Chefs

With the much anticipated culinary festival Masters of Taste 2026 on Sunday, April 19 approaching fast, the lineup of participating Masters and Restaurants keeps getting more impressive and building up the excitement!

Heading the lineup are 2026 Event Hosts Chef Vanessa Tilaka Kalb & Chef Thomas Tilaka Kalb of Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery in Pasadena. 

Joining them are:  Alexander’s Steakhouse Chef Edgar Reyna of  Pasadena, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Cupertino,  Angelenos’ Wood Fired Pizza Chef Carmen Samaniego of Highland Park, Arth Bar + Kitchen Chef Mihir Lad of Culver City,  Ayara Thai Chef Vanda Asapahu & Chef Cathy Asapahu of Westchester, Bianca Sicilian Trattoria Chef Michele Galifi of Downtown Los Angeles, BOA Steakhouse Chef Brendan Collins of West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Austin, Bone Kettle Chef Erwin Tjahadi of Pasadena, Casa Cordoba Chef Eric Zeda of Montrose, Celestino Ristorante Chef Calogero Drago of Pasadena, Chaaste Family Market Chef Christian Esteban of Pasadena, City Club Los Angeles Chef Armando Quiroz of Downtown Los Angeles, Descanso Restaurant Chef Rob Arellano of Los Angeles, Costa Mesa, Dorasti Caviar of Los Angeles, Emporium Thai & Emporium Thai Market Chef Jane Sungkamee & Chef Gina Sungkamee of Westwood, Los Angeles, Fat Boys Chef Michael Gray of Pasadena, Los Angeles, Fitoor Santa Monica Chef Imran Khan of Santa Monica, San Jose, Granville Pasadena Chef Marc Dix of Pasadena, Burbank, Studio City, West Hollywood, North Hollywood, Harold & Belle’s Chef Ryan Legaux of Los Angeles, Le Shrimp Noodle Bar Chef Eddie (Boon Chun) Foo of Glendale, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Love & Salt Chef Chris Feldmeier of Manhattan Beach, Lunasia Dimsum House Chef Han Fu Lee of Pasadena, Alhambra, Cerritos, Torrance,  Mama M Sushi Chef Supachai Paengkariya of Pasadena, Maple Block Meat Co. Chef Rodolfo Suazo of Culver City, Marina Chef Sandro Hernandez of Pasadena, Mercado Chef Jose Acevedo of Pasadena, Hollywood, Manhattan Beach, Paloma Chef John Parker of Santa Barbara, Paradise Dynasty Chef Joe Chan & Chef Hoi Kin Li of Glendale, Panda Inn Chef Aiguo Yang of Pasadena, Pez Cantina & Pez Coastal Kitchen Chef Bret Thompson of Downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena, Poppy + Rose Chef Michael Reed of Downtown Los Angeles, Porto’s Bakery & Café of Pasadena, Northridge, Buena Park, Burbank, Downey, Glendale, West Covina, Ramen Tatsunoya , Chef Ryuta Kajiwara of Pasadena, Costa Mesa, Rice Balls of Fire Chef Jorman Herrera of Arieta, STK Steakhouse Chef Dennis Cruz of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Topanga, StopBye Café of Lynwood, Sushi Roku Chef Tetsu Terashima of Pasadena, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Palo Alto, and Thai Mex Cocina of Los ngeles,  The Exchange Restaurant Chef Narita Santos of Downtown Los Angeles, The Italian Deli Co. Chef Lalo of Pasadena, The Second Wind Chef Theo Shio of El Segundo, Truffle Brothers Michael Pietroiacovo & Marco Pietroiacovo of Los Angeles, Ubatuba Acai Chef Daniela Demetrio of Pasadena, Melrose, Santa Monica, Koreatown, Silverlake, Studio City, UCHI West Hollywood Chef Joel Hammond of West Hollywood, Union Station Homeless Services Chef Marisa Gamboa of Pasadena, Wife and the Somm Chef Frank Ryan Saporito of Glassell Park, Yakiya Chef Hualing Zhang of Pasadena, and Zira Uzbek Kitchen Chef Azim Rahmatov of West Hollywood.

