Chefs

Manhattan Beach Food & Wine

Mona Day Chefs, Dine, Food & Wine Events, Restaurants

The upcoming Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival kicked off with a preview event at the Westdrift Manhattan Beach hotel on Monday September 30, 6:30pm. 

Participating chefs and wineries shared their excitement with a preview of their Festival offerings. The featured delicacies included an heirloom tomato salad, a mushroom crostini, carne asada on a homemade tortilla, breaded  pork and shortrib on Romesco sauce, a tuna poke from the Strand House, and a  gingery, more Japanese take on the same dish served in a cone from Wolfgang Puck catering. 

Desserts included meringues, macaroons and assorted chocolates flavored with botanicals like rose and lavender.  Of course, there were plenty of libations from wineries, distilleries and non-alocolic beverages to wash it all down.

The inaugural Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival is planned as a spectacular two-night strolling culinary extravaganza with an Opening Night celebration on Friday October 11,  and a Grand Tasting on Saturday October 12. The festival  will showcase the industry’s top tastemakers and connoisseurs to celebrate an all-star lineup of chefs, restaurants, wineries, spirits, cocktails,  breweries, and non-alcoholic beverages, along with live entertainment. 

The culinary extravaganza will feature a lineup of 50 of the Best Chefs representing not only the local cities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo, Los Angeles, but state-wide from Solvang, Palm Springs, San Francisco and beyond – from across  North America, from Denver, New York, New Orleans, Vancouver, and Mexico. 

The venue is a 40,000-square-foot outdoor space in Manhattan Village located at the end of the Veterans Parkway Greenbelt Path.  The venue features a beautifully landscaped trail that runs through Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach.

For more information on the Manhattan Beach Food & Wine, please visit www.ManhattanBeachFoodandWine.com.

Parkers’ Lighthouse Celebrates 40 Years

Mona Day Chefs, Dine, Restaurants

The iconic waterfront dining destination Parkers’ Lighthouse in Shoreline Village, Long Beach is celebrating its 40-year anniversary.

Established in 1984 with a focus on fresh grilled fish, Parkers’ Lighthouse with breathtaking views of the Queen Mary and the Long Beach skyline, the restaurant has been a beloved Long Beach fixture,  popular with  both locals and visitors. 

The restaurant’s unique dining spaces include a wrap-around outdoor deck, a lively bar and lounge as well as an elegant main dining room with balcony seating.  Known for its fresh seafood, with a focus on fresh grilled fish, innovative dishes and exceptional service, the restaurant underwent significant renovations in 1999 and 2010, transforming its atmosphere and expanding the menu to include a variety of culinary offerings beyond seafood. 

Inspired by the Pacific Ocean, the menu reflects the Southern California lifestyle, featuring shareable appetizers, sushi and sashimi, mesquite grilled fish, steak and homemade desserts.  The bar offers award winning wines, beers, spirits and specialty cocktails.

The Queensview Steakhouse  located at the top of Parkers’ Lighthouse with  a spectacular 360° view of the waterfront offers a supper club dining experience with live music and an upscale menu that includes prime steaks, chops, lobster and freshly grilled fish. 

The restaurant is now celebrating its big anniversary with the introduction of new throwback menu items designed to take diners back on a nostalgic culinary journey. 

Each month through the end of 2024, the restaurant will feature a rotating selection of popular dishes from its storied past, so guests can enjoy new appetizers, entrées and desserts that harken back to the restaurant’s early days.  These specials will be available for a limited time each month. 

The August specials  featured appetizers Tuna Poke Nachos, Crispy wontons topped with Wasabi Aioli, Toasted Sesame  Seeds, Wakame Seaweed and Curly Scallions that were served in 1999.  Entrées included Penne with Rock Shrimp served in 1999 served with a Creamy Rossa Sauce, Basil and Parmesan.  And dessert featured a decadent Mud Pie from 2010.

The throwback menu items are a tribute to our history, giving customers a chance to savor the flavors that have made the restaurant a cherished Long Beach destination for four decades, and the restaurant’s thank you to the  guests who have supported it through the decades, bringing back memories and creating new ones.

For more information visit ParkersLighthouse.com and connect with Parkers’ Lighthouse via Instagram, Facebook or X.

Parkers’ Lighthouse is located at 435 Shoreline Village Drive, Long Beach, CA 90802.  

Concern Foundation Block Party

Mona Day Chefs, Dine, Food & Wine Events, Restaurants

The culinary extravaganza of Concern Foundation’s Annual Block Party, will return to  Paramount Studios in Hollywood for its 49th run on Saturday July 13, 6:00 pm.

