THE CITY OF ANGELS & CALIFORNIA CUISINE

LOS ANGELES 

Welcome to sunny Los Angeles, CA, one of my favorite places to visit!    

California has some of the most delicious and unique food around.  The best part is they usually grow their own components for their dishes, making it some of the freshest food available in the nation.  

Delicious food, beautiful beaches, fantastic weather and some of the best tourist and cultural attractions in the world make this a top tourist destination.

LOS ANGELES THE CITY & THE GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA

The City of Los Angeles (also known as the City of Angels) is a global city inside of the Greater Los Angeles area (DiscoverLosAngeles.com).  This area also encompasses famous cities such as Hollywood, Universal City, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and many more.  The City of Los Angeles is famous for its connection to the movie industry, pricey real estate, culture, arts, architecture, Spanish and Mexican history, and, of course, diverse and amazing food sometimes referred to as California Cuisine.

WHAT IS CALIFORNIA CUISINE

California Cuisine was coined as a term in the 1970's and the movement was pioneered with Chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse.  She stressed the importance and loveliness of locally sourced foods that were produced organically and were the freshest available.  However, California Cuisine can also be defined as the fusion of more than one culture, such as the merger of Asian and Spanish flavors, utilizing local California ingredients.

With its mild Mediterranean-like climate in many areas, California is a major producer of avocados, oranges, nuts, seafood, and also dairy.  According to the website BeachCalifornia.com, California is the #1 dairy state and more than half the nation's fruit, nuts, and vegetables come from here.  Los Angeles in particular is known for their health-conscious dishes and foods with a Latin influence whereas in Northern California, specifically wine country, Mediterranean and Asian influences are more apparent.  Both Southern and Northern California alike though take full advantage of their agricultural abundance of many wonderful foods,

BEST TIME TO VISIT

I recently relocated from Las Vegas and am very familiar with Los Angeles and the surrounding areas as it was a frequent vacation spot over the years.  For the greater Los Angeles area, you have some options.  For milder weather and less crowds, spring and fall are the best times to visit.   To have the most variety in things to do, Summer is the best time for an abundance of festivals, concerts, and special events.   It also happens to be the best time to take a dip in the ocean as it can get a little chilly during the other seasons.

THINGS TO DO IN "LA LA LAND"

1. Graumann's Chinese Theater (Hollywood)
2. Hollywood Walk of Fame 
3. La Brea Tar Pits (Miracle Mile)
4. Universal Studios (Universal City)
5. Rodeo Drive (Pricey Shopper's Paradise)
6. 1934 Farmer's Market (*Historical foodie paradise)
7. Los Angeles Zoo (World renowned) 
8. Pink's Hot Dogs (Food landmark pictured on right)
9. Santa Monica Pier (Personal favorite)
10. Hollywood Sign via Mulholland Drive

From the list above, Farmers Market, is a mandatory stop when I visit L.A.  It combines a great tourist destination with a great food destination which makes it one-stop shopping for me.  It is also in close walking distance to the Fairfax District which was the closest resemblance I found to a Jewish neighborhood (with fantastic Jewish food - Canter's Deli) on the West Coast when I was growing up.  

Farmers Market houses some of my favorite foods.   I would always make sure get a piece of grilled trout from one of the vendors there.  It is some of the best I've had.   Before I became a vegetarian, I used to also enjoy the steamed buns with sweet pork inside.  My favorite food though is the marzipan "fruits" that are sold there.  I am a lover of all things almond and these are my favorite.   It is the place where it became my son's favorite too.  Don't forget to check out the glorious selection of local fruit and vegetables too when you go!  

SO CAL FOOD WRAPPED UP

Delicious food is all around in Los Angeles from the casual food stand such as Pink's, the healthy and casual dishes of California Cuisine, to a four-star gourmet restaurant such as Providence, you will be able to find what you're looking for here.

California Cuisine sometimes gets a "health food" kind of rap.   In actuality, it's so much more than that.  Californians, "Angelenos" specifically, are famous for their chiseled figures and model-like attributes. A lot of residents like to eat healthy foods which are locally grown and native to the area  which is in no means a bad thing at all.   The local flavors and ingredients, as mentioned, also weave their way into the fusion and traditional cuisine you can find there.  Thankfully, that makes the quality of those local and fresh foods present in every culture that is represented in that diverse city.

Thanks for exploring the City of Angels with me.  If you're looking for a vacation with an overwhelming amount of things to do and fantastic food that is unique to that place, come and visit So Cal!  It is a city not to be missed.   

See you next time when we're off to the Orient with stops in Beijing, China & Tokyo, Japan.   

I can't wait!