Artisanal LA: Where Passion Meets Delicious

One of many vendors at Artisanal LA's Spring Show

I encounter jaded Angelenos on a daily basis. As much as I love this city, it can be taxing at times. It’s no surprise that the American Psychological Association found us to be the most stressed city in the nation. Perhaps this is why I get so excited about meeting people that are passionate and hopeful about something. Anything. If you find me at a bar or a coffee shop, don’t start a conversation with where you work or where you grew up. Just tell me something that you are passionate about. Surprise me. Being in the presence of a passionate person makes me momentarily forget about all of the little things that cause me stress and allows me to remember why I’m so lucky to be part of such a vibrant community.

My desire to be around passionate individuals explains a lot of why I love the event Artisanal LA. The other reason I love it: it’s absolutely delicious. Four months after I first attended Artisanal LA, I still remember just about every type of food I tried. More importantly, I remember everyone I met. I remember their stories of why they decided to start selling that dessert their friends always complimented them on. I remember the stories of recipes passed down from generation to generation. It was about their passion as much as it was about the product they were selling.

Imagine my excitement when I heard their was going to be a spring Artisanal LA show and I was invited to the Friday preview night. The show moved from an awkward space downtown to an expansive home at the Santa Monica Place. The increased number of participating vendors meant there were more stories to hear, and the show certainly did not disappoint.

Sally Ann Field of Saucy Sacks

When you first enter, you’ll quickly meet Rondo Mieczkowski of Coldwater Canyon Provision. He makes hand crafted jams, pickles, and relishes using family and heirloom recipes. He’ll encourage you to trust your own taste buds, be honest with him, and let his wonderful product do all of the convincing.

Later you may meet the lovely Amber Trailer and Lisa McCulloch of The Good Cookies. They’ll offer you a bite of their delicious and gluten-free “Good Cookie,” made of chocolate chips, peanut butter, oatmeal. If you ask nicely, they may also let you try the “Goodie Goodie,” a Cranberry and White Chip Cookie. You’ll probably end up buying a bag and look for something a little salty to counter the dessert.

Hopefully you’ll stumble upon the guys at Sono Trading Company. I got pretty excited when I saw Zach and James because I was running dangerously low on my jar of whole grain mustard I bought from them at the winter show. They sadly had to inform me that they were not currently carrying the whole grain mustard, but my spirits were lifted when I saw they were still selling my other two favorites that I bought last show: “Hong Kong Habenero” and “Champagne Garlic.” I’ll have to remember to check to see how low those are getting in my fridge, in case I need to restock when I go back to the show on Sunday.

Seasoning Blends at Van Dorn Gourmet

Since man cannot survive on mustard alone, you’ll go seek Van Dorn Gourmets. There you can buy spice rubs, seasoning blends,  and more importantly, try samples of an onion or cajun dip, and instantly crave a salmon fillet when you try the dill dip.

When your taste buds are ready for something decadent, go find Kristine de la Cruz of Creme Caramel LA, a woman who never fails to put a smile on her customers faces. What’s not to love about bread pudding served with a smile?

Buttered Rum Cake from Immaculate Confections

You’d be remiss if you didn’t chat up Julie of Immaculate Confections. My first bite of her Bittersweet Chocolate Bourbon Cake was one of the best bites I’ve had all week and her passion is clearly on display.

Be sure to find The Olive Press and pick up a bottle of Ascolano olive oil. Its unique flavor will make any salad or piece of bread special. If you buy a bottle, you’ll be able to bring it back to them at a farmer’s market near you and get a huge discount on a refill. Give their black currant balsamic a taste as well.

Pair your new olive oil with some goat cheese from Julian and Carol Pearce of Soledad Goats. Ask the cute English couple dressed up as farmers about their goat cheeses that range from fresh and simple, to spicy, or even laced with lavender. You’ll be charmed and move-on with a grin.

Go say hi to the kind people at All Jarred Up and grab a taste of their beautiful pies that are baked fresh every morning. Chase the pie with coffee from LA’s best coffee roaster: Intelligentsia. Don’t be shy: ask all of your coffee-related questions. Whether it’s about  bean varieties, the harvesting and roasting process, or equipment, the gentlemen at Intelligentsia are happy to share their knowledge and passion with you.

Carving ham at Daily Dose

You’ll find excellent mole sauce from San Angel Mole, sandwiches on sale from Daily Dose, and you may even leave with a free seedling from Mud Baron. I can’t wait to go back this weekend and talk to many of the other vendors whose stories I have yet to hear. I’m excited to check out a few of the events as well, such as cooking demos, local craft beer panel, cocktail demo, and information about farmers markets and beekeeping.

Artisanal LA
April 16: 11 am – 8 pm
April 17: 11 am – 7 pm
Santa Monica Place