Chefs

Chef Talent at The 2nd Annual Manhattan Beach Food & Wine

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

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

Preview:  2nd Annual Manhattan Beach Food & Wine 

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

The 2nd Annual Manhattan Beach Food & Wine, a two-night strolling culinary extravaganza will feature an opening night celebration on Friday, September 12th, 2025, and Grand Tasting on Saturday, September 13th 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.  

The 2nd Annual Manhattan Beach Food & Wine is a 21+ event. Event tickets are now on sale,   with Regular Admission 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm each evening, as well as a  Delta VIP Early Entry Pass from 6:00 pm on. 

Guests are encouraged to utilize Lyft rideshare services as the event serves alcoholic beverages. Walking to the event is encouraged, with complimentary parking also available at Manhattan Village.

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

HOLLYWOOD UNDER THE STARS

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

St. Vincent Meals on Wheels will once again host its fourth annual Hollywood Under the Stars gala fundraiser at the Paramount Pictures lot on Saturday June 21,  6:30p.m. 

The evening kicks off with a  champagne and cocktail VIP Hour  in the iconic Paramount Theater hosted by longtime Circle of Angels donors and 2024 Special Honorees Ian McShane and Gwen Humble-McShane featuring bites crafted by VIP Angel Chef Hosts Giuseppe Gentile and Francesco Zimone from Florence Osteria & Piano Bar and L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele.   

Then, nearly a dozen celebrated Angeleno chefs and pâtissiers will showcase a chef-curated tasting menu from 2025 Culinary Angels, who include Chefs Mihir Lad (Arth Bar + Kitchen), Nika Shoemaker-Machado (Georgia’s Restaurant), John Sungkamee (Thai Emporium), Armando Quiroz (City Club LA), and Noah Clark (BOX Chicken). Desserts will be provided by this year’s Sweet Angels Saffy’s, Bertha Mae’s Brownie Co., Lark Cake Shop, and Marsatta Chocolate. 

A brief formal presentation at approximately 8:00 pm will highlight the depth and breadth of services provided to seniors in LA County by St. Vincent Meals on Wheels. 

Nelly Llanos-Kilroy will be honored with the St. Vincent Meals on Wheels Crystal Angel of Service Award in recognition of her decades of unwavering support for the organization and exemplifying the spirit of community at St. Vincent Meals on Wheels.

Guests continue the celebration with signature cocktails and dancing under the stars to the lively sounds of a 10-piece live band the de Bois All Stars.  

Longtime donor and volunteer Rick Llanos will be back as the Honorary Host of Hollywood Under the Stars 2025. Rick’s connection to St. Vincent Meals on Wheels spans generations, beginning in his childhood when his mother, Nelly, and her close friend Kathy Kilroy collaborated with SVMOW’s founder, Sister Alice Marie, in the 1970s. Together, Rick, Nelly, and their family continue to actively support SVMOW by participating in events and sharing the organization’s incredible achievements.

St. Vincent Meals on Wheels supports those who are homebound and vulnerable throughout LA County, preparing and delivering food to those in need. These services are particularly in need during emergencies like the recent fires in LA. The need for fundraising and the support of donors is currently heightened by  the cutbacks in federal funding even as Los Angeles County is  experiencing the fastest-growing population of seniors facing food and housing insecurities.

Corporate and community sponsors include Kroger, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul;  individual supporters like Rick Llanos and Nelly Llanos-Kilroy;  and media sponsor Times Direct.

With Paramount Pictures as the venue for the evening, guests are encouraged to dress recalling the nostalgia for Old Hollywood.  Although tables will be reserved, guests are encouraged to mingle and visit all the restaurant stations and bars.

For more information and tickets to Hollywood Under the Stars, please visit: www.svmow.org/hollywood

Mushroom Monday!

Mona Day Chefs, Dine, Food & Wine Events

The Mushroom Council is touring the nation this spring to spotlight the flavor, versatility and sustainability of fresh mushrooms and the dedication of farmers who help bring this superfood from farm to plate.  

The Los Angeles stop of the gourmet roadshow celebrated all things mushroom at a  cocktail reception at Century City Italian specialty market Eataly’s Terra Rooftop Restaurant & Lounge on Monday, June 2, 7 pm.

The event launched the restaurant’s month-long Mushroom Monday promotion featuring a mushroom-forward tasting menu of signature dishes and mushroom infused cocktails created by Eataly’s chefs.  

