15 great places for food lovers in Culver City

In the past decade or so, once-sleepy Culver City has blossomed into an exciting food destination. Part of this is because of the shrewd city planning — all those city parking garages and broad cafe table-ready sidewalks downtown. The Helms Bakery complex with its restaurants — and hot dog cart — is a big draw, too. But it’s also Culver City’s location close to freeways and main thoroughfares that bring people to the city’s restaurants, bakeries and shops.

Few other neighborhoods can claim a paleta shop, a Hawaiian-Korean mashup, a sleek Southeast Asian restaurant, a quirky independent wine shop and a decades-old restaurant supply shop in just a few blocks.

Next time you’re headed across the city east to west or vice versa, stop off in Culver City to explore some of the spots for food lovers on this list.

Copenhagen Pastry — Worth a drive for the lightest, flakiest Danish pastries, this sparkling tiny shop always has samples out and a case filled with cinnamon rolls, custard and almond paste-filled kringle, and nougat crowns dotted with almond paste, custard and hazelnut cream. Spandauer adds almond flakes to the classic custard and loose almond paste filling. Get a few and a coffee to go and sit on the bench or the curb out front, savoring every bite of these exceptional pastries. And don’t forget to pick up a loaf of the whole-grain rye with black flax seeds, sunflower and sesame seeds. It’s terrific for breakfast at home with smoked salmon. The shop offers the option of ordering online and picking up at either this location or the shop in Pasadena. 11113 Washington Blvd., Culver City, (310) 839-8900, copenhagenpastry.com.

Source: LA Times