Themed Mission Concern – Conquering Cancer: The Final Frontier, this year’s event  is expected to draw over 4,000 guests for a stroll through the streets of Paramount’s back lot, with an array of gourmet tastings of signature dishes and beverages. 

Live entertainment across multiple stages will include performances by the Tom Nolan Band on the Main Launch Pad, D’ City Sound & Events presented by the Hirsch Family Foundation, and the Vibrato Intergalactic Cantina featuring the Jason Goldstein Sextet with Lilli Passero and other special artists. 

Other fun experiences include Brian Kramer Photography Digital Photo Studio sponsored by Northern Trust, Casino Style Gaming for Prizes presented by Agua Caliente Casinos, Photo Booth by SnapItStudio.com, Specialty Lounge areas provided by Souza Insurance, Shuttle Services at the event sponsored by Motev,  Spa Services provided by Fairmont Spa Century Plaza, and Glamour Makeovers by the Beauty Bus Foundation. 

Los Angeles magazine, the Concern Foundation’s Media Sponsor for 17 years, will be back wil its own Los Angeles Magazine Street hosting the The Best of LA 2024®.

Other highlights include live and silent & Live Auctions featuring exclusive items and packages, and unique experiences. 

This year’s formal program will honor the Stanley and Joyce Black Family Foundation with a tribute titled Three Generations – A Legacy of Community Leadership for outstanding contributions to the community.

The evening will raise  funds for Concern Foundation’s mission of providing support for cancer research, focusing its funding in the areas of immunology, immunotherapy, genetics, and cell biology  to achieve a better understanding of cell function and mis-function in the human body. 

For more information and tickets, please visit Concern Foundation 49th Annual Block Party Tickets & Sponsorships.

HOLLYWOOD UNDER THE STARS

Mona Day Chefs, Dine, Fashion, Food & Wine Events, Restaurants

St. Vincent Meals on Wheels will present its third annual Hollywood Under the Stars gala fundraiser at the iconic Paramount Studios lot on Saturday  June 22, 6:30pm. 

The event will kick off with a VIP Hour hosted by Chef Bret Thompson and Pez Coastal Kitchen followed by a dozen renowned Angeleno chefs presenting gourmet tastes and signature cocktails and the music of the  10-piece live band de Bois All Stars. 

Presenting the tastings will be Chef Gino Angelini of Angelini Osteria,  Chef Mihir Lad of Arth Bar + Kitchen, Chef Keith Corbin of Alta Adam, Sam Marvin of Echo & Rig, Nika Shoemaker-Machado of Georgia’s Restaurant, Chef Gloria Chicas of Room Service Neighborhood, Francesco Zimone of L’antica Pizzeria da Michele, and Chef Raphael Francois of Tesse.

Desserts will be served by this year’s 2024 Sweet Angels Bertha Mae’s Brownie Co., Läderach Chocolate, Lark Cake Shop, and Malibu Meringue, and Uncle Tetsu.

A silent auction will feature prizes like a one-night stay at Pechanga Resort with a $100 gift card, The Pasadena Experience at Deluxe 1717, Skirball Cultural Center Member for a Day, La Mirada Theatre tickets, The Huntington Library admission, Architecture & Urban Design consultation, The Broad VIP passes, Universal Studios general admission passes, Hollywood Wax Museum tickets, Disneyland VIP Park Hopper tickets, Current/Elliott Men’s Collection $1,500 Shopping Spree Online, In-N-Out Burger gift cards, Roclord Studio portrait photography package, Hollywood Museum tickets, Dolby Theatre tour vouchers, Signed RAMS helmet, Signed Clippers team hat, Academy of Magical Arts VIP Passes, Terrenea Resort 2-night stay with ocean view, gift basket from Melissa’s Produce, Raising Cane’s Dog Basket, and a $500 gift certificate to Jean George Restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria.

Longtime Food is Love fundraising partners Blu Jam Café and Muddy Paw Coffee will gift a freshly baked morning sweet and rich roasted ground coffee pack. 

The evening will honor award-winning actor Ian McShane (of American Star, John Wick: Chapter 4; Deadwood; Game of Thrones; and the upcoming John Wick prequel Ballerina opposite Ana de Armas)  along with his wife Gwen Humble McShane for their decades-long support and donations to the St. Vincent Meals on Wheels Circle of Angels campaign. 

Corporate and community sponsors include Delta Dental, US Bank, Albertsons Foundation, Toyota Motors, and dedicated supporters like Rick Llanos & Nelly Llanos, and media sponsor, Times Direct, this evening promises to be a celebration of compassion and community. 

