Leona's Chef Takes Us to the Best Farmers Market in the US

Leona ’s Chef Nyesha Arrington is standing off of Arizona in the middle of theSanta Monica Farmers Marketholding court , laughing with a seller , waving to a purveyor , and taking in the smells – from wisps of lemon to touch of peach – like a regular at the healthiest legal community known to man . She ’s dressed in a ananas - print shawl that enkindle regard from passersby and friends likewise , and she ’s got the knowing smile of a woman celebrating a triumph lap covering – which is exactly what she is , since last week her critically acclaim , sorta - but - not - really - Asiatic - influenced Venice eatery lionise its one - year anniversary .

And now , here she is , leading us through the Santa Monica Farmers Market to see what it ’s like for a chef on the very inside of what ’s been called – by everyone from Fodor ’s to CBS – one of the Best Farmers Markets in the Country .

One of the first things she tells us , though , is that the whole affair is a facade : her sous chef and GM are n’t in the market proper but making their way through the pseudo - offstage , where seller hold produce ( often their good stuff ) for restaurants that’ve pre - ordered it to take off their trucks . The produce from the SaMo market is the heart of Leona ’s orders for the week , and they need to get ahead of their schedule , which means pose orders ahead of fourth dimension for dishes that they know they ’ll betray . That does n’t mean , though , that nothing ’s left to chance .

farmers market in los angeles

Dustin Downing/Thrillist

" Taste this , " Arrington pray her GM , having him bite into a peach . " What do you think of tally it to the octo ? " They ’re discussing a extra : she lie with it ’ll have fennel , but the rest of the bag is coming together base on flavors that are on display . She starts exploit , the gear in her straits spinning as she starts working out how it ’ll wait on the card . " snaffle some of those Meyer lemons , " she says . " And that Basil of Caesarea … "

Her employees set off to seize ingredients , as Arrington run into Kevin Meehan – the chef from Kali , his first restaurant , which opened quiet on Melrose a few months ago before earn a slew of worthy huzzahs ( including , at one percentage point , a spot on our own Eat Seeker guide ) . The farmers market , unsurprisingly , is n’t just a business organization stop consonant but a social one : for chef who generally figure out through traditional knack - clip , it can be the only chance chefs get to catch up – and to see what the competition ’s up to . " Oh , in spades , " Arrington admit when she ’s asked whether she spy on other chef ’s constituent when she sees them pulling pushcart in the securities industry . " We all do . "

That said , it ’s not as if that competition ’s brutal : it ’s more a form of camaraderie - between - competitors , with all of the chefs we run into together sharing tips on which trafficker have the secure Beta vulgaris and swap stories about their tardy shenanigans . I tender up that maybe this is what LA has over NY : there ’s enough room for everyone in the city , and at the market . Arrington concord . " We all want to act upon together to make LA ’s restaurants great , " she says , a smile never leaving her look . " There ’s no ground for anything else . "

Nyesha Arrington

Dustin Downing/Thrillist

Just in case you think there may be a method to the madness , Arrington approach the street booth – well , like everyone else ; rather than go directly to her favorites , she bounce from stall to stall …

… checking out oddities like midget watermelon cucumber …

… standbys like on - the - vine Lycopersicon esculentum …

santa monica farmers market

Dustin Downing/Thrillist

… and chamomile , from a flush vendor .

In fact , the bloom were so lovely that Arrington decided to buy a bunch . " These will expect awesome on the chef ’s tabulator , " she say , retrieve about the open kitchen in the restaurant .

And with that net leverage , she left – leaving her sous chef and GM to do the heavy - lifting . After all , she had a kitchen to tend to – and an octopus special to experiment with .

Nyesha Arrington