L.A. Times Food Bowl Photo Recap: Fiesta Friday, Danny Trejo, Holbox, Alfalfa, & More!

L.A. Times Food Bowl Team

Another incredible L.A. Times Food Bowl in the books! The annual month-long food festival held its three-night Night Market series at the Paramount Pictures Studios backlot over the weekend and the food was, as always, incredible. Legendary Los Angeles chefs were present, the drinks were flowing, the music was thumping, and the company of LA area foodies couldn’t have been more friendlier and enthusiastic. As far as food festivals in our great city go, the L.A. Times Food Bowl has established itself as the premier culinary event in all of California. As we always are, we were on site to try as many of the new and inventive dishes on offer as possible, meet the chefs (many of whom have become friends over the years), celebrate the influence of Jonathan Gold, and have an absolute blast. And, as we always do, we’ve photographed a selection of our favorites for your viewing pleasure. Don’t take our recommendations with a grain of salt: these are must-try dishes that are now being served at many of the restaurants that participated in the event. If we missed you this year, we hope to see you at next year’s L.A. Times Food Bowl. Bon appétit. And cheers!

L.A. Times Food Bowl Team

Of course, one of the highlights of the Friday Fiesta was headliner Danny Trejo. Actor and founder of Trejo’s Tacos took the demonstration stage and prepared fresh guacamole using avocados from his own backyard, plus delicious Beef Barbacoa tacos. His super secret ingredient for the best guacamole? Pickled jalapeños! I won’t tell anybody if you won’t.

L.A. Times Food Bowl Team

It’s always best to begin the summer evening with a refreshing cocktail. The margaritas-in-a-bag courtesy of Employee’s Only did not disappoint. Sweet, but not too sweet, and floral with Tequila Real del Valle, citrus, shrub, and agave. It was the perfect drink to accompany my food tour and super convenient to carry around in the bag. They stuck a straw in it and it was like an IV in Capri Sun margarita form.

It’s always a pleasure to see our friends Chef Fern and Chef Pla of Luv 2 Eat Thai Bistro! Be sure to follow them on Instagram!

They served a delicious and beautifully presented Yum Yai Phuket salad and an amazing Curry Mai Fun Chicken Tofu Phuket-style noodle dish, both gluten-free and absolutely wonder! Luv 2 Eat Thai Bistro is one of our city’s greatest gems! We have quite a few photos of Chef Pla and Chef Fern in our gallery at the end of this post because I followed their photographer with them to the red carpet! The chefs also own Noree Thai on Beverly.

Farmhouse Kitchen served fried silkworms, crickets and grasshoppers and…I couldn’t do it. Maybe next year I will have built up enough courage! But friends and other guests seemed to really enjoy these exotic bugs. Many said they tasted like a really salty and substantial potato chip. Soon, I hope to try some of their more traditional Thai food offerings at their mid-city location.

One of my top two favorites was courtesy of the always-reliable Ceviche Stop. With their major presentation, their booth and dishes were certainly star of the show! Chef Walter Adrianzen served “The Aphrodisiac” – Ceviche in an uni shell and roasted parmesan scallops with artichoke, and Hamachi Tiradito. Their booth had the longest lines, but it was well worth the wait. I even went back for a second round toward the end of the evening!

A few other notable dishes (all photographed in our gallery below) were COUCOU who served savory zucchini beignets with chevre, olivade, and Eli’s honey with torn mint. They were satisfyingly crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, a delightful textural context. FWD or Fishing with Dynamite were a big hit of the night with Wild Mexican Bay scallop served with a passion fruit aquachile, mango, serrano oil, harissa topped with a yucca chip. It was a harmonious and airy blend of flavors and textures. Evil Cooks served new-traditional Mexican Food with an “evil twist” served tacos with guacamole, carmelized onions, two different types of cheese and a beef patty. Evil Cooks promises to “kill your appetite,” which is, of course, is normally a good thing but not on a night like tonight. The fun guys at Broad Street Oyster Company served incredible oysters, jewels of the sea, perfectly shucked and dressed. I’m glad I got to their booth early before they ran out! Their oysters were such a special treat!

Alfalfa Santa Monica was at the Bowl all weekend celebrating the grand opening of their new location on Melrose in Larchmont Village! Alfalfa served two of their signature salads, including my longtime favorite: the Beyond Far East Salad. Alfalfa’s slogan: “Real food that inspires joy” could not be truer.

