Los Angeles Food Survival Guide

Where to contact-less shop for pantry staples, produce and ready-to-make eats.

MARKETPLACE

Gwen (and its sister restaurant Maude) have converted their fine-dining rooms into a market. Shoppers can shop pantry staples, limited produce, dairy and booze IRL (6-feet apart, of course), or place their orders online for local delivery. Their daily-changing, ready-made items include chicken pot pie, Shepherd’s pie, pozole and three-course meals with optional wine pairing. Don’t miss their butcher shop which is stocked with ground beef and pork, New York strip and Wagyu steaks, and charcuterie. 

Farmshop expands their local-curated market to curbside pick-up and delivery. Browse their offerings of Straus milk and yogurt, granola, bread, sliced deli meats, cheeses, premade soups and meats. On my shopping list: Pastificio dei Campi dry pastas, Jidori chicken and Vermont Creamery butter.

Place your order for Huckleberry’s $30 market box (dozen eggs, artichokes, Koda Farms garbanzo beans, spigarello broccoli, lemons, lettuce, cherry tomatoes) or all your baking needs (flour, sugar, pancake mix, ready-to-make cakes, cookies and brownies).

PRODUCE

With the closing of the city’s farmers’ markets, Angelenos can stock up on greens at Thorne Family Farm. Place your order three days in advance to pick up roadside Wednesdays (9am-2pm) and Saturdays (9am-2pm). The box of produce includes seasonal greens, herbs and fruit from the 25-acre, Malibu farm including Tuscan and curly kale, arugula, Cara Cara oranges, blueberries and strawberries. Bonus: There are also farm eggs, homemade preserves, Tartine loaves and Malibu Farm eats to replenish with too. 

Thao Family Farm is also boxing up produce from their Fresno farm: $40 box gets you fennel, daikon, dill, leeks, beets, spinach, arugula, cilantro, Swiss chard, green garlic, green onions, Chinese mustard greens, tat soy, Shanghai boy chow, and spigarello broccoli. Though they don’t deliver, you can order ahead and pick up at these LA restaurants: Akasha, Broken Spanish, Highland Park Brewery, Kismet, Orsa & Winston, Phorage, Republique and Roberta’s.

MEAT & EGGS

Stock up on farm-fresh eggs and other morning musts (bacon, sausages) at Belcampo. They also offer a small selection of meats such as whole heritage chicken and ground meat for same-day, delivery. 

Order your grass-fed steaks, heritage pork chops and housemade chorizo from Standing’s Butchery for delivery (with fee). They also have a selection of Kat-approved pantry items from Mother-in-Law’s kimchi and Red Boat fish sauce to local, raw honey and small-batch, bourbon barrel-aged soy sauce. 

PASTRIES

Place your order today for Sugarbloom Bakery’s croissants, pain au chocolat, kouign-amann and other viennoisserie (along with cookies and my personal fave, cream cheese-glazed cinnamon rolls) for weekend-only delivery. 

Clementine offers delivery and curbside pick-up of ready-to-eat sweets (banana cream pie, chocolate pudding, muffins) and bake-at-home pie, cookies, cornbread, scones and biscuits. DIY bakers can also shop yeast, flour, sugar, butter and limited fruit. 

SURVIVAL KIT

Wes Avila’s Guerrilla Tacos has got your taco cravings (about 60) covered: The taco survival kit ($155) includes five pounds of roasted chicken, five pounds of carne asada, 30 eggs, red and green salsas, tortillas, rice and beans (and a roll of toilet paper, natch) for curbside pick-up. Just you? They also offer a mini kit ($80), sweet potato taco kit ($52) and nacho kit ($40).

All Time has got á la carte market items (i.e. butter, trail mix, cookie dough, chicken pot pie) as well as one-in-one kits ($250-$500). Vegetarians (pasta, rice, beans, cheese, potatoes, kale, canned tomatoes, olive oil, hot sauce, coffee), pescatarians (add two, seven-ounce salmon fillets) and carnivores (add lamb ragu and two, ten-ounce steaks) can order for curbside pick-up or delivery. 

WINE

Starting April 3, Domaine LA reopens offering curbside pick-up and delivery Monday to Saturday (11am-6pm). 

Westsiders can contact Esters Wine Shop for free delivery (within 5 miles of the Santa Monica storefront) for 100-dollar-plus orders $100 and 25% off wines and beer. 

Photo: Jakob N. Layman

ICE CREAM

Because priorities… stock up on ice cream (plus cones and Boylan sodas for floats) at Jeni’s, who’s also delivering four to six-pint collections (i.e. dairy-free, chocolate stash) to your door. 

