Shareen.  Do you know Shareen Vintage?

Oooooooh my word.  Should I tell you about Shareen?

Shareen Vintage is a wonderland of vintage dresses.  Ok… I’m about to combine three concepts that you probably thing an impossibility in combination: reasonably priced, magnificent condition, vintage dresses.  Yes.  It’s true.  These concepts all work together at Shareen Vintage in downtown Los Angeles.  I ain’t lyin’.   

Here’s the skinny on Shareen.  Her warehouse is located in a super obscure part of downtown Los Angeles.  You’ll seriously question your GPS finding this place.  You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the bodies at the end of the road.

Shareen Vintage is only open two days a week, and there are noooooo boys allowed inside.  Why no boys?  There are no dressing rooms in her secret garden of vintage dresses.  Girls try clothes on around a giant bed she has fashioned in her warehouse, or beside a couch and coffee table set up… really, just wherever you can find a spot next to a mirror.  Wear your pretty bra and underwear… I’m just sayin’.  

My pretty pink picnic dress?  Shareen Vintage.  I couldn’t believe how cheap it was.  Holy heck.  I’m a believer.  

So… now you know the secret:  Shareen. Vintage.  Downtown.  If you find yourself at the warehouse any given Wednesday or Saturday, please just save me some good stuff… in a size six.  It’s only polite… sweet, thanks!

Just like heaven.

I love Surfas Restaurant Supply and Gourmet Food Market.  With their seemingly endless shelves of sprinkles, funky Italian pasta, and variety of fancy rolling pins,  I could easily spend 4 hours and $4,000 dollars here. Luckily, Surfas is across a treacherous amount of Los Angeles traffic, so my urge to bust out the American Express is often squelched by my disdain for bumper to bumper traffic.  

Sometime last week I was bitten by the shopping bug.  This bug convinces me that I simply can’t live without things like colored sprinkles (you’re all probably tired of the blue sprinkles) and giant waffle irons.  The shopping bug also somehow convinces me that I actually have money to spend of these items.  Dangerous combination.  

With thoughts of colored sprinkles and new shiny kitchen appliances wafting through my head, I headed down to Surfas for some expensive browsing and a light lunch.   

I wanted to share.

Let me tell you a little about Surfas.  Surfas has been owned and operated by the same family since 1937.  They stock their store full of amazing domestic and international food products, unique ingredients and virtually any type of cookware you can imagine.  They have a friendly and knowledgeable staff that loves food as much as I do.  If one person doesn’t have an answer to my questions, they will certainly find someone who does.  The prices at Surfas are somewhere in between fair and pricey.  But really, for the quality of item I’m getting and the incredible array of products, I don’t really mind shelling over the dough.  Surfas also has an amazing reputation for amazing commercial kitchen design.  Can you imagine!?  

Surfas also has a lovely cafe that serves breakfast and lunch.  I opted for the heirloom tomato salad and a lavender lemon bar.  

The tomato salad was a perfect representation of summer tomatoes.  Couple with soft mozzarella cheese, roasted garlic, and fragrant and flavorful olive oil- I was in heaven!

Lavender Lemon Bars were the perfect balance of cream and tart lemon.  Lavender is sprinkled on top of the bar and also baked into the crust,  created a more fragrant experience than something you overtly taste.  Seriously yummy.

If you’re in Los Angeles I highly recommend spending an afternoon at Surfas.  If you’re far far away, check them out online!

Surfas Restaurant Supply, Gourmet Food and Commercial Kitchen Design

8777 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 558-1458