637862 Sun Jul 19 21:55:10 -0700 2009 52 2 Los Angeles Area 0 4873040 Unheard of, right? I mean, it's the biggest Sunday market in Southern California. It's hundreds and hundreds of stalls selling everything from Catalina oysters to fourteen kinds of eggplant to Holmby Hills bee pollen to grass-fed, sustainably-raised, humanely-slaughtered beef to fifty kinds of homemade kimchi. But I went this morning with my daughter and it didn't feel like my "home" markets (in order of where I've lived, that'd be Westwood, West Hollywood, Studio City, Santa Monica, Studio City again, and Irvine). Even though the vendors are many of the same people I know, the crowds made it hard to be social. And the PRICES -- my GOD the PRICES. The same -- the EXACT same -- bunch of basil that was at Irvine for $1.50 last Saturday was $3 today. Same farm, same vendor. Bread for SIX DOLLARS A LOAF! And this is without counting things that I knew would be shockingly expensive ($15 a three-pack for Harry's Berries, anyone?). I usually spend $40-$50 on a week's worth of shopping at Irvine (let's call it produce, pasta, seafood, bread and oil). Today, not counting the bison and pork I bought, it was $73. I know it's busy, and it's good that it's busy, but it was just kind of oppressive -- and the cars driving up past the booths to the parking structure on Ivar made it just so much worse. I've had this reaction before at Hollywood, and I *don't* have it to Santa Monica Wednesday (OK, except the price thing, because SM Wed is just as expensive). I think it's honestly that I started to feel claustrophobic, hemmed in, and it coloured the whole experience. SM Wed. is wider -- Irvine is wider -- Studio City is wider, and so there's more room to circulate. (The other markets that give me that closed-in feeling are Calabasas, because of the huge presence of Roadblock Stroller-Pushing Parent People, and the old Glendale one when it was along the sidewalk on Brand.) Sour grapes, I'm sure, but I needed to get it off my chest. Bad experience or not, there is no better place to get the truly obscure, and for a tourist who isn't actually shopping for their weekly food but is just ogling the truly mind-bending array of food produced within 200 miles of Hollywood and Vine it's an amazing experience... ...but I'm kind of glad my Irvine market isn't like that, and it was a powerful reminder why I went to Studio City on Sundays even though Hollywood was just five minutes further away. Let the browbeating begin... Sun Jul 19 21:55:10 -0700 2009 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 4873059 Well I agree with you regarding the sheer mass of people and the prices. That is also why even though after church we are about the same distance away, we prefer to go to our homey Mar Vista market... But having been to the Irvine market (which is a FINE market... great size too!) there are just stuff that shows up at the Hollywood Market that would NEVER make it down there... For that reason, we still go on occasion and take tourists (Which the occasional celebrity sightings make it worth them...) --Dommy! Sun Jul 19 22:08:43 -0700 2009 4873040 10659 Dommy 2 4873075 I was actually noticing things both ways. Certainly there's almost no meat at Irvine (which is stupid, because there's meat at Laguna Hills, which is run by the same people), and only one seafood purveyor... but I noticed that Mangi con Amore didn't have pasta at Hollywood today whereas they always do at Irvine, and there are a lot more strawberries at Irvine (perhaps because we're so close to Carlsbad?) even given the late season. There is much, MUCH more Asian produce at Irvine. Of course you're right about the sheer variety at Hollywood, and nothing but SM Wednesday really compares. I suppose once or twice a year when I absolutely have to have something, I could deal with Hollywood -- if for no other reason than black raspberries and deer strawberries don't EVER make it to Irvine, and that makes me a sad Ubergeek. Sun Jul 19 22:14:00 -0700 2009 4873059 10811 Das