Food & Wine Events

 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 

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.

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.

AbilityFirst  will host its 50th Annual AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival on Sunday, June 9^th, 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.