Everything Glendale

Filed Under: Food, Grocery Stores, Guest Bloggers, HK Market, Jons Marketplace, Seafood City, Shopping, Super King

[This is a guest post by Kendyl Young. Kendyl is a longtime local realtor, and runs Kendyl's Open House, a hyperlocal blog about real estate and the communities of Glendale, La Crescenta, and La Canada, above the 134. Kendyl's Open House features the best real estate deals and up-to-the-moment community happenings every day.]

We live in an area of amazing culinary diversity, and this is completely reflected in our grocery stores. Now, I'm not even going to address the intimate family markets that populate so many of our corners. These are often hidden gems of ethnic yummies and super fresh backyard produce.

This post is about the supermarkets that cater to our diverse cultures and, frankly, kick the major chains' butts from here to you-know-where.

They all share common traits. First, there is the produce. The produce is amazing. Large. Beautiful. Cheap. Did I say cheap? Okay, when Ralphs has red bell peppers at $4.29 a pound, these markets often have them at $1.29. Sometimes even 2 pounds for a dollar. There are items not available at the major chains—Persian cucumbers, Mexican papayas, and cactus paddles are just a few examples. And everything seems fresher and tastes better.

A word to the wise: avoid shopping mid-morning on weekends. There are crowds of very sturdy people who have a single-minded focus on getting the very best tomato or cucumber from that pile over there. They will knock you down in a New York minute if you get in the way. They are NOT rude (mostly)—they are as oblivious to you as a crowd of sorority honeys would be at Barney's annual sale. Move aside. Your life (and shin bones) are more valuable.

Second, there are the items catering to ethnic cooking. Special vegetables, spices, condiments, and prepared foods. Often you can strike up a conversation with a casual shopper and find out what that strange green veggie is, how it is prepared, and what it tastes like. Everyone likes to talk about their food! I love to buy snacks and drinks labeled in other languages. I've had some real stinkers, but most are just amazingly good.

Third up are the meats, poultry, and seafood. Now, I'm sorry for all you die-hard Middle Americans out there. I know that the cuts of meat that Anthony Bourdain refers to as the "nasty bits" are off limits for you. You are just missing out. My motto is "eat first, ask questions...never." In these markets, I've seen ox tail (so very very very good), whole fish, chicken feet (also delectable), undefined cow innards, and whole sheep's heads (beyond MY comfort level, but who am I to judge?). The great thing is that, unlike the Chinese markets of my youth, none of this stuff smells!!!! It is all as modern and aesthetically pleasing and American as you could want.

So, here is a list of some of my favorites in Glendale and surrounding areas:

Jons Marketplace
1717 W. Glenoaks Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91201
818.244.2575
www.jonsmarketplace.com

600 E. Colorado Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91205
818.956.0999
www.jonsmarketplace.com

This is my first choice, partly due to location, partly due to the outrageous produce. Seasonal fruit and Persian cucumbers are the standouts in a sea of amazing offerings. If the price is really low, the items are sometimes misshapen or irregular. This does not affect the taste! Bulk spices and enticing juices and snacks labels in Armenian are also very good. Watch out for the sturdy peasant-looking women of all ethnicities. They can be dangerous if you try to get that choice tomato before they do!

Hours:
Monday-Sunday: 7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.

Super King
2716 N. San Fernando Road
Los Angeles, CA 90065
323.225.0044
www.superkingmarket.com

2260 N. Lincoln Avenue
Altadena, CA 91001
626.296.9311
www.superkingmarket.com

Too bad this market is a bit of a drive. I would go there every day if it were closer. The San Fernando Road location was formerly the flagship store for Hughes Market. It is spacious, modern, and huge. The produce here is better, more diverse, and even cheaper than Jons! Yesterday I got 4 huge artichokes, 2 for 99 cents, and Kobachan squash, a dollar each. Such a score. Oh, I also got 6 ounces of ground cinnamon for $1.69. I thought the meat looked very fresh.