Ubergeek 3 4873092 Yeah, I also have note that I smirked about your parking comment... In all my times at the Irvine market, I've had the HARDEST time parking.... Seriously, I've been almost hit several times from people rushing home with their Whoppers... :P I've never had a problem at the HFM, we just park at the Arclight and walk over... also very inexpensive since the Market validates it... --Dommy! Sun Jul 19 22:24:36 -0700 2009 4873075 10659 Dommy 4 4873106 Oh, I park on the Trader Joe's side, get a cup of coffee at Peet's or Le Diplomate, and walk through. I can't imagine trying to park on the northwest side (near the brew company or the Indian restaurant)! Sun Jul 19 22:31:57 -0700 2009 4873092 10811 Das Ubergeek 5 4873109 Thanks... It has never occurred to me since I think of most TJs parking as a Contact Sport at well... (Trying to navigate the one in Santa Monica has scarred me for life...) --Dommy! Sun Jul 19 22:35:03 -0700 2009 4873106 10659 Dommy 6 4876240 Dommy, for our general neighborhood, I love the TJ's in Culver City. An honest to goodness parking structure with plenty of space and defined aisles to herd drivers. Mon Jul 20 21:50:45 -0700 2009 4873109 10746 Jase 7 4876271 I agree! Although I'm close enough not to have to drive there all that often and often ride my bike... :) Although, I should note that parking structure was put up by the CITY... and lest I remind you their ORIGINAL Culver City location which makes the parking situation at the Santa Monica one look good... I tells ya... TJs can not be trusted with parking lots... -Dommy! Mon Jul 20 22:17:31 -0700 2009 4876240 10659 Dommy 8 4876306 True. I think that's why I was always shocked about the Irvine one. Plenty of easy parking. That was another thing I loved about the Irvine FM. Park once and I could hit TJ's also. It made it a lot easier to pick up those one or two items instead of justifying a separate trip. Irvine, I could get breakfast, the huge variety of items and TJ, all in one spot. If the Mar Vista FM had a bakery that carried dependable breakfasty items, I would be immensely happy. I haven't been thrilled with anything I've tried. Delices scones and tarts just don't do it for me. Mon Jul 20 22:42:07 -0700 2009 4876271 10746 Jase 5 4876237 DU, you and I might have inadvertently participated in the county exchange program. I think you moved down to OC about the same time as we moved back to LA.. As much as I like our (as Dommy would say) homey Sunday Mar Vista market, I do miss the Irvine one. The Saturday SM one is pretty good but prices also seem high and I have to deal with the Promenade factor. And by gosh do I miss Rachel's delectable offerings at Black Market. I've yet to find an acceptable replacement on the Westside surprisingly. As for parking at Irvine, the TJ side is definitely the key. OC TJ parking lots don't seem to be the nightmare that LA TJ ones are. I used to stop at that coffee shop when it was Diedrich's and head over to Blackmarket for a scone to go with the coffee. Perfect breakfast to start the day of shopping. After this review, I don't know if I want to bother venturing over to Hollywood when I've got the SM one for more exotic offerings and the Mar Vista one for my weekly needs. Not to mention that I get to walk over to Mar Vista and not deal with parking. Mon Jul 20 21:49:14 -0700 2009 4873106 10746 Jase 6 4877216 How funny -- you've described almost exactly my routine on Saturdays. Peets for coffee, a scone from either Blackmarket or Picket Lane (a new addition), the market, and then TJ's and, if required, Wholesome Choice. I agree with Dommy that the West LA and Valley TJ's have awful, awful parking, except the Palms one, which is the sanest of the bunch. Tue Jul 21 09:12:42 -0700 2009 4876237 10811 Das Ubergeek 7 4877813 How could I forget Wholesome Choice! Now you're really making me miss the easy Saturday routine I had. Escape out that back entrace of the TJ's lot, a quick left on Culver, zip right into that parking lot and another quick right out and the 405 is