When Gaby Lask, 26, stole his home in Orlando to spend Thanksgiving with a extended family in Los Angeles, she had only one request: to visit Erewhon.
Erewhon is a luxury grocery chain based in Los Angeles known for its celebrity collaborations and its sadly high prices. Hailey Bieber’s Glaze’s Skin for Glaze’s skin, for example, bears the name of the model that also manages a skin care brand, and it costs $ 20. This smoothie attracted Lask, which manages Instagram and Tiktok accounts documenting its meals under the handle @kiko_eatz.
Smoothies at Erewhon can easily exceed $ 20 each. (Photo of Sally French)
“When I started to see the Hailey Bieber smoothie and the alleys beautifully organized everywhere in my social media flows, I knew that I had to go and check it for myself,” she said.
Lask is in good company. The concept of “grocery tourism” – where travelers make a point of visiting grocery stores to take advantage of the local price – has become viral on Tiktok in 2024.
A screenshot of the Instagram account of Gaby Lask, @kiko_eatz.
And in Los Angeles, where emblematic grocery stores and international food markets have long been a must, grocery tourism has been popular for years – long before it became a Tiktok trend. In the midst of recent forest fires which have had an impact on Los Angeles, these markets remain a vital part of the city’s cultural fabric, offering a connection by food.
Residents and tourists use them to hunt regional food products or snacks worthy of Instagram. But often, the attraction is much more practical – especially by offering an affordable means of spending time, discovering the local culture and filling your belly.
Here are some key reasons why grocery stores are worth traveled to Los Angeles and elsewhere.
They are a edible treasure hunt
Preparation of food in Erewhon. (Photo of Sally French)
Some tourists like Lask approach grocery tourism as finding a treasure on a map – looking for food they have seen on Instagram or Tiktok.
“I would never do my full shopping in Erewhon,” she said. “But I want to go back to try things I saw on social networks, like Madchip Sunday.”
The Madchip Sunday is the sweet sundae of Erewhon coconut served with a “super food chocolate frosting” and a cookie. At $ 12.50, the Hailey Bieber Smoothie at $ 20 makes it look like it.
For other tourists, it is the pleasure of getting lost in Aisles of Goods exclusive to each store. This is the case even in national grocery stores like Trader Joe’s, which opened in 1967 in Pasadena, California, just northeast of the city center of Los Angeles. The chain adds (and removes) products based on the interest of customers, creating a kind of media treasure hunting. You can easily get a prepacké meal here, such as a salad or an envelope, for less than $ 10.
You can find a unique variety of products
Farshop in Santa Monica. (Photo of Sally French)
The Los Angeles historic farmers market near the Grove, the neighboring high -end shopping center, has been an element of tourists and residents since its opening in 1934. A great reason: it highlights the diversified culture of the city.
The 500 workers on the market speak a combined total of 23 languages, according to Visit California, a non -profit organization that promotes tourism in the state. Of course, this diversity is reflected in the price. The hot food stands include the Singapore banana leaf, which serves noodles, currys and skewers, and Grill pampas, which sells Brazilian dishes and meats.
Eataly, which has an outpost in Los Angeles inside the famous Westfield Century City shopping center, is another place to find specialized dishes and products. The market covers 67,000 square feet and includes nine take -out counters and more than 10,000 Italian products on its shelves. Even if you are not in Los Angeles, you can visit Eataly in other big cities, including Chicago and New York.
Boutique markets, such as the Farshop in Los Angeles, are good places to find organized goods and gifts. Some are local, while others are organized for unique sales arguments, such as products manufactured thanks to more sustainable agricultural practices or created by companies belonging to minorities.
You can eat like a room
Produce in Mercado González. (Photo of Sally French)
If you want to see how the inhabitants buy and eat, consult a grocery store specializing in a certain kitchen. For example, Mercado González in Costa Mesa, California – about an hour outside Los Angeles – is a market that sells a wide range of specialized products and ingredients that are important in Mexican cuisine like cacti, chayote and a variety of peppers. The candy section includes Mexican candies like Mazapan, which is a traditional peanut candy.
Mercado González has many tables, encouraging people at dinner. (Photo of Sally French)
The culmination is the food room with sellers offering tortas (Mexican sandwiches), birria (a type of stew) and seafood. Fusion spots like sushi and sinalenense mix Japanese sushi with Mexican flavors .
The Tamaleria Fresh Tamales at Mercado González cost $ 3 each. A full combined meal including two tamals, rice, beans and garnishes costs $ 10.
They are cheaper (and more practical) than eating
The employees made fresh pastries in González Mercado in Costa Mesa, California. (Photo of Sally French)
Like the The cost of the restaurant continues to increaseGrocery stores are no longer just a standard for broken backpackers to load on ramen.
Aside, most grocery stores sell affordable quality meals. For example, a pastrami sandwich at the adjacent gourmet restaurant from Farshop costs $ 26 before tax and tip. But at the cold meats under the same roof, the sandwiches start at $ 15. Tourists with a budgetary spirit could order one to eat on the charming patio Brentwood Country Mart for about half of the price.
In addition, grocery stores offer amenities that restaurants often do not do so. No reservation is required. You are generally not forced to give a tip. And you could earn rewards by invoicing it to a grocery store. Even in expensive stores like Erewhon, navigation on the aisles is free.
The article why “tourism of the grocery” is great in Los Angeles originally on Nerdwallet.
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