365 Places to Eat

I drove past Marina Farms for years before finally stopping in. I didn’t know what I had been missing.

Although we get most of our produce from the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, there is plenty of bounty at Marina Farms.

The thing I like best about Marina is that the majority of the produce is California grown and is tree ripe. Although not much of it is completely organic, I really like the tree ripe option. I hate buying peaches that are hard. Often those go from unripe to over ripe in an instant. Tree ripened stone fruits are easy to pick in the store, and are terrifically flavorful at home.

Much like a farmer’s market, Marina Farms carries what is in season. Citrus in the winter and stone fruits in the summer. One of my favorites is the ruby red grapefruit. Big and juicy and 2 or 3 for a dollar. If you don’t know how to pick a good grapefruit, just pick the ones that are heaviest for their size. The same holds true for all citrus. If you don’t know how to tell if a piece of citrus is heavy for its size, just start comparing them in your two hands and hold on to the heavier of the two. Continue until you find the heaviest and fill your bag with those.

Speaking of bags, the produce bags that Marina uses are sturdy and even reusable after you’re done. They aren’t like the paper thin supermarket bags that fall apart with any type of load.

In addition to the produce, Marina also has a small grocery area with aisles of specialty ethnic foods. Different Indian and Mexican spices, dried goods and even a small dairy section. I wouldn’t do all of my shopping there, but it’s fun to stroll the aisles and see what little gems they have.

Prices are very reasonable, in line with, or even cheaper than most supermarkets and definitely cheaper than Whole Foods or Gelson’s.

Marina Farms
5454 S Centinela Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066

It’s citrus season! Few places in the world offer the quality citrus that you find grown in Southern California. Our house is regularly filled with oranges and tangerines from the Garcia Farms stand at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market.

My wife can usually make it to the Wednesday market, but Garcia Farms also is at the Saturday and the Sunday markets if you can’t go to the markets mid-week.

You will always find Laticia working the stand, pointing you to the best produce and new arrivals. Sometimes her husband, Armando, and baby girl, Rosie, are running around back there too. It’s a true family operation and you can taste the love.

In addition to the citrus, they also have some of the best avocados around, albeit at a price ($2+ per), but they ripen perfectly and are worth the treat.

Like most other stands, you can taste the citrus before you buy, so you don’t have to take my word for it!

You can find Garcia Farms just East of the 3rd Street Promenade on Arizona during the Wednesday market.

Garcia Farms
Santa Monica Farmer’s Market