April 2025

In our rapidly changing world, the Original Farmers Market is a haven of constancy and connectivity for people in the heart of Los Angeles. Sam Burcher takes an engaging walking foodie tour with Jody Flowers, the owner, operator and head guide at Melting Pot Food Tours. 

We meet at 10am under the prominent clock tower at 3rd & Fairfax close to where the stallholders are busy serving delicious freshly made fare. Our Original Farmers Market Food and History tour starts with coffee and a slice of melt in the mouth and comfortingly warm French toast. For Jody, the market is a family affair. It's the place where both her sons work, a favourite for date nights with her husband, and somewhere her 89 year old mother regularly enjoys spending time with her grandchildren.

“The farmers market is really special. I love having my two feet on the ground and sharing the experience,” Jody said. 

The market has become a well-loved destination in LA for 91 years, which is a long time in the history of this city. Remarkably, it sits on a plot of land still owned by the Gilmores, farmers from Illinois who brought 260 acres of swampy land in 1870 to start a diary farm. Diary farming is a water intensive business and in 1901, whilst digging for water, the Gilmores struck oil.

It was at this point the cows went out and the refineries went up. The emerging car manufacturing industry soon went hand in hand with LA’s plentiful oil fields. And, at its peak, 3,500 Gilmore Oil Company stations pumped cars along the West Coast highways and byways. Eventually, drilling was banned around 3rd & Fairfax, which had become residential, and the company was sold off. 

From Farm to Fork

Not much is known about the Gilmores today, but in 1930, they was persuaded to rent a parcel of land so that Southern Californian farmers could bring abundant supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables to the locals. This was at a critical time during the Great Depression and the idea provided a positive solution for many people. Originally, just 12 farmers rolled up in their trucks along with 6 other merchants, each paid 50c rent per day. The venture soon expanded into the permanent fixture with over 100 outlets known as The Original Farmers Market, since 1934. 

After meandering the labyrinthine passageways, eyeing the tasty treats at every turn, it’s time for an early lunch. Jody directs me to Magee’s Kitchen, purveyors of the lip-smacking corn beef sandwiches with spicy mustard on rye, that fed the original farmers in the 1930’s. Next, at Magee’s House of Nuts, founded in 1917 and here since 1939, we taste some gorgeous nut butters.. Today, Kanti fills the pots of 100 percent pure nuttiness in front of us from an industrial sized vintage blender with no nasty additives. My favourite is the smooth dry roasted peanut butter, but the almond, macadamia, walnut and pistachio butters are superb too.

In the 1950’s President Eisenhower, who was also a farmer, stopped by with plenty of questions about the blender. On a tour of America in the 1960’s the Beatles left signed photographs saying Magee’s was fab! Elvis Presley was another celebrity fan of the market and sadly, this is where James Dean enjoyed his last breakfast. More recently, Jennifer Aniston is a regular here.

Something for Everyone

Jody and I move on to sample pickles. Similar to a friendly bartender mixing exotic  cocktails, Will at Kaylins & Kaylins conjures tasty plates of jalapeño, horseradish, mustard, spicy dill, kosher dill, and the original 1910 recipe sour pickles. These flavoursome treats are gluten free and vegan, it’s easy to guzzle an entire plate of them. 

In search of a taste of sweetness, the perfect treat is found at the Baklava Mediterranean booth. Mindful of my elevated sugar levels, Tristan reminds me that baklava made with honey offers a sweet alternative to sugar.

It’s impossible not to buy a selection of these tasty little parcels filled with pistachio or walnut, pomegranate and nougat, and I can’t resist the one with chocolate.   

 America produces around 400,000 tons of olives per year. And, at Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market we sample a fine selection of olive oils. Having visited Sicily, I learn to distinguish between the milder American olives and the stronger Sicilian notes. Monsieur Marcel stocks a full range, alongside gorgeous wines, Champagnes, crafted beers, cured meats, cheeses, chocolates, et al. And, on top of that, his Seafood Market and Bistro keep the taste sensations flowing. His busy wife Katy has run the shop for thirty years. She explains, “ My husband is French. And, because the market is all in one place, it’s where we see the locals everyday, it reminded him of home.”

