The Fourth Annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival- August 21st– 24th, 2014
One of Los Angeles’s most sought after food events returns for the 4th year- the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival, presented by FOOD & WINE, Lexus, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, JENN-AIR, and Delta Airlines. This four-day epicurean event showcased the finest in food and drink culture throughout Los Angeles, and culinary personalities from throughout the country. Located in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles, along Grand Avenue, the event spans the city and offers guests the chance to sample the cuisines and products from some of the most prominent epicurean influencers, while enjoying the sights and sounds of the entertainment industry’s brightest talents. The star-studded lineup has included celebrated chefs such as Curtis Stone, Michael Chiarello, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Thomas Keller, Guy Fieri, Robert Irvine, and local favorites such as Rory Herrmann, Michael Voltaggio, Matsuhisa Nobu, and Sang Yoon. One can choose between locations such as Santa Monica, Hollywood, to Beverly Hills as their culinary destination. LA Food and Wine festival supports the Berkley Foundation and No Kid Hungry, two spectacular nonprofit organizations striving to raise funds to enrich our youth with means for a future, and a campaign to end hunger & poverty in the U.S. and internationally abroad.
The Fourth Annual Los Angeles Food and Wine festival is utterly fantastic. The festival screams superiority, quality, and merit. What makes this event better than any other is that food fans in Los Angeles can taste and meet acclaimed chefs from various parts of the state and country. Food enthusiasts can travel to this food fete and not only savor bites from praised restaurants such as Osteria Mozza, Republique, Hinoki & The Bird, and Faith & Flower, but they can meet celebrity chefs such as Chef Morimoto, James Beard winner Laura Werlin, and Top Chef Masters television personality Graham Elliot.
Although we enjoyed several food and wine pairing seminars, to lunching at Scarpetta with Chef Scott Conant and Michelin Award winning celebrity Chef Graham Elliot, to cooking demonstrations by NBC’s America’s Next Great Restaurant leading Latina Chef, Lorena Garcia- we fell in love with the Lexus Grand Tasting both Saturday and Sunday. At the Grand Tasting many can enjoy over 300 wines from some of the world’s most prestigious wineries, and 25 Celebrity Chefs who showcased their culinary skills by providing delicious tasting samples of their cuisine. Below we have listed some of the best bites we tasted at LAFW made by their executive chef and the commended restaurant in which they practice.
- Chef Levi Mezick- CLM Corporate Executive Chef, Monterey, LA & Las Vegas-
Prepared: Shrimp & Grits, Rock Shrimp, Andoulle Sausage, and cheddar cheese.
- Chef Peter Haller – The Gorbals in Los Angeles-
Prepared: Mussels, coconut-green curry, sausage, and cilantro.
- Chef Scott Conant of Scarpetta, Beverly Hills-
Prepared: Spinach Tagliolini
- Chef Jason Fullilove- Malibu Pier Restaurant and Bar-
Prepared: California Seabass Crudo, Meyer Lemon Relish, Puffed Rice, and Espellete Pepper
- Chef Matthew Accorrino – Spor, San Francisco-
Prepared: Savory Corn Panna Cotta with Passmore Ranch Sturgeon & Black truffle Salad
- Chef Steven Fretz- The Church Key Los Angeles-
Prepared: Hamachi Sashimi, Liquid Nitrogen Compressed Watermelon with white soy and lime sauce
- Chef Bernard Mairinger – Bierbeisl Imbiss Beverly Hills-
Prepared: Braised Pork Belly Crostini, pickled vegetables, & fresh Horseradish
- Chef Richard Blais – Juniper & Ivy San Diego-
Prepared: Carne Crudo Asada
- Chef Anthony Meidenbauer – Holsteins Shakes and Buns-
Prepared: Crispy Street Tacos with Shanked Pork
- Chef David Lefevre – Manhattan Beach Post, Manhattan Beach
Prepared: Vietnamese Sunfed Farms Beef Brisket with Rau Ram
- Chef Joe Vasiloff – Café Pinot, Los Angeles-
Prepared: Deviled Quail Egg, puff pastry, caramelized radish salad, tabasco remoulade, frisee, & fresh horseradish
- Chef Gianfranco Minuz – Locanda Del Lago, Santa Monica-
Prepared: Homemade Ricotta Affumicata, Capuccio Verde, Marinato Con Mele, Mostarda De Vicenza
Los Angeles Food & Wine