Passed appetizers included spiedinos of Cremini mushrooms and cippolini with balsamic.  There was fritto of crispy tempura oyster mushroom with thyme aioli.  Pizza alla palla featured roasted cremini and button mushrooms with mozzarella and provolone.

Mushroom tasting stations displayed Insalata Spinaci with baby spinach and roasted shiitake mushrooms with sherry vinaigrette and parmigiano.  A housemade casarecce pasta featured  a mixed mushroom ragù with  fresh herbs and Grana Padano.  A gnocchi with sausage and oyster mushroom ragù was topped with pecorino romano.  Portabella mushrooms were grilled  with rosemary oil.  A Double R Ranch striploin steak featured  maitake compound butter.

Two signature cocktails included Beech, Please! – a white beech mushroom–infused Botanist gin, Campari, Baldoria Umami vermouth.  Shroom Service featured Japanese whiskey, shiitake mushroom cordial and soda. 

Table displays featured a gamut of mushrooms.

The formal presentation featured remarks by a Mushroom Council spokeswoman and Eataly’s culinary team.  

If you hadn’t had your fill of mushrooms yet, there was a gift bag on your way out, with – you guessed it – more mushrooms to cook at home!

CHEFS ❤️ LA

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

 Photo Credit:  Nicholas Gingold | Craft Media Solutions

To honor firefighters, first responders, and community heroes for their efforts during the recent wildfires, Chefs ❤️ LA hosted a fundraiser at Lawry’s The Prime Rib Beverly Hills on Thursday, February 27, 2025.

Brad Metzger, President of Brad Metzger Restaurant Solutions and Founder/Producer of LA Chef Con, and Jacqui Leanza, Managing Partner of Brad Metzger Restaurant Solutions joined Tiffany Stith, COO of Lawry’s Restaurants, Inc., and Ryan Wilson, CEO of Lawry’s Restaurants to put the event together.

The line up of L.A.’s top chefs included Curtis Stone, Michael Cimarusti, Suzanne Goin, Nyesha Arrington who all volunteered their time and talent pro bono.

The evening was hosted by Somebody Feed Phil creator Phil Rosenthal, Nine-time James Beard Award-Winning journalist Ruth Reichl, Los Angeles Times food columnist Jenn Harris, Brad Metzger, Jacqui Leanza, and auctioneer Billy Harris.

The VIP Michelin Experience Hour featured eight Michelin Chef Tastings and an elegant Eight-Course Tasting Menu for 262 guests. 

It showcased seven signature dishes from culinary icons including William Bradley, Josiah Citrin, Michael Cimarusti, Jordan Kahn, Niki Nakayama & Carole Lida-Nakayama, Jon Yao, and Curtis Stone, along with Astrea Caviar, six premium wines, and three craft cocktails that included Chef Michael Voltaggio’s Marcado 28 Tequila and Chef Elizabeth Falkner’s T’MARO Amaro.

Chef Daniel Boulud and his team prepared a delicate Mushroom Consommé to substitute for their Lobster Bisque for  those with shellfish allergies, while Chef Suzanne Goin crafted an alternative to her signature salad for guests with pork or dairy restrictions. 

The all-star lineup of chefs included Daniel Boulud, Jonathan Waxman, Ludovic Lefebvre, Nyesha Arrington, Suzanne Goin, Tiffany Dela Pena, Timothy Cardenas, Burt Bakman, Jeremy Fox, Katianna & John Hong, Andreas Roller, Clemence de Lutz + Sherry Yard.

Billy Harris led the Live Auction offering unique experiences that included: New York Culinary Getaway, a luxury NYC experience with stays at 1 Hotel, exclusive dinners at Le Bernardin and Peter Luger, and an insider’s tour with Andrew Friedman, Ultimate LA Taco & Tequila Experience, a private taco crawl with Bill Esparza and Chef Michael Voltaggio, Wynn Las Vegas Luxury Package, a premier getaway with top-tier accommodations and exclusive tastings from Wynn’s celebrated chefs, Michelin-Starred San Diego Culinary Getaway, a four-night stay at the newly reimagined Lafayette Hotel with exclusive tastings at Addison, Juniper & Ivy, and more, Los Angeles Luxury Staycation with oceanfront stays at Casa del Mar and Shutters, with VIP dining experiences at Funke, Bestia, Lulu, and Majordomo.

 Los Angeles Deputy Fire Chief Jaime Moore, CAL FIRE Division Chief Anthony Jones, CAL FIRE Prevention Specialist Chloe Castillo, U.S. Army Veteran, CAL FIRE Division Chief Matthew Edmiston, and Ventura County Fire Andy Vansciver attended as Guests of Honor. 

