What I Get at Erewhon
What I Get at Erewhon
Here’s what’s in my basket at L.A.’s most elusive grocery store.
I love Erewhon. Yes, it’s expensive and can be ridiculous. The smoothies are not all that. But where else can you get very good hot food in a pinch? Pair that with grade-a people-watching and a wealth of things to try (many of them delicious) and make fun of, and there’s really nowhere else like it. That must be why the name Erewhon is “nowhere” spelled backwards!
I frequent the Silver Lake location for its hot bar, and to stock up on some of my favorite pantry and fridge essentials. It’s also always my last stop before leaving L.A., for a plane salad and some snacks, and my first stop upon returning home, for feel-good food to recuperate from travel. It’s not, however, a grocery store that will cover all of your bases, especially not in a remotely affordable way. There are certain items you won’t be able to find at Erewhon at all. For example, it’s particularly bad for baking ingredients. On the one hand, they carry an eccentric variety of flours, but on the other hand, they don’t sell basic bread flour.
A trip to Erewhon is often a non-negotiable for visitors to L.A., especially for our New York brethren. “What do you get at Erewhon?” is something I’m asked almost as often as what restaurants to hit. Thus, today I’m letting readers of The Angel in on my Erewhon secrets and sharing what’s in my basket on any given day. Prices included for transparency’s sake (it’s Erewhon, after all).
Hot Bar
The hot bar, which when combined with the cold case is known as the Cafe, is the real MVP of Erewhon. It is not—although I’m sure the store’s sales numbers suggest otherwise—the Tonic Bar, where the smoothies are made, that you should be prioritizing. Most of the dishes (some seasonal, some mainstays) that are prepared fresh and served hot here are quite good. Order a combo plate and you can get whatever suits your fancy from the hot section and the cold case, but in my opinion, the hot items are significantly better. Here are my top three:
Coconut Turmeric Chicken Tenders ($26/lb)
Hat tip to Ruby Strassman, who turned me onto the guilty-yet-not-so-guilty pleasure that are the coconut turmeric chicken tenders. Chicken breast is dreged in a batter of brown rice, brown flour, shredded coconut, corn meal, buttermilk, coconut cream, rice vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, and turmeric—all organic, obv—then flash-fried in rice bran oil. The flavor is slightly tangy and mildly earthy and the vibe is crunchy-granola, yet they bestow the same indulgent, childlike feeling that comes with eating chicken tenders. Ask for a side of hot sauce if you’re eating on the patio, or do what I do, and take them home to dip in Heinz ketchup. (Somewhat surprisingly but correctly—as Heinz is the only suitable ketchup—Erewhon does sell organic bottles of the good stuff in their pantry condiments aisle.)
Mighty Greens ($19/lb)
Greens, broccoli, and quinoa lightly stir-fried in coconut oil and sprinkled with hemp seeds and sea salt, Mighty Greens are what I spring for upon returning home from a trip when my body needs salvaging and I’m too tired to cook for myself. If I’m getting a combo plate for lunch or dinner, an order of Mighty Greens will always fill one side (if not both).
Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes ($14.50/lb)
I love Japanese sweet potatoes for their delicately sweet flavor, creamy starchy interior, and the way their edges caramelize. The Erewhon Cafe understands how to treat them appropriately, which is halved or quartered, then roasted with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. They’re savory, they’re sweet, they’re perfect.
Other Prepared Food —
Skip the sushi at Erewhon. It’s mid.
Raw Chocolate Mousse ($7.50)
Because this is Erewhon, avocado and coconut oil make this mousse rich. Its deep chocolate flavor comes from cacao powder, and its hint of sweetness is thanks to maple syrup and coconut sugar. There’s also a bit of vanilla and Himalayaln salt. Trust me, it hits the spot.
Tonic Bar
Here’s the deal with the smoothies at Erewhon, besides their $20 price tags: they’re not good. The Hailey Bieber smoothie is sickenly sweet, since it contains literally four diffferent sweeteners (maple syrup, dates, vanilla stevia, and the signature ingredient of housemade strawberry glaze). I can generally write off all of the other influencer smoothies, too, including the recent Cactus Plant Flea Market collab, which looked cool but gave creamsicle (ew). Many of the others taste weird, or like nothing at all. There is, however, one exception—with modifications, of course. And that is:
Coconut Dream, add almond butter and ginger ($17.50 with additions, $13 without)
Most of my favored smoothie ingredients make it into the Coconut Dream: banana, kale, coconut meat, dates, cinnamon, coconut water, and raw almond milk. It’s nutritious, vibrantly green, and forgoes random supplements with dubious benefits. I get that you come to Erewhon for random supplements with dubious benefits, but this is where I tell you to rethink Erewhon as a place that’s more (better, even) than that. Almond butter adds heft while ginger provides punch and a million proven merits.
Another thing I like to get, which David put me onto and I named “The Curer” is a cup of hot water with a shot of lemon juice and a shot of ginger. It’s what you need when a cold is coming on or a stomach ache is present—just be sure to ask for it in a small cup as opposed to a large one, for a properly concentrated elixir.
