Street Eats at The Taste

Over Labor Day weekend, the Los Angeles Times and Food & Wine magazine held the The Taste. The four day event featured celebrity chefs, cooking demonstrations, presentations, and of course a ton of delicious food and wine. Though I had a pass to attend all of the events, I was only able to make it to Street Eats due to some personal obligations that weekend. It was a fun afternoon which ended with a freak rainstorm and a brilliant rainbow. Here are some of the highlights.



Mini flans and bacon bread pudding from Creme Caramel. That bread pudding is to die for. The perfect mix of sweet and salty.



Crying Tiger pork from Jitlada. I never get tired of this dish. In fact, I just had the beef version again this past weekend.



Pineapple and Prickly Pear Agua Fresca from Loteria Grill. So refreshing on the warm afternoon.



Braised Beef with Potato and Egg from Mexikosher. Yes, kosher Mexican food.



Wine tasting co-hosted by Justin Warner who treated us to a full-fleged rap about wine at the end. Highly entertaining.



Lamb Flatbread with sumac, pistachio, and coriander from Palate Food + Wine. My favorite bite of the day. It was a little difficult to eat, but full of warm spicy flavors with a little bit of cooling from the yogurt.



We got out of there just as it started to rain, but later I got to see this.



I had a great time that day. I would have loved to go to some of the other events, but duty called. Next time!

One year ago: Momed
Two years ago: Cubano Sandwiches
Three years ago: Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Wonderful Pistachios at Ray's and Stark at LACMA

I used to live in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles. While I don't miss my disgusting apartment and psychotic neighbors, I do miss my proximity to LACMA which is one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon. Since I've been gone, some exciting changes have happened at the museum. There is a temporary Tim Burton exhibit taking place and a new, fun restaurant and bar in Ray's and Stark. Named after Ray Stark (the late film producer), the restaurant and bar are turning out fun and seasonal Mediterranean inspired dishes in a beautiful and casual setting. The restaurant has recently paired with Wonderful Pistachios to do a food and cocktail pairing and I was recently invited to sample some of their offerings. Chef Kris Morningstar, formerly of District and Mercantile, tantalized our taste buds with a variety of small bites which were all meant to taste well with Wonderful Pistachios. They also tasted well with the cocktails they were paired with.



Wonderful Pistachios, Aged Gouda, Gala Apple Wedges, Drizzled with Lavender Honey was a great dish to whet our appetites. The apples were enhanced to draw out more of their apple-y flavor. The Ginger Rogers cocktail was a great accompaniment. It was not too sweet and slightly spicy and ever so slightly effervescent which highlighted the flavors in the apple.





Pistachios with Lime Tortilla Chips and Watermelon Chunks Sprinkled with Chili-Lime salt had the right mix of refreshing and spicy. The tortilla chip was a bit to salty even for sodium loving me, but I liked the mild heat the had. Especially with the Mel spicy margarita that it was paired with.





Pistachios, Cured Olive and Salami Skewer, Rosemary Parmesan popcorn. The deep flavors in the olive and meat went well with the 2006 Dalla Ponicia, Chianti they were paired with. It was at this point that realized all the food we had would be "small" which I actually really appreciated. Sometimes, you leave these events feeling ridiculously overstuffed and unable to move for days, but I felt light and almost springy after leaving this one.



Pistachios, Peaches, Vermouth, Capricious Goat Cheese. More cheese, but since I am a cheese-a-holic I thought "bring it on". The peaches were amazing and so sweet. Even though I am not the biggest fan of goat cheese, this was more mild than I expected and went well with the sweet peaches.



Pistachios, Shrimp, Dates, Orange, Smoked Paprika paired with Raspberry Rooibos Tea. I was not expecting tea and I also don't love raspberries so I was pleasantly surprised by the tea. The shrimp was amazing as well. It was perfectly cooked and the sweet puree underneath it was full of flavor. My only complaint (which really isn't a complaint) is that this tiny bite came on a full sized plate. It looked kind of silly, but who cares because it tasted so good?



Ben said that the Pistachios with Crispy Pork Rib Skewer, Radishes, and Salsa Verde was his most anticipated dish of the evening. It's not hard to see why. The pork was crispy on the outside and tender inside and perfectly seasoned. I'm still hit or miss with radishes, but the salsa verde they were dressed in.



This dinner not only did a great job of highlighting how many flavors go well with pistachios, but it makes me want to go back and have a full dinner at Ray's and Stark. Now that I have a ticket for the Tim Burton exhibit, I just may have to make a day of it soon.


*All food and drinks were comped. Opinions are my own

Ray's and Stark Bar
5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 857-6180
Website

LA Street Food Fest

We came. We saw. We ate. A lot

Ballywood Meatball from Great Balls on Tires Truck


Double Fried Sweet Ginger Chicken Wings from Starry Kitchen


Pandan Donut Holes from Starry Kitchen


Mini Pastrami Sandwich from The Oinkster


Habanero Chicken Chili Fries from The Frysmith


Plain and Simple Melt from The Grilled Cheese Truck


Pacific Oyster Asada with Chicharron Short Rib, Serrano Ponzu Butter, Lemongrass Foam from Mision 19 (aka the best oysters EVER)


Sea Urchin Tostada from La Guerrerense


Vampiros from Mexicali Taco & Co.


