03 Sep Event Recap: LA Food And Wine 2015
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
