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February 10, 2013 · 10:49 pm

Plate It Again Sam

Plate
I love a good food fest, so I was happy to hear that LA Weekly’s annual food and wine event is back for a fifth year. It will take place on Sunday, March 3rd from 1-5pm, at the Peterson Automotive Museum. Previously called “The Gold Standard” before the departure of LA Weekly’s food critic Jonathan Gold, the yearly event is now known simply as “Plate” and it promises to once again be one of the top LA food events of the year. There will be unlimited tastings from more than 40 of the city’s best and most interesting restaurants and unlimited wine (in addition to beer and spirits) from over 30 top-shelf wineries curated by Downtown LA’s BUZZ Wine Beer Shop.

As far as these kind of events go, this one is relatively inexpensive. Tickets are $75 for General Admission and $95 for VIP Admission, which enables you to enter an hour earlier than the General Admission people and gets you a gift bag. If you’ve never been to one of these fun events before, this is a great one to start with. Some of my favorite restaurants, including Mo-Chica, Jitlada, Chichen Itza, Hungry Cat, Wurstkuche, and Philippe’s will be participating. A portion of the receipts goes to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank so you’re actually doing a good deed by filling your belly with delicious food and drinking lots and lots of wine.

You can buy tickets by going to LA Weekly’s website or by clicking here. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

UPDATE: Plate 2013 was a success! Here are a few highlights:

My hero Roy Choi announces the opening later this year of Chego, his gourmet rice bowl restaurant, in Chinatown

My hero Roy Choi announces the opening later this year of Chego, his gourmet rice bowl restaurant, in Chinatown

Gilberto Cetina from Chichen Itza served up Tacos de Cochinita Pibil

Gilberto Cetina from Chichen Itza served up Tacos de Cochinita Pibil

Ricard Zarate and Stephane Bombet from Mo-Chica and Picca were serving amazing food and talking about their new restaurant Paiche, which will open shortly in the old Mo-Chica space.

Ricard Zarate and Stephane Bombet from Mo-Chica and Picca were serving amazing food and talking about their now restaurant Paiche, which will open shortly in the old Mo-Chica space.

Ricardo Zarate's Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Miso Dressing was my favorite dish of the event.

Ricardo Zarate’s Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Miso Dressing was my favorite dish of the event.

8 Colorful Flavors of Pork from Korean restaurant Palsaik

8 Colorful Flavors of Pork from Korean restaurant Palsaik

Chef Jazz from my favorite Thai restaurant in LA, Jitlada, served up Spicy Chicken Curry.

Chef Jazz from my favorite Thai restaurant in LA, Jitlada, served up Spicy Chicken Curry.

Nguyen Tran from Starry Kitchen served Shrimp Chips with Grill Beef Bites in a homemade costume.

Nguyen Tran from Starry Kitchen served Shrimp Chips with Grill Beef Bites in a homemade costume.

Where's Spritle and Chim Chim? The event took place in the Peterson Automotive Museum.

Where’s Spritle and Chim Chim? The event took place in the Peterson Automotive Museum.

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July 29, 2012 · 2:24 pm

The Olympics for Foodies


I love a good food festival and I’m happy to report that Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival is back after a very successful inaugural year last year. It will take place from August 9-12 at locations all across the city. If you’re not familiar with Los Angeles Food & Wine, it’s pretty much the Olympics for foodies, although it’s not a competition and everyone is a winner. I went to four of their events last year and had an amazing time and ate a lot of incredible food. Top chefs from all over the country, including Hubert Keller, Susur Lee, Michael Mina, Michelle Bernstein, Michael Chiarello, Graham Elliot and Kerry Heffernan, as well as many of the best chefs in Los Angeles, are participating this year.

Events range from grand tastings to special dinners at some of LA’s top restaurants to cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs such as Richard Blais and Michael and Bryan Voltaggio. There are around 40 events in all and include a decadent champagne and caviar tasting night at the Montage, an Asian night market hosted by Andrew Zimmern from the Travel Channel show “Bizarre Foods,” and an Italian food and wine celebration at LA Live hosted by Giada De Laurentiis. A portion of Los Angeles Food & Wine’s proceeds go to benefit a great cause, St. Vincent Meals on Wheels. Some events are already sold out. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

UPDATE: Los Angeles Food & Wine did not disappoint this year! I attended a couple events and had an amazing time. Highlights included meeting chefs Michael Chiarello, Susur Lee and Floyd Cardoz, as well as seeing some of my local favorites including Ricardo Zarate, Antonia Lafaso and Susan Feniger, and of course trying each of their dishes. My favorite savory dish was a Lobster Pig in a Blanket from new Downtown restaurant Towne. My favorite dessert was a Nutella Banana Panini with Bacon, Toffee and Espresso Nibs from Chef Hedy Goldsmith of Michael’s Genuine Food ‘n Drink in Miami. It was so good!

