Welcome to the weekend. After a couple of weeks of jury duty and still trying to keep above water at work, I could use a good one. This weekend is shaping out to be just that. Enjoy art and food in Silverlake, a hell’uva deal at Nick and Stef’s, wine diners, barrel tastings, a wonderful event with food prepared by some amazing chefs, a farm-to-table dinner and an old timey Speakeasy at the Roosevelt Hotel. Better get that liver (and stomach) in shape.
Friday, Nov 6
Silver Lake Art Crawl
Silverlake (times vary)
All weekend long, enjoy gallery showings, special events and a food galore at the Silver Lake Art Crawl. Then on Sunday check out a slew of food trucks at Barnsdall Art Park from 1-4pm. Coolhaus, Let’s Be Frank, Dosa Truck, The Buttermilk Truck, Del’s Lemonade, and Tiago Coffee will be serving up goodies.
Nick & Stef’s 10th Anniversary Dinner
Downtown Los Angeles
In honor of its 10th Anniversary, downtown’s Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse is offering a three-course tasting menu for $39.95, available through November. Diners can start with a Caesar salad, soup or iceberg lettuce wedge with Maytag blue cheese before enjoying grilled filet mignon, organic chicken or salmon, complete with side dishes. For dessert, lemon meringue pie with blackberry honey or a trio of gelato are available. Call 213-680-0330 for reservations.
Joseph Phelps Vineyards Wine Dinner
Beverly Hills
Foodies and winos are invited to a four-course Joseph Phelps Vineyards wine dinner at The Peninsula Beverly Hills. Guests will be able to meet Kathleen Dirickson, the winery’s national manager, as well as to taste Joseph Phelps’ wines paired to a fall menu prepared by executive chef James Overbaugh. The night’s dishes will include Dungeness crab chowder with carrots, basil and Dungeness crab soufflé paired to a 2007 Sauvignon Blanc; and roasted loin of venison with persimmon carpaccio, grilled bok choy, roasted turnips and fingerling potatoes paired to a 2005 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2006 Insignia, which ordinarily retails for $200 a bottle. The evening costs $98 per person. Call 310-975-2736 to make reservations.
Saturday, Nov 7
Harvest Wine Celebration
Temecula
At the Harvest Wine Celebration in Temecula, ticketed guests have the opportunity to visit 25 participating wineries for a self- guided tour of the Temecula Valley. Food and wine samplings are offered at each stop as well as barrel and/or tank samples of finished and unfinished wines not usually available to the public.
Speakeasy
Hollywood (8-11pm)
Hollywood steps back into the age of Prohibition with Speakeasy, presented by DrinkEatPlay and K&L Wine Merchants, at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. The event will feature a jazz lounge, hand-crafted cocktails by L.A.’s top mixologists at three different bars, and over 100 brands of gin, bourbon and scotch to sample from. There will also be a buffet of cheese and fruit. Regular tickets are $75. VIP admission is $150 and includes early entry at 7 p.m., catered food, and a special champagne bar. Sophisticated attire required.
Sunday, Nov 8
Great Chefs of Los Angeles
Studio City (12:30-3:30pm)
Tthe 23rd annual Great Chefs of Los Angeles brings together L.A.’s top culinary talent for an afternoon of food, wine, music and auctions to benefit the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California. This year, a “Go Green, Go Organic” theme promotes eco-conscious living and sustainability. Over 30 participating chefs include Adam Horton (Saddle Peak Lodge), Ben Ford (Ford’s Filling Station), Celestino Drago (Drago Centro), Josie Le Balch (Josie), Neal Fraser (Grace) and the team of Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (Border Grill, Ciudad). The event will take place at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City. Tickets are $150 per person. Guests will receive Get Hip Get Green reusable gift totes stuffed with $250 worth of goodies! More information and purchase tickets here.
