I love this hidden gem so much and it has become the meeting place on the back patio with my mentor…read moreSid. Our very own Coffee Talk. ;) I decided I wanted to try their "make and choose your own salad" option for my late afternoon lunch at home. The choices were amazing: 2 kinds of sliced turkey, cucumbers, 2 kinds of pepper (Pepercinos added a great flavor), Swiss and shaved Parmesan cheese over a generous amount of romaine lettuce...dressing on the side. ( I may have left out some other veggies)... When I opened this repast at home I was gobsmacked by the amount of food that came in the container! WOW AND DELICIOUS AND FRESH! All for under 15.00... what a deal. The back patio is so beautiful with the koi pond, waterfalls and fabulous greenery ... I do love buying Market Pizza there and usually pick up Drew's pizza often but alas he was not open... I definitely will be picking up both next visit for sure to share with my husband! Highly recommended and I will be back extra soon!!!

Jackson Market's description doesn't even come close to capturing what this place really is. Yes,…read moreit's a neighborhood market and deli, but step into the back patio and it feels like you've stumbled into something entirely different. The garden is lush and overflowing with greenery, dotted with comfortable seating and the gentle sound of water fountains. It's the kind of space that invites you to slow down and dream a little. There's a quiet magic to it that's hard to explain but easy to feel. The sandwich counter is excellent and absolutely worth it, and if you have the time, ordering a wood-fired pizza and enjoying it out in the garden is the move. The espresso drinks don't quite match the level of the food, but honestly, that's not why you come here. This is a place to decompress, to reset, to breathe. I come here as often as I can and every time, it feels like stepping into a little hidden world.

Had some family pop in on me out of nowhere!…read more Like, literally nowhere. I mean from New Orleans with absolutely no heads up whatsoever! Guess what they wanted as soon as they touched down? You got it! Sorrento's Italian Market here in Culver City! Now supposedly over the weekend they're going to make up for their surprise and lack of common courtesy by taking me to some nice restaurant apparently! I'll believe it when I see it. Settled on some hard salami and the sheer smell that emanates from the market. You've heard of or better yet even witnessed the smell that emanates from Pirates of the Caribbean? Well, Sorrento's market has its own unforgettable smell, and it usually winds up in a net gain of about 5 to 10 lb for your waistline. So other than some hard salami, I was sure to get the you know what out of here quickly! But do come by folks! Come from near and come from afar. My family just came from New Orleans (which happens to be the 1st city-yeah even before New York...that saw Sicilians specifically bring their great cuisine to this land) and the first thing they wanted was some hard salami from Sorrento's 2,000 miles away! Lol The spirit of Sorrento's market lives on through current owner Albert Vera Jr, who continues to do his father, mother, and the city of Culver City proud. It's not Culver City if there's not a Vera somewhere, somehow.

Everyone who knows me knows I'm a big fan of hidden gems and no-frills places. I much prefer…read moresupporting small, mom-and-pop businesses over big chains. I'm an East Coast kid, raised north of Boston, with an Italian grandfather who blasted Sinatra and the Rat Pack from his Cadillac Eldorado. Homemade meatballs and chicken parmigiana were staples in our home, so I like to think I know Italian food, especially Italian subs. I love a good Italian sub with extra hots (red cherry pepper relish). I'm on a quest to find the best Italian sub in LA, so I've been trying out some of the classic spots. I finally made it to Sorrento Italian Market. The staff was friendly and helpful, directing me to the sub counter. A kind, middle-aged woman assisted me, explaining the menu had both hot and cold options. I was looking for an Italian sub, but the cold Italian Combination with mustard and mayo wasn't what I expected (we use "hots," a cherry pepper relish, on the East Coast). I was a bit confused, as she thought I was asking about a hot sub. They don't use hots here, which is understandable. Instead, I asked about popular hot subs and was recommended the meatball sub, which many online reviewers also praised. The meatballs were excessively salty, and I generally enjoy salty foods! They were also quite small, almost like cocktail meatballs. The texture also reminded me of canned Chef Boyardee meatballs. While the bread was a bit stale, it became more palatable after being soaked in the marinara sauce. I also wanted to try the pastries. Of course, I couldn't visit an Italian deli without trying a cannoli. I ordered the traditional, regular-sized one and was very disappointed. It tasted like pure sugar; I couldn't even taste the ricotta. It just tasted like frosting, and they overdid the powdered sugar.I nearly had a sugar rush, and I'm not even diabetic! It tasted almost like it was made from Costco. I also ordered bombolone, one with vanilla custard and one with Nutella filling. Unfortunately, they tasted a bit stale on the outside, and I didn't end up eating them. I hesitate to write a negative review for a mom-and-pop spot, but the food was unfortunately unsatisfactory on several levels. I'm not comfortable giving just one star because the staff was friendly and had good banter. I also really enjoy the atmosphere of this old-fashioned Italian deli, so I'm giving them two stars instead.

