16 Sep Event Recap: Los Angeles Food and Wine 2013

It’s taken more than two weeks of working out to recover from the 3rd Annual Los Angeles Food and Wine Event that took place August 22 – 25th. Four days of back to back events filled with amazing food and drinks was pretty indulgent and we enjoyed every single bite and sip! The weekend began with Giada’s Festa Italiana on Thursday night. The weather was perfect as we walked down Grand Avenue, outside of Disney Concert Hall. There were over 200 wines to taste, and carb-filled Italian dishes to soak it all up. The favorite indulgences of the night were a glass of Henriot Champagne and the burrata and tomato jam from Stella Barra in Santa Monica.    Another perk of the event was meeting (or seeing again) the talented chefs. Friday night we were back on Grand Street for Asian Night Market.  This was my favorite night of the entire weekend. From Chinese to Korean to Japanese dishes, some of the highlights were….. The Kimchi Rice Balls from Seoul Sausage…. which paired perfectly with the Roses from Chateau d’Esclans which helped cut the spicy flavors……   The refreshing Chilled Cha Soba and Blue Crab with shiso, red radish and ginger apple ponzu from MB Post……   …and the Nitris Cotton Candy from Patina, which turned us all into smoke-breathing dragons. Matthew Biacaniello’s edible cocktail was also a standout, after observing his careful preparation of each oyster…… And finally the Peking Duck Cotton Candy from Joe’s Stone Crab House. After two nighttime events, Saturday started out with the Lexus Grand Tasting at Center Studios during the day. After lots of food, my favorite was the Dungeness Crab Salad by Phorage which paired well with the Sauvignon Blanc from Le Piche Winery.  And, washing it all down with a Georgetown Cupcake added the perfect bite of sweetness.   By nighttime, it was back to Grand Avenue to indulge in more food and wine where Chef John Sedlar’s Autumn Corn Custard was the standout. And Charles Joly’s Aviary Cocktail was hard not to miss as it infused in a large circular aquarium. Just when I thought I couldn’t eat anymore, I made it to the final event on Sunday. Back at LA Center Studios, there was more food and wine.  After three days of nonstop eating, the two highlights were the lightest dishes, a compressed yellow watermelon, heirloom tomato, buratta and speck salad by Pedaler’s Fork and a grilled summer peach salad by The Hearty Boys. Of course, a refreshing rum cocktail from Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix also hit the spot! Gotta keep working out in order to start preparing for next year’s event! See all of my pictures from the event here.