SoCal region: Santa Monica's La Monarca for Mexican classics, Culver City's Platine for whimsical cookies, and Atwater Village's Proof for buttery baked treats.
If you're fishing for seafood, Sunset will send you to Los Feliz's McCall’s Meat & Fish or Santa Monica Seafood, the latter of which is where you can not only pick up fresh fish to cook at home, but sit down for a bowl of cioppino.
When it comes to saying cheese, please, Sunset skipped the usual L.A. suspects in favor of one local pick: the cheesemonger at Farmshop. Though Farmshop's big cheese Emiliano Lee "believes cheeses are like babies" Sunset's pick from the shop is actually a jar of Sqirl preserves, which are made in Silver Lake and sold all over town (LAist story).
L.A. didn't make the cut in one category: California grocers. Hmmm. Well, we are the home of the sprawling big box chain and the mecca of the farmers' market. But there are places like Echo Park's Cookbook (LAist Story) and from Sunset's own list, spots like Lindy & Grundy and McCall's also have excellent dry goods and other groceries in addition to their specialty. Is there no top-notch happy medium?
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