And in the (daily) bottled juices and smoothies section, next to the overwhelming and avoidable beverage section…
Life Force Shot ($6.50)
My favorite of Erewhon’s proprietary shot lineup combines orange juice, lemon juice, and ginger juice with chlorophyll (detoxifying!), e3 live (I don’t really know what this is, but apparently it improves energy), and cayenne pepper.
Invigorator Smoothie ($13)
I’ll grab one of these for the hourlong Lyft ride to LAX. It has a strong banana-y flavor, plus almond milk, almond butter, honey, pine pollen, maca powder (which boosts libido, fwiw), vanilla, cinnamon, and some powders that mean nothing to me such as cistanche, eucommia, and shou wu. I, too, fall prey to the supplements! (Mostly when flying is about to happen or has happened).
Produce
Erewhon has above average produce with a strong seasonal curation, as this is Southern California. I haven’t done the work of comparing their pricing to Cookbook and Whole Foods, but the vegetables and fruits I’ve bought here have generally been of high quality. Do not, under any circumstances, buy containers of pre-cut fruit and vegetables. They won’t last long, and this is how Erewhon will steal your money, quickly. You do not need a small thing of loose grapes for $12. Nor do you need arugula mixed with sliced dates for $24. The labor required of you to produce the same results is so, so minimal.
Dairy
Aris Natural Food’s Greek-style Kefir Yogurt ($7.99)
I’ve been buying this yogurt in L.A. since my mom turned me onto it at the Mar Vista farmers market a decade ago. I don’t know if Aris still sells at that farmers market, but I do know they have stands at various markets around town, and that you can find their jarred kefir yogurts, jam-packed with probiotics and flavored naturally with top-notch fruit, at Erewhon. They come in almost a dozen flavors. Some of my go-tos are vanilla, fig, and coconut.
Raw Farm’s Golden Raw Kefir ($8.99)
This raw kefir blended with ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon, is a powerful addition to homemade smoothies. It’s also delicious to drink on its own. Kefir works. Believe kefir.
Cheese chunks, various types (prices range from $10 to $20)
Erewhon has a solid selection of house-chunked cheese, from nutty Beemster to mellow goat gouda, and plenty more. A container filled with high-quality cheese chunks is simply a nice thing to have around. (Note that you can find these in the cheese section between the prepared foods and produce.)
Pantry
Hot Sauce ($12.50)
I like a tangy, vinegar-based hot sauce, and Erewhon’s house recipe is very good. It’s made with distilled white vinegar and cayenne chili peppers, plus garlic and garlic powder, which produces a fiery liquid in an electric, orangey shade of red. I always have a bottle in my fridge. It’s not very spicy—for actual heat, I have other staples—so most of you can probably handle it. They also make Calabrian chili, green chili, and habanero hot sauce, although I have not yet tried them since I like the original so much.
Castelvetrano Olives ($10 unpitted, $11 pitted)
For dirty martinis, buttery castelvetrano olives (and their brine) are my pick. They are the king of olives. Erewhon bottles them both pitted and unpitted. The choice is yours.
Chili Lime Almonds ($15)
Almonds are a great snack that are boring and can be chalky when consumed raw. Enter Erewhon’s chili lime sprouted almonds, which are coated with lime juice, paprika, chipotle, and cayenne for an acidic kick. At $15 a jar, they’re not cheap, but a handful a day makes snacktime a bit more thrilling. (Also, it’s worth noting that Erewhon jars can be returned for a couple of dollars back, which means that anything that’s jarred in house technically costs less than its original price.)
Gyocha’s Spicy Cucumbers ($9.99)
I haven’t found Gyocha, a local brand of fermented foods, salads, and dressings, anywhere besides Erewhon. Everything they make, including miso dressing and bbq’d strips of tofu, hits. I especially like their spicy cucumbers as a savory snack or salad addition. They’re sliced then marinated in soy sauce, vegetable broth, ginger, and jalapeño.
In the chips section, I dig Fonio’s Tangy Baobab (read: onion and moringa) chips (currently on sale at $4.99) and Lundberg’s white cheddar mini rice cakes ($5.49), but both of these can be found at various other retailers around town.
Freezer
For my fellow smoothie enthusiasts: do not buy frozen fruit from Erewhon. It’s a rip-off and you can get it literally anywhere. Do, however, buy ging-ë-lems ($12.99), frozen .5 oz packets of raw organic ginger and lemon juice that are an excellent addition to any and all smoothies.
Vitamins, Skin Care, etc.
There is no denying that this is a fun aisle to cruise down. It’s stationed with at least one, usually two, staff members at all times to help you find what you might be after, and promises everything from a faster metabolism to glowing skin. This is also, I imagine, an aisle where Erewhon rakes it in. There are many very expensive things to buy. I have succumbed to its seductions more times than I’d like to count. It’s useful when you’re sick! But I don’t have anything specific to recommend here, except discernment.