Farm-to-Table-Dinner at Ammo
Los Angeles (5-9pm)
Ammo presents a Farm-to-Table-Dinner with Weiser Family Farm and Robert Sinskey Vineyards. Items on the menu include Puree of butternut squash with paprika oil, Young Lettuces with roasted Bartlett pear, Humboldt Fog, spiced & candied pumpkin seeds and a sherry vinaigrette, House Made Pappardelle with sprouting broccoli, dandelion and ricotta salata2, Wood Oven Roasted Lamb Loin with roasted baby root vegetables and sautéed beet greens, Fuji Apple Crumble with vanilla bean ice cream. The cost is $50 per person, plus $30 for the wine paring. Make a reservation by calling (323) 871-2666.
Continuing:
palate food + wine Sunday Session and Supper
Glendale (12-5pm & 5-9pm)
This Sunday at palate food + wine try the featured “Single Dish” at Sunday Session for $12. Or do the full Sunday supper for $35 which includes an appetizer, a main course, and dessert. Wine flights available for $12.
Upcoming:
November 14 – Since the beginning of summer, Evan Kleiman has been baking a pie a day. Join Evan at the KCRW Good Food Pie Bakeoff at the Westfield shopping center in Topanga Canyon. At the event from 2-4pm, home cooks and pastry chefs will compete at the first ever pie bake-off. Hosted by Good Food’s Evan Kleiman and judged by a panel of celebrity chefs (Top Chef’s Stefan Richter from LA Farm, Eric Greenspan from The Foundry, Mark Peel from Campanile and Russ Parsons, LA Times Food Editor). Registration begins on October 1st.
November 15 – Eight New Metro Rail Stations from Downtown (Union station) to East Los Angeles open on Sunday. Each station will feature it’s own party from 9am-5pm. At the East LA Civic Center Station, enjoy live performances of Chicano rock, a spectacular Farmer’s Market plus tasty food booths, local artisans and special exhibits from the County Bike Coalition and Metro Bike programs. At the Mariachi Plaza Station, expect the joy of live Mariachi music to fill your senses, as the celebration continues with a special Block Party. At the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, take your place on state with live karaoke, then enjoy the cuisine of the area along with special family activities. At Union Station, look for a display from Madame Tussauds Hollywood, as well as bands, guitarists, food boths and a special visit from Santa.
November 19 РMorels French Steakhouse & Bistro at The Grove will host a Balvenie Scotch Dinner at 7 p.m., featuring special guest speaker Andrew Weir. The four-course prix-fixe dinner will include Scotch-cured salmon with horseradish cr̬me fraiche paired with Balvenie Single Barrel; roasted quail paired with Balvenie Medeira Cask; prime dry-aged rib-eye paired with Balvenie Double Wood; and chocolate souffl̩ paired with Balvenie Port Wood. The cost is $75 per person. Reservations are suggested. 323-965-9595.
November 21 – At the Thanksgiving Cooking Demo Extravaganza, Good Food host Evan Kleiman prepares five easy to make Thanksgiving side dishes, and pastry chef and cookbook author Cindy Mushet joins the fun. Takes place at the Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks from 3-5pm. This event is free.
December 5-6 – At the Indio International Tamale Festival enjoy tamales, music and dancing. The Festival is between Highway 111 and Indio Boulevard and fills-in the streets of Miles, Towne, Smurr & Requa. The Food TV recently ranked the Indio International Tamale Festival in the top 10 “All-American Food Festivals” in the nation. Admission and parking are free.
December 11-13 – The 5th Annual Tamale Festival location is TBD. But word is, it’s gonna be bigger and better than ever with a Tamale Cook-off, Art & Crafts Booths, Best Commercial Tamale Contest & Best Homemade Tamale Contest (anyone can enter), Tamale Eating Contest, and a Tamale Making Demo. Bring your canned food items for the House of Ruth Food Pantrie and The River Food Pantrie.
11. November 2009 at 3:36 pm
This year’s Harvest Celebration in Temecula Wine Country was a huge success. Thank you to all the visitors who made it out the the wineries and to the Winegrower’s Association for all their hard work. We look forward to seeing you next year!