The Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival is one of LA’s biggest culinary festivals. The all-weekend-long event kicked off on Thursday with Festa Italiana, hosted by Giada De Laurentiis.
Set downtown against with the Walt Disney Concert Hall serving as the backdrop, the air of the event was thick with the aroma of fine wines and steamy from small plates of fine cuisine.
Along with hundreds of food and wine enthusiasts, many A-list chefs and food personalities were either serving at the event or simply enjoying it with everyone else.
It turned out that Giada, who was the hostess for the evening, was also celebrating her birthday. Duff Goldman, of Food Network’s Ace of Cakes, was nice enough to whip up a cake.
Even though this stunning event has ended, there’s still time to experience the rest of LAFW! Tickets are still on sale for the events that are coming up during the rest of the weekend like Morimoto’s Asian Night Market and the Lexus Grand Tasting on Saturday and Sunday. Get over to the LAFW website for more info!
- LAFW, Wednesday – Sunday, August 21 – 25, times vary
Here are more images from the event!
The main entrance just outside of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Aarti Sequeira from Food Network was strolling the red carpet with her husband.
Stella Artois offered samples of their new Cidre, 4.5% ABV cider made from 100% Washington apples!
Thomas Keller from Bouchon and the French Laundry was getting up close and personal with guests…by throwing the occasional beach ball.
Scott Conant, known for his commentary on Food Network’s Chopped, was on hand to talk secret ingredients.
One of the lounges set up by the event sponsors, this one by the Cosmopolitan Hotel of Las Vegas.
The scene by day….
And the scene by night!