right there. Made for very efficient Saturday morning shopping to get anything I couldn't find at Stater Brothers. Which was my go to store for inexpensive staples. One of the few things I miss about OC. It certainly takes a bit more planning to do my shopping in West LA. Picket Lane? I'm headed down for a 1 p.m. Angel's game this Saturday. Maybe I might go down early and visit the market old times sakes and some goodies. At the very least, I'll stock up on some Blackmarket items for my wife. Any recommenations on Picket Lane items? Tue Jul 21 11:58:41 -0700 2009 4877216 10746 Jase 4 4873170 Parking at HFM: typically I do a circle around the market (east on Hollywood -> south on Vine-> west on Sunset -> south on Ivar -> west on De Longpre -> north on Cahuenga -> east on Yucca -> south on Ivar -> repeat.). It rarely takes more than 5 minutes to find on-street parking unless it's after 11am. I agree with UG that there's a lot more sizzle than steak at the HFM, but there are a few standouts that make the fuss worth it, like Mom's Products (although I know they're at other FMs) and the woman with the wooley hat who sells amazing organic lettuce and other veggies on the west side of Ivar below Selma. There's also Kendor and the grass-fed bison lady and the avacado lady on the west side of Ivar nearish Hollywood. Sun Jul 19 23:41:05 -0700 2009 4873092 170696 Peripatetic 1 4873089 i can only enjoy it right when it opens at 8AM when it's usually people really intent on shopping and not there for any other reason. after 9 or 10 it's way too crowded and the description of it being "oppressive" is spot on. i had a hard time with it and my local FM before hollywood was the ferry plaza in SF! somehow i was able to tolerate the crowds and the prices there and talk about oppressive and expensive! Sun Jul 19 22:23:48 -0700 2009 4873040 17438 trolley 2 4873629 For me the goal is to be done by 1030 when it starts getting uber-crowded. And last time I went Harry's completely sold out of strawberries before 1045 or so and all they had on their table were some strawberry drink and green beans! Mon Jul 20 07:43:17 -0700 2009 4873089 110510 AAQjr 3 4875677 I agree with the rec to arrive early. I've never felt annoyed or pressed in the pre-10 a.m. hours. Mon Jul 20 17:48:56 -0700 2009 4873629 113437 katydid13 4 4876100 I was done shopping and in my car at 9.36. Mon Jul 20 20:33:26 -0700 2009 4875677 10811 Das Ubergeek 5 4876199 Wow, try going at 11am! you'll have a lot of fun. We all have to do our own cost benefit analysis, I normally go to Santa Monica Sunday. The selection is really not nearly as good IME though, but it is less stressful. Mon Jul 20 21:26:55 -0700 2009 4876100 110510 AAQjr 6 4876255 I find the Sunday SM one to be a Zoo especially with the Donkey rides for kids. It is held in too small a space for the traffic it produces and people hang out even more then they do at other markets. though I have only been once since the Mar Vista Market started it may have calmed down since people have options Mon Jul 20 22:03:34 -0700 2009 4876199 12588 Mattapoisett in LA 7 4876353 True, but all that stuff (mini horse ride, kids rock band) is out of the way from the produce vendors. I love the free and convenient beach parking as well. I've never gotten the closterphobic feeling that you can get at Hollywood. Mon Jul 20 23:18:20 -0700 2009 4876255 110510 AAQjr 1 4873188 I'm with you. The HFM has never been that impressive to me. Mon Jul 20 00:43:39 -0700 2009 4873040 212582 schrutefarms 1 4873203 It's a wonderful (albeit crowded and less charming market than it used to be) right in the middle of one of the biggest metropolises in the world. I used to live on Whitley, just a few blocks away, in the early nineties and the market had a much more low key feel then. But, back then, the whole neighborhood had a more shoot-y, drug-y, gang-y feel then too. Like all things Hollywood, the market has gotten more expensive, more crowded and more Disney. But, I'm happy to see so many people there and still find more