This Weekend! American Wine & Food Festival

I know its early in the week to start talking about the weekend, but September 24-26 is probably the busiest weekend ever for events around Los Angeles.  Try to get to them all and you’ll likely be quintuple booked!

In this early edition of This Weekend, let’s take a quick look at the critically acclaimed, enormously epicurean, fund-raising event known as the American Wine & Food Festival.

Selections From the Best in the Business
Living up to its name, the American Wine & Food Festival (AWFF) features wine, spirits, and cuisine representative of gourmet kitchens from coast to coast.  Pulling everything together is an army of top chefs led my the venerable Wolfgang Puck.

Wine and Food for a Cause
The whole purpose for this huge gathering is to raise funds for the Meals On Wheels Programs of Los Angeles, which serve thousands of meals each day to Los Angeles’ homebound, senior and disabled citizens.  Since 1982, the event has raised more than $15 million for this worthy cause.

Spring For it
With all of the iron chefs, great beverages, and good deeds done through this event, it does come with a price tag.  There are various options for corporate sponsors but for the pedestrian foodies the cost of admission ($300/person) may seem steep.  I don’t know if attending qualifies as a tax deductible donation; either way you’d be partying for a cause.

Is it worth it?  I don’t know yet!  I’ll be attending the event for the first time this Saturday (as media; full disclosure!) and will share my opinions afterward.  If you need a second opinion, Caroline on Crack has it on her LA Bucket List and Yelpers have given it nothing less than 5 Stars.  If you can’t make it this time around, start saving now (~$25/month?) and be sure to catch it next year!

American Wine & Food Festival

http://awff.org
Saturday, September 25, 6 – 11 PM

On the Back Lot of Universal Studios
3900 Lankershim Boulevard, Universal City, CA 91608

Photo credit Alex Berliner © Berliner Studio/BRImages