LA Food and Wine Festival August 27th-30th, 2015- Preview, Tickets, Post Coverage
A perfect 82 degree LA summer evening under the shadows of the Walt DIsney Concert Hall. Grand Avenue is closed to vehicle traffic. The Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival has taken over for the Ultimate Bites of LA presented by Lexus on Grand featuring the Roots. Once inside you are free to wander and sample your way through an exciting mix of restaurants from all over the country, a wide assortment of wineries from throughout the state and an interesting mix of other spirits.
There were easily recognizable celebrity chefs in attendance like Alex Guarnaschelli, MIchelle Bernstein and Elizabeth Falkner along with local stars Timothy Hollingsworth, John Tesar and Bruce Kalman. My favorite conversation and bite of the evening however was with Chef Tim Byers from Smoke in Dallas. The brisket with a sweet corn relish was simply perfect. Other favorite bites included Goat Meatballs over braised cabbage, pine nut currants and shaved goat cheese from Sotto and a roasted beet & crescenza tortelietti over lemon, poppy seed & wild fennel from Union in Pasadena. Dessert was a roasted banana ice cream with bourbon & pecan praline from Nancy’s Fancy.
There were such an abundance of wines to choose from it could have been overwhelming but a few special mentions from this writer would include the Piazza Del Dotto Cabernet from the Cave at Pala Casino, the Pinot from Movia, a Malbec and Syrah Rose from Nellcote in Napa, another Pinot from Hope & Grace Vineyards in Napa and the pinot noir (obviously a personal favorite choice) from the Keller Estate Winery in Petaluma.
The tastiest drink samples of the evening were reserved for the not quite a margarita concoction with Pura Vida tequila, the Unusual Negroni from Hendricks Gin served from a mixing contraption your friends would all be mesmerized by and never leave if it was in your house and my favorite of the evening by far from Infuse Vodkas. In just their first couple of years in business they have already won double gold from both the San Francisco and New York Spirits competitions. They offer an assortment of small batch hand crafted infused vodkas. Flavors include Peach and Chili Pepper but my personal favorite was the Cinnamon Apple.
The event was busy but never felt overly crowded. Lines moved quickly and if you work it right you always have something in your hands to eat and drink while waiting anyway. Spirits, Wines, Creative Bites and the Roots rocking the stage all added up to one highly enjoyable evening under the warm summer sky on Grand Avenue. Post Coverage by Kevin Rock for the Saturday evening session
SAVE THE DATE! Preview
5th ANNUAL LOS ANGELES FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL RETURNS AUGUST 27-30, 2015
Michelin starred honorees, James Beard Award winners, Food & Wine Best New Chefs, and 200 wineries, will once again converge on the City of Angels during the annual epicurean jubilee produced by Coastal Luxury Management
Left to right, Michelin starred Chefs David Kinch, Dominique Crenn, Pierre Gagnaire, Michael Cimarusti; Live musical performance by Academy Award winner Common; Walt Disney Concert Hall (courtesy of Los Angeles Food & Wine)
WHAT: The fifth annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival, presented with founding partners FOOD & WINE and Lexus, is set to feature three-nights and four-days of unrivalled tastings, dinners, lunches, seminars, book signings, cooking demonstrations, and special events, showcasing the finest in food and drink culture.
In past years, the star-studded lineup has included celebrated chefs such as Daniel Boulud, Curtis Stone, Giada De Laurentiis, Rick Bayless, Wolfgang Puck, Nancy Silverton, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Thomas Keller, Roy Choi, Michael Chiarello, Michael Voltaggio, Robert
Irvine, Guy Fieri, Fabio Viviani, and Graham Elliot, as well as local favorites including Tim Hollingsworth, Michael Cimarusti, Suzanne Goin, Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Jessica Koslow, Ari Taymor, Ori Menashe, Josef Centeno, Sang Yoon, Ben Ford, and Ray Garcia, to name a few.
Marquee events slated to return include Live on Grand, Asian Night Market, the Power Lunch series, exclusive chef collaboration meals, and live musical performances from award-winning artists.
The Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival has supported Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, St. Vincent Meals on Wheels and other L.A. based charitable endeavors.
In the next several weeks, the festival will be announcing confirmed programming and participants for 2015. Please continue to check www.lafw.com for updates!
WHEN: Thursday, August 27 through Sunday, August 30, 2015
WHERE: Headquartered in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, with main events directly in front of the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall (with closures along Grand Avenue, between 1st and 3rd street), the 5th annual Los Angeles Food & Wine festival will also feature tastings, dinners, lunches, seminars, cooking demonstrations, and special events located across parts of greater Los Angeles including Downtown, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Hollywood, and more.
SOCIAL MEDIA:www.lafw.com
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ABOUT COASTAL LUXURY MANAGEMENT, LLC:
Coastal Luxury Management, LLC (CLM), co-founded and managed by CEO David Alan Bernahl II, creates unique experiential opportunities in the hospitality, entertainment, restaurant, and event sectors. In addition to being named one of Inc. Magazine’s “Top Food & Beverage Companies” in 2012 and 2013, CLM has also been included in the annual Inc. 500/5000 ranking of the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the United States for the past two years. CLM produces Pebble Beach Food & Wine and the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival, both known for bringing together the highest caliber of culinary and wine talents to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences. CLM’s catering division, Coastal Luxury Catering, combines the company’s restaurant and event divisions to offer full-service event planning and catering services for a variety of social, corporate, and non-profit events throughout the country. CLM’s restaurant division includes: Restaurant 1833, named one of Robb Report’s 2012 “Best of the Best” and a James Beard Foundation 2012 “Best New Restaurant” nominee; Cannery Row Brewing Company, home to one of the largest draft and bottled craft beer selections in Central California; and the acclaimed Downtown Los Angeles restaurant, Faith & Flower, an Esquire magazine 2014 “Best New Restaurant” recipient. In the winter of 2013, through their continued partnership with hospitality entrepreneur Charles Banks, CLM launched Vessel. Aimed towards redefining the way people dine. Vessel offers a highly curated selection of glassware and tabletop accessories sourced from across the globe for retail consumers and restaurant venues. For more information about Coastal Luxury Management, please contact [email protected].