- The four-day seventh annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival will showcase national culinary personalities and LA food and drink culture at venues across Los Angeles. Many Santa Monica chefs are represented, and two of the festival’s main events will be held at Barker Hangar.
The Festival kicks off Thursday 8/24, 7 pm with Ultimate Bites of LA at Grand and 1st in downtown LA. Hosted by Curtis Stone, the walk-around tasting event will offer sample dishes from restaurants around the city.
Friday afternoon brings power lunches at restaurants throughout Los Angeles, including Michael’s Santa Monica. The restaurant has long been a hotbed of talent spawning top chefs for over four decades, the lunch celebrates Michael’s Greatest Hits. The roster of chefs includes Nancy Silverton, Jonathan Waxman, Sang Yoon and Brooke Williams who team up with Michael’s current chef Miles Thompson.
Friday’s Night Market on Grand Avenue on 8/25, 7 pm will be a multi-sensory street food experience that brings the flavors of night markets from Taipei and Kuala Lumpur to Grand Avenue. The event will serve up samples of traditional as well as interpretive street food from over 30 participating eateries representing both established restaurants as well as mom-and-pop joints.
Beverages include custom cocktails, sake, beer and free-flowing wine.
Saturday’s Lexus Grand Tasting 8/26, 12 noon takes place at Barker Hangar Santa Monica. The strolling event will feature 25 celebrity chefs including local Santa Monicans Brian Malarkey of Ivory on Sunset and Mark Mollica of La Vecchia Cucina. Over 200 wines will be offered, and book signings and photo sessions round out the offerings.
Saturday night’s LIVE on Grand on8/26, 7 pm take place at Grand and 1st in Downtown LA. Hosted by chef Tyler Florence, the event will feature 30 chefs and 100 wines as well as a performance by Wyclef Jean. Damon Gordon of Water Grill Santa Monica will be there.Lexus Grand Tasting Barker Hangar on Sunday8/27, 12 noon. The strolling event will feature 25 celebrity chefs showcasing their culinary skills and over 200 wines. Local Santa Monica talent will include Yousef Ghalaini of FIG at Fairmont Miramar and Nick Shipp of Upper West. Book signings and photo sessions round out the offerings.
VIP Access tickets to the main events get you in 30 minutes before general admission.
For more information and tickets, please visitwww.LAFW.com.