Create meetup in Los Angeleschevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
explore Los Angeles Guides
bar_chart Trends in Los Angeles
What are your go-to places to buy gifts in LA?
For impressive food gifts, go to the farmers market at the Grove and grab a few things from the cheese counter at the original market stall. They'll wrap everything up nicely and you can pair it with a bottle from the wine shop next door. For beautiful objects, I usually send people to Poketo in the Arts District. Their stationery and home goods are curated well and you can find something for under $40 that still feels thoughtful.
i usually hit up the shop at the end of abbot kinney in venice, there's a little spot called tortoise general store that has really nice japanese ceramics and kitchen tools that look way more expensive than they are. for food gifts, mccall's meat & fish co in los feliz does a great gift box with their house-made sausages and smoked fish, the staff will help you pick stuff that actually travels well if ur shipping. and if someone is into vintage clothes, the bins at goodwill in sun valley is chaos but you can find wild stuff if you're patient
if you're in the eastside, check out the shop at golden road in glassell park. they have local art, ceramics, and some cool apothecary stuff that feels way more personal than mall gifts
load 1 more reply
How can I find mobile hot dog vendors for a private event?
honestly the SGV has a ton of licensed cart operators who mostly do private stuff now. look up "hot dog cart catering San Gabriel Valley" on Yelp and you'll get a handful that are fully permitted, which matters if your venue needs a health permit on file. expect around $400 to $700 for a few hours plus a per person minimum, usually 50 or so. the ones based in Alhambra and Rosemead tend to be cheaper than Pasadena because they're not paying that rent.
fwiw the county health dept keeps a public list of permitted mobile food operators, its searchable by city on the LA County Public Health site. filter for "pushcart" or "MFF" and you'll get vendors cleared for SGV zip codes, which saves you the headache of a venue asking for paperwork later. also worth checking with the Old Town Monrovia or Alhambra farmers market folks, the carts there are usually booked solid but they know who's free and they'll pass along names. just dont wait till the last week, good ones book out 2 to 3 weeks in teh summer.
You could try hitting up the folks who set up outside Home Depot or the DMV in El Monte on weekends, a lot of those carts are owner operated and they'll do private gigs if you ask. Just walk up and grab a card, they usually have one taped to the cart.