For the 5th year in a row, Los Angeles Food & Wine hosted another successful weekend of food and wine events. For three nights, Grand Avenue in Downtown LA was closed off to traffic and filled with more than 30 restaurants each night and more than 100 wines. With Disney Hall looming above, hundreds of attendees wandered up and down the street trying the various foods and wines over a three hour period.
With so many of Los Angeles’ best chefs, as well as top chefs from New York, Philadelphia, Dallas and more, serving up flavorful dishes, there is a lot of tasting to do. Between waiting in long lines to some restaurants and getting full quickly, it can be a challenge to try everything. But, I did!
On Friday, after attending a lovely lunch in conjunction with LA Food & Wine earlier that day, I didn’t come to the evening event, Night Market, with a big appetite. Combined with the heat and the long lines, I was only able to try about a dozen dishes.
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- Chaya – Cocktail Yuzu Sorbet, Junmai Sake with Tamarindo sauce
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- Chaya – Thai Snapper Carpaccio with Ume Dashi Puree and Yuzu Koshu Jelly
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- Sambar – Sev Puri Chaat with mango, avocado, tamarind & mint chutney, chaat masala AND Vindaloo Porchetta, turmeric focaccia, mango chutney, malabar hot sauce
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- ggslut, Ramen Champ, Ricebar – Arroz Caldo (rice porridge)
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- Upper West – Elote, roasted sweet corn, whipped avocado & cilantro butter, cotija smoked paprika crackle
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- Phorage – Crispy Coconut Rice Cakes with Shrimp
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- Marti Chocolatt – Summer Chocolate Verrine
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- Badmaash – Spiced Mango Pork Belly with bacon biryani
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- Churchkey
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- The District – Hannah’s Noodles
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- Little Sister – Saigon Lemongrass Beef, vermicelli noodle, crushed peanut and herbs, curried crispy pork skin
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- Patina – Dungeness Crab, cardamom, nuoc mam, green mango sorbet
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- Ray’s Stark Bar – Banh Mi, Vietnamese mortadella, liver pate, green peppercorn, peanut, daikon, carrot, jalapeno, cilantro
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- Ray’s Stark Bar – Octopus, nduja, cranberry beans, pickled ramps, aioli, bronze fennel
So, when it came time for Saturday’s evening event, Lexus Live on Grand, I went with the goal of tasting everything. I arrived just as the doors opened and didn’t waste anytime working down Grand Avenue. As I was with a few friends, we worked together to divide and conquer, lining up in different lines to pick up different dishes.
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- Butter Restaurant – Warm Brie Sandwiches, toasted sesame & marash peppers
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- BierBeisl Imbiss – BierBeisl Bosna, thinly sliced red onions & bb curry mix
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- Ox & Son – Chicken Croquettes, fermented cabbage, smoked mayo, truffle powder
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- Herringbone – Mussels Ecabeche, chillies, carrots, coriander
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- Herringbone – Octopus Salad with Piquillo Peppers, olives & saffron
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- Union – Roasted Beet & Crescenza Tortelletti, lemon, poppyseed & wild fennel
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- Taco Maria – Squid, potato, cucumber, recado negro
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- Bouchon – Salad Nicoise
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- MB Post & The Arthur J – Roasted Pork Shoulder, peach mostarda & escarole
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- Falk Yeah! Productions – Tomato-Raspberry, Avocado, Brazil Nuts & Marjoram
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- Scarpetta at The Montage Hotel – Tigelle, Coppa di Testa, pickled vegetables, salsa verde
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- Bestia – Strawberry Shortcake, mascarpone cream biscuit, sweet cream ice cream
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- The Strand House – Spicy Rock Shrimp & Chorizo Broth, eggplant, pole bean salad Pedro Ximenez
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- Patina Catering – Brentwood sweet corn agnolotti candy, wild rocket, summer truffle vinaigrette
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- Restaurant 1833 – Guajillo Chile Crusted Baby Back Pork Ribs wrapped in feuille de brick served with nuac nam cham
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- Knife at The Highland – Whole Roasted Swordfish Gyros Style
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- The Kitchen – Chili Watermelon Hand Roll, trinity herbs, forbidden rice, sea beams, roasted peanuts
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- Hudson Valley Foie Gras & Lola Restaurant – Torchon of Hudson Valley Foie Gras with caramelized white chocolate
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- Mourad – Tartlette, Smoked Salmon, dill, cucumber, lebri
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- Laurel Philadelphia – Braised Burgundy Snail, sea capers & potato
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- The Grange Restaurant & Bar – Cowboy Sushi, zabuton, uni, horseradish, shiso
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- Montage Hotel – Citrus Marinated Hamachi, purple potato-date salad, jalapeno & ginger yogurt
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- Salt & Straw – Strawberry Shortake, ricotta cheesecake ice cream, strawberry vinegar, roasted strawberries, buttered almond
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- Fig – Vadouvan Rice Bowl, crispy pork belly & charred octopus
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- Joe’s Stone Crab – Sandwich Cubano with tequila lime popcorn
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- Barrel & Ashes – Roasted Pork Sandwich
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- McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream
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- Ruby Rockets
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- Sotto – Goat Meatballs, braised cabbage, pine nuts, currants, shaved goat cheese
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- Waffles de Liege
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- Hot’s Kitchen – Seared Foie Gras, pig ear crisp & cara cara orange
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- Smoke – Coffee cured natural beef brisket & sweet corn relish, New York strip steak, Cauliflower puree, fresh herb chimichurri, Watermelon & Tomato salad cucumber, honey
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- Chef Michelle Bernstein – Shrimp Vuelve a la Vida
A full weekend of eating is hard work but it was all worth it! Los Angeles Food & Wine was a great way to taste food from some favorite restaurants and learn about other restaurants that are now on the list to try. I can’t wait for Los Angeles Food and Wine 2016!
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