The Sweet Masters lineup includes: All About the Cinnamon, Bertha Mae’s Brownies, deliciously scrumptious scratch baked custom cakes from Cakes By Chanté, Delight Pastry, Hello You’re Welcome, ID-Éclair, Läderach Switzerland, cupcakes from Lark Cake Shop, Magpies Softserve, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Pazzo Gelato, Perlas Ice Cream, Porto’s Bakery & Café, Rico Rico Snack Carts, and The Pink Cookie by The Pink Everything.

Participating Beverage Masters include Bars & Spirits: Above Board Liqueurs, Broda Vodka, Broken Shaker at Freehand Los Angeles, Burden of Proof (Non-Alcoholic Bottle Shop & Market), Dulce Vida Tequila, Empress 1908 Gin, Knox & Dobson, La Bay Gin Distillerie Californienne, Lyre’s (Crafted Non-Alcoholic Spirits), Mario’s Hard Espresso, Nosotros Tequila & Mezcal, Old Hillside Bourbon Company, Savage Rabbit Distribution, Shelter Distilling, Shinju Japanese Whisky, Smoke Lab Vodka, Subourbon Life, The Raymond 1886, Ventura Spirits and Xoloitzcuintle Tequila.

The Brewmasters lineup includes All Season Brewing, Arts District Brewing Company, Boomtown Brewery, Bücha Whole Fruit Hard Kombucha, Pasadena’s Cerveceria Del Pueblo, HOP WTR (Non-Alcoholic, Zero-Calorie, and Carbonated Beverage), Arcadia’s first Microbrewery Mt. Lowe Brewing Co., Paperback Brewing Co., and San Fernando Brewing Co.

Wine and Sake Masters showcasing their varietals include Akagisan Sake premium boutique winery Ascension Cellars, Clif Family Winery & Farm, CRŪ Winery, LMA Wines, Meadows Estate Vineyard & Winery, Anderson Valley’s Navarro Vineyards, Sake High!, San Simeon Wines, and Warson Wine Company.

Non-Alcoholic Beverage Masters include Exclusive Water Master PepsiCo, refreshing Bawi Agua Fresca, Fever-Tree, Pucker Up Lemonade Company, boba milk tea from Sunright Tea Studio, and Good Intentions Coffee.

The Masters of Taste event will be open  4:00 pm to 7:00 for General Admission, with a VIP Hour one hour earlier from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  Every dollar raised at the 2026 Masters of Taste event will benefit the work of Union Station Homeless Services fighting to end homelessness, raising over $3.5 million over the last seven years.

For more information and tickets, you can download the official Masters of Taste App on the AppStore or Google Playplease, or visit https://mastersoftastela.com/tickets.

Los Angeles’ much anticipated food and beverage festival Masters of Taste will return for its eighth annual edition to the  Pasadena Rose Bowl Stadium  on Sunday, April 19, 3:00-7:00pm.  It is expected to attract over 3,000 food and beverage enthusiasts.

The festival will feature tastings from over hundred Culinary Masters and desserts by Sweet Masters, with a long lineup including:  Agnes, Alexander’s Steakhouse, All About The Cinnamon, Ayara Thai, Bertha Mae’s Brownie Co., Bianca Sicilian Trattoria, BOA Steakhouse, Cakes By Chante, Casa Cordoba, Celestino Ristorante, Chaaste Family Market, City Club Los Angeles, Delight Pastry, Descanso Restaurant, Dorasti, Emporium Thai, Fitoor Santa Monica, Harold & Belle’s Restaurant, ID-Eclair, Knox & Dobson, Lark Cake Shop, Love & Salt, Lyre’s, Magpies Softserve, Marina Restaurant, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Paradise Dynasty,  Paloma, Pazzo Gelato, Perlas Ice Cream, Pez Coastal Kitchen, Poppy + Rose, Porto’s Bakery & Cafe, Ramen Tatsunoya, Rico Rico Snack Carts LLC, Sushi Roku, STK Steakhouse, The Exchange Restaurant (Freehand LA), The Italian Deli Co, The Raymond 1886, The Second Wind, Truffle Brothers, Uchi West Hollywood, and Zira Uzbek Kitchen.  More are expected to be added on. 