to buy than I could every carry back to my car. Mon Jul 20 01:26:11 -0700 2009 4873040 163452 SaltCod 2 4873204 What I wouldn't give for Hollywood to have that shoot-y, drug-y, gang-y feel again.....I miss those gritty days... Mon Jul 20 01:31:05 -0700 2009 4873203 212582 schrutefarms 3 4875071 I lived on Grace during those days. Mixed memories. Mon Jul 20 14:26:42 -0700 2009 4873204 60617 rednyellow 1 4873320 Das, perhaps the Saturday market at Torrance would work for you sometime. My son and I attend often. We like it allot and the "batting cages and skateboard park" are an added bonus. We do like the "Hipster Factor" of the HW Market, and see your point on the crowds. We never run into that at the Torrance market and I lihe the bountiful offerings. Im not an expert on the topic, and never been to the Irvine Market to compare. Just like the Torrance Market and wanted to share.. Mon Jul 20 05:30:17 -0700 2009 4873040 97161 Foodandwine 1 4873703 I go pretty much every Sunday to the Hollywood market. The crowds vary by season. In the fall or winter, it's actually quite manageable, especially if you go early. In the summer months, it is a total zoo, but for me it's worth it. I occasionally shop at other Sunday markets including Larchmont and Studio City, and while they all have there charms, they just aren't comparable to the variety at Hollywood, which is constantly growing and improving. Yes it's crowded and yes it's expensive, but hey, we live in the city, right? Mon Jul 20 08:09:16 -0700 2009 4873040 10132 sku 2 4874069 exactly.. And to all of the Hollywood Farmer's Market haters, I would add: imagine, for a second, what it would be like without it... Mon Jul 20 09:54:50 -0700 2009 4873703 11151 JPomer 1 4873806 Okay, your comments about the Stroller People made me laugh out loud. Husband and I call it the Stroller Brigade. They're pretty bad at the Encino Farmers Market, too. Until your post, I'd never really put my finger on why I get so frazzled at that market...but it's exactly as you said: claustrophobic. Mon Jul 20 08:34:41 -0700 2009 4873040 75012 jencounter 1 4874298 I do agree with you about the overcrowding and the high prices, but I have yet to go to a market that has the variety of not only produce but prepared food as well. The pupusas, chicken sticks, flan king, samosas, tamales, etc. all make it worth braving the crowds. That being said, is the produce considerably less at the Studio City farmer's market? The Larchmont market on Sundays is pretty much a joke. Mon Jul 20 10:59:36 -0700 2009 4873040 12542 Food622 1 4876414 If you're in the Hollywood area and dig the smaller FM feel, go to Barnsdall Park in East Hollywood on Wednesdays. They have a new farmer's market run by Kaiser Hospital (the operator is the one that does the La Cienega FM) that opened on June 24 and happens every Wednesday from 12 noon to 6pm. It's located in the street level parking lot on 4800 Hollywood Blvd. They're also working with the vendors to extend the hours to 7pm during the Summer in case you're commuting after work. Tue Jul 21 01:47:05 -0700 2009 4873040 10905 Normal Garciaparra 1 4877391 I got the HFM every Sunday in the summer for one specific reason. Ken's Top Notch Produce is outrageously good. The yellow nectarines are consistently sweet with a robust peach flavor and aroma. The white nectarines also are full of juice and very sweet, but they do not have that same peachy flavor that the yellow ones do. Also, Ken's pluots.... my god man, they smell like perfume, taste like flowers, and burst with juice. Ask the guys who work there how to pick the best fruit. The best tasting nectarines should be a little ugly, with a matte finish and lots of freckles (sugar spots). The pluots are pretty much all good. He charges $2.50/lb but for fruit of this consistently high quality, it's well worth it. If you go, tell him Adam sent you :) Mr Taster P.S. The $1 chicken satay skewers and khnom krok taste fresher than the ones they used to sell at Wat Thai. P.P.S. The $7 raw milk is delicious (and