Culver City…one of the many smaller, lesser known cities and neighborhoods that make up the greater Los Angeles area. Yes there’s Hollywood, its sidewalks dusted with stars, engraved with the names of those gone by, and its towering iconic sign. But Hollywood’s not the only town in LA that’s making dreams come true on the big screen.

Within the heart of Culver City sits the film lots of Sony and Amazon Studios, among others. But that’s not what we’re exploring in this often passed through city, nestled between the crashing waves of the west side and the hustle of Downtown Los Angeles.

We’ve come to dive into the food that makes this place so magical, take in some art, have a drink, and of course —grab a pre-roll or two.

HIGH NOTE WEST

We start at High Note West, a dispensary that makes a statement on today’s cannabis culture, simply by the way you enter the space. We walk into a small room, no bigger than a hallway. The welcoming staff checks us in, excited for what’s next. We’re directed towards a mysterious bookcase which, yes, you guessed it, doubles as the door to get in to see the goods.

Richard, the director of retail, tell us most of their customers come from the airport, and the High Note’s speakeasy vibe is a fun way to experience recreational cannabis that travelers may not have in their own state.

He speaks to the parallels between the prohibition era and today’s “behind closed doors” cannabis culture. While we know legalizing cannabis is the right thing to do, he says, the speakeasy entrance is a nod to that current political climate. We thank Richard for telling us about the store, grab some Spark pre-rolls and step out into the beautiful morning air.

LODGE BREAD

Warm, the size of your head, piled high with goodness. That’s right, it’s that trendy toast craze, and at Lodge Bread, it’s not to be missed.

We’re not talking about that pre-sliced, thrown-in-your-toaster type of bread either. This is handmade and fresh baked on site every day. We opt for the “ace ranch” garnished with purple radishes, sea salt, and olive oil, as well as their ricotta and jam. And damn, it’s good.

After a few mouthwatering bites, we chat with Javier, one of the managers. He tells us how the place runs almost as two spots. The bakery, which kicks out 200 to 300 loaves a day, and their other half, a coffee, beer and pizza joint with a wood fire oven pressed against the window luring in passers by.

Javier tells us they follow the seasons, so their menu changes every four months with local and organic ingredients. The place is full of locals, some with their kids in strollers and a couple, limbs tied together in a warm embrace, sipping a beer with their morning pastries… Sounds like a perfect start to the day.

FP CONTEMPORARY

We jump onto the convenient city bikes that litter the street. It’s a beautiful sunny Southern California day and we feel the ocean breeze as we cruise down to check out FP Contemporary in the Culver City Arts District.

We meet up with their director Paul Dahmen; he takes us through the gallery that holds upwards of 5,000 artworks at a time.

“I sell art that people want to live with,” he says. And it shows.

The outstandingly beautiful and thought provoking pieces are just…cool, and would certainly be a talking point in any home.

Paul tells us about the various pieces and the masterminds behind them, but we gravitate toward a piece called “Genesis” by Phil Hawkins. Its array of color seems to shift as you walk past. And as you look closer, you realize that the piece is smaller on one side, making an odd play on your own depth perception. After some art taken in, it’s time for something to eat.

PASTA SISTERS

Snuggled in the historic Helms Bakery District between La Dijonaise Café and The Rug Warehouse, sits Pasta Sisters.

The streets of the Helms Bakery District have been closed off for people to stroll through, take in the town, find something new for the home, and snag something delicious. We find a table outside at Pasta Sisters and are immediately given a plate with fresh bread. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar sit on the table, eager to be poured onto the plate for your bread to take a swim.

First up, burrata atop pasta with pesto clinging to it, ready to be fork spun. The cold of the burrata paired with the warm pesto sauce creates a perfect harmony of cheesy, pasta goodness. Next up, the pappardelle Bolognese with thick, thick noodles in a meaty sauce. To round it all out, porcini mushroom gnocchi. Soft, deeply satisfying. It’s need-to-take-a-nap-after-this good.

BLIND BARBER

After getting some carbs in, we cruise over to the Blind Barber. We’re not here to get a cut, but rather to grab something refreshing after our bike ride and mountain of pasta.

We walk in and to the naked eye, it looks like an old school barbershop. An aisle down the middle of the long room leading to the broom closet with big black barber chairs lined up on either side and people getting their haircuts, all while sipping on old fashioneds.

There’s no bar in the shop and yet everyone’s having a grand ol’ time drinking their perfectly crafted whiskey cocktails, so where’s the bar?

No one bats an eye as walk straight to the broom closet door at the back of the store. Turns out, that unsuspecting door leads us to a full on bar/restaurant cloaked as the storage closet.

We go with the bartender’s suggestion of the tequila-based Hot Heather cocktail. It’s sweet, with a spicy kick to it and a smooth finish garnished with a grapefruit wedge. Gotta admit…that’s a feel good drink right there.

As they say in the movie biz, that’s a wrap. Until next time Culver City.

You could be forgiven to think San Diego’s just surfing, craft beers and fish tacos. Don’t get us wrong, it’s all of those things, however, it’s much, much more.

