04 Nov Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Gelson’s Market West Los Angeles

After years of construction and congestion at the intersection of Olympic and Bundy, the West Edge has been completed. This multi-use space includes office, residential, retail, fitness, and a market. And this is what has me excited this week. The market is Gelson’s Markets, one of my favorite stores in which to shop. And now it is within walking distance from my home, so I am definite in saying that the new Gelson’s Markets in West Los Angeles is the Please The Palate pick of the week. Gelson’s Markets is a premium supermarket in Los Angeles. It was founded by two brothers in 1951 and has grown from their first store in Burbank to almost 30 stores, from as far south as Pacific Beach to Santa Barbara to the north. With spacious aisles and beautiful produce and meat, Gelson’s has always been a supermarket where you pay a little more for what you get. As a native Los Angeleno, I have always known the market, and in fact, I went to high school with a member of the Gelson family and apparently I am related to the Gelsons on my Dad’s side through his mother (my grandmother). But that is just the “small world” of growing up in Los Angeles. When the pandemic hit in 2000, Gelson’s became my primary market. The quality of the produce and fruit was always a draw but I loved the spacious aisles and I loved how seriously the store took health precautions, and still do. So, for the last three years, I have been a regular shopper at Gelson’s. Instead of going to one of the markets in walking distance to my home, I have driven 15-20 minutes to Century City to do my shopping. This drive is not too bad except when there is traffic, which is any weekday afternoon. Or I would stop by the Studio City or Sherman Oaks store when visiting my parents in the valley. But now I have a Gelson’s Markets so close to me that I can walk to it! The new Gelson’s Markets Los Angeles is large with an open feel and an industrial ceiling. There are rows and rows of all the typical products. There is as an extensive selection of fresh and organic produce, as well as high-quality meats. There is a good-sized wine section which I will have to explore a bit more, and centered in the middle of the wine section are the artisanal cheeses. While most markets have salad bars, Gelson’s has a poke bar and other ready-to-eat foods. There is also a noodle bar and freshly made pizza, as well as a wide range of ready-to-eat meals, salads, and sandwiches for on-the-go. And there is a Wine/Craft Beer/Sushi Bar offering selections of wine by the glass, as well as craft beers, non-alcoholic beverages, and bites. And like other Gelson’s Markets, there is a Viktor Benês bakery serving freshly baked pastries.  From the fresh and high-quality products to the exceptional customer service, Gelson’s Markets West LA is a welcome addition to West LA.