By lunchtime the market is heaving with people and good vibes. All comers are catered for: singletons, couples, families, workers, tourists, groups, spritely elders and those in wheelchairs all enjoying the ample and brightly coloured outdoor seating arrangements. It’s this upbeat atmosphere that fosters loyalty in the locals, who return again and again to this safe, inclusive space, where variety is the spice of life. It appears at the Original Farmers Market there is truly something for everyone.

Small Businesses Are Beautiful

Since many of LA’s film, television and music industries are based around Fairfax & 3rd, the market offers a convenient place for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  But, the star of the show is undoubtedly the food proudly produced by generations of makers whose wonderful stories are attached to their diverse offerings. Despite it’s location, it’s neither flashy or pretentious, and the vibrancy is nurtured by the welcome lack of cars and blaring music. 

Here, the myth of the farmers markets being too expensive has been well and truly busted. This is especially true post-lockdown, which saw global food price-hikes, particularly in the supermarkets Regulars continued to come during the pandemic, enjoying the flavours of the world in the relative safety of the breezy open air, and their favourite stores and restaurants operating with a reduced number of staff.  

Du Par’s is a classic diner with inviting red leatherette seats, just a stone’s throw from the imposing home of the Writers Guild of America. The owner’s hourglass proportions reflect her generous home-baked pies. Her promotion that you pay for your meal, plus a drink, according to the time you sat down to eat proved a popular one.  For example, if you arrived at 4.15pm, you paid just $4.15. Jody regularly brings as many as 40 touring foodies to enjoy the food in the garden at Du Par’s. 

Jody say’s, “We love giving the tours because we are walking, talking, tasting, engaging and sharing the stories of every merchant we visit. Everything is equal.”  Aside from the Original Farmers Market Food and History Tour, Melting Pot also runs the Old Pasadena Tasting Tour, a historic walk through the culturally rich city close to LA. the East LA Latin Flavors Tour, and the Maritime East Village Tour, amongst others, see: https://www.meltingpottours.com 

Celebrating Alternative Food Systems

The Original Farmers Market is a great opportunity for producers to meet cosumers face to face. Here, shoppers can see, touch, taste, smell and discover where their food comes from and who their money is going to. It’s this direct and egalitarian approach that creates the great vibe, and harnesses the inclusive feeling of ‘us’ rather than a detached feeling of “us and them”. 

Eating for the season is a particular joy for consumers here. The promotions and delicious tasters encourage people to eat what’s in season and to always try something new. To introduce food education to young people Jody runs her tours for schoolchildren too. 

The market is open from 9am to 9pm every day, 363 days of the year creating a solid community cohesion. This is a sharp contrast to my farmers market in London which operates only one half day a week in a school playground. However, it has the same great outdoor shopping and tasting experience with all the same ethical benefits for the producers.

We finish our tour with a delectable slice of Patsy D’Amore’s fresh baked pizza, hot from the original brick pizza oven. Patsy was the first restauranter to bring the special taste of Naples to LA in the 1930s. His Casa Amore Restaurant and later the Villa Capri was a favourite of Frank Sinatra. When Mr Gilmore tasted the food at Casa D’Amore, he gave the go ahead for Patsy to open at the market in 1949. 

And, In keeping with the family tradition Frank Sinatra's daughter Nancy brings her daughter to the farmer's market to enjoy Patsy's Pizza. 

Today, Patsy's daughter Filomena is in charge of pizzas. She said, “I love being at the Farmers Market because it feels like family and I love being outdoors all day. And I truly love being the owner of Patsy’s Pizza because it represents my father and his legacy and the good food he served. It’s just wonderful carrying on his tradition. I’m very lucky and blessed.”