The Taste, Los Angeles Times’ annual celebration of Southern California’s diverse culinary scene, will return to Paramount Studios August 30 through September 1 for its 10th anniversary.
Transforming the studio’s back lot into a block party, this year’s festival take place over three evenings hosted by The Times’ Food staff. Each features unlimited samples from top restaurants paired with a variety of wine, beer, and seasonal cocktails along with talks and cooking demonstrations by top chefs.
Friday, Aug. 30, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. L.A. Times food columnist Lucas Kwan Peterson will take the stage to cook one of his favorite projects for the Times’ food section. The ‘Pasta Sisters’ Paola Da Re and Giorgia Sinatra will demo Italian cooking, while Chiara Soldati of La Scolca will lead a wine discussion on Southern Glazer’s wine and spirits.
The Times will take advantage of the evening celebration to launch its wine club with wine expert Mark Oldman. Ira Norof of Southern Glazer’s, Erin Landsberg of American Wine & Spirits, and Troy Chappel of Southern Glazer’s will present a wine tour of France.
Restaurants offering samples include 40 Love, Baldoria Bar + Kitchen, Bibigo Kitchen, Burritos La Palma, Casa Vega, Donut Friend, Fat Dragon, Izakaya Osen, LBK Pizzeria, Love & Salt, Ma’am Sir, Mainland Poke, Man Eating Plant, Park’s BBQ, Pop’s Bagels, Prawn Coastal, Rao’s Hollywood, Salazar, SLAB, Supercool Creamery and Wurstküche.
Saturday, Aug. 31, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Hosted by L.A. Times food writer Jenn Harris, the evening will feature food with plenty of spice. Kim Prince of Hotville Chicken will showcase her famous Nashville hot chicken.
Times cooking editor Genevieve Ko will host chefs Pawan, Nakul and Arjun Mahendro of Badmaash demonstrating their mix of contemporary and nostalgic approaches to Indian cuisine. Courtney Kaplan of Ototo will field a discussion Rice Wine 101 and present a sake demo. The Bar stage will feature Ira Norof and Wes Hagen of J. Wilkes Wines talking about wine, contentment, and enlightenment.
Restaurants dishing samples include Baltaire, Bull & Butterfly, Castaway, Coni’Seafood, Employees Only, Faith & Flower, Granville, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, Little Sister, Madre, Mister O’s, Nic’s on Beverly, Ocean Prime, Pedalers Fork, Pikoh, Sosta, The Bellwether, Viviane and a special collaboration between Freedman’s and Genghis Cohen.
Sunday, Sept. 1, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Hosted by L.A. Times food writer Amy Scattergood, Teresa Montaño of Otoño will demonstrate how to cook one of her favorite Spanish-inspired dishes and Jorge Alvarez-Tostado and Victor Delgado of Tacos 1986 will show you how to make the perfect Tijuana-style taco.
Hosted by Times food editor Andrea Chang, Chris Bianco of Tartine Bianco will show you how to make a home style Italian meal. On the Bar Stage, Tobin Shea of Redbird will shake up a seasonal mocktail, and Ira Norof, Chiara Soldati and Lora Tagliarina of Coastal Pacific Wine & Spirits will field a discussion of women in wine.
Restaurants offering samples include Aqui es Texcoco, Bone Kettle, Cal Mare, Chao Krung, Eve, HomeState, Jitlada, Kobee Factory, Lalibela Ethiopian, Le Comptoir, LN2, Mora Italiano, Rappahannock Oyster Bar, Same Same, The Bazaar by José Andrés and Triple Beam Pizza.
The Collins College of Hospitality Management and L.A. Regional Food Bank are the Taste’s charity beneficiaries.
In October, The Taste will travel to Costa Mesa for three events over two days, Friday, Oct. 18 and Saturday, Oct. 19.
Ticket discounts are available to Times subscribers. For more information and tickets, please visit latimes.com/TheTaste.