Los Angeles Welcomes a Gourmet's Paradise at The Market in Santa Monica Place

Recently, I stopped in at the VIP Opening Party for the new gourmet food mecca, The Market at Santa Monica Place (SMP). Usually, I go to SMP for Fashion finds, shopping the huge Bloomingdales or the White House Black Market store. However, I also love good food and wine, and in those areas, the new The Market has much to offer. From a gourmet cooking school to delicious souffles at the new Rockenwagner to amazing flowers at Magical Blooms, The Market is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.

The Market is officially open to the public now and if you are a foodie, you might want to be there. If you are a fashionista out shopping, you might want to check it out for some lunch or a break. Here are some of the highlights I discovered at The Market:

• A Dining Deck, with six eclectic restaurants, including La Sandia, Ozumo, Pizza Antica, Sonoma Wine Garden, Xino and Zengo, and a modern, indoor-outdoor food court - all with ocean and city views.
• Delicious baked Souffles and homemade breads at the new Rockenwager store. This is a MUST try. The manager Matthew exemplifies customer service, and the food is terrific!
• Wonderful cheeses, including homemade burrata cheese, at the Norcino Salumeria Cheese Bar. There are also wonderful European salamis and cured meats.
• Amazing chocolate at the L'Artisan du Chocolat including sipping chocolate and homemade chocolates with nuts and fruit.
• Cooking classes at The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories. I didn't get to try the fare, but I saw one of the classes taking place , and it looked like great + delicious fun.
• Beautiful flower arrangements at Magical Blooms, delicious cookies at The Cookie Guru (served with cold milk if you'd like) and a coffee lover's treat, the amazing Groundworks Coffee.