farmer’s market

¡Loteria! Grill (Farmers Market) – Mexican Cuisine For Winners

by Franklin on November 3, 2011

Trying to kill time, I made a little trip to The Grove.  Crowded as usual, we decided to watch a movie. Feeling hungry after shopping a bit, I wanted to eat something. The Grove has a few restaurants, but I wanted something quick and delicious.  The Farmers Market was my best bet.  Searching for something to eat, none of the selections looked appetizing, until I found Loteria Grill.  Knowing there was one in Studio City and Hollywood, and judging by the line, I knew it had to be good.

We ordered the carnitas enchilada with rice and beans.  The meat wasn’t dry at all, and the red sauce was thick and not too spicy.  I would have liked the tortillas to be a bit more mushy, but the rice with the enchiladas were perfect. Unfortunately, I really did not care for the black beans.  I would doubled up on the rice if they let me next time.  All in all, this was an amazing dish.

Who doesn’t love melted cheese?  Who doesn’t love chorizo?  To satisfy my needs, I ordered the cheese fundito with chorizo.  This perfectly melted, somewhat crispy cheese plate was heaven in between the corn tortillas. The cheese was nice and hot, the chorizo was perfectly seasoned.  The pool of cheese grease on the bottom of the plate didn’t scare me.  This deconstructed quesadilla was delicious.  That is all I cared about.

The whole meal was amazing.  My favorite was the fundito.  I am a sucker for melted cheese.  Loteria Grill is a nice spot, especially amongst the hit or miss eateries around the Farmers Market. This spot has a lot of delicious looking food on the menu, and I would like to try them all one day.  Though a bit on the pricey side, you get what you pay for.  The Grove, and Farmers Market, until next time.

Loteria Grill on Urbanspoon

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Fullerton Farmers Market – Celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Food and Music

by Franklin on May 6, 2011

I just love farmers markets.  The fresh organic produce and everyone gathered in respect to good food just makes me happy inside.  I have been to my fare share of farmers markets, and Fullerton holds a pretty large one.  Today, the fifth of May, celebrates Cinco de Mayo. It commemorates the Mexican heritage and their freedom.  What better way to celebrate this holiday with good food and festive music.

Food wise, I think I out did myself.  Me and my girlfriend tried to hit up every stand we could.  We had a savory crepe, corn on the cob, a huge bratwurst, a smaller bratwurst, and a tri tip sandwich.  The last two items were our first bites, and it was for charity.  The savory crepe had mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, and artichokes.  It was really tasty, and it was my first savory crepe as well.  The corn on the cob was delicious — I put butter, Parmesan cheese and some pico de gallo seasoning.  Lastly, the most filling, was the bratwurst (the big one).  It had grilled onions, brown mustard, and sauerkraut.  It was all so amazing, and we were very full.

The most memorable, and fitting meal was the one from a stand called Two Garnachasa.  It wasn’t really memorable because the taste was amazing, just the fact that it was new and exciting — I have never heard of it before. The cook was telling me a story about where the dish came from he really got into it.  He was telling how the dish originated from Southern Mexico and how to eat it properly.

Basically, a Garnacha is a lightly fried corn tortilla with a mild and spicy chipotle sauce, potato, onion and topped with beef. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of it.  It was overly filled with potatoes and there was no cheese element which I like in Mexican food.  The rice was mushy, the beans were alright.  Though the burrito or the quesadilla would have probably tasted better, I don’t regret getting this dish. Above all, the experience was great, and I learned a lot.

Besides the food, the farmers market had other vendors of all sorts.  The food variety was great and the atmosphere was just very festive. I had a blast trying out the food and had a wonderful time.  I think I will come back when it is just a regular Thursday.  Though it probably won’t compare to the Cinco de Mayo celebration, I am sure it will still be fun.

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Vermon/Wilshire Station Farmers Market – Koreantown Going Organic

by Franklin on April 15, 2011

Who would have thought that Koreatown would be having a weekly farmers market?  I never knew, and I am happy there is one so close by.  I was going to the bank one day to get a check, and look what I stumbled upon.  A great little get together of local foods.  They have fresh produce, peanuts, cheeses, Hawaiian chicken, and a lot more.