I've wanted to eat at Kustaa for a long time, so I had high hopes, but unfortunately, my experience…read morewas a major letdown. I visited on a Friday in the early afternoon. It was pretty quiet, yet we were barely greeted by the staff. To make matters worse, another patron was changing their 2-year-old's diaper right there on the patio. It was completely "butt baked" and extremely unappetizing while trying to eat. Food we ordered : * Pâté Sandwich: The pâté itself was actually good, but it was ruined by a ton of mustard. I had to scrape it off just to eat it as the mustard completely overpowered the sandwich. * Salmon Sandwich: Very bland and lacked flavor. Side sales were bland. We had to ask for extra dressing. * Iced Coffee: There was something "weird" floating in my coffee. Between the hygiene issues on the patio, and the mediocre food, I won't be back. Maybe I should have just stuck with wine and cheese.

I loved their relaxed and comfortable setup. The place feels very inviting and pleasant…read more Our waiter was amazing and his recommendations were on point. I recommend trying their raclette and pair it with a good wine. Their selection of cheeses is great and they also sell them at their front store. Everything I tried there was delicious and hope to be back soon.

I had been craving to go to a restaurant that specializes in Seafood and this place was recommended…read moreto me by some co-workers. I got there with my mother and was greeted by a very lovely gentleman named Clark. He told us we could sit wherever so we seated ourselves in the outside area. He came over right away with the menus and asked if we had been there before to which we responded had not. He went over the menu with us and answered any questions we had regarding the menu. He was very sociable and friendly. We chatted with him and put in an order for the Kiwi Chowder. I ordered a Modelo and my mother ordered a glass of orange blend wine. He came over with the drinks a while later and the Kiwi chowder and have us plenty of time to sit and enjoy the dish before we ordered our main courses. The kiwi chowder was delicious and came with little crackers. The clams and mussels were so tasty and the Ora King Salmon was a nice treat. After a while he came back and served me the Fisherman's Mixed Basket and my mother got the Fish tacos with fish of the day for them being Sword Fish. The fisherman's basket was amazing and paired perfectly with my beer. I had never had clams,mussels, snapper, and oysters all together and they were so good I wish I could have them more frequently. The place was very cute and sat quietly with good music playing. Not current music but music that really fit the place and set the vibe. I will be coming back here and if you ever go, there is no bad choice for the fish, the service is stupendous and I haven't gotten anything like it in forever, and if you meet Clark enjoy a friendly conversation with him.

Super nice place to sit,tucked away along the busy Washington. Wanted to love this place straight…read moreaway because it was really easy to grab a table, menu looked great. Unfortunately, the food isn't anything special. Decent portion sizes, but that doesn't matter much when nothing is very tasty. Place isn't exactly cheap either, for $26 I don't expect the battered to be soft and falling off the fish. The fish taco was huge, but dripping with liquid. Really wanted this place to work out, staff are friendly, but the food was a huge letdown.

We love Bison and Elk and Venison, but have a hard time finding it and when we do, it is usually…read morenot very good. Such is not the case with Wild Fork in Venice. This nicely sized store has everything you might want in the way of meat and fish. They have great fish. We have had their Elk, Bison and Venison all made up as burgers with these great rolls we got right there. It is all great. We are now regular customers. The service is excellent. They know about everything they carry and go out of their way to explain things. The place is just so bright and pretty. It is so very clean and it is easy to find what you want. They have some of the best steaks we have ever had, the marbling being perfect. We also love their lobster. And all of this is at a fair price. Go there.

