Innovations on the food scene spurred by the times are makin’ me smile from ear to ear. Laurent Katgely, chef/owner of Chez Spencer, now has the haute-est mobile menu around. He’s made a long-time desire come true with Spencer on the Go! In his converted taco truck, Laurent is bringing his Chez Spencer grub to the streets of SOMA.

When I visited Saturday night, the menu offered up everything from blue crab soup and lobster salad to frog leg curry and escargot lollipops. It was ALL scrumptious…

… including the tasty cookie nuggets from Sweet Construction sweetly displayed atop the lavender plants (a little bit of summer Provence ambience).

If you have the willpower to not dive into your food immediately, you can take your little box of delicacies across the road to Terroir Natural Wine Merchant and Bar where the boys will set you up with some nicely paired wine(s). Settle in and enjoy the good tunes, candle light and all-around great vibe. Terroir offers their wonderful collection of natural wines and is open every day of the week.

You can find Spencer on the Go! a few steps away on Thurs, Fri and Sat nights from 6 pm on. Chin chin et bon appetit!

PS – Soon you’ll also be able to find Laurent’s fine fare at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market on Tues and Thurs. Plus, he’s offering to take his truck to the locale of your choice for any special catering occasion you desire.

In the past several months, I’ve been the lucky recipient of two beautiful gifts from Mercado in Silverlake. It’s a different and unique kind of marketplace — one I was smitten with before I even stepped foot inside the door. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I’m a sucker for packaging and the logo and these gorgeous boxes alone had me hooked.

Visiting in person only served to deepen my fondness for this haven of unique and beautiful wares that have been carefully selected by the owners, Chelsea Iovino and Michelle Weaver. These gals have found gorgeous, high-calibre wares and handcrafted pieces from near and far. Their perfect little Mercado is a beautifully curated collection of offerings from greeting cards and housewares to clothing and jewelry.

Of course, with my ever-keen eye for sweets, I spied the goods from Sugarbird Sweets. I’m a big passionfruit fiend and her marshmallows are tangy little pillows of fresh passionfruit.

I bought a couple of small gifts for friends (and something for myself, too!) I’m still contemplating a knockout necklace, the likes of which I’ve not seen before. I can only hope that if I do decide to purchase it, someone else hasn’t already snatched it up – like a certain celeb who was shopping at the store when I was there.

Hollywood Farmer’s Market

Going to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market is something of a tradition whenever I’m in LA on a Sunday. It’s always fun for me to break out of my regular farmer’s market routine to see and experience new and different offerings and vendors. I tend to be a curious person, so I enjoy getting to pester other vendors for a change.

Maybe I’ve skimmed right past these before, but limequats were new to me. I’m familiar with loquats and kumquats, but not limequats. I’m not sure why I didn’t buy any (I must’ve gotten distracted) but am now wishing I had. Next time…

I thought it was interesting berries were being sold in trio’s—by most vendors. Is this a regional thing? Anyhow, I kept getting a twinge of July 4th every time I passed one of the displays.

One of the changes I noticed on this visit was the expanded prepared food section. It’s grown even since my last visit just a few months ago. You can literally get almost any type of food you’re craving: from mac & cheese with a side of cornbread, roasted chicken and bar-b-que to curries, tamales and crepes. You name it. I was so psyched to discover the Thai sticky rice & banana, steamed in a banana leaf…for a buck! I felt like I was back in SE Asia (okay, there it’d be about 10 cents, but you get what I’m saying). That’s one thing LA and SF share in common, a rich ethnic diversity. And for me that’s a precious gift that never ceases to make me smile.

The little info card on Sugarbird Sweets I’d picked up at Mercado noted her goods were also available at Carmela Ice Cream at the Sunday market, so I had to check it out (more sugar!) I discovered Carmela has a tasty product, cute logo, eco-friendly packaging and a good story to back it all up. Turns out one of the owners is from the Bay Area, too.

In addition to using mostly local, organic and seasonal ingredients, Carmela offers a bargain on vanilla beans: $6 for two fresh Madagascar beans. The owners get a big break buying in bulk and generously decided to pass the savings along to their customers at the market. Carmela also sells vanilla sugar and cocoa nibs in smart, gift-ready little glass tube packaging.

Velvet da Vinci is, hands-down, the most brilliant jewelry/sculpture gallery I know. The owners, Elizabeth Shyppert and Mike Holmes, have been culling and curating their fantastic shows since before I lived around the corner from their original store in Hayes Valley (which was long before that strip of Hayes Valley was a tony address).

Being a lover of all things sweet, the donut & profiterole display in the window of the gallery caught my eye right away and made me smile outloud. So I walked in to see what else was in store for me and found a super-smart, fun show by artist Lynn Christiansen.

I found chess sets of Chocolate vs. Vanilla

and Good vs. Evil (it’s up to you to decide which side of the board – Fruits & Veggies vs. Sweets & Fries – is good and which is evil). Then there are the profiteroles on the wall, & truffle bracelets and brassieres adorned with ‘good’ and ‘evil’ –again, depending on your personal definition.

and huge donut bangles!

If you can relate to the artist’s statement (below) and you’re in San Francisco, the show is up through Sunday. Enjoy!

Food is my obsession. My heart races, all senses heightened as I stand in a bakery or chocolate shop enveloped by the sublime smells, the exquisite beauty of assorted truffles and pastries, the anticipation of the perfect cupcake. Pure joy!

Food is my obsession. My earliest and my most vivid memories are centered on food. A dropped ice cream cone, a butterscotch candy pulled from my grandfather’s pocket, the ultimate warm cinnamon bun. First comes the memory I can taste… the perfect chocolate cake … then comes the who, where and when.

Food is my obsession. Just one more … one too many.

Food is my obsession. I wear what I eat … both in my body and on my body. To be surrounded by truffles, pastries, ice cream … pure joy!