Beverage Masters will offer signature handcrafted cocktail tastings from over 25 spirit brands and top cocktail bars, wineries, local craft breweries, cold-pressed juices, and cold brew coffee.  The list includes Above Board Liqueurs, Akagisan Sake, All Season Brewing Company, Arts District Brewing Company, Broda Vodka, Broken Shaker, Bücha Whole Fruit Hard Kombucha, Burden of proof, Empress 1908 Gin, Fever Tree, Good Intentions Coffee, La Bay Gin Distillerie Californienne, Laderach, Meadows Estate Vineyard And Winery, Navarro Vineyards, Old Hillside Bourbon, Paperback Brewing, Paloma, Paperback Brewing, Pucker Up Lemonade Company, and Sake High! 

This year’s host chefs are acclaimed husband-and-wife team Chef Thomas and Chef Vanessa Tilaka Kalb of Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery who are known for their ingredient-driven approach and for their impact on Pasadena’s dining scene and have earned a devoted following.

All event proceeds directly benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a non-profit organization that for over 50 years has provided  homeless housing and services.  Over the last seven years, Masters of Taste has raised over $3.5 million, helping countless families and individuals find a secure place to call home, along with supportive services.

General Admission is from 4:00-7:00 pm, with a VIP Hour from 3:00-4:00 pm. For more information and tickets, please visit https://mastersoftastela.com/tickets.  You can also  download the official Masters of Taste App on the Apple Store or Google Play.

Emporium Thai launched its 26th anniversary celebration on Monday, March 16, 2026 marking  over two decades of bringing the bold, vibrant flavors of Southern Thailand to L.A.’s Westside dining scene.

Founded by John and Jane Sungkamee on March 16, 2000, Emporium Thai has grown from a neighborhood eatery into a cornerstone of Los Angeles’ Thai dining scene, earning widespread recognition. It holds Thai Select certification from the Royal Thai Government and has been named among the Top 100 Best Thai Restaurants in the United States.   

Over the past 26 years, the family run restaurant has also become a gathering place for West Los Angeles locals, visiting chefs, celebrities, and Thai food enthusiasts.  They come for the  Southern Thai signature dishes like Phuket Wings, Pad Thai Prawn, Crispy Honey Duck, Thai Crab Curry with Jasmine Rice, Drunken Noodles, and the celebrated Thai Crab Omelette. Other dishes pay homage to celebrity fans, including Akon Salad, Blackpink’s Lisa Meatballs, and the Cardi B Mango Sticky Rice.

To commemorate this milestone, Emporium Thai will be offering a Two-Course Prix-Fixe Lunch Menu ($26 per person) and a Two-Course Prix-Fixe Dinner Menu ($36 per person), available Monday, March 16, 2026, through Sunday, March 29, 2026, alongside other celebratory specials highlighting the restaurant’s most loved signature dishes.

Beverage Director Honeybee Sungkamee, brings creativity and cultural flair to every pour. Drawing inspiration from Thai herbs and flavors, she has crafted a lineup of signature cocktails that are both inventive and balanced.  They include the Lemongrass Gimlet, Thai-Tea-Ni, and Thai Basil Mojito. Her extensive collection of signature mocktails have become  crowd favorite, offering vibrant, flavorful alternatives. 

As it celebrates Emporium Thai’s 26th anniversary, the Sungkamee family in January took another bold step launching a sister restaurant  Emporium Thai Market,  on bustling Sawtelle Boulevard nearby. 

Here’s wishing the family many more anniversaries to come!

The Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival returns for its second year with three sessions over the weekend of Friday, November 7 – Sunday, November 9. Friday and Saturday will feature Grand Tasting events while Sunday will conclude with The Final Bite: Peroni’s Italian Affair, an Italian-themed celebration hosted by Peroni, the official beer partner of The Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival. 

