For the fourth year in a row, foodies mixed and mingled for four days with some of the best chefs around Los Angeles and beyond at Los Angeles Food and Wine, presented by Coastal Luxury Management. More than 100 chefs and 150 wineries participated in the events throughout the weekend, and we did our best to try as many as possible. Here is a recap of our time at LA Food and Wine.
I have been meaning to go to Manhattan Beach to try David Lefevre's Fishing With Dynamite since it opened almost one year ago. So, what better place to spend National Clam Chowder Day (February 25) than at the East Coast-meets-West Coast seafood restaurant across the street from the beach!?!?
Fishing with Dynamite is a friendly little spot. I say little as it only seats 33 people. When you walk in, you are facing, and almost up against, the raw bar, which has a few seats along it and then to the right is the bar with a few more seats. On either side of the raw bar are tables but in between all of these, there is little standing room. I arrived a few minutes before my dining partner and wasn't sure where to wait. But, the friendliness of the staff made me feel right at home. From the hostess to the servers to management, everyone was so personable and their love for the restaurant and the menu was apparent. Not a bad sentiment to start off a meal!
Last Sunday, the sun was shining when the fourth annual L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade benefit for pediatric cancer research was held on the lawn of Culver Studios. Founded in 2000, Alexandra "Alex" Scott (1996-2004) was a four-year-old neuroblastoma patient who held a charity lemonade stand in front of her home to help raise money for cancer. In one day, she raised $2,000 and by the time she passed away in 2004 at the age of 8, she had raised, with the help of others, more than $1 million. Almost 10 years later, more than $60 million has been raised to fund over 300 research projects with the goal of ending childhood cancer.
Los Angeles Chef Suzanne Goin and her business partner Caroline Styne (AOC, Lucques, Tavern), along with Chef David Lentz (The Hungry Cat) created LA Loves Alex’s Lemonade Stand and each year an extraordinary group of chefs, vintners and mixologists donate their time for one of Los Angeles’ best and most worthy food and wine events. To date, the Los Angeles event has raised more than $1 million and this past week’s event raised more than $530,000.
Fishing with Dynamite is a friendly little spot. I say little as it only seats 33 people. When you walk in, you are facing, and almost up against, the raw bar, which has a few seats along it and then to the right is the bar with a few more seats. On either side of the raw bar are tables but in between all of these, there is little standing room. I arrived a few minutes before my dining partner and wasn't sure where to wait. But, the friendliness of the staff made me feel right at home. From the hostess to the servers to management, everyone was so personable and their love for the restaurant and the menu was apparent. Not a bad sentiment to start off a meal!
Los Angeles Chef Suzanne Goin and her business partner Caroline Styne (AOC, Lucques, Tavern), along with Chef David Lentz (The Hungry Cat) created LA Loves Alex’s Lemonade Stand and each year an extraordinary group of chefs, vintners and mixologists donate their time for one of Los Angeles’ best and most worthy food and wine events. To date, the Los Angeles event has raised more than $1 million and this past week’s event raised more than $530,000.