There's been an uprising of gourmet grocery and sandwich (oh, excuse us, panini) combo shops opening lately, but when you find one whose specialty is a lobster club sandwich (with Black Forest bacon, tomato, avocado and tarragon dressing on sourdough), you know you've discovered something special.


From the man behind Spanish Kitchen and the Belmont comes the Oaks Gourmet Market in the Hollywood Hills. Walk in the door, and immediately you are greeted by a smiling, knowledgeable staff happy to walk you through the selection of upscale foodstuffs. They'll enumerate the sandwich and soup options, tell you which Heirloom-LA pasta you might like best, offer you advice on how to choose from the racks of more than 2000 wines, or maybe just suggest which one of Allagash Brewery's entire line of beers you should take home.


Morning visits provide espresso drinks and baked goodies from L.A. artisans like Cake Monkey or Delilah. On sunny days, the tiny outdoor patio is an ideal spot for an impromptu lunch meeting while noshing salads like a duck confit, fennel, grapefruit, maple cashews and baby arugula in kumquat-tarragon vinaigrette.


Otherwise, we'll see you there Wednesdays for Chef Greg Paul's Grilled Cheese Night, or on Sunday Pasta Night.

The Oaks Gourmet Market
1915 N. Bronson Ave.
Hollywood Hills, CA
(323) 871-8894

directions, photos, map, more...