This market is absolutely amazing. I have never seen a nicer set up and the place is so clean you…read morereally could eat off the floor. Things are easy to find. All items are frozen because some of what they offer really needs to be, deer, for example. They have meats you will not find anywhere else, and the prices are super fair. We first went there because out St. Bernard must eat a lot of food and is ever so picky. We have always made her food fresh every day, but one day she decided, this steak is not for me, burger, shove it. She even refused chicken. I went on line and talked to friends who said get her deer, and kangaroo. Okay, so I searched and found Wild Fork. I ordered on line because I had no idea they were down the street from me. We cooked it up and she is eating again. We then went there and had the best service you can imagine. Fila knew everything from fat content to calories. We bought Elk, Kangaroo, chicken with all the parts in it, Bison and Venison. Heidi, the dog is in heaven. It all looked so great, we decided to try it. Bison burgers are great. Venison burgers are great. I did not love the Kangaroo, but my husband did and the Elk is just so tasty. And all of it is healthy and you can freeze it for months or just defrost and cook. We can't wait to try their seafood and steaks, but right now it appears we are on the dog's diet. We could not be happier with this place and now go every week. Thank you so much Fila for being so kind and patient. I think my husband has a wee crush. That's fine, Heidi will trade him for meat any day of the week. This is a must stop.

tl;dr even if charcuterie boards and boutique home goods aren't your thing, don't miss the…read morenot-so-secret farm-to-table sandwich selection Lady & Larder is no stranger to the spotlight. This tiny Santa Monica wine-and-cheese concept debuted in 2016, and their charcuterie boards earned acclaim from Oprah and The New York Times alike. During the pandemic, Lady & Larder ventured into the sandwich game, and the result was a resounding success. Nowadays, the not-so-secret "Secret Lunch" lineup of gourmet sandwiches is among the best in Los Angeles. The tiny Santa Monica shop shares the block with a Sherwin-Williams and a boxing gym. Cross your fingers for metered street parking on the trafficky block of Pico. Outside, red metal patio furniture is shaded by the overhanging storefront. Natural light runs through multicolored windows to the shop within. The mosaic tiled floor is effortlessly chic. The soaring whitewashed walls are minimally decorated, while shelves and refrigerators are carefully curated with wines, cheeses, tinned fish, and candles. The tablet register is set up on a worn kitchen countertop. Soft, instrumental music immediately feels welcoming. I've visited multiple times for early weekend lunch, and our Toast pre-order was ready upon arrival. We grabbed a table outside, and numerous takeout customers popped in and out during our meal. My favorite was the Disco Only. This elevated turkey club featured an impressive depth of flavor, from the sharp alpine cheese to the rich garlic mayo to the tangy pepperoncini vinegar. The thick-cut Bub and Grandma's sesame bread held up admirably well, and the arugula added a welcome fresh factor. The proteins were plentiful but were outshone by the other components. I also loved the Hot Girl Salami. The sweet-and-hot mustard and crispy baguette accentuated the rich, almost buttery salami. Meanwhile, the Venice Cowgirl was like a cheeseboard on a baguette. The sweet peaches and apricot-habanero jam dominated the subtly rich cheese or thin prosciutto, but the sandwich nonetheless proved to be a unique, summery option worth sharing. Lastly, the Yes, Honey elevated the ham-and-cheese with tangy relish, but the other components felt standard and forgettable. The service was friendly and efficient, and sandwiches ran for $15-20 each. Overall, the food tasted like the Santa Monica Farmer's Market on a premium roll, with sandos ranging from good to excellent. They are worth a dedicated visit if you're in the neighborhood, and I can't wait to work my way through more of Lady & Larder's menu.

my boyfriend surprised me on Valentine's Day with these!…read more Everything tasted fresh and delicious. Please support these ladies!!

An experimental foodie life is so much more feasible with re_grocery in the neighborhood…read more Since moving out of Mar Vista, I've missed casually walking to re_grocery to pick up a variety of spices I need when trying out new recipes. I would've run into so many more dilemmas if I needed to buy items in bulk when I just needed a few teaspoons! The staff have always been nice and attentive. It often feels like I've run into someone in the middle of tending their garden.

Love this place! So many great products in bulk. You can bring your own containers or buy one here…read more-- everything from personal care to eco-friendly cleaning products to spices, dried fruit and cookies! Yum! Street parking available. Staff were super helpful and friendly.

Though they didn't have what I needed in the market, we had a great interaction with the staff! We…read morewere profiled in the most hilarious way here when we went up to ask if they had our item in stock, she looked at us & said " are you looking for the hot chicken? it's in the back!" with a smile haha We would have! I'm not mad at a hot chicken ever, but we both chuckled at the cute assumption. Staff was helpful and kind with us so we appreciated that. We went in for Menengiç Coffee and were easily able to navigate to the section, though they don't carry it. Well organized store with a lot of options. They have a small parking lot in the back which is always a bonus!

This is limited to their meat counter, which is one of the few places in the neighborhood that…read moreoffer lamb chops and lamb liver. The guys back there are friendly, feed any meats through the grinder two times for a finer and more evenly ground finished product, and prices are very reasonable.

