Food & Wine Events

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

 Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival

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

The inaugural Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival will land  on the Santa Monica Pier for three days of food and wine festivities March 1st – March 3rd during the art festival Frieze Week Los Angeles which takes place February 26th –  March 3rd.  

The festival will feature a mix of high-profile culinary and beverage talent, favorite local restaurants, and cultural initiatives with a lineup of 90 participating chefs.

Participating restaurants include award-winning Neapolitan pizza restaurant Pizzana from Daniele Uditi;  acclaimed Thai restaurant Jitlada; Holbox, recently ranked #5 on the LA Times 101 Best Restaurants list; Chef Sathia Sun of new Italian hotspot Donna’s; Bridgetown Roti from famed Caribbean pop-up from chef Rashida Holmes; Chinese-Peruvian restaurant Chifa from Humberto Leon, founder of Opening Ceremony fashion brand, and Ricardina Leon; Bé Ù viet-street food;  Koreatown smashburger spot Love Hour; Santa Monica seafood restaurants Crudo e Nudo and Isla; Michelin-starred Camphor; Xuntos tapas bar; French bistro Pasjoli; Guerilla Tacos, the popular street-taco restaurant that originated as a food truck from Chef Wes Avila. 

Newest additions to the line up include chefs Justin Pichetrungsi of acclaimed Anajak Thai, BBQ master Adam Perry Lang, Alvin Cailan, Food Network Star Duff Goldman, award-winning Mexican-American chef Claudette Zepeda and Stephanie Izard of Girl & the Goat.  Each day’s session will feature over 30 chefs, and tickets include all you can eat and drink. 

The festival is dedicated to highlighting female-owned restaurants in LA.  As such, its official nonprofit partner is Regarding Her (RE:Her), a national nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the growth of women entrepreneurs and leaders in food and beverage and advocate gender parity in  restaurants.

The festival is presented by IMG, the company behind global events that include The Taste of London, Frieze, and New York Fashion Week: The Shows.

Hours are 7:30pm – 10pm on Friday and Saturday; 12:30pm-3pm on Sunday, and ticket options include daily pricing as well as packages.

For more information and tickets, please visit  lawineandfood.com and @lawinefoodfest on Instagram.

SO LET’S SHOP

Mona Day celebration, Dine, Food & Wine Events, PRODUCTS, See

Modern Day Wife hosted its annual luxe holiday and  gift giving soiree  So Let’s Shop 5 – 9pm Friday, December 1.  Just named the #1 Los Angeles Hotel by Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, the hotel made it a double feature by hosting a VIP  pre-event party 3 – 5 pm featuring  small bites, drinks and dessert and an IT Box of swag. Partner Glamsquad jumped in on the action as well with a promo code offer for hair and makeup for the evening. For those who wanted to match the color scheme for the event, the organizers provided a mood board and color theme, declaring it ‘the year of silver’ to up the glam, glitter and style. 

Indoors there were signature panels across beauty, wellness, fashion, lifestyle, business and entrepreneurship, a  fireside celebrity chat with actress  Jennie Garth along with photo ops with the actress, a holiday beauty lounge, and Instagrammable holiday moments for personalized holiday cards. 

Outside there were brands on display:  lots of beauty experiences including hair frosting with Innersense Organic Beauty, brow fills and eye makeup touch-ups with Chella, Botox lip flips, Skinvive, Kybella and mini consults with Enhanced by Nadia, and Cassandra McClure. There was also a fashion show, a live performance by Classic Noir and Cirque de Soleil circus acts.

Anna Kara Loans welcomed you to her luxury lounge for more networking opportunities to inspire conversations about holiday, cruise wear, brands and know-how on beauty, career and fashion, and power couple tips, discuss the latest shopping trends and what’s in store for 2024,  to help you up your game professionally and personally, learn how to balance it all, along with opportunities to shop the looks of the fashion show.

Meagan & Meghan, Founders, Modern Day Wife wanted to make sure to had plenty of holiday fun, festivities and cheer to make it  the most memorable night of your holiday season.

For more information and tickets, please visit https://themoderndaywife.com/pages/so-lets-shop-dec-2023

Heritage Fire

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

Heritage Fire Los Angeles, the festival celebrating pasture diversity and family farming, is back this year after the pandemic hiatus at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel 4pm – 7pm Sunday December 3.

The live-fire nationwide food and wine festival  focuses on  heirloom produce and  heritage breeds of the past before industrial agriculture, when breeds were selected and bred to develop traits that made them adapt to the local environment and thrive under the simpler, more natural farming practices and cultural conditions of those times.  

The festival’s national tour stops in 14 cities showcasing an array of sustainably sourced food from the region’s top family farms and local purveyors, and prepared by some of the region’s best chefs. Each destination attracts over 20 local chefs at a three-hour live-fire event, with each chef preparing a signature dish for an all-inclusive walk-around reception feast with products from locally sourced farms and sponsors.  Guests vote for the ‘Best Bite of the Day’, and the chef who accumulates the highest number of votes earns the title of Heritage Hero. 

The festival also makes a point of going strawless, offering napkins upon request, water use protocols in prep kitchens, digitizing handbooks and documents, using eco-friendly cleaning materials without pesticides,  and other efforts for reducing its carbon footprint, all facilitated with a dedicated festival app. With this educational messaging directed at the 10,000 guests, 250-plus chefs, and 150-plus family farms and numerous culinary schools each year, the festival hopes to make a long-term impact. 

The Los Angeles stop features an all-star cast of top chefs that includes  Ian Mafnas, owner, Qiana Mafnas, chef Axiom Kitchen; Eduardo Osorio, chef Yardbird; Françoise Claquin, owner Brulee LA; Justin Escobedo, owner El Gueero y La Flaca; Carlo Guardado, chef Herb & Sea; Kim Prince, owner Hotville Chicken; Alan Cruz, chef owner A’S BBQ; Elisha Ben-Haim, chef and culinary director American Beauty; Daniel Castillo, pitmaster, Nicholas Echaore, executive chef Heritage BBQ; Francisco Aguilar, chef owner  Simon. 

Beverages will include premium wines, spirits, beer, and cider, along with craft cocktails like infused smoked old fashion spirits, signature punches, Manhattan Project style cocktails, tiki bar concoctions, heritage rum carts, mezcal bars, and other premium spirits.  Live entertainment will round out the festivities. 

All tickets are all-inclusive food and beverage, with a  VIP Access  ticket offering early entry.  Attendees must be 21+ to attend.For more information and tickets, please visit https://heritagefiretour.com/los-angeles.