Soulmate served a difficult-to-have-just-one Hamachi Tostada. Soulmate, located in West Hollywood on Robertson draws inspiration from the Spanish Mediterranean and showcases Southern California’s best seasonal ingredients. Soulmate is also a local’s favorite gathering place for the community offering their delightful Spanish Med food over a live fire. And their bar experience? One of the best in town. Taking its cues from the restaurant’s open-air layout, and designed by Sean Leffers Interiors, the bar features a diverse list of vibrant cocktails imbued with flavors from local herbs and fruits.

A few other restaurants we photographed were El Barrio Cantina whose Blue Fin Tuna Ceviche Tacos with Tamari, garlic, lemon, macha salsa, serrano, avocado were incredibly delicious. Ronan served a Margherita pizza with tomato, basil, and peccorino. Belle’s Beach House – the Hawaiian restaurant in Venice – debuted their Muchiko Chicken Nuggets with kewpie japanese BBQ and lemon. Hotspot Tacos 1986 – always a major player at the Food Bowl – served a variety of tacos. I tried their Sauteéd Mushroom Taco with onion, cilantro, guacamole and a mild salsa ranchera. Loved it! Paradise Dynasty had their signature original xiao long bao and truffle xiao long bao dumplings on hand. Singapore Airlines served a sample Farm to plane dish, what you can expect on one of their flights: Golden Door citrus grilled shrimp salad with honey glazed walnuts, blackberries and sourdough croutons. Silver Lake’s new Santo Nigiri and Sake Bar – also based out of Mexico City – had divine sashimi and hand rolls, some were vegan and all were outstanding!

Mirate may have closed their other locations, but their Los Feliz restaurant is alive and well! They are in the midst of planning their Mexican Wine event, Vino Mexicano, happening October 13th through 15th. The event promises to bring together the most influential Mexican Winemakers and chefs from across Mexico. An impactful 3-day tasting event, showcasing the country’s best wine producing regions and cuisine. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to THIS IS ABOUT HUMANITY, working to reunite separated families at the border.

A few other cocktail and dessert highlights were at the Experience European Wines tent where I enjoyed a Barton and Guestier cremant from Bordeaux. It was very festive, like champagne, but without the price tag. House of Suntory provided a private tasting of their Japanese whisky in an intimate tiny house. (we’re on a studio backlot after all!) It was a long wait as Suntory has built an enviable reputation among whisky aficianados, but I put my name on their waitlist early and went back when they texted. East Side Cheesecakes promised a vacation in your mouth, and Non World offered a surprisingly good non-alcoholic drink from Australia. Non offers bottles at about $30 each.  I tried their Non #1 – a salted raspberry and camomile mocktail that was a great and refreshing final sip of the night.

Last, but certainly not least, (and some might say I’ve arguably saved the best for last!): Holbox! Holbox was named LA Times restaurant of the year in 2023 and deservedly so! The James Beard nominated and Michelin Guide Rated casual Mexican seafood counter features local and sustainable seafood and I LOVED their smoked Kanpachi tacos with house smoked fish, queso chihuahua, salsa cruda, avocado,and chili peanut oil. We had to go back for seconds! Chef Gilberto Cetina draws his inspiration from the traditional flavors of Mexico with a clear inclination towards the southern states, in particular the Yucatan Peninsula, where he was born. With no formal culinary training, Cetina learned to cook at his family’s restaurant longtime and legendary in Los Angeles restaurant Chichen Itza. He worked alongside his father for over 15 years! He took over as chef of Chichen Itza in 2010 and in 2017 he opened Holbox. Cetina’s love of seafood began in his teen years spending the summers on the coast of Yucatan, diving for conch & octopus and spearing fish with his cousins. The flavors of ceviche prepared on the boat with the catch of the moment are what he aims to recreate. And may I just say? He has accomplished that and more at Holbox.

View all of my 100+ images of the L.A. Times Food Bowl’s “Fiesta Friday” Night Market Event below. Hope to see you at Paramount for the Night Market series again next year! Enjoy! Be sure to follow L.A. Times Food Bowl on Instagram for all the latest news and updates about next year’s festival.

Jacqueline Tager | DRE# 1476997
jacqueline.tager@sothebyshomes.com | (323) 697-3040
Sotheby’s International Realty – Los Feliz Brokerage
1801 N Hillhurst Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90027

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