For more information and tickets please visit www.svmow.org/hollywood. 

Newport Beach Wine Festival

Mona Day celebration, Chefs, Dine, Food & Wine Events, Restaurants

Balboa Bay Resort will kick off the summer season with the return of its  three-day event, the Newport Beach Wine Festival over the Memorial Day weekend May 24-26. Set against the picturesque waterfront backdrop of the luxury resort, the Festival will offer an impressive lineup of the resort’s suppliers of its premium wines and spirits. 

The three-day event Festival kicks off on Friday evening, May 24th with a 4-Course Justin Winery Limited Release Wine Dinner at 6:30 pm, with a reception 6:00pm in the Club’s Lighthouse Room with its sweeping views of Newport Harbor.

Prepared by Executive Chef Prabeen and his culinary team, the dinner will highlight the first releases from Justin wines outside Paso Robles,  Sonoma County Chardonnay and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir with a wine pairing discussion lead by Master Sommelier Joseph Spellman. 

On Saturday, May 25th, 1:00pm – 5:00pm, the Wine & Spirits Festival will showcase a Grand Tasting of over forty of the resort’s favorite wine and spirits vendors including DAOU, Whispering Angel, Flecha Azul, Macallan, and others. It will also feature bountiful buffet stations, complemented by live music.  The event will take place in the Library, Commodore Room, Lighthouse and Bayfront Lawn, extending onto the boardwalk and Bayfront Lawn overlooking the marina, yachts, and Lido Island with breathtaking bay views. 

On Sunday MAY 26, 10:00am-2:00pm, the final day of the Wine Festival weekend will conclude with a specialty Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brunch in the Lighthouse Room.  The extravagant buffet will feature fresh seafood and caviar along with traditional brunch favorites, a carving station, an omelet station, and live music. 

Guests reserving a room for the Wine Festival over Memorial Day Weekend a 10% discount on guest room rates and a 10% discount on festival tickets. 

Balboa Bay Resort has partnered with luxury electric vehicle brand Lucid Motors to offer complimentary chauffeur rides from its Fashion Island studio  to address the limited parking.

Proceeds from the Festival benefit the Balboa Bay Club Scholarship Fund, that provides scholarships to exceptional graduating high school students in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

For more information, please visit www.balboabayresort.com and www.balboabayclub.com. 

50th Annual AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival

Mona Day Chefs, Dine, Food & Wine Events, Restaurants

AbilityFirst  will host its 50th Annual AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival on Sunday, June 9th, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, celebrating this milestone year at a new venue, The Urquhart Residence in South Pasadena.  This year’s outdoor event will honor Greg & Heba Wood for their outstanding contributions, and is expected to attract over 400 guests.

This year’s event will feature over twenty top restaurants, cocktail bars, wineries, and breweries and more.  They include Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery, Alexander’s Steakhouse, Beard Papa’s, Bone Kettle, El Cholo Café, Gale’s Restaurant, Kensington Caterers, Lord Empanada, Marina, Mi Piace, Nothing Bundt Cake, Pocha LA, Porto’s Bakery, Stems: Cheese, Charcuterie & Catering, Tam O’Shanter, The George, We Olive & Wine Bar, and more.

Participating beverage vendors include: 1886 at The Raymond, Dulce Vida Tequila, Empress 1908 Gin, Gerlach’s, Knox & Dobson, and Old Hillside Bourbon Company; Craft Beer from Golden Road Brewing, San Gabriel’s Ogopogo Brewing, along with specially curated Wines from Caymus Vineyards, Navarro Vineyards, and Riboli Family of San Antonio Winery. Non-alcoholic Beverages provided by Celsius, and PepsiCo.

Proceeds from this year’s Festival will directly benefit AbilityFirst’s many programs. For 98 years, AbilityFirst has been providing person-centered programs to empower individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, guiding them through each life transition, fostering social connections, and independence through essential employment preparation, as well as recreational activities for participants and their caregivers. 

Sponsors include Chubb, Bank of America, Los Angeles Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Longo Toyota-Lexus/Penske Motor Group, The Fletcher Jones Foundation, Umpqua Bank, East West Bank, Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, GHJ, IMA, J’s Maids, Wendy Lees and Tom Boyle, and many more.

For more information and tickets, please visit https://one.bidpal.net/affestival24/welcome.

