the la institution of erewhon: what's worth it

going beyond smoothies

things i’m reading: there’s more to erewhon than the hype of $20 smoothies?

it’s not lost on me (and likely not any of you either) that when people come to los angeles erewhon is on their list of places to visit right next to the hollywood walk of fame and the hollywood sign.

the smoothies, understandably, get a lot of the hype. they’re $20, made with celebs, hot brands and…some of them really are pretty good. they’re even being copied in the hamptons now. erewhon is more than the smoothies though.

one of my favorite reads of the past couple of years was hippie food by jonathan kauffman and i highly recommend giving it a read.

it breaks down the history of erewhon….which started in 1966 all the way back in boston, ma….i’ll leave the rest of discovery for you to read about in the book, but despite it’s pricey smoothies (…arguably the same price as a cocktail and better for you, i’ll give them that) erewhon’s roots are in the counter culture movement and building relationships with farmers.

fast forward to today & i’ve seen erewhon give a lot of baby better for you brands their start.

a lot has changed in those aisles since i began driving up to l.a. over a decade ago to stock up on my favorite snacks - major retailers have expanded their “bfy” offerings and thrive market is more widely known - but erewhon is still a great ground zero for discovery on what’s new and hot in the cpg space. i could still spend hours there going aisle by aisle looking at every brand, no questions asked.

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things in my cart: what to actually add to cart at erewhon

if you’re visiting erewhon, i’m of the opinion that at least 80% of your cart should be items you can really only get at erewhon (or maybe dtc and a select handful of stores). here’s what i’d add to cart:

1. meet the source cookie dough or chocolate bliss balls. they’re all the things: vegan, gluten-free, raw, etc. but all of those labels aside, they’re delicious and worth the price if you can swing it.

2. french squirrel peanut butter (with dates and sea salt inside?!). the brand’s founder, sydney, has jarred perfection with this one.

3. gelée’s elevated take on jelly is one of my obsessions for serving at parties. (check out gelée’s founder zoe messinger’s strata bites issue!)

4. not practical for travel, but if you have time to enjoy it on your trip, i’m obsessed with painterland sisters skyr. not to sound subject to the protein craze, but it has 18g of protein per 3/4 cups.

5. the chocolate chip oatmeal cookie is an absolute must. i’d put in on here twice if that wouldn’t be aggressive.

6. underrated: the japanese sweet potatoes from the hot bar.

7. follow them (with whatever else ends up on your hot plate) with their tonic bar soft serve (preferably with chocolate chips and peanut butter toppings).

8. hear me out on these: the ranch kale chips. i think these are something that just need to be tried before we can form opinions.

9. moon juice chili lime mangos. i’ve tried other versions and moon juice’s always come out on top.

10. i’d grab a ghia flavor you can’t get everywhere yet like sumac & chili. so good.

11. maybe a pack of goodpop popsicles for an emergency cool down since it’s bound to be hot if you’re visiting in the summer.

12. i desperately need erewhon to make a “party pack” size of their date chocolate & nut bites.

13. a pack of the best dates in the entire world from rancho meladuco date farm.

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things i’m listening to: california classics

as someone who’s born & raised in southern california, i have a lot of favorite california classics that are crucial listens for anyone visiting california to set the vibe properly.

• you have to “hop off the plane at l.a.x.” with some party in the u.s.a. by miley cyrus

• california love by 2pac with roger and dr dre

• the mama and the papas’ california dreamin’

• california by queen joni mitchell

• snoop dogg’s classic gin and juice for his shout out to the l.b.c.

• sorry, but i have to….californication and dani california by red hot chili peppers

• josé feliciano’s version of california dreamin’

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all: sqirl!

things to make: the cookbooks of california greats

california produce and some incredible chefs down the coast. nothing better. these are great cookbooks from great california chefs:

• the o.g. sqirl cookbook. everything i want to eat by jessica koslow

• the all time cookbook. the recipe for my favorite lamb ragu is in here. i have yet to make it because it is a true labor of love and the restaurant is just too close.

• alice waters’ the art of simple food. iconic.

• jess damuck’s salad freak is one of my favorite and (importantly) most-used cookbooks. her latest, health nut, has some real gems too.

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things to *swoon* over: some good old fashioned hollywood icons

rita hayworth, down to earth (1947)

marilyn monroe on the set of river of no return (1954)

lana turner in the merry widow (1952)

jean harlow