Hollywood market's Farmer's Kitchen has its grand opening

Seven years in the making, the Farmer's Kitchen is officially open -- with a ribbon-cutting and about 100 people, farmers and politicians among them, all on hand today to salute the idea of making the Hollywood Farmers' Market last all week long.

The cafe, at Selma Avenue and Morningside Court in the Sunset and Vine complex, opened quietly in the spring, an effort to use surplus food from the Sunday farmers' market, provide classes and job training

"People are demanding a closer connection to what we eat," L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti said at the ceremony. He represents Hollywood.

Supporters of the Farmer's Kitchen were honored, including Morton La Kretz, a developer whose projects include the nearby Crossroads of the World and who gave the cafe financial support. Others who helped fund the project include the Community Redevelopment Agency of L.A. and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The cafe is a project of Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles, which runs the Hollywood market and several others. When the Hollywood market opened 18 years ago, a period of redevelopment had just begun, says Pompea Smith, head of SEE-LA. The Farmer's Kitchen is another effort to make a link between farmers and city dwellers, she said at today's ceremony.

As many as 10,000 people shop at the Sunday market, noted Michael Woo, of the College of Environmental Design at Cal Poly Pomona.

Set up around the cafe were bowls and baskets of produce from farmers, including Weiser Family Farms, Jim Van Foeken, McGrath Family Farm and Flora Bella Farm. After the ceremony, the cafe provided lunch using ingredients from the farms, including an arugula salad and shepherd's pie.

-- Mary MacVean

 Photo: Gill Boyd cooks at the Farmer's Kitchen. Photo by Ringo H.W. Chiu / For The Times

Farmers, mayor celebrate markets anniversary

When Lorraine Tenerelli tried to get her husband to bring their peaches to sell at Los Angeles County’s first farmers market 30 years ago he didn’t want to be bothered. But he tagged along with her to a church parking lot in Gardena.

“When he saw the mob of customers, he said, 'We’ve got to plant more,' ” Tenerelli said Thursday at the weekly farmers market outside City Hall, where Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other officials joined with farmers, market organizers and some of the city’s best-known chefs to celebrate the anniversary and the growth of farmers markets to a total of 121 today -- more than any county in the country, the mayor said.

The celebration ranged from serious to fun, including a salsa contest -- the eating kind, not the dancing kind -- plus chef demonstrations and plenty of food vendors, naturally.

Villaraigosa also announced a food policy task force that will “help turn L.A. into the farmers market capital of the world.”

“When you think of it, what is more important than the food we put on our table?” he said.

Every week, 1,000 farmers and food producers sell their wares to about 250,000 shoppers in L.A. County markets, he said, adding later that he shops at the Sunday market in the Larchmont neighborhood.

Small Bites: Renovated Hotel Erwin in Venice to open Hash restaurant and High lounge; Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes opens eight restaurants

Eat your hash, then get to high: Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach has been open for about 30 years, but last year came under the management of the boutique hotel chain Joie de Vivre. Now, the hotel is revealing its new look (to fit in with the artsy, boho Venice milieu). But most important, for my purposes at least, Hotel Erwin is opening a new restaurant and a rooftop lounge. Hash restaurant is slated to open July 3 for breakfast and begin serving dinner on July 7. In the morning, the restaurant will serve a number of specialty breakfast hashes and dishes with playful names such as snooze-you-lose omelets. During dinner service, Hash will take on a bit of a French bistro air and serve dishes including red beet ravioli and spiced Kurobuta pork chops. The hotel's snazzy rooftop lounge, High, officially opens Friday night. A hotel spokeswoman says the open-air lounge and terrace is the highest rooftop space in Venice Beach and has 360-degree views from Catalina Island to the Hollywood sign. There won't be much food, just a bar menu of light snacks, including salami and oysters of the day. The drink menu includes artisan beers, wine and fresh cocktails with names such as Windward Ho and Lifeguard's Lemonade. 1697 Pacific Ave., Venice Beach. (310) 452-1111; www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/erwin.

Octohotel: Terranea Resort in Ranchos Palos Verdes has opened eight new dining and drinking destinations: the upscale Mar'sel, which features ocean views and a menu of California classics with French and Spanish accents; Nelson's, which is being dubbed "a 21st century homage to a modern surf shack"; the relaxed, family-friendly Catalina Kitchen; the poolside Terranea Grill, featuring upscale bar food; classy lounge spaces with club chairs, fireplaces and sofas (the Lobby Bar, Living Room & Terrace); the Spa Cafe with light, healthful fare; Sea Beans coffee shop; and finally, the casual Cielo Point, which is next to the "adults-only pool." 6610 Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes. (310) 265-2800; www.terranea.com.

-- Jessica Gelt 

Photo: High Lounge at Hotel Erwin. Credit: Hotel Erwin

Farmer's Kitchen opens in Hollywood

If your reaction to all that fresh produce for sale at the Hollywood Farmers' Market is that you just wish someone else would cook it for you, you're in luck. The Farmer's Kitchen opened Sunday, and will do just that.

Customers wandered in Sunday, trying the menu of grilled polenta, sauteed greens, eggs and fruit compote. A full plate was $8. Television personality Huell Howser was among those who came for the cafe's "soft opening." There was no sign out front, just fliers at the market information table.

For now, the hours are Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Tuesdays to Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The cafe has been in the works for years, and is run by the same nonprofit that runs the market, Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles. In addition to serving meals, customers can buy dried fruit, vinegar and other products made by the market's farmers. The cafe also will be the site of job-training and nutrition education programs.

-- Mary MacVean

Photo: Chef Gill Boyd is busy on opening day. Photo by Ringo H.W. Chiu / For The Times.)

Cafe Nine opens on 9th floor of Crocker Building

When we stumbled upon Charles "Captain Chuckie" Hsieh's food cart in early January (on his first day in business, no less), it was a treat just to find pulled pork within walking distance of The Times building. Since then, things have moved fast for Hsieh. After two months parked in an empty storefront in the Crocker Bank Building and three additional weeks dishing out his signature pulled pork sliders on Hawaiian buns at the Downtown Independent Theater, Hsieh quietly opened Café Nine on the ninth floor of the Crocker Building (also home to the Crocker Club).