The 2025 Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival will bring together a star-studded lineup of notable chefs from across the nation and Southern California including culinary icons and rising stars shaping the future of LA dining.  Each of the three sessions will feature over thirty chefs presenting their signature bites along with  beverage selections from top regional and

 award-winning wineries, and craft cocktails from top mixologists at  walk-around tastings that will also include other immersive pop-ups and brand  installations.  Live entertainment will include top DJ sets will round out the experience.  

Featured chef personalities include Stephanie Izard, Gabe Bertaccini, Antonia Lofaso, Giorgio Rapicavoli, Brooke Williamson, and brother duo Michael and Bryan Voltaggio. appearances from Ludo Lefebvre of Petit Trois, Michael Symon of Lola, Claudette Zepeda of Leu Leu, Rashida Holmes of Bridgetown Roti, Avner Levi of CENTO Pasta and Raw Bar, and Jazz Singsanong of Jitlada. AWFF is produced by a21, the team behind some of the country’s top culinary festivals. 

This year’s event will be co-hosted by Tastemade, known for its leading food and lifestyle brand engaging audiences on major social and streaming platforms.  

The Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival is proud to support Event Zero Inc., a non-profit organization to help make the festival more sustainable.

Guests can choose between General or VIP admission. VIP pass holders enjoy early entry one hour before general admission and access to exclusive lounges offering exclusive bites and cocktails.  A special weekend pass maximises savings by offers access to all three days.  

For tickets and more information, visit https://www.lawineandfood.com/.

Los Angeles magazine will host its 19th annual The Food Event at the iconic Calamigos Ranch on Sunday November 16th, 12:00 – 3pm. 

The much-anticipated epicurean extravaganza will feature samples from some of the city’s finest restaurants, along with premier wines, spirits and cocktail tastings, craft beer, live music, and more.

The lineup of participating chefs and restaurants represent the diverse and vibrant Los Angeles culinary scene.  They include All About The Cinnamon, Ayara Thai, Arth Bar + Kitchen, BOX Chicken, City Club LA, Descanso Restaurant, Emporium Thai, Fitoor Santa Monica, Gentry Market, Hansen’s Cakes, La Popular, Mastro’s Restaurants, Nobu Los Angeles, STK Steakhouse, Telefèric Barcelona, The Ranch Club, Uchi West Hollywood, WeVINO, and Wife and the Somm.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit LAMag.com/TheFoodEvent2025.

The upcoming second annual Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival, the two-night strolling culinary extravaganza will feature an Opening Night Celebration on Friday, September 12^th, 2025, and a Grand Tasting on Saturday, September 13^th, 2025. 

Both evenings will feature  an all-star lineup of 23 of the best chefs and restaurants, wineries, premier spirits, handcrafted cocktails, craft breweries, non-alcoholic beverages, and live entertainment.

Chef talent lineup announced to date includes a  lineup of 46 top chefs, with more expected to be announced soon.  They include: 

Event Host Chef Neal Fraser: Redbird, Vibiana – Downtown Los Angeles, CA

Chef Erik Ackley: Fishing with Dynamite – Manhattan Beach, CA

Chef Vanda Asapahu & Cathy Asapahu: Ayara Thai – Westchester, CA

Chef Jose Acevedo: Mercado – Manhattan Beach, CA

Chef Noah Clark: BOX Chicken – West Los Angeles, CA

Chef Brendan Collins: Boa Steakhouse – Manhattan Beach, CA

Chef Chris Cosentino: KOAST – Maui, HA

Chef Shaun Dry: BrewCo Social, Rock’N Fish – Manhattan Beach, CA

Chef Chris Feldmeier: Love & Salt – Manhattan Beach, CA

Chef Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger: Alice B., Border Grill, Socalo – Palm Springs, Santa Monica, CA

Chef Steven Fretz: Coast Range – Solvang, CA

Chef Jason Fullilove: Saint & Second – Manhattan Beach, CA

Chef Ray Garcia: – Los Angeles, CA

Chef Jeffray Gardner: Marsatta Chocolate – Old Town Torrance, Pasadena, CA

Chef Ray Hayashi: Ryla – Hermosa Beach, CA

Chef Jackson Kalb: Jemma, Ospi, Jame – Los Angeles, CA

Chef Jayro Martinez: Top of the V – Anaheim, CA

Chef Joel Hammond: Uchi West Hollywood – West Hollywood, CA

Chef Dennis Horton: California Surf Club, BeachLife Festival, BeachLife Grotto – Redondo Beach, CA

