Archive for the ‘Eat’ Category
It may only be almost summer in Los Angeles, but the city is already buzzing with excitement as some of its best summer events are set to kick off this weekend. From music festivals to cultural celebrations, the vibrant city has something for everyone to enjoy. Take a stroll along the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk, explore the glamorous Hollywood Walk of Fame, indulge in the delectable food scene of downtown LA, and take a look at this great curated list of amazing things to do this weekend in the city of stars.
Another year, another incredible Los Angeles Times Food Bowl. A fantastic month-long series of nights celebrating local restaurants, innovative chefs, and fine wine in locations all over town. The finale of every Food Bowl? A weekend of Night Markets on the legendary Paramount Pictures Studios backlot. We were there on Saturday evening for their delectable Dumpling Crawl and again on Sunday afternoon for their hearty Backlot Brunch. While we had to skip night one, we’re told the “Smoked Soiree” was a rollicking good time with many of the same restaurants and chefs from Saturday and Sunday. That night was a classic celebration of the cities renowned food scene, highlighting top chefs, pitmasters, burger barons and grilling experts who gave patrons tasty food options to see first-hand what makes them so special.
We opted for the more vegetarian-friendly nights two and three, but all three days absolutely had something for everyone no matter your tastes or dietary restrictions. The Dumpling Crawl included celebrity guests such as Megan Mullaly and Nick Offerman who enjoyed the Live Demo hosted by Chef Matty Matheson and Culinary Producer Courtney Storer of the hit television series The Bear on FX. We also enjoyed bites from chefs such as Kevin Bludso of Bludso’s BBQ and Eric Greenspan of Mr. Beast Burger. Night 2 Saturday we celebrated the city’s renowned food scene by highlighting the diverse flavors of L.A. We sampled a smorgasbord of global cuisines for an experience that is quintessentially L.A. The Crawl was curated by L.A. Times food columnist Jenn Harris, inspired by her new series “The Bucket List: Dumplings!” with dumplings from CHD Mandu, Go Go Gyoza, Hui Tou Xiang, Lunasia Dim Sum House, Paradise Dynasty (VIP Only), Monta Factory, and more!
On Sunday we celebrated with the Backlot Brunch by feasting upon L.A.’s greatest brunches from west side surf to old school Hollywood glamour. The highlight of the afternoon was Duff Goldman, who is best known for the hit Food Network show Ace of Cakes, where his team of pastry chefs and artists at Charm City Cakes create spectacular custom cakes. Duff let us into the wonderful world of baking with his delicious baking demonstration.
The Los Angeles Times Food Bowl is back and bigger, better, and brighter than ever! The monthlong festival celebrates our great city’s top culinary talent, at both swanky and free and open to the public events, including special dining series in honor of the Los Angeles Times’s Restaurant of the Year and Gold Award winners and an awesome and an exclusive launch party at Grandmaster Recorders to kick off 30 nights of divine food, wine, and fun.
The Gold Award was, of course, created by and named after former L.A. Times Food critic, editor and Pulitzer Prize winner, Jonathan Gold. The Los Angeles Times Food Bowl and I go way back, to the very beginning I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Gold at a delectable tasting and wine-filled evening at Paramount Pictures Studios in 2017.
The Los Angeles Times Food Bowl Launch Party will kick off the 30 nights of festivities at Hollywood’s Grandmaster Recorders on Thursday, September 1. Ticket prices start at $150, which isn’t cheap, but you’ll be sure to get your money’s worth with a night that will feature special tastings from exciting guest chefs, live DJs, as well as cocktails, beer and wine all included. Plus, the L.A. Times Food team General Manager Laurie Ochoa will honor this years’ recipients of the Restaurant of the Year and Gold Award with a live presentation of the awards. Tickets are going fast so be sure to get yours here and read on below for the exceptional list of chefs and restaurants attending this year’s opening night bash. Celebrate The Times’ Restaurant of the Year, Anajak Thai, and Gold Award honoree, Meals by Genet.
