Rich B*tch Grocery Shopping!
Though the large forehead may confuse you, I’m missing the thick thighs and tattoos. The above photo is Rihanna leaving a very ritzy market right outside of Beverly Hills.
Rich folks and celebrities need food too, right?!
Of course they do, and when they do, these are the high end grocery stores in Los Angeles you’re most likely to find them in:
Bristol Farms
9039 Beverly Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
Let’s start with the one who’s the thumbnail of this article, Bristol Farms. This “gourmet market chain with carefully selected meat, seafood, produce, cheese, wine & imports” is absolutely immaculate. One step into the door, you can see why Bajan songstress Rihanna chooses to shop there.
Rihanna bags her own groceries at Bristol Farms in West Hollywood on March 29, 2021.
source : Hollywood Life by Bonnie Fuller
From the pictures, it looks like Rihanna may have picked up some of their hard-to-find wine. I always go for their gourmet, fresh-baked cookie. Oh my heavens! It’s so girthy and rich. (What girl wouldn’t want something with that description? [inserts sly smile]). When you walk in, bakery’s to the left. Thank me later.
The West Hollywood location is directly across the street from a Ralph’s, so whatever you can’t find (or afford) at Bristol Farms, you can conveniently hop over to Ralph’s and pick it up there, while you’re out. It’s slightly west of the Beverly Center, and a few blocks south of celebrity hot spot eateries, such as Catch LA, Bottega Louie WeHo, and Cecconi’s.
Parking is super easy at the West Hollywood location, which is not a common statement when talking about any place in Los Angeles. You can pull right into the parking lot free of charge, and even plug up your electric vehicle to charge while you go in and shop.
Bristol Farms has 14 locations total, and some other Greater Los Angeles areas with one are: Woodland Hills, Santa Monica, Westchester, and Manhattan Beach.
Erewhon Market
7660 Beverly Blvd Ste. A
Los Angeles, CA 90036
The New York Times recently said Erewhon has become L.A.’s hottest hangout. Yep, a grocery store… a hot spot. Erewhon and Bristol Farms are equally gorgeous. Every item is neat and in place. The signage is cute and clear. The layout is lovely. It would be like comparing Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
However, what I will say is that Erewhon seems more inviting for you to come in a hang for a bit. There’s plenty of seating, and at the one by The Grove, the first three stations you see are stay-a-while options. There’s the sushi station, the salad bar, then the buffet, the a wall of desserts, then a whole tonic bar where you can order a tiny little health shot or a whole acai bowl. All of the items are made fresh and say “eat me right now,” or at least that’s what they say to me. So, I go right outside and do just that.
While eating at Erewhon, I overhear conversations about 50-thousand-dollar losses on an investment like it’s a glass of spilled water (not even spilled milk, less troubling), or acquiring a share of a new company that now has a valuation of 90-million dollars. It’s just their regular lunch talk. It’s inspiring to be around this type of dialogue.. I’m reminded there’s so much money out there to be made.. so much more I can do.
Miley Cyrus and male friend exiting Erewhon after a successful grocery run.
source : Here's What The Grocery Store Where Tons Of Celebrities Are Doing Their Pandemic Shopping Is Like
There are only six locations: Los Angeles, Calabasas, Venice, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, and Silver Lake.
photog : Tyra the Creative
Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins
710 South La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Lassens is a small health foods store with a deli, prepared foods and salad bar. Key word: health.
Lassens says it’s “supporting people who care about their health: Eco-consumers, Vegans, Raw Foodists, Foodies, Athletes, & you!”
Organic matters.
Los Angeles is a rather health-conscious city. So the previous stores on this list, and a number of others, do prioritize organic and healthy options, but Lassens only offers organic and healthy options. For example, Bristol Farms and Erewon both have whole wine sections in their stores; whereas, you will not find a drip drop of alcohol in a Lassens. Or, how I can go to Bristol Farms and get the orange chicken, whereas there’s no fried anything at Lassens.
source : While in Los Angeles… Eat!
photog : Tyra the Creative
The bakery at Lassens is all vegan, all gluten free desserts. They also offer an array of sugar-free sweets. I want no parts. I want “the cookie” from Bristol Farms with all the dairy, all the gluten, and all the diabetes. Yes, please, and thank you. It may sound as though I’m giving Lassens a hard time, but it’s actually the high end grocery store where I shop most often.. sometimes I’m there twice a day!
A couple of notable people I’ve bumped into at Lassens are Insecure’s Daniel, casting director Melana, and fashionista Tosha Eason. (Yes, Tosha was just as cute in-person, on her little beach cruiser and all, honey.)
Lassens is only in Southern California and has 11 locations, some of which are nestled into neighborhoods of Echo Park, Los Feliz, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura.
If Neiman’s and Saks were grocery stores..
They’d be these. Bristol Farms, Erewhon, and Lassens are the Neiman’s, Saks, and Nordstrom of the grocery realm. And the same way the wealthy and famous shop at those luxury fashion retailers, is the way they shop at these upscale grocery retailers.
If you’re visiting Los Angeles, pop into one of these at some point, even if it’s just for a morning cold-pressed juice to start your day. I’ve lived in and visited a great number of states, and I never knew luxury grocery shopping to be a thing until living here, so it’s definitely one of those smaller LA-lifestyle aspects worth experiencing during your visit.
If you live in Los Angeles, treat yourself to the luxury of shopping at one of these fine food shops occasionally. Or, don’t.. because you may be like me and get addicted. I honestly can’t do traditional (lower end) grocery stores anymore; I already don’t like grocery shopping, and then they’re messy, and crowded, and stuff is in the wrong place, and they don’t have truly fresh produce.. Yeah, it’s a no for me.
These upscale boutique markets are definitely pricey, but they’re worth it. It takes the chore out of grocery shopping. It makes the task more of a fun trip. (No exaggeration, my old co-worker and I would take “trips” to Bristol Farms as our outing for the day when Los Angeles was all shut down during the thick of Covid restrictions; whether we needed something or not, we’d find a reason.)
Let me reiterate, these stores are expensive. Don’t come back saying I sent you to a store and you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into. Be prepared to spend double what you would at a Walmart, per se. Okay, now that I’ve made that clear and you have your coins together, and you’re about to be all cute like Rihanna, go shop, friend! Tell me what you liked, I may want to try it out!