can be consumed by people with lactose intolerance! The live bacteria in the milk digests the lactose for you), though you can buy it for $6 at their saturday hub store at 3040 Rosslyn St., Los Angeles, CA 90065 (or you can buy it for $10 at Whole Foods). P.P.P.S I got 5 nice heads of organic broccoli for $3 P.P.P.P.S. I got 3 huge baskets of extremely sweet organic strawberries for $4 from a vendor mid-way down the east side of the north end of Ivar Tue Jul 21 10:04:35 -0700 2009 4873040 17579 Mr Taster 2 4877401 I bought white peaches from him on Sunday and made the most unbelievable ice cream ever. Tue Jul 21 10:06:08 -0700 2009 4877391 10811 Das Ubergeek 3 4877454 I used to swear by the white peaches and nectarines until I actually did a side-by-side comparison. The flavor profile of the white fruit is one note... sweet. The yellow ones are also very sweet, but are sultry, complex, robust. All the things you would want from a woman, but in peach form. Outrageous. Seriously, try the pluots before they're gone. And by the way... recipe please? :) Mr Taster (who is very happily married to a sultry, complex, robust woman) Tue Jul 21 10:16:08 -0700 2009 4877401 17579 Mr Taster 4 4877955 Not on markets but I did a search on nectarines, and they're basically fuzzless peaches, so you'd expect that peachy flavor. With a good one, that flavor is nearly orgasmic. Tue Jul 21 12:34:09 -0700 2009 4877454 89849 Akitist 2 4877951 i actually tried ken's produce, because they're at the torrance FM on saturday (and IIRC, El Segundo FM on thursday). good stuff, the flavor king pluot was all sorts of different great flavors and wonderfully complex. also i am lactose intolerant, and i tried raw milk before. it works better, but i still get indigestion so i had to stop drinking it. Tue Jul 21 12:33:07 -0700 2009 4877391 28756 kainzero 1 4877607 So, some of you would like parents with young children to stay out of YOUR markets? How dare they! That's what supermarkets are for. Healthy, fresh food is only for special people. Disclosure: I have no young children. Tue Jul 21 10:55:45 -0700 2009 4873040 19735 susans 2 4877751 I think the protest was more about those baby SUV-sized strollers taking up too much space. I can understand that. Mr Taster Tue Jul 21 11:35:41 -0700 2009 4877607 17579 Mr Taster 2 4877773 Umm, OP, Das Ubergeek has a young child himself. Please don't go misconstruing what he said. Tue Jul 21 11:45:11 -0700 2009 4877607 10746 Jase 2 4877833 Um, my two-year-old comes with me every week to the farmers' market and has done so every week since she was three weeks old. She isn't in a stroller anymore because she's well-behaved enough to walk around, but somehow for the last couple of years I've managed to be polite with the stroller, not block entire access paths, etc. Stroller-Pushing Parent People, c'est (or more correctly, c'était) moi; Roadblock Stroller-Pushing Parent People, c'est l'enfer. But don't let me stop you building that straw man there if it makes you feel good in your Quest to Correct the Internet. Do look into this society of like-minded people, though: Tue Jul 21 12:03:40 -0700 2009 4877607 10811 Das Ubergeek 2 4878017 i have a 10 month old and there is simply no room for a stroller after 10:30 or so at the HFM. I also don't think it's appropriate and will bring my little guy in a carrier before trying to push him thru the crowd. I do take the stroller to the South Pasadena FM since there's more room and I feel like it's more of an appropriate venue. Tue Jul 21 12:50:47 -0700 2009 4877607 17438 trolley 3 4878144 i don't have a problem with children. i have a problem with parents who are not minding the children who pick their noses then touch every peach and nectarine sample. it's always funny to watch a parent take it out of a child's hand and put it back in the pile of available samples! Tue Jul 21 13:22:54 -0700 2009 4878017 22959 revets2 4 4878705 Yes, that's gross. And my daughter once grabbed a zucchini and took a huge bite out of it. I paid for it, of course, and