Its food festival season! Then next few summer weekends will have Southern California swimming in beer and wine poured at festivals from Los Angeles to San Diego. Here’s a snapshot of what’s coming up.
Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival, 8/21-25
With five days of feasting and an army of celebrity chefs, this year’s Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival (LAFW) is one of the most ambitious to date. Spanning LA from Santa Monica to Downtown with a stop in Beverly Hills, the “event” is actually a collection of lunches, dinners, and grand tasting sessions.
Prices vary for each event; see the LAFW site for specifics. Highlights? Check out Iron Chef Morimoto’s Asian Night Market on Friday; the Ben Ford and Ziggy Marley Cooking Demo on Saturday; and of course, The Lexus Grand Tasting on Sunday. Wear stretchy pants!
- LAFW, Wednesday – Sunday, August 21 – 25, times vary
Long Beach Taste of Brews, 8/24
Taste of Brews is a travelling showcase of beers from “dozens of local, regional, and international breweries and brewpubs.” A reasonable fee for entry (~$40-$50) gets lucky attendees three or four hours access to seasonal, craft, and micro-brews. Discounts are available for groups and designated drivers.
Taking place in Lighthouse Park, the views of the Long Beach harbor and Queen Mary will make the perfect setting for an afternoon sipping brew under the California sun.
- Long Beach Taste of Brews, Saturday, August 24, 12 – 4 PM
San Diego Spirits Festival, 8/24-25
The San Diego Spirits Festival has been working hard for five long years to make San Diego the epicenter of Southern California cocktail culture. Quoting the founder, Liz Edwards, “the San Diego Spirits Festival attracts high-profile members of the spirits and culinary trade, affluent consumers and local bar and restaurateurs who are passionate about San Diego and the West coast’s burgeoning cocktail and culinary scene.”
Earlier this year, the festival garnered some national acclaim when Fodor’s listed it as one of the Best Cocktail Festivals in America.
The tickets which run about $100 per guest for each day include four hours of unlimited spirits tasting and food samples. I say make the two hour drive Saturday morning, enjoy the event on Saturday afternoon, and then sleep the night away in a San Diego hotel.
To get a better idea of this event, check out our past coverage: Highlights from the San Diego Spirits Festival.
- San Diego Spirits Festival, Saturday and Sunday, 1 – 5 PM
Los Angeles Times the TASTE, 8/30-9/1
Riding the tail end of summer, the TASTE is one of my favorite festivals with its focus on the LA Dining scene. The list of star chefs that will be serving their best include some of our local heroes like BBQ Master Neil “Big Mista” Strawder and Top Chef Brooke Williamson of Hudson House Redondo Beach. Follow the links above to see our past coverage of these two phenomenal cooks.
Packed into Labor Day weekend, the TASTE gives Angelenos and their guests five events for five unique LA experiences from Opening Night – an elegant soiree where guests can mingle with a who’s who of LA’s top kitchen talent – to a family style Labor Day Block Party.
Tickets for the opening night gala start at $125 while the other events are just $65 until August 29. After that, you’ll shell over $85 for each of the signature events. The $175 Weekend Pass that gets lucky SOBs in all the events is already sold out. Don’t sleep! Get your tickets NOW!
Follow this link for our past coverage of last year’s TASTE! Labor Day Weekend Sets the Stage for The Los Angeles Times THE TASTE 2012
- Los Angeles Times the TASTE, Labor Day Weekend, August 30 – September 1; times vary