The annual festival is presented by City National Bank and will combine the best of local eateries and world-renowned chefs in a series of over 30 pop-up dining events across the expanse of Los Angeles, while also highlighting issues of food access, sustainability and waste reduction. This year’s lineup will also feature The Times’ return to Paramount Pictures Studios’s backlot with Food Bowl’s Night Market tasting events Sept. 23, 24 and 25. Tickets are available now at lafoodbowl.com, with discounted early bird pricing for a limited time.
Plus, you can feel good about a night of imbibing as the Food Bowl supports the The L.A. Times Community Fund, where you can give back to nonprofits working in the community addressing hunger and food insecurity. Donations to the L.A. Times Community Fund’s Food Insecurity project enable Food Bowl to make substantial contributions to non-profit organizations like Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Project Angel Food, World Central Kitchen, No Us Without You, and more. Just $50 provides the equivalent of 200 meals. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, as just one example, has been fighting hunger in LA County for almost 50 years and has provided more than 1.5 billion meals to those in need. Yes, that’s billion with a B. Food and nutrition insecurity continues to challenge many of our community’s children, seniors, families and individuals. As a nonprofit organization, the LA Regional Food Bank relies on the generosity of organizations like the LA Times and its annual culinary festival.
Nothing says “I love you Mom” like a fantastic Sunday brunch where the champagne flows and the dishes, and laughs, are aplenty. Are you making last minute Mother’s Day plans? You’ll want to take a look at this list of eight amazing spots for Mother’s Day brunch that, against all odds, still have a table or two open. While we celebrate Mom every day in our own way, here’s where to take Mom for a brunch to remember this Sunday in Los Angeles.
Photo courtesy of Bianca.
In 2020 there’s really no place like home for the holidays. We all deserve a restful and peaceful time this holiday season. So take a load off, put your feet up, and order from some of Los Angeles’s best restaurants this Christmas. Here are our picks for the top options throughout our great city. It’s a great way to support your favorite local restaurants and to have a relaxing, mostly dish-free evening. Make sure to call ahead to confirm availability. Happy holidays from The Hollywood Home!
Photo courtesy of Jane Q.
With the holidays looking very different this year than in year’s past, and with businesses from booksellers to restaurants in Los Angeles struggling to survive, we designed this holiday shop-small gift guide to help support some of our favorite local Southern California outposts. Many items on this list below can be both ordered for delivery or picked up at the brick and mortar locations if you, like me, are a little late on the holiday shopping this year. These shops reflect everything that makes this city great and are items that you might not find anywhere else from vendors who — after this tumultuous and challenging year — could use a little of your love.
Novelist, screenwriter, and director Nora Ephron’s famous Thanksgiving turkey recipe was simply to salt and pepper the bird and stick it in the oven at 450 degrees and “do not do one thing to it. You don’t baste it…you might have to cover it a certain point. And you might have to drain some of the fat that comes off, but it’s all these years of endless basting for nothing, it turns out.”
Believe her or not, preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends can sometimes feel a bit like a chore, especially in 2020 when you will most likely be entertaining far fewer friends and family, or anyone at all. With restaurants in Los Angeles set to close dine-in services this Wednesday for at least the next few weeks, ordering your Thanksgiving dinner in is a great and easy way to support some of your favorite restaurants who no doubt have had an extraordinarily difficult year.
Check out this list of restaurants and grocers who will do all the work for you: select and test the recipes, cook the meal, and (in some cases) deliver it straight to your door. Restaurants include Little Dom’s in Los Feliz, Freedman’s in Echo Park, Lawry’s in Beverly Hills, Wexler’s in Downtown, Lunetta in Santa Monica, and many more.
Happy New Year, Los Angeles! As ever, our great city is filled with many amazing events and things to do in January 2020 including ice skating, star gazing, Photo L.A., the Women’s March, a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day concert, and so much more. Check out all the events in Los Angeles you won’t want to miss this January!
The LA Times labor of love Labor Day tradition continued over the past Labor Day Weekend with The Taste LA. Along with celebrating amazing and inventive cuisine by Southern California’s best chefs, The Taste also celebrated the legacy of the late Jonathan Gold. His image appeared in certain shadows of the event space as if he were watching from above and smiling down. We went to all three nights of the event!
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