Hours:
Monday-Sunday: 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Seafood City
Eagle Rock Plaza
2700 Eagle Rock Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90041
323.543.2660
www.seafoodcity.com

This market caters to the Filipino population and specializes in seafood (duh). The selection is amazing, and, while it is no Fish King, the quality is very good. There is a definite fishy smell going on here, but nothing like the smells of my youth. There is an entire WALL of frozen lumpia—that delectable Filipino eggroll—and the greens and vegetables are closer to my Chinese heart than the veggies at Jons or Super King. Weekends are an absolute hoot—they always seem to have some sort of event that involves loudspeakers, cheesy music, and announcers speaking a mixture of Tagalog and English.

Hours:
Monday-Sunday: 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

HK Market
831 N. Pacific Avenue
Glendale, CA 91203
818.247.4949‎

The flagship store is located on Pacific. This is a large, modern building, and the offerings are a bit mind-boggling. Produce, like in all these markets, stand out for its diversity, freshness, and price. Things are not as cheap as Jons or Super King, but still very good. I find the Koreans have the most ginormous Napa cabbages in the world. They also love huge Fuji apples and Asian pears. On the far left side of the store are the prepared foods and Kimchee offerings. Thanks to my friend June, I have been tutored in what to buy and eat and it is very exciting food. I recommend the delectable fried chicken wings in the hot case. Sweet, spicy, salty, and crunchy. Totally addictive.

Hours:
Monday-Saturday: 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

In these uncertain economic times, maybe we should rediscover a well-cooked meal in the comfort of our own homes, surrounded by the people we love. It's a thought, huh?


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Filed Under: Celebrities, Forest Lawn Cemetery, News, Shia LaBeouf, Tacori Enterprises

Here's a round-up of intriguing Glendale news stories from this past week:

• What a difference a day makes! Immigration officials who denied a Glendale-based Armenian man an application for political asylum—because he was supposedly a day late in filing—have been forced to recount.

• Glendale-based jewelers, Tacori Enterprises, won a $650,000 copyright infringement suit against an Ohio jewelry manufacturer.

• Unemployment continues to hit the San Gabriel Valley, including Forest Lawn in Glendale.

• Parents are rescued in Glendale after their kid threw a teddy bear down a hillside.

• And, finally, what Glendale news round-up would be complete without a few items about Shia LaBeouf? (Look, if more celebrities lived here, we wouldn't be so limited in our celebrity reporting.) On Wednesday, he was caught looking a bit sad on a friend's porch in Glendale. Later that day, he was seen dashing home and petting a dog. And on Thursday, he walked around with a bag over his head. Seriously.


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Filed Under: Celebrities, Joel Madden, News, Nicole Richie

Joel Madden, lead singer of Good Charlotte, has been a longtime resident of Glendale, but the blogosphere reports that his girlfriend, Nicole Richie, has convinced him to pack up and move to a Spanish Villa in the Hollywood Hills (with baby in tow).

C'mon, Joel, surely you're getting a better deal here in Glendale than the reported $6,500 per month you're forking over to lease your new home at Outpost Estates. And won't you miss The Americana?! Wont' you?!


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Filed Under: City Politics, News

Glendale is number one! According to the Daily News:

The American Lung Association of California on Tuesday graded 297 cities on their success at creating outdoor smoke-free environments and smoke-free housing and reducing sales of tobacco products. The report provided an overall grade for the average of those categories in its first State of Tobacco Control report.

Locally, Glendale topped the list with an A—the only A in Los Angeles County....

Glendale's high mark had city officials beaming Tuesday after imposing a strict anti-smoking ordinance Nov. 6 that limits exposure to unwanted secondhand smoke across the city, including parks, parking lots, enclosed public areas and common areas in apartment buildings.

Now the city plans to hire a fresh-air ambassador to visit apartments, restaurants and bars and engage the public about the ordinance, said Steven Koszis, Glendale administrative analyst.

Wait, wait, wait. Did he say "fresh-air ambassador?" Although it sounds like an intriguing job, I know that I certainly don't want someone coming to my apartment to school me about city laws.


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Filed Under: Celebrities, News, Shia LaBeouf

As long as Shia LaBeouf keeps living in Glendale, this blog will always have fodder. A couple weeks ago, the paparazzi snapped shots of the actor ambling home from a liquor store. This week—are you ready for this?!—Shia LaBeouf...gets into his car!

Yes, dear readers, it's a slow news day.

More Shia LaBeouf-in-Glendale pics here.


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