Stores & Markets in Hollywood

Bottega La Dolce Vita stocks its shelves and fridges with fine pastas, sauces, pestos, cheeses, and deli meats from all regions of Italy. Like a wormhole to the Mona Lisa's kitchen cupboard, the mouthwatering spread of imported fare brings a tiny piece of the Old World to America, loading pantries with silky chocolates, creamy pecorino Toscano, and all-natural pork salami. Among the store's charming cloth-clad tables, owners Franco Di Blasi and Joan Bavaresco guide visitors through a culinary tour of Italy, allowing them to sample fine cheeses as they peruse the selection of cookies, olive oils, and homemade pestos and sauces.

Gaucho Ranch's beef comes straight from the grassy lowlands of Uruguay, where cattle roam free like bovine bikers in search of the meaning of life, while gauchos, the traditional South American cowboys, whisper sweet nothings into their ears. Fed on natural grass and clover, these cows will later magically turn into rib-eye steaks ($59.98 for four 12 oz. steaks), burgers ($7.89 for a lb.), and picahna ($43.02 for three lbs.) with lower cholesterol, lower fat, and more beta-carotene, omega-3, and vitamin E than cuts of beef from cows gorging on corn feed or leftover pizza.

The all-natural alchemists at Tunies turn worn-out bodies into hale and hearty systems with their vast selection of natural groceries, vitamins, and supplements. Eschewing creepy preservatives and other unknown chemicals, they instead fill stores’ shelves with provisions ranging from from nut butters and apple cider vinegar to an array of omega oils. When not busy filling baskets with super-foods such as seaweed and almond milk, patrons browse remedies for digestion and the flu, as well as vitamins calibrated to strengthen eyes, kidneys, and vitamin-taking muscles.

Founded in 1912, Gardner's Market brought fine foods, gourmet groceries, and the services of skilled chefs to the public for over a century. While the grocer's store recently changed ownership, the mission and much of the market's renowned staff has endured. Executive Pastry Chef Luis Dorado still creates the same sinfully delicious sweet treats that have graced the cases during his 19-year tenure, whipping up everything from flourless chocolate tortes to crème brûlée. Other culinary artists spend their days crafting hot carrot bisque, Maryland mini crab cakes, and tres leches cake, cooked fresh and packed to go. They also whip up hot lunches, which vary in price from day to day due to the incorporation of market-price seafood and garnishes of freshly minted dollar bills.