Mini Foodventure #156: Larchmont Larder (Hancock Park)

Thanks to Groupon, I finally got a chance to check out Larchmont Larder, a Hancock Park casual eatery and specialty food marketplace that's been on my to-try list for months. When I realized the 50% discount offer I bought months ago would be expiring this past weekend, I seized the opportunity to snag a lunch for my snowboarding trip yesterday.

And am I ever glad I did -- after hitting (literally! OW!) the slopes of Mt. High for three hours, their assorted gourmet foods were the perfect pick-me-up for my bruised bum. The miso-marinated salmon with miso-sesame aioli was firm, meaty and flavorful without being crazy-sweet like some of the miso salmons other places serve and side dishes of oven roasted root vegetables w shallots and sage and Asian noodle salad were great too, filling without being heavy and absolutely satisfying even when eaten chilled in the cold. And absolutely better than any of the stuff the ski lodge is serving up!

I also got some of their curious sounding lemongrass-coconut rice with cilantro and orange zest, but didn't have a chance to try over lunch since their portions were very hearty!

And so I had that, and some leftover roasted veggies, for dinner. I just popped them in the oven along with some Soyafarm Tofu Delights for a simple, light and great-tasting meal with minimal effort (much appreciated after 6+ hours and ~20 runs.) The rice was wonderfully infused with the fragrance of the other components, and even more interesting than the lemongrass-coconut rice served at Thai places with the zippy additions of citrus and cilantro.

In any case, I definitely look forward to returning to Larchmont Larder to try more of their gussied up prepared foods--maybe even have a deli dishes faceoff with the nearby M Cafe de Chaya.

What Do Others Say?
- Both FoodGPS and Eat: Los Angeles highlighted their "Humpday Dinner" special
- Eating LA likes it as an occasional luxury for "when you're too rich to cook"
- Stuffy Cheaks will also return here, finding their offerings "healthy . . . yet appetizing"

Larchmont Larder
626 N. Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004
323.962.9900
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