Co-Event Producer Jacqui Leanza managed the development of the CHEFS ❤️ LA website, managed the ticketing platform, addressed dietary restrictions and allergies, and oversaw charity and sponsor relations.

All event VIP Tickets as well as Dinner Tickets sold out within fifteen minutes on Saturday, February 1st,  underscoring the public’s desire to support wildfire relief.

The evening’s Live Auction alone raised over $104,000. The evening’s final tally exceeded over $850,000. All proceeds benefited World Central Kitchen and Restaurants Care, which provides critical support to hospitality workers affected by the wildfires.

 For more information, and to donate or find ways to support World Central Kitchen or Restaurants Care, please visit www.WCK.org or www.RestaurantsCare.org 

YUME

DST Chefs, Dine, Restaurants

Yume Calabasas celebrated the grand opening of its second location in historic Old Town Calabasas on February 10 to showcase the new venue and its offerings. 

Like the original location in Studio City, the new location offers a modern twist on traditional Japanese cuisine with an emphasis on intentional sourcing of ingredients locally and from Japan. The menu includes a selection of classic sushi and sashimi, as well as a dedicated Kushiyaki menu, along with new signature menu items available only at this location. 

Appetizers include Oysters on the Half Shell served with a choice of uni, caviar, or onion and Yume sauce, a house special ponzu sauce. Sunomono is a refreshing Japanese cucumber salad with shrimp, octopus, or crab. There is charred Miso Eggplant.  Similar to a spring roll, Seafood Cigar filled with shrimp or avocado is deep fried.  Crispy Rice comes with a choice of spicy tuna, spicy shrimp or avocado with truffle oil.  Agedashi Tofu is fried tofu with daikon radish & dashi.

The sushi menu includes Unagi, freshwater eel; Engawa, seared halibut fin and delicacies like Santa Barbara Uni. 

Rolls include classics like California Roll; Spicy Tuna Roll; Creamy Salmon Roll with Soy Paper; and Spicy Miso Sea Bass Handroll with Soy Paper. 

Specialty rolls include a Green Dragon Roll, with eel & blue crab with avocado, takuan, sesame seeds, and nori rolled in seaweed paper; Citrus Roll, with spicy tuna, avocado, lemon, garlic chips, cucumber and soy paper; and a Vegan Roll with asparagus, gobo, shiitake mushrooms, avocado, roasted bell pepper, crispy onions and ponzu olive oil. 

Sashimi specials include Halibut Sashimi with Yume Sauce or Fresh Truffle; Octopus Sashimi with Yuzu; Salmon Carpaccio with Mushrooms; and Albacore Sashimi with kogashi soy butter. 

The Kushiyaki section offers two grilled skewers of Negima – chicken with green onion, tare sauce, or lemon & salt, and Chilean Sea Bass with onion or sea salt. 

Rounding out the menu are hot dishes like Grilled Jumbo Shrimp served with sweet spicy sauce and Escabeche shrimp or whitefish with jalapeno, cilantro, onion, and sweet vinegar. 

Signature menu items exclusive to the new location include Kanpachi Crudo with Japanese amberjack with cilantro miso sauce; Hirame Orange Crudo, halibut sashimi with orange marmalade and yuzu vinaigrette; Crispy Whole Red Snapper, a deep fried whole snapper served with a sweet and spicy soy sauce; and Artisan Sushi Block which includes six pieces of pressed sushi with seaweed or soy paper. 

The sushi selection includes Torotaku, Serrano Yellowtail, Truffle Salmon, Yuzu White Fish, Garlic Albacore and Spicy Tuna.  

The beverage menu aims to make the new location not just a dining destination, but also a vibrant hub for nightlife.  It features Japanese-inspired cocktails, rare sakes, Japanese whiskies and other spirits available only at this location. 

Yume’s new location features a sleek, modern design featuring a solid walnut sushi bar with walls alternating venetian plaster walls and custom handmade wallpaper with a gold fish decal design. The light gray onyx cocktail bar with orange accents draws inspiration from the gates of Fushimi Inari in Japan. The 100-seat dining room features a sushi bar and spacious lounge area for cocktails before or after dinner. There is also a 40-seat private dining room with its own bar and private entrance at the back of the restaurant. 

Yume, which means ‘dream’ in Japanese,  opened its first location  in Studio City in 2020, and has been a neighborhood staple ever since.

For more information, please visit https://www.yumesushibar.com

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.