During the holiday season, that kind of just passed, I could not escape IG reels that romanticized…read morethe power of hot chocolate. Apparently, it can be so rich and thick (European Style) that it is part healing warmth and the other part just wildly delicious. So I decided to go ahead and find a cup of thick, and rich cocoa to hit me with holiday splendor, the kind that can re-assemble Frosty after his final melt. My friend Conrad and I were the duo who ventured to ChocoVivo to try chocolate, on chocolate, on chocolate, with some water on the side. ChocoVivo is in Culver City. The place itself is on Washington Blvd amidst some bars, and eateries. This place lends itself to be a dessert spot, an experience for chocolate lovers and those who are not, and anyone who just wants to experience the taste of chocolate in-depth and in odd luxury. As soon, as I entered, I made a beeline for the counter. I was overwhelmed with all the chocolatey choices: pastries, drinks, squares, with the list continuing exhaustively, it even included a chocolate skull that might serve better as decoration than a treat. I excused myself and went to use the restroom, I dared not ask questions to understand my options, when my bladder was full. I might make rash decisions, due to my inability to focus. And with so many options in front of me, I wanted to sample what was right and balanced for me. I wanted to sample chocolate, I just did not just want to taste chocolate. My trip to the facilities was a small adventure in itself. I passed a room with a man working on his laptop. But the room, seemed to be, like a Sultan's rest-room. It had pillows, hanging lamps, and a cream like colored that reminded me of sun-kissed sand. I clipped the room. There is a Minion (from Illumination fame) chilling in one of the couches. Another picture shows, a fishing net (maybe) with make-shift clouds pouring out of it, also leafs and butterflies. It seemed to be the remains of a shipwreck but it also held decorations that could have made the space more beautiful. I believe, and I could be wrong, of course, that this room used to be functional. A place to lounge, and see beauty, while enjoying chocolate. Now it was a forgotten room, whose purpose never fulfilled, and thus had stuff scattered around. I am sure, everyone can relate to that feeling, of getting stuff for an imagined room that never quite materializes and thus the room becomes storage, more than anything. Kondo deliver us! After, I came to the cashier, I ordered a hot chocolate. Conrad made a point, that the hot chocolate I ordered was not the European sipping hot chocolate that I had talked about on our car ride there. He then. made a point, that I should read a menu and then ask questions. I ask questions, as I read the menu. I eventually, ordered two hot chocolates, (one for him and one for me) and then we sampled 12 chocolate squares--- a sampler. The total was close to 60.00 dollars so this is an experience that is not going to the local mart and buying a Hershey's bar. The 12 chocolate samples were just great and enough, there were bigger samples, which I considered buying, but the price deterred me. The one that I got was super appropriate for both of us, by the end I was enjoying slightly by force, I mustered the strength to finish the half marathon. The full marathon would have tapped me out. The samples came with a card. Conrad was the one who was consulting the card, so we could not what chocolate we ate. It was truly fun, to be with someone who read of the information of the card, and then we tried to identify the taste as the card described. I wish I would have taken a picture of the card, but honestly, I am more of a determine by taste taster than a person who wants to be informed of what he is tasting, to know what he is tasting. I do remember the worst tasting chocolate we tasted--- it had black tea infused into it, I do not remember its cacao percentage, each chocolate had a cacao percentage. The hire the percentage, the sweeter the chocolate. The black tea had this earthy and tea taste that was profound. I guess imagine tasting. a black tea without sugar that is kind of the taste I struggled with. I am glad I tasted this chocolate, however, because it was part of the whole experience. I did not drive to the beach and endure a pothole, I drove to the beach and was both intrigued and jolted by the bounce that the pothole produced. Some chocolates I really enjoyed, the hot chocolate was goodness in a cup. The chocolate sampler also came with an espresso that was split into two cups. I was provided a knife to cut each chocolate. I put the knife in the center with one arm, and use the other hand to pierce the chocolate. My halfs were not perfect. Sometimes Conrad got the bigger half square, sometimes I did. I annotate all this so one knows that when you visit ChocoVivo you will need to work, if you want to split those chocolates, but the work was part of the fun!

At least for the drinks and cookies, ChocoVivo is pretty solid. European hot chocolate and regular…read morehot chocolates have a reasonable set of choices, and the cookies we had were served hot and loaded with chocolate chunks. Service is friendly, at least given how late in the day we arrived, and the decor is best described as homey. They had the windows open at the front, which was both welcoming but a bit chilly in the fall if you were to sit by them-- the actual establishment was quite comfortable, just the window area that was a bit drafty.