LA Farmers Market, West Hollywood

This post is about my favourite day in Los Angeles, spent at the LA Farmers Market.  However, as I write it, I am very annoyed, as Blogger, in its "wisdom", has rearranged the order of the photos that I uploaded a few days ago.  I have rearranged some of them, but the rest are now all over the place, and in no particular order, because Blogger deemed it to be so, just like it insists on rotating my photos the wrong way, no matter how I take them.  'Nuff said.

The LA Farmers Market is on Third Street and Fairfax Avenue, West Hollywood.  It was started in 1934 by the Gilmore family, and today is an enormous, bustling marketplace filled with food shops and eateries, and adjoins the massive Grove shopping complex.  There are also souvenir shops and even an antique toy shop. 

The variety of shops and eateries is such that there is something for everyone.  Check out the Light My Fire hot sauce shop:

which sells, among other delights, these aptly named gems (and no, I didn't dare try it):

Mr Marcel Gourmet Market sells everything from linen to wine to candy to cheese:

I bought some gorgeous coasters featuring old chocolate advertising, and was sorely tempted by a wattle tablecloth.

My next stop was Normandie Bakery, with a wide selection of French cakes and pastries:

The Magic Nut and Candy Company has all kinds of sweet treats, nuts and dried fruit:

I longingly eyed up these candy apples, but alas had no room to eat one:

There are a couple of fruit and vegetable stalls at the market, where I was stunned at how cheap the berries were:

I bought raspberries for $1 a punnet - even in peak season in Australia, you are pushing it to get raspberries for less than $6 a punnet.  And if you have ever wondered what plantains were (like me), they look like this:

There was an English toffee shop:

and a pasta shop:

and a butcher (as well as a fishmongers):

Of course, there was the travel angel:

and lots and lots of places to eat, ranging from Bryan's Pit Barbecue:

to an icecream parlour: 

donuts and pizza:

beverages:

a Brazilian grill:

a waffle joint:

Korean BBQ:

more icecream:

cakes and cookies:

and crepes:

I wanted to try some good old fashioned Creole food, so I went to The Gumbo Pot:

I ordered the red beans with pork hock, sausage and rice, with a sweet potato side salad and cornbread:

Yes, this was the meal without any extras, and yes it was enormous - it only cost $10.50, but there was no way I could manage more than half of it.  I really needed to bring a friend so we could split it.  Although it was enormous, the meal was delicious - I am a fan of beans, and the sweet potato salad was very different to anything I have tried before (in a good way).  I didn't eat the cornbread at all - it was as dry as dust.  Perhaps it is meant to be eaten by soaking up the sauces of your meal to give it moisture, but I was not going there.

I then spent some happy hours shopping at The Grove next to the market -  it was amazing - before stopping off at my favourite grocer, Trader Joes, on the way home.

If you find yourself in Los Angeles and are into food, do not miss the LA Farmers Market - it is amazing.

LA Farmers Market

6333 West 3rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90036
United States of America