Found Treasure: Hidden (and Walkable) L.A., Part Two

Aug. 22, 2025—The longtime Los Angeles resident wasn’t smelling what I was stepping in.

“The only reason someone walks in L.A. is if they’ve lost their license or don’t have a car,” he announced.

Perhaps he had a blindspot for zones like Venice Beach, where skateboards and roller skates rule, or the bike path that connects Santa Monica to Hermosa Beach and points beyond, in both directions.

Or even his old downtown district, where The Last Great Bookstore, Grand Central Market or about-to-go-out Cole’s French (and its legendary Bukowski urinal) were our favorite destinations, no carbon emissions required.

That said, I went into the second half of this two-parter thinking I might be overoptimistic.

First came Playa del Rey, conveniently packing a whole time-warp world of funky fresh beachy burger shacks and dive bars into a short stretch of Culver Boulevard.

But Topanga Canyon represents a place apart in both spirit and geography, even as it neighbors Santa Monica, so I figured it might require some driving to occupy a dynamic two days and nights.

Nope.

Instead it genuinely surprised me with how much character awaits within no more than 150 steps.

This unincorporated and rural region of around 8,000 residents inspires a visit for Muse restaurant alone.

The intimate and thoughtful rendering of French technique and California product—a reliable enough formula—finds expression through seafood-forward hallelujahs like Dungeness crab and ricotta cappelletti with tomatoes and fennel, and Catalan risotto with California spot prawns and arugula purée.

I’m comfortable testifying Muse’s take on a salad Niçoise would impress hardcore Francophiles.

The hamachi crudo with yuzu olive oil and an angel-soft smooch of Calabrian chili represents what freshness and simplicity can do for an attentive appetite.

Paired with openers like the signature Muse brioche and the bespoke beverage program…we could’ve left town then, happily so.

But we were staying across the street.

Readers of this column will recognize two recurring themes happening here.

One, a hunger for exploration that has taken EMB everywhere from Sinoaloa to San Diego, Ventura to Vegas, and Guatemala to Greater New York, a rambling reconnaissance finding regular representation with a quarterly print feature called “Appetite for Travel,” which debuted with the summer issue.

Two, an ongoing synergy with Four Sisters Inns, which provides food and lodging in exchange for guest guidance on spots to seek out in the vicinity. (Related thought: It’s worth noting there is no editorial input on what or how I choose to spotlight—though I do ask staffers for all their tips—which helps make the endeavor work.)

Even closer than Muse sit three other staples for the epicurean-curious.

And the closest is a two-fer.

For Topanga’s tiny, ahem, “downtown,” this pocket of flavor represents a lifeline.

Great coffees, fancy, simple or infused. Stylized yet sturdy breakfast basics. Smoothies for the ambitious and the sweet.

One great thing about RustiCoffee is that it now enjoys a newish neighbor in Canyon Grocer, ready to stock your room or travel bag with hand-picked preserves, chocolates, confections, beans, breads, cheeses, dog treats, honeys, jarred shellfish, pasta and antipasti and any order of other rare items, like specialty potato chips in 2-gallon tins.

Here’s the place in the story where I want to keep exploring.

To unlock all the additional riches to be tasted involves another 150 steps, which leads bike rentals that allow a quick trip south to hit spots along the bike path, feet-in-the-sand restaurant-bars and the Santa Monica Pier—or the dramatic burn scars and beaches that await further north.

But, keeping with the theme, that’s not technically walking distance.

Travel on, y’all, mindful appetite activated.

Mark C. Anderson serves on the Monterey County Food System Coalition…and welcomes your travel tips, thoughts and plots, local and beyond, via mark@ediblemontereybay.com.