For a small-batch option, check out Antico. The K-town ristorante is slinging focaccia pizzas and ice cream only. And lucky us, their heavenly pints are available for delivery (try the honey-swirled honeycomb topped with olive oil and sea salt at home for salty-sweet perfection). 

Protect Yourself

STAYING HEALTHY & SANE

I’m not even going to say it: the ‘c’ word and, yes, all its fears around it. Anyone like me where your head’s spinning and you’re feeling drained?Which, dear friends, got me thinking, “How can I take back control in these crazy times?” My intention for the week/month/year: Protection. 

Here some ways to conserve and safeguard your energy. (Cue: protective shield and superpower cuffs!) 

Boost Your Qi/Water Element

As Botanarchy’s Carolyn Barron (my acupuncturist and swoon-worthy sorceress/healer) poetically writes, “The Huang Di Nei Jing, the sacred writ of Chinese medicine, speaks to how emotional energy has vectors, predictability, movement. Fear, unsurprisingly, causes qi to sink. To understand how fear relates to the Kidneys and Water element, think of the last time you felt fearful… Fear, like water, plunges to the depths. Our bodies collapse into survival mode, our spine curls inward to protect our vital organs, a cold shock pulses through our fingers and toes, and our energy quite literally drops into our lower loins, the spaces that speak to fundamental safety…If you find yourself living in perpetual fear of your health, your Water element may be out of balance and require tending (holler at your acupuncturist). In the now, resist the inward pull of the tides, remain upright, risk assess like a boss. Trust in your body’s innate curative processes, stay home, say no, protect the vulnerable, surrender to the unknown. Take notes.”

So, listen to your intuition. Take care of yourself. Do what’s best for you. Maybe it’s finding stillness with meditation or a walk, spending less time with (social) media, getting a good night’s rest, booking a treatment with Carolyn, or an energy clearing with me!

Grab Your Crystals

RX for fear or anxiety? Our favorite crystal guru, Madison Young of Open Eye Crystals, schools us on prescriptive stones. 

“When I’m feeling low-frequency emotions like fear, worry or stress, obsidian keeps them at bay. Or lepidolite and lithium quartz…both are good for combatting worry and anxiety and putting the mind at ease.”

Need more stones in your arsenal? Madison suggests, “Bloodstone with Aventurine. Whenever I’m feeling sick, I throw on those bracelets and immediately feel better. They’re great for health in general.”

Flower Power

To protect my space and home, I use red geraniums, grown in planters that are placed around the house. Ditto for lavender and rosemary, which are good for cleansing and purifying. For bouquets, I use a High Vibe staple—roses. Rose is the highest frequency flower, so it raises your vibration and elevates your mood. Shop the High Vibe collection here. 

And for boosting immunity, here’s what’s in my toolkit for staying healthy…

Vitamin C

At the first signs of a cold, I take a packet of Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C—more easily absorbed by the body than a tablet. The gel can get messy, so squeeze it into juice or coconut water and swig.

Tinctures & Tonics

When I’m feeling run-down, I take 3-4 droppers full of Woodstock Herbal Products C&F Seasonal Support, which is always stocked in my fridge. There’s a long list of immune boosters including echinacea, olive leaf, elder berry and flower, sage and yarrow. Be warned: It’s got a pungent taste, so dilute or chase with juice or water. 

And packing even more punch, brave Simples’ Fiery Immune Tonic.  This extra potent mix—thanks to onions, garlic, ginger, horseradish, apple cider vinegar and chili peppers—is not for the faint of heart. But I like to think, “The more it burns, the better it fights!”

Baths

Because by now, you know how much I love a good bath… The Sacred Ritual Immunity is filled with Pink Himalayan salts, antimicrobial clove, lemon and frankincense. (And if you missed the last newsletter, try Pursoma’s Hot Tub Bathwith ginger, French green clay and fleur de sel to sweat it out.)

Another bath I swear by: hydrogen peroxide. I read years ago from a homeopath about the benefits of this bath for children with fevers. So I tried it out for myself, and it’s stuck as a staple in my get-well regime. I take as much as 4 cups of hydrogen peroxide mixed with magnesium flakes, in hot water. Then, I imagine my body detoxifying head to toe. 

