Dine

One of the country’s premier culinary events, No Kid Hungry Taste of the Nation, will return to Culver City’s Media Park on June 11.  It will bring  LA’s top tastemakers, celebrated chefs and mixologists creating their signature dishes, curated drinks and surprise desserts for No Kid Hungry’s efforts to end childhood hunger in California and across the country.

Featured local chefs include Jackson Kalb (Ospi | Jemma | Jame,   Season 19 Top Chef),  Shirley Chung (Ms Chi Cafe,  Runner-up Season 14 Top Chef, Food Network’s Tournament of Champions), Stephanie Izard (Girl & the Goat Los Angeles, Cabra Los Angeles,  Food Network Iron Chef, (Winner, Season 4 Top Chef) and Jazz Singsanong (Jitlada, LA Times 101 Best Restaurants 2019).

Participating restaurants include: Ospi | Jemma | Jame, B Sweet, Big Big Boi, Jitlada, The Original Southern Thai Cuisine Hanchic, Angelini Osteria + Alimentari, Gasolina cafe, market and wine bar, Ms. Chi Cafe, Theía, Kali Restaurant, Qusqo Bistro & Gallery, Beachside Restaurant, Poppy + Rose, Guerrilla Tacos, Moo’s Craft Barbecue, The Attic, SALT, and more.

Also featured will be curated sips by celebrated local mixologists, winemakers, brewers and more. Live music, raffles and brand experiences round out the fun.

100% of event proceeds help Taste of The Nation fight childhood hunger in California and across the US by raising awareness and developing programs to give all kids healthy food to thrive. 1 in 8 kids in the U.S. lives with hunger, and No Kid Hungry has provided more than 1 BILLION meals to kids in need. 

No Kid Hungry is supported by national co-presenting sponsors Citi and Sysco, national partners Food Network and KIA as well as local sponsors  Breakthru Beverage, CoolHaus, Kerrygold, MacRostie, Ting, Topo Chico and Galdones Photography.

For more information and tickets, please visit https://events.nokidhungry.org/events/los-angeles-taste-nation/

The Los Angeles Times’ month long Food Bowl returns this year September 1 – 30.   The festival celebrates Southern California’s dynamic food scene featuring the best of local eateries and notable chefs in a series of over 30 pop-up dining events across the city, while also highlighting issues of food access, sustainability and waste reduction.

The festival takes over the Paramount Pictures Studios’ backlot with Food Bowl’s Night Market tasting events for three days,  Sept. 23, 24 and 25. 

Food Bowl highlights will include: 

• Food Bowl Opening Night at Grandmasters Recorders, Sept. 1

The launch party  Sept. 1 features guest chefs, food and drinks, live DJs and the presentation of The Times’ 2022 Restaurant of the Year and Gold Award.  The Times’ Restaurant of the Year will go to Anajak Thai and the Gold Award to Meals by Genet. 

• Restaurant of the Year Dining Series with Anajak Thai, Sept. 2 & 3

Food Bowl will present two dining events in celebration of the Restaurant of the Year, Anajak Thai, chosen by Times Restaurant Critic Bill Addison. Chef Justin Pichetrungsi will serve up one-of-a-kind omakase dinners featuring 8-10 specially selected courses for 20 guests at a time. Tickets for both sessions are available now.

• Gold Award Dinners with Meals by Genet, Sept. 9 & 10

In honor of this year’s Gold Award honoree, Meals by Genet, selected by Times Food General Manager Laurie Ochoa, Food Bowl will present two multi-course dinner sessions. Semi-retired chef Genet Agonafer will open her restaurant’s doors in Little Ethiopia once again to host all-inclusive family style dinners featuring her menu’s most popular dishes. 

• Night Market at Paramount Pictures Studios, Sept. 23, 24 & 25

Food Bowl’s Night Market will take over the Paramount Pictures Studios backlot for three-days of outdoor food and drink tastings from more than 40 restaurants along with live cooking demonstrations, DJs and more. The all-inclusive events include Smoked Soirée, which will spotlight a themed street featuring BBQ and burger specialties from restaurants including Moo’s Craft BBQ, Heavy Handed Burgers and San Juan Capistrano’s Heritage Barbecue.  Saturday Night Flavor will highlight some of the city’s best international cuisine from Lunasia Dim Sum House, Tacos 1986 and Flavors from Afar among others.  Backlot Brunch will feature bites from L.A. icons like Jitlada, Ditroit, The Brothers Sushi and others. 