Wine-wise, the highlight was a wine tasting led by Delta Airlines Sommelier Andrea Robinson (who knew Delta had their own Sommelier?!), who introduced eight California wines which are part of the new Delta Winemaker Series. These specially selected wines, including a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara-based Inception Wines and a Viognier from Miner Family Winery, will be available on flights between JFK and LAX, as well as JFK and SFO.

Delta Sommelier Andrea Robinson hosted a wine tasting.


Wines from the Delta Winemaker Series

Brilliant Chef Susar Lee from Toronto preparing Chinese Duck Sausage Pies


Chefs Michael Chiarello and Fabio Viviani


Picca and Mo-Chica’s Chef Ricardo Zarate and partner Stephane Bombet


Chef Susan Feniger from Street


Chef Floyd Cardoz made pork & beans!


Chef Antonia Lafaso from Black Market Liquor Bar

Pig in a Blanket from Towne

Nutella Banana Paninis with Bacon, Toffee and Espresso Nibs


Alcoholic Frozen Push-ups from Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas

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December 30, 2011 · 12:14 pm

Wishing You A Delicious New Year


Happy New Year from Consuming LA! As the food scene in Los Angeles continues to get more and more innovative and exciting, I will be there to bring the best (and sometimes the worst) to your attention. I’ve got a great 2012 planned for this blog and have already made a few changes. Please check out my new Manifesto. Also, I’ve created indexes to make it easier when you’re using the blog as a reference guide to pick a place to eat. Now you can search not only by neighborhood, but also alphabetically and by type of cuisine. There are also separate lists of dessert places, food trucks and places which are suitable for special occasions. More changes will be coming in the New Year. See you on the other side!

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October 13, 2011 · 11:00 am

A Sneak Peek at the Mother of All Tasting Menus

Further to my blog post last night, I have procured a copy of the previously unpublished list of dishes to be plated by the bevy of celebrity chefs on Los Angeles Food & Wine’s Lexus Grand Tasting on Sunday. It looks amazing! If you haven’t entered my sweepstakes to win a pair of tickets to this event, click here. You have until midnight tomorrow (Friday) night to enter. Click here for the lineup on Sunday.

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October 12, 2011 · 11:43 pm

I am giving away a free pair of tickets to the most exciting LA foodie event of the year.

If you read this blog and live in Los Angeles, then you will absolutely want to check out one or more events during the first annual Los Angeles Food & Wine, a four day food spectacular starting tomorrow night and running through Sunday. Celebrity chefs such as Tom Colicchio, Masaharu Marimoto, Hubert Keller and Daniel Boulud will be flying in from all over the country to personally plate and serve tasting portions of their culinary masterpieces. Events are being held all over the city and include a celebrity red carpet premiere tasting, a clambake at a private beach club in Santa Monica featuring Tom Colicchio, an over-the-top champagne and caviar party at L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills and a gourmet BBQ on the Santa Monica Pier hosted by Guy Fieri. All will have numerous celebrity chefs plating and will feature dozens of world class wines, beers, spirits or champagnes. There are after hours parties, including a decadent dessert party and an event called “Pigs, Pins and Pinot” at Lucky Strike Lanes hosted by Todd English, as well as an outdoor concert/tasting with the band Train. There are also special lunches and dinners at top local restaurants such as Providence, Melisse, Nobu and Cut. A portion of the events’ proceeds go to benefit a great cause, Meals on Wheels.

It is hard to decide which event to attend, but the events I am most looking forward to are the “Grand Tastings” Downtown at LA Live on Saturday and Sunday afternoon (from noon to 3 pm), which will each feature 30 different celebrity chefs and over 300 wines from 200 of the world’s most prestigious wineries, as well as cooking demonstrations. I am giving away a pair of tickets (which have a value of $390) to Sunday’s Grand Tasting to one lucky reader of this blog. For more information on how to win these tickets, click here. I look forward to seeing the lucky winner at the event!

For more information on Los Angeles Food & Wine and to buy tickets, click here.

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