Chef Stephanie Izard: Girl & the Goat – Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA

Chef Thomas & Vanessa Tilaka Kalb: Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery – Pasadena, CA

Chef Antonia Lofaso: Black Market Liquor Bar, Scopa Italian Roots, DAMA – Los Angeles, CA

Chef Raphael Lunetta: Lunetta – Santa Monica, CA

Chef David LeFevre: Fishing with Dynamite, MB Post, The Arthur J, AttaGirl – Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, CA

Chef Alice Mai: AttaGirl – Hermosa Beach, CA

Chef Chris Park: The Strand House – Manhattan Beach, CA

Chef Michael Reed: Poppy + Rose, Poppy & Seed – Downtown Los Angeles, Anaheim, CA

Chef Steve Samson: Rossoblu, Superfine – Downtown Los Angeles, CA

Chef Frank Ryan Saporito: Wife and the Somm – Glassell Park, CA

Chef Warren Schwartz: Magpies Softserve – Highland Park, Silver Lake, Tarzana, CA

Chef Alex Seidel: Mercantile Dining & Provisions, Fruition – Denver, CO

Chef Jimmy Shaw: Loteria Grill – Los Angeles, CA

Chef Bret Thompson: Pez Cantina, Pez Coastal Kitchen – Downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena, CA

Chef Dustin Trani: J. Trani’s, Trani’s Dockside Station – San Pedro, CA

Chef Sherry Yard: Bakery by the Yard – Manhattan Beach, CA

The festival will be held at Manhattan Village in a 40,000-square-foot outdoor space located at the end of the Veterans Parkway Greenbelt Path, a beautiful landscaped trail that runs through Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Village will offer complimentary parking, allowing guests an easy walk to the event,. Guests are also encouraged to use Lyft rideshare services.

This year’s partners include Delta Air Lines as the official Airline, Infiniti of South Bay as the official Auto, Westdrift Manhattan Beach as the official Hotel, Manhattan Village as the official Shopping and Dining Center, San Pellegrino as the official Water, Chef Works as the official Hospitality Apparel, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove as the official Kitchen Appliance, and Southern California Restaurant Design Group as the official Commercial Kitchen Designer, T-Mobile as the official Wireless, Lyft as the official Rideshare, along with Reed Smith, Burford Beach Homes, Franki App, Peter Law Group, Ramtek, Ice Bulb and Sip Social South Bay.

Manhattan Beach Food & Wine will  benefit the Culinary Careers Program (C•CAP). Long co-chaired by chef Marcus Samuelsson, C•CAP is a workforce development nonprofit that provides underserved teens pathways to pursue careers in the restaurant and hospitality industry.  Annually, C•CAP provides culinary, job and life skills in 186 schools across the United States. 

Festival tickets are on sale now, with regular admission  from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and a Delta  VIP Early Entry Pass from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

For more information, please visit www.ManhattanBeachFoodandWine.com.

The 2^nd Annual Manhattan Beach Food & Wine, a two-night strolling culinary extravaganza will feature an opening night celebration on Friday, September 12^th, 2025, and Grand Tasting on Saturday, September 13^th 2025 with an all-star lineup of 40 top chefs.

With the dates approaching soon, event organizers hosted a preview event at the Westridge Hotel in Manhattan Beach on August 21, 6pm.  Restaurants participating in the food festival showed up to share the excitement and provide a sneak peak into the upcoming extravaganza of tastes and indulgences.

During the formal presentation the organizers mused on how the event got started. Shelby Russell stood in a nearby parking lot and conceived of this event.  Sherry yard recalled how she traveled to food  events all over the world and wondered, why not here?  “I live right down the street and I could walk here.” 

The rest, as they say, is history. Already in its second year, the event is set to feature twice as many chefs and beverage participants.