Cheeseburger "Dumplings" from The Dim Sum Truck


Samosas with Apple Tamarind and Spicy Coconut Chutney from The Naan Stop Truck



Mojito Ice from Ice Ice Shavie

LA Street Food Fest Preview

This coming weekend, one of LA's most loved food events will be taking place at the Rose Bowl. LA Street Food Festival is a celebration of street food from all over the world. LA is now known for the incredible amount of food trucks that take residence, but there will not just be food trucks at this event. Expect Baja chefs cooking regional favorites, two beer gardens, photo booths, tequila tastings, entertainment, cooking demonstrations and more.




I recently had the opportunity to attend a preview of Street Food Fest and it was a real treat. Held at soon to be open Iota Cafe in Koreatown, we were treated to a wide variety of delicacies and we also got to see the beauty of a traditional Korean tea ceremony.

This buttermilk popcorn chicken from the Mighty Boba truck was insanely addictive.



Okonomiyaki from the Glowfish truck was also addictive topped with bacon and shrimp and bonito flakes.



Just when I thought I was full, Iota Coffee and Bakery treated us to an insane amount of savories and sweets from their own kitchen. My favorite was the sweet sour spicy crispy wings. Not quite on the same level as Kyochon, but delicious nonetheless.

They also gave us a delightful array of desserts. Red velvet cheesecake, surprisingly light choclate mouse, and a strawberry shortcake cake.









After we were sufficiently full, we headed out to the back patio to watch the Korean tea ceremony. It was beautiful.



Not only does the ticket price for the festival include all the food, drink, and entertainment, but a portion of the proceeds will help benefit the Downtown Women's Center which helps homeless women try to end their homelessness.

This festival just so happens to be taking place during the dreaded "Carmageddon" weekend here in LA. Take the train! Free shuttles will be transporting passengers from the Memorial Park Station on the Gold Line directly to the event. Courtyard Marriott in Pasadena will be providing exclusive rates to attendees if you wish to make a weekend of it. I'm so excited to attend this event. Hope to see you there!

To learn more about the event an to purchase tickets, click here.

LA Vegan Beer Festival

When I told my friends I was going to a vegan beer festival, most of them asked why. The next question was "isn't all beer vegan?". Well, that was a simpler answer. Like wine, beer goes through a filtering process to get to the finished product. Some of the ingredients in the clarifying agents may not be vegan or even vegetarian. Honey, gelatin, and insects are just a few of the ingredients that can make a beer non-vegan. To show that beers can still be tasty and vegan,  Quarry Girl paired up with Tony's Darts Away to host the second annual Vegan Beer Festival at the Roxy. Obviously I'm not a vegan, but I do appreciate vegan food, and I'll take any excuse to drink beer at one in the afternoon without judgment.





Besides the beer, there were a handful of food trucks offering only vegan options. I wish I could say that the vegan hot dog from Franken's was great...but it wasn't.



Just say no to vegan hot dogs. (I really should have gotten the tofu banh mi from Mandoline Grill which I heard was excellent)



The beer was much better than the hot dog. My favorites were the Pineapple brew from Maui, a Belgian Pale Ale, and the Speedway Stout (thanks HC)



There were a few bands entertaining people inside. More entertaining to me was an elderly gentleman who could not stop getting his groove on.



In all, I had a great time



These vegans mean business

Bridlewood Estate Winery - Bridlewood Gallery Opening

When I got an email inviting me to Bridlewood Estate Winery to check out their gallery opening, I knew I couldn't turn it down. In spite of a weekend filled with dancing, vegan beer, and general insanity, I made sure I was up early on Sunday morning to board the shuttle to Santa Ynez.  Bridlewood is an wonderfully picturesque winery and it's not just everyday visitors who get inspired by the tranquil surroundings. A handful of artists have made everything from paintings, to pottery, to photographs all based on the art of wine making. To celebrate the opening of Bridlewood Gallery the winery opened their doors for a day of food, wine, and art.









We were offered several appetizers and I was too busy shoving them in my mouth to get pictures of them. The mini truffle grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken skewers with plantains were among my favorites.We missed out on the dessert selection because were kept going back for extra servings of the 2008 Block 5 Syrah. It was definitely the best wine we tasted that day, but the 2010 Viognier Reserve was a close second. We were also able to taste a few wines that were still in barrels. I was fascinated by the pouring process. More so than the actual wine which definitely needed to be aged some more, but had potential.





Wine glasses in hand, we went for a self-guided tour of the grounds.











The place is so beautiful, it's not difficult to see why my friends chose to get married there a few years ago. It was hard to say goodbye, but after a few hours, we packed up our to-go lunches and boarded the shuttle back to the city of angels. It was such a wonderful day, I didn't want it to end. Click here to see my full picture gallery from the day.