January 2006 | Tastebuds
Westwood Country Market and Café
Keeping Community Spirit Alive in Westwood
By Sarika Chawla
LA is no sleepy hamlet, but certain neighborhoods still manage to maintain a sense of community. In the midst of bustling Westwood Village, Westwood Country Market and Café dishes up fresh food with a dollop of old-world charm.
Jon Esformes opened the café last April, creating a spot where locals can sit for lunch, grab a muffin or pick up veggies for the week. His 20 years as a farmer shaped his vast knowledge of the produce market; Esformes’ family owns Pacific Tomato Growers, one of the largest tomato producers in the US and Mexico. After years of selling produce to major restaurant chains, the self-proclaimed health nut recalls, “It always intrigued me how to get people to eat healthier.”
Esformes partnered with friend Eric Greenstein to open his dream of a healthy café and market. The airy venue features indoor and outdoor seating, a produce and grocery section (including health-conscious product lines like Tom’s of Maine), organic coffees and gourmet packaged treats. The full menu is also available for take out, delivery and catering. Although the restaurant is not 100 percent organic, its produce is delivered fresh daily.
Offering breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch, everything on the menu is priced under $12. “We were interested in having great food at reasonable prices. I know what food costs, because I used to grow it!” says Esformes. For breakfast, the vegetable frittata ($9.95) is packed with mushrooms, peppers and a layer of cheese in an eggy delight. For a sweeter treat, apple French toast ($7.95) is made from thick slices of brioche and served with a pile of caramelized apples, although it lacked the orange-vanilla scent and crème fraiche promised on the menu.
Lunch bites range from light to indulgent. The grilled veggie Panini ($8.95) layers roasted eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and arugula with a hefty smear of goat cheese. Want to play Dagwood? Build your own sandwich from the deli counter. For an even more substantial meal, the Penne al Fumo ($9.95) is a heaping portion doused in smoked tomato cream sauce with eggplant, grilled chicken and prosciutto. Make sure to check the chalkboard for specialty items like flame-grilled pizza and homemade soups.
In keeping with the community spirit, Esformes’ sister bakes all the cookies and brownies, while another local baker takes care of the muffins. “We also have one lovely neighbor— I believe she’s in her early 70s—who brings us date nut bars. I never know if it’s going to be tomorrow or two weeks from now, but she brings them and we sell them,” says Esformes. Sounds like the sweetest way to end a top-notch meal.
Westwood Country Market and Café, 2018 Westwood Blvd., LA, 310.446.5350. westwoodcountrymarket.com.
Freelance writer Sarika Chawla has found that spinning class just barely counteracts her appreciation for leftover pasta.
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