10th Annual Taste of South Pasadena

Mona Day Chefs, Dine, Food & Wine Events

The Rotary Club of South Pasadena will host the 10th Annual Taste of South Pasadena dubbed Eats on the Streets on Tuesday May 28, 6 – 9pm in the heart of South Pasadena on Fair Oaks Avenue and Mission Streets, with a wine tasting hour from  5:00pm – 8:00pm preceding. 

The family and dog-friendly strolling event will make for a  relaxing evening on the town exploring the city and its culinary offerings with friends and neighbors. 

The all you can eat  event lets you sample dishes from 30 restaurants. Restaurants expected to participate include: Alani Nu, ARO, Butterfly Brittles, Cafe X20, Canoe House, Charlie’s Coffee House, Communal, Cos & Pi, Griffins of Kinsale, Guayaki, Gus’s Barbecue, Heirloom, Humm, Jones Coffee Roasters, La Fiesta Grande, The Lost Parrot, Mammas Brick Oven, Mike & Annes, Oak Tree Inn, Perfect Hydration, Piccolo, Ristorante, Prime, Radhika, Shakers, Simplee Boba, STEMS, SUJA Organic, Super Coffee, TeaMorrow, Tomato Pie, Trader Joes, and Yucas.

Beverages will be provided by over 20 wineries, beers and spirit vendors, including:  Mission Wines, San Antonio Winery, Fuil and Table Wines, Scoops On Tap, Vandella, Cape Classics, Dulce Via Organic Tequila, Kobrand, XOXO Tequila, KVinters, Miner Family Winery, Empress 1908 Gin, Holden Cellars, DAOU, Trinchero Family Wines, Round Pond Estates, RNDC, Folio, and Paperback.

Live music on two stages will add to the festivities. The  Canoe House stage will present Carbe and Durand Latin guitar duo,  part of the world music group Incendio. They perform  original music as well as popular songs by other artists on two nylon string guitars, mixing Latin rhythms and romantic melodies with blues and rock.  Their fiery approach on the Spanish guitar has excited and invigorated audiences. Magic Castle magician Rich “Doc Magic” Freeman will also be on stage, handing out passes to the invitation-only Magic Castle.

The Mission/Meridian stage will feature The NextDoors Mika Larson & Russell Mark, a wife-and-husband duo from Pasadena cello-soaked Americana including their #1 song Awaken.

Last year’s Taste hosted a record 1400+ attendees, and more are expected to attend this year. All proceeds support local nonprofits, with last year’s event alone raising $38,000.

For more information about the South Pasadena Rotary Club  please visit  southpasadenarotary.org;  and for more information on event and tickets, please visit https://www.tasteofsouthpasadena.com.

Taste of Brea

Mona Day Chefs, Dine, Food & Wine Events, Restaurants

The Brea Chamber of Commerce will kick off the Memorial Day weekend with Its family friendly event The Taste of Brea on Thursday, May 23, 5 – 9pm. The event will take place on  330 West Birch Street Brea in Downtown Brea amid a backdrop of cute boutiques, shops and eateries.

The  ticket includes all-you-can-enjoy strolling event featuring over 100 local and regional restaurants, breweries and wineries. Live music, featuring the band Cold Duck. 

This year’s restaurants include Blue Scoop Creamery, Bruxie, Brunos, California Fish Grill, Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen, Chubby Sushi & Ramen, Chunk-N-Chip, Fogo de Chao, Kristi’s Catering & Events, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, Loaded Café, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Old Brea Chop House, Protein Lab, and SweetPeas.

This year’s beverage participants include Brewheim Beer Makers, Broken Timbers Brewing Company, Carbon Canyon Coffee, Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen, Falkner Winery, Lasorda Family Wines, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, Polar Beverages, PRP Wine, The Tap Truck, The Bruery, and Wine Guy & Wine Gal.

Many local chamber members and businesses will also be setting up information booths. Exhibitors include Chevron, Dr. Squatch, Alex Horowitz Group, Aloha Veterinary Hospital, Advantage Care Chiropractic, Brea Dentistry, Brea Olinda Unified School District – Career Technical Education Program, Brea Diamond Direct, Brea Modern Dentistry, Brea Police Explorers, Brea Police Department- Know Your Limit, Brea Police Department SWAT Truck, City of Brea – Experience the Arts, Credit Union of Southern California, Custom Comfort Mattress, Darryl & JJ Jones, Dignity Memorial, Kaleo Marketing, Leaf Filter, Navy Federal Credit Union, Reborn Cabinets, Smile Design Advanced Dentistry and many more.

The Taste of Brea is the largest, regional food fair in Orange County;  for more information and tickets, please visit tasteofbrea.com