Best Of :: Food & Drink The weekend crowd at the Alameda Swap Meet is as formidable as the Sunday shoppers at Costco, but if you brave the crush of people and that parking lot, you will be amply rewarded in the form of dessert. Specifically, churros, which you might want to seek first, to have something to snack on as you explore market stalls stocked full of everything from piñatas and cowboy boots to Oster blenders. You'll no doubt notice that several of the food vendors sell churros, but the one you really, really want is Churros Jalisco, a stand tucked in the back of the food area; there, you can watch as freshly fried logs of dough are rolled in sugar, then carefully placed, tongfuls at a time, in paper bags. Right out of the fryer, these will taste a lot like pillows of crunchy fried dough. 4501 S. Alameda St., Central-Alameda. 4501 S. Alameda, Vernon, 90058 The food at the Trails Cafe in Griffith Park is scrumptious enough to satisfy Los Angeles gourmets: The avocado sandwich — full of sprouts and soy "bacon bits" — is particularly yummy, and the cookies are, without fail, amazing.

But the spot is best utilized by parents of young kids, particularly those whose offspring tend to cause chaos at restaurants. That's because, for one thing, the seating is outdoors — on picnic benches and hay bales — so you don't have to worry about the kids' noise or the mess, and there's plenty of room to run around. kitchenaid mixer ksm95er reviewsOnce you're done eating, simply cross the street, where you'll find a full kids' playground on a sandy floor, as well as the trails, which weave through the woods and alongside a brook. black and decker blender bl3000s manualOverall, it's an environment in which you won't encounter a single angry eyebrow from another adult, and one that ensures your rugrats will later go down for a solid nap. oster blender 2790

2333 Fern Dell Drive, Los Feliz. 2333 Fern Dell Dr., Los Angeles, 90068 Best Food-Crafting in a Nonfood Environment Cooking classes aren't hard to come by in Los Angeles. But as long as sanitary requirements are followed, why should food education always mean endless, stainless-steel surfaces and the whirring of exhaust fans? oster blender classic 4094Poketo, Angie Myung and Ted Vadakan's design firm/shop in the downtown Arts District, is about creativity of all stripes. kitchenaid hand blender khb100So the husband-and-wife team puts the bright, airy square footage to work by hosting a series of hands-on food-making classes, with no demo mirrors or headset mics involved. hamilton beach blender replacement parts 50200

Recent sessions have included mustard and other condiment-making with Zach Negin of SoNo Trading Company; a lesson on traditional kimchi techniques taught by Myung's mother; and summer sodas and vinegar-based shrubs with Emily Ho, an L.A. maven of food-swapping (the sharing of handmade food — Poketo has served as a venue for the swaps). waring wsb immersion blenderWorkshops aren't limited to food; eager crafters also have tried their hand at calligraphy, floral design, wreaths and holiday decor. 820 E. Third St., dwntwn. 820 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, 90013 Best Valley Liquor Store What the Hollywood Sign is to Hollywood, Circus Liquor' 32-foot-tall, neon-clown mascot is to North Hollywood. The nightmare-inducing liquor store clown towers over Burbank Boulevard and has been seen in just about as many movies as the Hollywood Sign itself, although its connotation isn't always positive: Cher got held up in its parking lot in Clueless, and the liquor store serves as a crime scene in Snoop Dogg's video for "Murder Was the Case."

On-screen reputation aside, Circus Liquor doesn't clown around with its impressive selection of hard-to-find craft beer from Europe, Asia and North and South America and its nearly two dozen American beers offered in quarter and half kegs for all your Valley rager needs. Like any reputable liquor store, Circus Liquor even stocks its own branded T-shirts, trucker hats and baby apparel, so you can always be sure to represent. 5600 Vineland Ave., N. Hlywd. 5600 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood, 91601 Best Drive-Thru Giant Doughnut Sculpture Got a hankering for some high-calorie, sugary, fried dough and want to make an adventure of it? Load up the car with your grooviest friends and drive to La Puente, where you will find an incomparably odd 1968 architectural landmark called the Donut Hole. Drive in through a 26-foot fiberglass doughnut, do your ordering in the center, and drive out through another matching doughnut armed with a boxful of glazed deliciousness. It's a campy example of programmatic architecture, in which a building mimics the product it sells.

Come for the apple fritters, stay for the photo ops. 15300 Amar Road, La Puente, 91744. 15300 Amar Rd., La Puente, 91744 From the owners of Chipotle — yes, Chipotle — comes a new Southeast Asian chain. ShopHouse shares many of Chipotle's best attributes: fresh ingredients, "sustainable" meats and quick, choose-your-own-adventure, assembly-line service. But we'd argue that ShopHouse's food is actually better than Chipotle's. You choose from cold rice noodles, or brown or white rice, then one topping from each category: protein, vegetable, sauce, topping and garnish. You end up with a bowl piled high with food, a pretty substantial serving for less than $8. But the most surprising thing about ShopHouse is how bold this food is. It's possible to get a low-heat meal, but most of this food is aggressively and appropriately spiced. The curry sauces are thicker than many Thai curries, and pretty intense. The green beans are cooked with chile jam, and pack quite a kick. The eggplant is full of Thai basil and appropriately smooshed and delicious.