A couple of weeks ago, I went out to LA for a wedding. There were many amazing things about this trip, food included, and I’m sharing it all here.
As a disclaimer, I didn’t have a car and pretty much stayed in West Hollywood the whole time. While it was a lot of fun, I think 10-15 years ago would’ve been my prime time to be there. Now, I crave more nature found in other parts of LA I didn’t explore. One day!
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Traveling To/From/Within LA
I shared a reel to my Instagram showing how I stay healthy while traveling. Check it out here.
LA had yet to recognize the updated CDC guidelines, whereas NYC and NJ had already done so. This meant I was back to masking up pretty much everywhere once again. It wasn’t a huge deal but definitely an adjustment. They lifted the mask mandate the day after I left.
Another adjustment was it was business as usual for the flights and airports in terms of occupancy. This didn’t bother me, but the last time I flew in January, it was much more empty and quiet.
My main mode of transportation was Uber or walking. While in LA, I learned the Uber situation is pretty dire with not enough drivers to meet demand. This made getting around by Uber pretty difficult, and by the end of my trip, I wound up walking to avoid the long wait.
LA Accommodations
I really liked my hotel, the West Hollywood EDITION. Although I prefer boutique hotels and the EDITION hotels are part of the Marriott chain, they have a boutique hotel vibe. Also, I only wear two perfumes, and one of them is made by Le Labo, the same perfumers who created the signature scent for the EDITION hotels. Although I’m sensitive to chemicals, there were no issues for me when I used their toiletries.*
The rooftop was a highlight of the hotel, and it boasted both a restaurant and a pool. Advance reservations were required so I was only able to check it out once because my schedule was too uncertain.
Everyone working at the hotel was lovely. Some things were still closed when I was there, like the lobby bar. I didn’t try the spa, but as far as my room service experience went, I was pretty impressed. More on that to come. Bottom line, I’d stay here again.
LA Day 1
After checking in, I ordered the Farmer’s Market salad from room service since there were still quite a few hours before our dinner reservation. I like to eat lots of greens every day but especially when traveling to boost my immune system.
I unpacked, showered and took my time getting ready, something I haven’t done in years. Throughout my entire stay, whenever I had any down time in my room, I watched episodes of Sex and the City because my room had HBO Go. This came in handy when I woke up at 5am every day, and breakfast didn’t start until 7am.
For dinner, I met friends at the restaurant in the Cara Hotel. It was pretty, a total scene, and honestly, overpriced. The food was fine but not mind-blowing. This wasn’t a bad meal by any stretch, but it rated the lowest of my entire trip.
LA Day 2
I wound up ordering the same delicious four-grain porridge from room service for breakfast every single day (I’m a creature of habit), along with a soy milk cappuccino. Since I never adjusted to LA time, I ate breakfast at 7am, which was the earliest they would deliver it 😂.
Since my pool reservation wasn’t until 9am, I had time for a phone session with my therapist and a workout. Then I hung out at the rooftop pool to shade bathe (I allowed some sun to grace my legs). My time was up at 11am, but I didn’t need to be anywhere until 2pm. Since I had such an early breakfast, I ordered an early lunch to my room (the same salad I had the day before but with grilled salmon) before getting ready for the wedding.
The bride asked me to come over to her place before the wedding while she got ready. On the way, I got a matcha latte from Coffee Dose, which had the nicest people working there. They sold Nowhere Bakery cookies, so naturally, I had to buy one. Okay, two.
The rest of the day was wrapped up in the wedding, and my friend was the most unconventional bride, which made everything incredibly fresh and fun. Out of respect for her privacy, I’m not going into too much detail, except to say that when I got to her place, she was drinking a beer in her pajamas.
LA Day 3
As it turns out, not being much of a drinker anymore has its benefits, namely that I felt amazing the next day. I’m grateful because one of the highlights of my entire stay was meeting up with my friend and fellow Sakara Circle member, Emmy Colson (@emmyapproved).
We decided to meet at Sunlife Organics, which I was excited to try because I get their matcha on Amazon, and it’s my favorite of all the brands I’ve tried.
Emmy and I sat with our smoothies (the Matcha goddess minus the whey protein, insanely good) and talked for 2 hours, but it felt like 2 seconds. I can’t say enough good things about Emmy and our instantaneous bond. Emmy is refreshing, so genuine and open. I probably could have spent the entire day talking to her, but alas, she has a newborn. After we said our goodbyes, I went back into Sunlife and ordered their avocado toast and Buddha Bowl to eat later for lunch. For the record, if I travel anywhere in the vicinity of a Sunlife Organics, I always want to stay within walking distance of their deliciousness.
For the rest of the afternoon, I walked around a “park” in Beverly Hills, which was more of a walking path next to a busy road.
Unfortunately, as good as I felt after the previous day’s wedding festivities, I couldn’t say the same for my friends, so our plans for the evening were canceled. We had planned to eat at Crossroads Kitchen, which a few people had recommended to me. Rather than miss out, I ordered delivery from there and ate it with Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte as my dinner dates. I wasn’t mad about it. I had the kale Caesar salad and the mushroom truffle pizza. Even slightly cold, it was great, especially the pizza.
LA Day 4
My final day in LA started with my 7am breakfast as per usual. My feeling-much-better friends picked me up later that morning so we could hike Runyon Canyon, as one does. It was crowded, and I was surprised at how challenging it was.
After our hike, we went to Gracias Madre, the other restaurant many people recommended to me. To those people, you get me. The huevos rancheros, the quinoa cornbread and the chips and guacamole were all excellent. We split a pitcher of margaritas (hold the agave), and it was perfect.
Well, almost. There was one more place I had to go to in order to call my trip complete. Erewhon.
My friends dropped me off. They offered to wait so they could drive me back to my hotel, but I wanted to take my time. I’m so glad because the best way I can describe Erewhon is a treasure hunt. Yes, it has a lot of the same stuff as Whole Foods. However, it also has these hidden gems and their own deliciously healthy made-in-store items.
I stocked up on some food for my plane ride home, including a loaded avocado sandwich (all I have to say is THE BREAD OMG). There was no way I was leaving without trying some of the baked goods they had, and I shamelessly got 4 because I couldn’t choose! Then I walked back to my hotel. It took about an hour, but I knew I’d be sitting on a plane all the next day so I was happy to get the extra movement in.
By this point, it was pretty late in the afternoon. I was dusty and sweaty from all the hiking and walking so I spent the rest of the night showering and packing up before ordering – yet again – the Farmer’s Market salad with salmon. Then I held the unofficial dessert contest with my 4 Erewhon contestants. For the record, the raw brownie was the hands-down winner. Why, oh why, can’t we have an Erewhon here?
That’s a Wrap, LA
LA was fun. I couldn’t tell how old anyone was, and it didn’t seem to matter. There were so many exciting experiences for me on the trip, and I got to have some amazing conversations. The next time I go out there, I want to check out a different area, perhaps with some beach action. But for a short wedding weekend, it was perfect.
*Upon further research, Le Labo products are free from parabens, phthalates and some other nasties. Most importantly for me, they’re free from methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (MCI/MI). I’m allergic to these preservatives, which are commonly found in even “natural” brands.