Essential Oils

Defend yourself from the elements with oils that purify and sanitize. (Dab it on or add drops in a diffuser or atomizer.) Floracopeia makes wildcrafted, organic blends including their Legends Protection Blend—based on the Thieves Vinegar recipe that combat epidemics in the Middle Ages—which includes clove, rosemary, lavender, thyme, basil, white sage and mint. 

I also like doTerra’s On Guard, a mix of orange peel, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary. 

Happy Full Moon

FULL MOON RITUALS

So, what exactly does the full moon do, and why is it significant? The short answer: the moon is at its, yes, fullest. This peak phase is the culmination—therefore, most energetic and charged—of the lunar cycle. And because the full moon is ready to wane into a new cycle, it’s also symbolically a time to let go—clearing blocks, old habits, ways of thinking, etc. Here, some ways to honor nature’s rhythm and your own self reflection. 

1. Clear Your Space

An easy fix for bad juju is a smudge stick. White sage (the most-common) is particularly potent and purifying. But if the smell and/or smoke is too much, swap in sweet-smelling Palo Santo.

Check out made-in-LA Cast of Stones’ starter kit—white sage bundle and clear quartz. (P.S. I also love their crystal-infused, roll-on essential oils.) 

Or cleanse your aura and banish bad vibes with Poof—Be Gone! Like a magic wand, the mix of white roses, Queen’s Anne lace, and eucalyptus are armed to brighten and clear.

2. Soak with Bath Salts

I’m a bona-fide bath fanatic. Good thing they’re especially beneficial on and around a full moon. The key: salt to clear and ground.Budget: My bathroom is always stocked with my stand-by—Ancient Minerals magnesium flakes. The upgraded version of Epsom salt contains magnesium chloride (instead of sulphate) for better absorption into the skin.Mid-range: Pursoma makes organic, wild-harvested line of scrubs and bath salts. I love their Digital Detox made with French green clay and fleur de sel. (And when I’m feeling under the weather, their ginger-added Hot Tub has me sweating it out and on the way to recovery.)Splurge: I’m obsessed with Lord Jones’ products. And I love lusting—it’s like window shopping—after everything from pâte de fruit to body oils with its beautiful, luxe packaging. Soak like royalty (or aspire to) with this jar that’s packed with pink Himalayan and Epsom salts, calendula petals, arnica and—surprise—CBD.

3. Connect to Your Intuition

Say “hello” to the Third Eye Opener. This bouquet of anemones and roses (available in medium or large) is programmed to open your sixth chakra and connect you to your intuition. 

Ready for a first date? Meet your intuition with a 20-minute, one-on-one meditation. I’ll visually guide you through grounding, clearing your chakras, replenishing your energies, and exploring your third eye. 

4. Journal

Look inward, and ask: What do I want to let go of? What’s getting in my way? Release all your fears and doubts onto paper. But also celebrate this month’s accomplishments and list everything you’re grateful for.

My go-to for jotting down all my dreams and “thanks” is the gold standard: Moleskin. I love the weight of the pages and the leather-bound covers—so it can lay and stay open flat when writing—of these timeless notebooks. Bonus: I personalize mine with an intention or reminder for added sparkle.

Valentine's Day 2.0

Can we make a pact to reboot Valentine’s Day? Instead of prix-fixe menus and pairing off for the night, I’d like to toast a new tradition: Let’s shake off winter’s cobwebs—spring is near…ish—and fete the lifelong person of interest—you. Here, some ways to treat yourself for V-Day.

GIFT IDEA

Vosges Haut Chocolat is one of my go-to chocolate brands. Quality chocolate (Valrhona and Callebaut to be exact), check. Chef-forward flavors (think: flour de sel, 24-month Parmesan), check. To boot, Vosges’ inspiring founder, Katrina Markoff.  (Fun fact: My first job in New York City was as a sales associate at their storefront on Spring Street.)

Markoff creates fun collections of bars and truffles including the just-launched Cosmic Truffles. The 21-piece Constellation box ($72, vosgeschocolate.com) is inspired by the twelve zodiac signs and infused with ingredients to raise your vibrations. So, Leos can vibe on Lion’s mane mushroom and edible gold dust, while Scorpios are honored with absinthe and charcoal coconut ash.

TREAT YOURSELF

Anoint thyself with Moon Juice’s Yoni Oil. It may not smell like Gwyneth Paltrow’s vagina, but its Bulgarian rose and sweet almond oils will have you feeling just as fresh. Use it as a lubricant, or as part of your beauty regime for your lady parts.

…AND DON’T FORGET YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY ORDER

Because there’s no greater joy than a bouquet of fresh flowers, duh. Order yours here.