California

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  Indio-Coachella

  Southern California’s Coachella Valley—a northwestern extension of the Colorado Desert and home to cities including Indio, Coachella, Palm Springs, and Palm Desert—is famous for its music and food festivals; its celebrity playgrounds; its diverse (and earthquake-prone) area topography and proximity to Joshua Tree National Park, the San Bernardino Mountains, the San Andreas Fault. But its warm winters have proven a boon to more than just the visiting “snowbird” population: The valley is a very important agricultural center for Southern Cali. In this snapshot, we focus on the product most associated with the area, thanks to its Arabian-like climate: the sweet and humble date.

  Southern California’s Coachella Valley—a northwestern extension of the Colorado Desert and home to cities including Indio, Coachella, Palm Springs, and Palm Desert—is famous for its music and food festivals; its celebrity playgrounds; its diverse (and earthquake-prone) area topography and proximity to Joshua Tree National Park, the San Bernardino Mountains, the San Andreas Fault. But its warm…   Read more

   

  Find local foods in Indio-Coachella.

  Date shake

  Dates

  Los Angeles

  You don’t have to be starstruck to be wowed by Los Angeles. Filled with enough legend to rival Manhattan, it’s a city that lives up to its reputation, for better or worse: Just as you’ll spot a celebrity or two and gape at Rodeo Drive a la Pretty Woman, you’ll likewise spend a lot of time in your car, getting to know the city sprawl, the Skid Row grit between the glitz, the notorious freeway traffic. But like any good challenge, L.A. is worth it—for its food as much as for those instantly recognizable pop-culture icons. But what is L.A. food? To understand the city’s diverse gastronomy is to first understand the city’s diverse demographics, which is to say a mish-mash of many ethnic enclaves—there’s not only a Chinatown, Koreatown, and huge Hispanic population here, but also a Little Ethiopia, Little Armenia, and “Tehrangeles,” to name a few. Next, consider that L.A. loves its trends, and many of the culinary sort have stuck around here, from drive-through burger joints and street food trucks to vegetarianism and locavorism (the latter forming the general basis of the vague catchall “California cuisine”). Then there’s the natural intermingling of what came before (hello, vegan Vietnamese and Korean tacos!), plus celebrity-approved landmark eateries that hold their ground year after year. Hungry yet? Widespread, creative, and ever-evolving, L.A.’s food scene is ready for its close-up. 

  You don’t have to be starstruck to be wowed by Los Angeles. Filled with enough legend to rival Manhattan, it’s a city that lives up to its reputation, for better or worse: Just as you’ll spot a celebrity or two and gape at Rodeo Drive a la Pretty Woman, you’ll likewise spend a lot of time in your car, getting to know the city sprawl, the Skid Row grit between the glitz, the notorious…   Read more

   

  Find local foods in Los Angeles.

  Burritos

  California roll, creative sushi roll

  California-style pizza

  Chili cheese dog

  Drive-through burger, In-N-Out

  San Francisco

  You never forget about the water in San Francisco. From the windswept Pacific coast, running along the city’s western flank, to the shimmering blue waters of the San Francisco Bay, sea breezes can be felt from the top of its steep hills and in the sailor-tinged spirit of its history. 

  It may have started life as a port town, but San Francisco has since become an international destination for art, culture, and cuisine. You’ll find fresh seafood aplenty, of course, plucked from the bay and surrounding waters, echoed by a bounty of gorgeous local produce, straight from area farms. The farm-to-table movement, so widespread around the U.S. now, has long been synonymous with the “California cuisine” of this city, where top dining destinations and sandwich shops alike take a hyperlocal approach to their food. History runs deep in food culture here, too: Hearty, indulgent classics like Hangtown fry have stuck around since Gold Rush days, when San Francisco’s lawless heart was known as the Barbary Coast and easy-flowing liquor and delightfully loose morals were the name of the game. Compared to its East Coast brethren, this fair city is a young one, so any talk of local foods must also include the essential contributions of immigrant cultures, from dangerously delicious Mission burritos to life-changing dim sum. Stroll through the city’s various neighborhoods and its melting-pot persona becomes clear: The wonderfully diverse mix of traditional and modern food culture, of history and groundbreaking chefs and some of the country’s best farm-fresh ingredients, has made San Francisco one of the best eating towns in the world. Bold words? Come see for yourself.

  San Francisco text and photos by Lauren Sloss

  You never forget about the water in San Francisco. From the windswept Pacific coast, running along the city’s western flank, to the shimmering blue waters of the San Francisco Bay, sea breezes can be felt from the top of its steep hills and in the sailor-tinged spirit of its history.  It may have started life as a port town, but San Francisco has since become an international destination for art,…   Read more

   

  Find local foods in San Francisco.

  Dungeness crab, Crab Louie

  Mission burrito

  Fernet-Branca

  Dutch crunch

  Sourdough bread

• User Content

Below is user-submitted content for this region. Have something to contribute? Upload your regional-food photo or food memory.

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  Clam Chowder

  Bodega Bay
  eblech
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  Beach House Amber Ale

  Malibu
  liaht
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  Egg Tart

  SF
  eblech
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  Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Golden Raisin Agrodolce

  Santa Cruz
  carinachiodo

• • Simple as a Sandwich

    carinachiodo
    Danville Station Firehouse Bar & Grill, Danville, CA
    Suburbs, in my experience, are hosts for those seeking simple, sound lifestyles. Also according to my experience, the best type of meal to have in a given environment is one that reflects its atmos…    Read more

  • Berry Good

    carinachiodo
    Susina Bakery, Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
    Bread pudding has never really been my thing, but that all changed last night. At 10:11 PM on a Saturday, I ditched a standard Saturday night of bar crawling, to instead feed my curiosity towards w…    Read more

• Blog Posts

• A Local’s Guide to Eating and Drinking in San Diego

  Mike Hess Brewing (courtesy of CityPASS) In this guest post, our discount-snagging friends at CityPASS share some of their favorite spots for eating and drinking (local beer, natch) in sunny San Diego. Fish tacos, anyone? San Diego’s…   Read more

• Japantown, San Francisco, in 36 Hours

  Our picks for eating and drinking in Japantown, San Francisco. Japantown mural. All photos by Mary Charlebois Ethereal tonkotsu, silky ramen. Tangy, crisp pickles. Sushi, sashimi, spicy-sweet ginger, and sake. Sweet, chewy mochi. Soak it all…   Read more

• Q&A: Mario Monticelli, Napa Valley Winemaker, California

  All photos courtesy of Trinchero Napa Valley “[At a family-owned winery], you can think with your heart—it’s not about meeting a bottom line.” –Mario Monticelli, Napa Valley winemaker If you're like us,…   Read more

• Anatomy of a West Coast Jewish Deli

  Steeped in tradition, Jewish delis around the United States are beloved, often generations-old fixtures. Many of them share similar characteristics—a homey yet straightforward vibe, encyclopedic menus, the familiar routine of big,…   Read more