One of my favorite parts of living in California is the ready access to incredibly fresh fruits and vegetables. One of the easiest ways to access them is by shopping at farmers markets. LA has an incredible number sprinkled all around the city (my favorite is in Brentwood), but if you don’t have a car, don’t worry! USC brings the farmers market right to McCarthy Quad most Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m throughout the fall and spring semesters.

By: Ngai Yeung ’23

Two things we probably have in common – I love free stuff and I love food. In college, if you know where to look, it’s possible to find a lot of both!

By: Lanie Brice ‘24

In March of this year, I moved across the street from a grocery store, and I realized that I no longer had an excuse to not try new food and make fun, healthy dishes for myself. I’d wanted to explore cooking for a while, but I’d been stuck in a rut of making the same roasted cauliflower and rice on rotation. I have worn the picky eater badge my whole life, and I decided that now would be the perfect time to work on it.

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

Everytable provides fresh, nutritious food at equitable prices for Los Angeles neighborhoods. Their unique business model fixes prices for their meals at different prices based on the average household income of the community. For example, an EveryTable location in West LA may sell bowls for $8 while the South LA location may have the same bowls for $5 to promote equity and provide food at an affordable cost in LA’s food deserts. Keep reading to learn more!

By: Antonia Le ‘22

First off, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room: this article would have been so much more relevant in literally any other semester. But what can I say? By the time I could healthily drink (read: not overload my blood with sugar) from almost every place that sells boba at or near USC, the world had turned upside down, and writing about milk tea didn’t seem so relevant anymore. But the world goes on, and hopefully, we’ll all eventually be back at USC and free to drink all of the boba we want. So, if the existential horror of living in 2020 hasn’t ruined your appetite yet, read onward for a review of (almost) every place where you can get boba around USC.

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

Every Sunday from 10AM to 4PM Smorgasburg LA can be found in the oddly gentrified factory lot located at 777 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90021. This is the perfect place for foodies to bring their friends to try some of LA’s signature food fusions. Not only is there great food, but it’s also a great place to just canvas shop and enjoy aesthetic lifestyle stands (after all, admission is free!). Looking for fun weekend plans? Keep reading!

By: Alexis M Peters ‘20

Okay, I’ve done some pretty wild food challenges in the past (check out my adventure of eating raw vegan in the USC dining halls for a week, here!) but this time, it wasn’t voluntary. I’m gonna let you guys in on a secret: Adulting is hard. This is my first year living off campus in non-USC housing, and my roommates and I completely forgot that paying for our own gas is… a thing? For those of you who have had the wonderful fortune of living in university housing, where they take care of that stuff for you, let me explain. Your landlord does not pay for your gas! (Well, sometimes they do, but check your lease agreement to be sure!) And guess what? Stoves and ovens run on gas! So… for an entire week, while my roommates and I waited for the gas company to come and flip a switch to get our stove up and running, I had to make do with the few appliances we had: a rice cooker, an electric kettle, and my one true savior: a toaster oven.

By: Natalie Oganesyan ‘22

After having the privilege of a full meal plan with unlimited swipes each semester, I can say without a doubt that the dining halls were vital to my survival as a college student. EVK, especially, has a special place in my heart for nighttime munchies and all my ill-timed snack and coffee breaks. However, there’s no denying that some things need to be updated or improved.

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

Looking for great Japanese food and cute plushies but don’t want to deal with Little Tokyo tourist traps? Visit Sawtelle instead. Just 10 stops heading west on the Metro Expo line from USC is West LA’s “Little Japantown.” This mini center of East Asian food and novelties is located on Sawtelle Blvd. As a West LA resident, this was one of my go-to spots growing up. Here are some of my favorite things to do at Sawtelle.

By: Alexis M Peters ‘20

You may have heard of vegetarian and vegan diets. But what the heck is raw vegan? Let me explain. Raw veganism is a diet in which you don’t eat any meat or dairy products, and you don’t eat anything cooked. So what do you eat, you may ask? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. “Why would you do this to yourself?” This was a question my friends asked of me many times. My plan was actually to eat raw vegan for two weeks, and I wanted to do it as a sort of cleanse, so that I could have a fresh, healthy start for the new year. Except, two weeks didn’t really work out for me… But, we’ll get to that later. My goal for this raw vegan journey was to eat super fresh foods, cleanse my body, and maybe have glowing skin and silky hair by the end of it. Since I have a meal plan (and also for experiment’s sake), I planned to exclusively eat food from the dining hall. So, let’s begin!

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

You’ve all heard of and been to the over-crowded Santa Monica Pier, 3rd Street Promenade, and Main Street strip. While these places are fun to explore, you won’t find them on this list (but if you do want to the stereotypical Santa Monica things, I guarantee there are hundreds of sites that can recommend you activities). The following are some less touristy places in Santa Monica that y’all should visit. Here’s a quick guide of some really amazing attractions and food places sorted by Metro stop!

By: Danielle Collins ‘20

Where can you go to get a delicious, healthy, vegan, all-you-can-eat meal for just $10? The Good Karma Cafe! It’s right on campus, great food, and a great deal. Read on to find out more and hear from the head chef!