L.A. Times Food Bowl is presented by City National Bank and L.A. Regional Food Bank is the charity partner.  It also supports The L.A. Times Community Fund, which helps community nonprofits addressing hunger and food insecurity.  They include Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Project Angel Food, World Central Kitchen, No Us Without You, and others.Tickets are available at a discounted early bird price for a limited time. For tickets and  more additional information, including the festival’s public health and safety protocols, visit lafoodbowl.com. Connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @LAfoodbowl (#LAfoodbowl).

The Los Angeles Times will host a Launch Party to kick off the Food Bowl – its month of celebration of the Los Angele food scene  at the Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood on Thursday, September 1, 7PM – 10.

The night will feature special tastings from noteworthy chefs like Justin Pichetrungsi of Anajak Thai,  John Yao of Kato,   Natalia Pereira of Woodspoon, and   pastry chef Nicole Rucker of Fat + Flour.   Cocktails, beer, wine, and a live DJ set from Francesca Harding (KCRW) round out the festivities.

The highlight of evening L.A. Times Food team General Manager Laurie Ochoa will present the Restaurant of the Year and Gold Awards.

Created by and named after former L.A. Times Food critic and editor, Jonathan Gold, the  2022 Gold Award will go to Chef Genet Agonafer of Meals by Genet. She is known for her vegetarian combination platter a color, a wheel of collards,  lentils,  split peas, cabbage and carrots, tomato salad and beets. Her doro wat chicken simmered with sharp, earthy berbere spices for two days. Although her Little Ethiopia restaurant these days offers only takeout, Genet will open her doors once again to all-inclusive family-style dinners on September 9th & 10th in celebration of the Gold Award. 

The Los Angeles Times 2022 Restaurant of the Year award will go to chef Justin Pichetrungsi of Anajak Thai.  His menu at Anajak Thai includes curries like his custardy haw mok steamed with dry-aged branzino and egg, stir-fries and grilled pork with fiery chile dipping sauce and sticky rice. Also popular is his Thai Taco Tuesdays set up in the alley behind the restaurant. Anajak Thai will host special dinners on September 2nd & 3rd in honor of the award.

For more information and to buy tickets to the Food Bowl Launch Party, please visit https://lafoodbowl.com. Tickets can also be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-times-food-bowl-2022-launch-party-tickets-361086598737

AltaMed Health Services, the nation’s largest, independent federally qualified community health center, will  present its signature 15th East LA Meets Napa Food & Wine Festival on Friday, July 29, 7-10 p.m.  The much anticipated festival returns to L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles after a two-year hiatus

AltaMed’s East LA Meets Napa celebrates the deep roots and richness of Latin cuisine in Los Angeles and Latino-owned vineyards in California and beyond. 

Patrons will enjoy food tastings from 24  top Latino-owned Los Angeles restaurants complemented with wine and spirit pairings from 15 famed vintners from Napa Valley and beyond.

Some of the participating restaurants and chefs include: Oscar Perez, executive chef and co-founder of Sol Agave at L.A. LIVE, Juan Sanjuan III of Gloria’s Restaurant from Huntington Park, and Rocio Camacho of Rocio’s Mexican Kitchen from Bell Gardens, Porto’s Bakery and Cafe, King Taco and more. Participating Vintners representing the Mexican American Vintners Association (MAVA) include: Herencia del Valle, Encanto Vineyards, Honrama Cellars, Bazan Cellars, and more.  

Grammy award-winning Ozomatli and Latin-jazz ensemble Monogorama will perform their unique blend of urban Latino music that blends cumbia, samba, funk, charranga jazz and more.  

All proceeds from the event benefit AltaMed’s programs that provide access to health and dental care, senior services, HIV treatment and prevention, teen mentoring, and health education programs to more than 375,000 people in Los Angeles and Orange counties, regardless of their ability to pay.  As such, it is the nation’s largest independent federally qualified community health center.

Zoila D. Escobar, executive vice president & chief administrative officer of AltaMed Health Services, and president of the AltaMed Foundation, pointed out that the communities served by AltaMed  in Los Angeles and Orange counties have been disproportionately devastated by COVID-19 and its health and economic ripple effects, so she was excited to bring the fundraiser back.  “It’s through events like East LA Meets Napa that we can continue to meet the health needs of more than 375,000 people and address the social determinants that impact their overall wellbeing.” 

East LA Meets Napa tickets are $400. To learn more about AltaMed and view the full list of restaurants, vintners and entertainment participating in this year’s East LA Meets Napa, visit: www.Altamedfoodwine.org.