Here at Caltech, I am always on the look out for new restaurants on Lake Street, the buzzing home of premier close-by off-campus destinations like Chipotle and Cava. Last year, the signs of a new place were loud and clear. On each trek down Lake, I saw a massive space with a large sign bearing a single word: Erewhon. The popular LA health/lifestyle grocery store opening a location so close to Caltech was not on my 2023 bingo card. Anyways, at the beginning of this year, upon my return to campus, I saw the store in all its majesty and knew I had to check it out.
On my visit, I was greeted with a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables shining brighter than the stars in the LA night sky. Beginning my walk, I saw mushrooms larger than any at the local Trader Joe’s, dragon fruits gushing with juice, and bananas with that perfect darkening yellow shade. As a big fan of my fruits and veggies, I was very excited. Moving through the other sections, I met a bottle that instantly caught my eye: an extra virgin olive oil infused with white truffle, and added it to my cart. An array of vegan cheeses was next; from cashew brie to potato provolone, they had it all. I couldn’t resist checking out the selection of specialty popcorns; whether sea salt or spirulina, this was a far cry from your local AMC.
After viewing the groceries, motivated by my hunger, I headed to the hot bar for a bite to eat, already considering whether to wash it down with their quintessential smoothie or settle for some simple alkaline water. While the options were at first overwhelming, I eventually settled down on a meal centered around their turmeric vegan lasagna and orange cauliflower bites, which would prove to be a delectable and refreshing treat. I knew I had to grab dessert, so I picked up a slice of their vegan double chocolate cake. Now, with a cart full of groceries and my lunch, before heading to checkout, I decided to double check the prices on everything.
My heart sank. I swear I could feel the $20 bill in my pocket recoil as I read through the price tags. $28!? For dragon fruit!? I couldn’t believe it. I walked through the store again, this time, not as an excited explorer, but a weathered veteran, returning from a great war fought only in my mind and aching stomach. At each area I weighed carefully whether the specialty ingredients were really worth it (they rarely were), and placed them back on the shelves. I still came out with my meal and dessert, feeling as satisfied as I could be given the tragedy that had just occurred.
Oh well, maybe Erewhon won’t be my new go-to grocery store. Still, it was a pretty fun experience walking around LA’s hotspot influencer grocer and checking out all the cool items. I have been back a few times, if a bit more careful not to get too attached to any of the food. It’s definitely worth a trip, if not just for the chance to see a C-tier celebrity picking up their weekly helping of non-GMO kale.
