Shopping Local Leads to Awesome Foodie Finds!

As a "LA Transplant" by way of Massachusetts, I still have many places in this town that I have yet to fully explore, one of which is downtown. With the booming restaurants and trendy shops popping up I'm never short of amazed by the gems that are down there. This past weekend I was invited to check out the Artisanal LA event held at L.A. Mart. This event was a showcase of all the new food artisans that you didn't even know you loved. I was able to meet some truly inspiring people and taste some delicious new delicacies all under the roof of an awesome creative space.

Below are a few of my new faves. Check them out for yourself!

The first booth that caught my eye was "Blooms In The Air", which boasted a gorgeous display of handcrafted paper flowers. If you're like me and have a "black thumb", these blossoms will bring joy to your home all year long.

Our friends from Soft Peaks Confections were there with their infamous macarons. I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I've tried plenty of macarons in my day, some from Paris, some from Pasadena, Soft Peaks is still my number one pick.

I was so excited to see my pal Dwayne from Magee's at the event! Magee's is a staple at the LA Farmers Market, churning up fresh nut butters on the spot including Almond Butter, Cashew Butter, and of course, the classic Peanut Butters.

The Donut Snob is quickly becoming LA's guily pleasure. I mean who wouldn't want gourmet donuts delivered right to your door in the morning. Yeah, that can happen! With flavors like Salted Caramel, Razzy Lemon, and The Oinker (yes, that's a donut with maple glaze and bacon crumbles), who can say no?

I have to say that one of the highlights of the event for me was my conversation with Azure Antoinette, founder of The Aalchemik Collective. The messaging behind this poetic and prophetic brand is, "Never Ordinary. Always Brilliant." Promoting individuality and self awareness is their goal and the infectious confidence of Azure found its way into the veins of anyone who came up to her booth. If you ever need a pick me up, just listen to Azure and you’ll feel like a million bucks.

I was thrilled to have the chance to meet Eric of Velvet Rope Bake Shop! We have been following each other via social media for quite some time and it was awesome to finally meet the mastermind behind these delectable Cake Truffles.

For more information about these vendors and Artisanal LA visit http://www.artisanalla.com/