Farmshop - Santa Monica

Millennials may have killed the retail market, but Brentwood’s brick-and-mortars stand strong in a world where online shopping reigns supreme. 

It’s no surprise this wonderland of well-curated whimsy still caters to the deepest desires of all who dream of beauty, within and without, stomach-deep and skin-deep as well. 

While I refuse to buy a candle that smells like anyone’s vagina and don’t cook well enough to indulge in kitchen comforts, there’s plenty of gourmet food for all, if you’re willing to pay the price for culinary gold. 

Even on a Thursday, Farmshop requires a reservation and our early arrival has us waiting for our table. Only half the tables were occupied at any given time so I would have appreciated at least an offer to sit down and sip on some water. 

The food is good. Great ingredients grind a grainy Avocado Hummus. Earthy chickpeas are sweetened by creamy avocado and finish with a chunky, nutty sprinkle of pistachio. Smear sumptuously upon strips of lavash for pre-meal perfection. 

Pulp Fiction had the $5 milkshake, Farmshop has the $26 sandwich. The House Made Pastrami puts tender meat between two surprisingly smooth slices of rye, balanced by an ideal amount of kraut and the perfect punch of mustard. A sweet n’ tangy side of slaw is just right between bites.

Good, straightforward food, stuff you’ll feel good eating. You’ll leave full, not stuffed, at a cost that is not unsubstantial. A lovely place for a weekday treat or a weekend wandering but a bit too luxe for a regular stop. 

Sweet Rose Creamery – Los Angeles

They say this is where the stars come out to play. I think they meant Brentwood Country Mart when they said that because everyone knows that stars don’t eat ice cream. The tabloids are full of Kate Moss’s 1200-calorie diets and Paris Hilton’s skinny-fat status, and honestly, do you really think that people who lose all their baby weight within a week did it by crunching on a cone?

Fortunately for me, I’m more infamous than famous, more small-time than big, and more camera-shy than chic. So I can have my ice cream and eat it too. And believe me, I did. First I tried the Fig Bay Leaf and something with ginger and a crunch just to say I explored the exotics, but there was no way I was passing up a Salted Caramel Waffle Cone. The ice cream was salted just right, and the caramel component was sweet but not too sugary. As if it wasn’t already perfect, topping it with a sprinkle of sea salt drove me over the edge.

Sadly I didn’t see any celebs that night, but a cone this good put the stars in my eyes anyway.