By Lili Barsha
In Babette’s Feast, the seminal foodie film of 1987, an exiled Parisian chef spends all of her lottery winnings—10,000 francs—on a lavish meal in honor of the 100th birthday of one of the sisters of an austere, Danish religious order in a remote costal town called Jutland, where she has worked as housekeeper for the prior 14 years. When the sisters learn that their cook has spent her entire fortune on a meal for them, they are aghast and ask how she could choose to be poor for the rest of her life in Jutland, when she could have lived comfortably with her winnings in Paris, to which Babette replied, “An artist is never poor.”
In Inglewood a gifted chef named Babette spends all of her spiritual lottery winnings—rich in the knowledge that wholesome food helps a wholesome spirit—in a restaurant called Stuff I Eat (SIE), which was started in a church (Agape in Culver City). Another dedicated artist, this Babette is perfectly content making progress, rather than money. Now Inglewood is not exactly Jutland, though for many Angelenos it might as well be, but it is remote on the epicurean map. And that’s just how this Babette, who goes by Ms. D., would have it. There is purpose behind Ms. D.’s work—it’s actually a family business that includes hubby Mr. D., her daughter Naz, and her niece, Danielle—and the purpose behind their work is to make healthy, wholesome vegetarian food available to a community that might otherwise not have access. As Ms. D. put it when asked how and why she came to choose this spot more than three years ago, “There’s more to our business than just getting rich; the deeper love is in sharing a cleaner product, a better 
quality of life.”
Inglewood is actually a treasure chest of L.A. history. The restaurant is located on Market Street east of La Brea, past the oil wells on Stocker, and south of Florence. It’s part of the tree-lined, Fox movie theater and market district. The old movie house is now closed (the historic Deco building is currently for lease), but the street is still lined with trees and clothing boutiques, art galleries, bookstores and restaurants. It is reminiscent of “old towns” everywhere, like downtown Culver City, old town Pasadena or the art district in Chinatown. It has the air of expansion and development. It feels like striking gold.
The menu at SIE is all vegetarian with some vegan and a dollop of raw. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a kids’ menu that includes such treats as organic polenta/grits and breakfast burritos, tacos (Jerk Tofu is delicious), a giant quesadilla called the Kilimanjaro (wild rice, black beans, avocado, portobello mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, and refreshing spicy mango dressing atop a whole wheat tortilla), sandwiches on Ezekiel bread, and a complete selection of vegetarian soul food.
I enjoyed the Organic Soul Food Platter—mashed yams, cooked with a hint of orange and coconut; black-eyed peas (perfectly tender and well-spiced with cumin and garam masala); collard greens, tender and smoky with Hungarian paprika; Jerk Tofu (excellent teriyaki); Mac ’n’ Cheese (flavorful and creamy without any dairy, thanks to Follow Your Heart cheddar); red-cabbage coleslaw; and a cornbread muffin (crumbly, soft and savory). It was a half order, but I had to take some home, the servings were so generous. Signs on the tables encourage patrons not to waste and to ask for to-go containers, made from recycled materials, so I did. I appreciate it when restaurants don’t make me feel doggy-bag guilt.
For dessert I had Raw Mango Pie—whole-wheat crumb bottom filled with fresh banana, strawberries, grapes, blueberries and kiwi, surrounded by a luscious mango puree. So good!
So next time you’re in Inglewood or even nearby, playing the ponies at Hollywood Park or taking somebody to the airport, drop into Stuff I Eat and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. That is, if you didn’t think there was stuff you ate South of the 10.
114 N. Market Street, Inglewood 90301, 310.671.0115
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