I had their pita bread with goat cheese and hummus.  The cheese was very strong and buttery smooth, just how I like it.  The pita bread and hummus were really good together as well, though a meat would have been a perfect addition.  I want to try some of their other stuff as well.  Maybe the Hawaiian BBQ or other full on meals they have.

All in all, this is a great thing for Los Angeles.  It is in the middle of the city, and city people need to be exposed to fresh food more often.  The farmers market is at the Wilshire and Vermont Metro Station.  They gather there every Friday from 11AM – 3PM.  Go there for lunch, or get some fresh food to cook for dinner.  It’s always a fun time at farmers markets.

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Downtown Brea Farmer’s Market

by Franklin on March 22, 2011

As a lover of fresh food, I love farmers markets.  The diversity of fruits and vegetables, interesting snacks and unique flavors all come in play when you are at the farmer’s market.  Nothing is processed — it goes right from the grower to the consumer and is all organic.

I was walking in downtown Brea one evening and there was a farmer’s market gathering on Birch.  They had a variety of organic fruits, vegetables, popcorn, and other specialty foods.  Each vendor under the tents encouraged customers to try their crop.  One thing in particular stood out to me.  In fact, this whole post can be about this one thing.  It was the orange.

The lady gave me a slice of an orange.  It was a small piece, almost half a bite — but a very memorable bite indeed.  Most of the oranges I eat are dry, flavorless and aren’t even rich in orange color (kind of faded orange).  But this orange slice, this one morsel of an orange slice, was simply amazing.  It was juicy, sweet, and not too sour.  Each pulp burst with flavor and juice.  I felt I was eating an orange for the first time.

The downtown Brea farmers market is pretty small compared to other farmers markets especially in comparison Los Angeles Farmers Market.  They also don’t have an extensive variety of vendors.  Even so, they still manage to bring fresh produce and  specialty items for locals.  They are on Birch St. every Tuesday from 4:00PM – 8:00PM.

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Los Angeles Farmer’s Market

by Franklin on March 8, 2011

It’s that time — Mardi Gras.  It is Fat Tuesday today, and that means only one thing.  You eat what you want, and eat a lot of it.  You eat anything and everything to the point of almost being sinful.  A sort of “last hurrah” before the lent season.  There is no other place to do this other than at the Los Angeles Farmers Market.  They have festivities going on all day celebrating Mardi Gras, and it is their 22nd Annual celebration.  There are concerts, bead throwing, costume contests, and activities for kids.

People go crazy on Mardi Gras — I don’t understand it.  Instead of talking about all of the crazy people walking down New Orleans Square, I will be talking about the most important part about Marti Gras and the Farmers Market — the food.

The Los Angeles Farmers Market has a rich historical background.  In July of 1934, a gathering of local farmers was held on the corner of 3rd and Fairfax.  They sold fruits, vegetables and other varieties out of their own trucks.  As the venue started to gain popularity, the Farmers Market started to grow — It became the center of everything.  Today, it holds all kinds of food markets and restaurants from every variety.  Their over 20 shops, and over 35 places to eat covers everything you can think of.  You can buy exotic food stuffs from cheeses, meats, vegetables, and nuts.  You can also eat from almost any part of the world right in the marketplace.  It’s no wonder why people consider this the Original Farmer’s Market.  Being connected to The Grove is an added plus, as there are many shops and more restaurants to choose from.

When blogging about food, especially in Los Angeles, The Farmers Market has to be on the pedastal of it all.  They hold celebrations depending on the season, and everything is connected and celebrated with respect to food.  Even though they aren’t having a Mardi Gras celebration, it is still a place worth visiting.  It is a historical landmark in Los Angeles and a landmark relating to food as well.

Los Angeles Farmers Market 6301 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90036-3154
(323) 939-9366

Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday: 9 am to 9 pm
Saturday: 9 am to 8 pm
Sunday: 10 am – 7 pm

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