the kid went in time out behind the flowerseller. Tue Jul 21 16:18:26 -0700 2009 4878144 10811 Das Ubergeek 5 4880817 "the kid went in time out behind the flowerseller" Que???? Mr Taster Wed Jul 22 09:39:45 -0700 2009 4878705 17579 Mr Taster 6 4881050 that's awesome. Wed Jul 22 10:36:57 -0700 2009 4880817 22959 revets2 7 4881240 Though utterly confounding, it's rather poetic and the kid went in time out behind the flowerseller Mr Taster Wed Jul 22 11:31:18 -0700 2009 4881050 17579 Mr Taster 6 4881762 Time out is when you remove a misbehaving child from the scene of the misbehaviour. Our rule is one minute of "time out" (in a place with as few distractions as possible) for each year of age. The nearest "quiet spot" was behind a flowerseller. Wed Jul 22 13:54:28 -0700 2009 4880817 10811 Das Ubergeek 7 4881820 Is that per your age or your kid's age? :) Wed Jul 22 14:10:20 -0700 2009 4881762 10132 sku 1 4877907 DU, I have the opposite attraction - Studio City is 10 minutes away, while Hollywood is about 20 minutes, yet I seldom can justify the additional time unless I need something very very specific. But Studio City or Hollywood at 8am are very doable in the summer. Don't even think about waiting until 10 or later - a zoo at feeding time will come to mind. I never eat any of the cooked food, just get flowers from Hector, peaches, apricots or figs from Tennerelli (sp?) Farms next door (peaches last week so good), and then check my favorite veggie suppliers, then head home by no later than 9:15 or so, post Peet's coffee stop. Tue Jul 21 12:20:56 -0700 2009 4873040 10359 carter 2 4878131 I was there at 8.30 on Saturday. I don't think even empty it would erase that claustrophobic feeling. Maybe if they closed Ivar at Sunset and tried booths in straight lines, but maybe not. If I needed esoteric stuff I'd go to SM; if I still lived in Valley Glen (remember, not Van Nuys, not not not!) I'd go to Studio City still. Tue Jul 21 13:18:15 -0700 2009 4877907 10811 Das Ubergeek 3 4878218 Der Das, I think (wink) that things might be pretty slow at work these days and that you are slightly bored and unchallenged. And, I am very confident that you knew full well that you were going to light a firestorm (all due respects to the drought situation in California). All-in-all, I am a fan and please keep the posts coming! Tue Jul 21 13:43:36 -0700 2009 4878131 13369 Gypsy Jan 3 4878276 Hope that was on a Sunday, not a Saturday!!! It must be the heat. But I agree, the claustrophobic proximity in Hollywood can be suffocating, especially after 9-9:30am. Never had that sensation at S/C, yet of course I always get there earlier and mostly avoid the rug-rats/strollers, Tue Jul 21 13:58:17 -0700 2009 4878131 10359 carter 3 4881829 It is the heat. I too was there from 8:30 - 9:30 last Sunday DU and was surprised at how crowded it was that early. As for parking, I do the Cahuenga corridor then either hang a left on Selma or go up to H'wood Blvd. The meters don't kick in until 11 a.m. In all honesty, HFM is my Sunday worship - I simply love it there. All the different offerings, the variety. I've also been to the Silverlake one on Saturdays which has a lovely 'green' to sit and enjoy a veggie crepe or something else to eat - but not even a teensy bit close to the variety - I just couldn't find things I wanted/needed there. And I've been taking my twin nieces there for the past 2 years, so since they were 3, sans strollers. They love getting a fresh young coconut and drinking the water (they remembered doing so on a beach in Puerto Rico when they were 2!) and they also like to pick out 'juicy tangerines' as they call them. So, sorry you don't like it but it is a helluva long drive from Irvine and I don't think I would continue that commute. One less person clogging the lanes! ; ) Wed Jul 22 14:12:32 -0700 2009 4878131 18246 cinzia 1 4888548 I have to put in my 2 cents for Friends at Ojai Ranch and their absolutely awesome fresh lemonade and fresh OJ. Addictive. Fri Jul 24 17:07:57 -0700 2009 4873040 113437 katydid13