The Southern California coastal city is only a 22-minute drive from Mexico and houses the largest number of military personnel in the country. It’s also the home of one of the largest groupings of Chicano art murals in the world, with more than 80 in Chicano Park alone. No one can deny it’s a city of true American diversity.

MARCH AND ASH

For our first stop, we pop over to the California cannabis dispensary, March and Ash—a beautifully designed, high-end retail cannabis experience in Mission Valley, San Diego. Sitting between the 8 and the 805 freeways, this store is, in short, absolutely extraordinary.

You walk into a space that has been crafted to show the very best that cannabis has to offer. Their calming CBD room, hydroponic clone wall, and shelves lined with cannabis products are a sight to see; and the staff, well, they’re excited to show it all off.

We meet up with Nicole, a cannabis concierge at March and Ash. Nicole has been there from the start—she helped open the place back in September 2018 and happily takes us on a tour through the space.

She brings us over to show off the baby cannabis plants (or clones) they have growing against a mirrored wall in the back of the store. She explains how each one is passionately cared for and is ready to plant by those who’d like to test out their green thumb.

After taking a closer look at some of the indica and sativa plants, we mention we want to pick up some Sunday Goods for our day in San Diego. She shows us the pens and pre-rolls, telling us her favorite (so far) is the Rest Pen. Since we still have a full day ahead of us, we grab a Delight Pen, thank Nicole for showing us around and hit the road.

COMMUNAL COFFEE

Next stop = coffee. We hit Communal Coffee, a shop unlike any other. You walk into a large white room with a long wooden bar stretching the length of the majority of the space. To the right, there are little tables laden with flowers, while people sip their drinks and draw charcoal creations on art pads.

The friendly barista asks if he can get us a drink or perhaps maybe some flowers, gesturing to the wall behind us that holds blooming flower bouquets crafted by Wyld Blooms. Glancing over the menu, we gravitate toward the Vanilla Bean Latte, a perfect pairing for the Delight pen we picked up. Their fresh ground espresso with the hints of vanilla are exactly what we need to head to our next stop, oysters

LITTLE ITALY FARMER’S MARKET

We grab some farm fresh berries and stop by a booth that can’t be passed: Captain Jack’s Shellfish, owned and operated by Jon Bernetskie. He sells fresh oysters at the farmers market every Wednesday and Saturday and serves them up either grilled or shucked…with lemon and hot sauce for us, please.

Jon tells us he started in the Hollywood Farmers Market in LA before branching off on his own adventure in San Diego. On Saturdays, he says, he can sell upwards of 80 dozen oysters. If he’s catering an event, he can be shucking upwards of 150 dozen, that’s a lot of oysters—1800 to be exact.

His love of oysters is immediately apparent, as these are some of the best oysters you’ll have…meaty and salty with a tart, spicy finish from the drops of lemon and hot sauce. Truly a delight! We head out to check out some local art, but before we do, we listen in on some tunes from Matt Huz, a local musician playing at the market.

NORTH PARK MURAL

We head over to visit a mural in North Park, San Diego on the wall of Artelexia, a shop that’s “sharing the vibrant culture of Mexico with the world.” The mural is painted with vibrant colors and reads “You are radiant, yes, you.” Painted by the local artist, Channin Fulton, it’s a wall of feel good in the community. After some food in the belly, some local art adored, it’s time for a drink.

JUNESHINE

We head over to a brewery, but not just any brewery, Juneshine, a newly opened hard kombucha place.

If you’re wondering, that’s tasty, 6% alcohol kombucha with over 15 flavors to choose from. We meet up with Jay, the GM of the space and grab a flight to sample: Kumquat, Acai Berry and Strawberry, please. As we sip on each of the delicious flavors, Jay explains to us why they taste so smooth. Their Kombucha is brewed with honey and green tea, unlike most other kombuchas that are made with black tea and sugar.

Jay also points to our, now half-filled glasses, and mentions that they don’t add any artificial coloring and that their focus is on sustainability. In fact, they use all organic ingredients so you can feel even better while you’re already feeling good. We order another flight, as one should, and call it a day.

Until next time, San Diego.

At Sunday Goods, we carefully curate a selection of cannabis strains and products to provide a cannabis ecosystem with something for everyone. If you’re looking for an on-the-go cannabis experience, our pre-rolls might be the perfect fit.

Our pre-rolls are packed with sun-grown, pesticide-free flower and rolled with all natural hemp paper. Enjoy single-strain joints in three different varieties—Spark, Delight, and Rest.

Check out what our friends at Leafly had to say about our Spark pre-rolls.

“Very sweet, very tasty, super smooth.”

Our Effect Variety Pre-roll Packs each contain 5 joints of three different strains. They’re great for sampling a number of new strains within one category to find what’s right for you.

SPARK: Sativa-dominant strains. Sharp focus when you need a burst of energy throughout the day.

DELIGHT: Sativa-dominant strains. All smiles for hang sessions and breezy adventures.

REST: Indica-dominant strains. Take the edge off when you need to relax and recharge.

Get your pre-roll packs from a dispensary near you.