I'm looking for the best neighborhood places - looking to drive 10/15 minutes tops. Anywhere that delivers would be great to know about, too. Thanks in advance!

This is great - thanks to all for your help!

I am looking for pickled Calabrese peppers and also some good imported meats. Any thoughts? I'm willing to travel, but would be thrilled to find something close to home.

Many thanks!

Bistro K on Fremont has a really creative chef who produces some outstanding dishes at very reasonable prices (dinner there will cost at least 50 percent less than at the Ritz). It's BYOB, with no corkage charges. Only downside is the service, which is really slow (or if you prefer, European). But if you are looking for a long, leisurely meal, it's lovely.

Any suggestions as to where to shop for great fresh tortillas and salsa? I'm not far from Highland Park, so anywhere around there is best, but willing to travel.

What a great list! Thank you so much for all the tips. A few questions:

1) Does Harvey Guss sell either grassfed or humanely raised (like Niman Ranch) beef?

2) Where are the fishmarkets and do you have to get there at the crack of dawn? They sound wonderful (and potentially very close to my office!)

3) How much freezer space does a person realistically need in order to take advantage of buying in bulk?

Again, thanks for all the advice. I'm really looking forward to exploring the area and spending some time on these boards.

Citizen Thai and the Monkey in North Beach is surprisingly tasty, with a good bar menu and an ability to accommodate fairly large groups (I've been there as part of 10). Plus it's very reasonably-priced.

Worth a look.

I have had pretty good meals at Fresca, Firefly, Fattoush (their appetizer plate is wonderful) and Bacco, but it's true that the restaurants are not the draw of the neighborhood. Do check out the farmer's market on Saturdays (24th b/w Church and Sanchez) - I think that's the neighborhood's best food feature.

Also, Pomelo (30th and Church) is a sweet little place for brunch - good menu and there's usually not a wait.

Thanks for the link and the information. If you are ordering by mail, I highly suggest Prather Ranch (pratherranch.com) - I buy their beef, pork and lamb here (I'm not sure if pork and lamb are available by mail) and it is spectacular.

I, too, get the sense that sustainable eating has not caught on in LA the way it has in SF, but I also get the sense that the community of people who are interested in buying and eating sustainably is growing everywhere. Hopefully, this thread can give us a good start in finding sources close to us!

We're relocating from the Bay Area and I am looking to connect with the same sort of producers who have made living and eating in San Francisco so delicious. To that end, I am trying to compile a list of vendors/farmers in the LA area that sell sustainable, pasture-raised meat (also eggs and dairy) and places where such products are sold (farmer's markets, specialty store, order direct from farmer, etc).

Please send any information you have my way - thanks!