Mo-Chica: "OG" Tasting Menu Tuesdays: 5-Courses, $27!

If you've been reading this blog, you know I love a good dining deal.  Sometimes I depend on it, to get me through the week.  Often though, 'deal' also disappointingly equates to 'lowest common denominator' - where restaurants default to the standard, safe, chicken or beef meal.
 
So I was excited to hear that Mo-chica is breaking out of the clutter - where others may take that predictable approach - with its "OG" Tasting Menu of Peruvian offerings, that are still hearty and filling.

It's not possible to talk about Peruvian food in LA without talking about Chef Ricardo Zarate - he pretty much put it on the map here.  The Food & Wine Best New Chef 2011 is the creative mind behind three restaurants showcasing his country's cuisine - including the latest 'Peruvian Izakaya' concept at Paiche, where it was fun for me to try preparations of its namesake prehistoric Amazonian fish recently.

Mo-chica is Chef Zarate's second restaurant, and he has been celebrating its first birthday with a 'throwback' menu that pays tribute to its humble origins in Mercado La Paloma (South Central) food court (though these dishes had never been served there).

The "OG Tasting Menu" is a very generous offering of 5 courses of food at a price that instinct says must be a typo, but isn't (just $27 before taxes and gratuities) - and is homey/hearty - if those are words that can be used with such an exotic cuisine.  It is only available on Tuesdays - and if you swing by between 2:30pm-5pm, during their regular happy hour, you get 20% off drinks as well!

I kicked off the meal with a signature The Doggfather/Pisco Sour (NOT included in the OG Tasting Menu) $11 regularly - a light, refreshing drink made with pisco porton, egg white, fresh lime juice, fresh lemon juice, evaporated cane syrup, angostura bitter, cinnamon tincture

Course #1: Heirloom Tomato Salad - this is a delicious take on the classic caprese salad: heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella are expected: crispy red quinoa and huacatay (Peruvian black mint) pesto are not.  I liked how the quinoa added a surprise, clean crunch (along with the asparagus), and mint to replace the usual basil.  

Course #2: Ceviche Trio: Tuna Sashimi, Diver Scallop and Hamachi. As I learned with Paiche, there is apparently a huge Japanese population and influence over food in Peru, so the inclusion of sashimi in the tasting menu here is not out of place.  But it's done with a twist.  The tuna sashimi was served with yuzu miso, green shiso, and mountain yam.  The diver scallop was served with aji amarillo (a Peruvian yellow chile pepper) aioli, wasabi and tobiko. The hamachi was served with jalapeno ponzu, nori lettuce, and garlic crisp. 

Course #3: Roasted Striped Bass with aji amarillo choclo pepian, English peas, thyme tomato escabeche, mint chimichurri.  We didn't get Amazonian fish with this one, but the bass was lovely, tender and flaky, and interesting with the corn stew punctuated by the light acidity of the tomato escabeche.

Course #4: Braised Short Rib rocoto yam mash, Kennebec fries, huacatay demi-glace. This one did feel the most 'common' of the dishes in the menu.

Course #5: Chocolate Tres Leches Cake chancaca sauce, blueberries, mint syrup.  Yep, I had to look up chancaca too - it's apparently a sauce made out of raw unrefined sugar and crystallized with honey.  A 'rustic' dessert that is a nice way to finish out the meal after the richness of the preceding dishes.

Although I had to look up a lot of the ingredients used in these dishes, overall the meal again felt very...comforting.  Which maybe goes against our general notion of comfort foods as being dishes that are familiar, and simple.  But it feels like these dishes would be soul soothingly familiar, to someone from Peru.  Definitely tame compared to the bolder, more flavorful and playful cooking at Picca or Paiche.  You get the sense that Chef Zarate is sharing a taste of home here. 

I personally prefer the more vibrant and thoroughly unfamiliar dishes at Paiche or Picca, which feels more like event dining / a meal and entertainment in one. But if you haven't tried Peruvian cuisine yet, and not sure you're ready to go 'full adventurous' both with your tastebuds and wallet - Mo-chica's OG Tasting Menu might be the one to get you started as your beginner's intro to Peruvian food, without a huge investment. It's also a good option for those who work downtown, and just want to grab a nice weeknight meal at a reasonable price before heading home (the portions are definitely so generous that you'll want to roll out of the place and straight into a nap after).

*Disclaimer: This meal was hosted.

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Mo-Chica

514 W 7th St., Los Angeles, CA 90014

Ph: 213.622.3744

Website: mo-chica.com

OpenTable: Look for reservations and points

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For more prix fixe dining deals like this one, for every day of the week - see my post here.

Starry Kitchen Nights at Tiara Cafe: Singaporean Chili Crab in DTLA

One of my most memorable meals of 2012 was at a restaurant that wasn't really a restaurant (I know you've lost count by now of the number of times this year you've read that on any given LA food blog).

I had long read of the underground kitchen turned legit operation serving interesting pan-Asian fare (with a side of bold, quirky, costume-loving personality via owner Nguyen) - and had been mad at myself for missing it while it was at its original location, just a block from the courthouse in downtown LA where I spent three weeks in jury duty. 

So when they opened up a not-a-pop-up-pop-up at Tiara Cafe, and started serving Singaporean style Chili Crab (I had just fallen in love with the dish during a visit to Singapore the previous holiday), I knew I had to pay a long overdue visit. I cruelly convinced miffyeats to go with me even though she is allergic to crab (which I had forgotten until the very last minute...bad, bad, bad friend...) - being an amazing friend, she rallied a group together so that we can try more different dishes. In more poor form, knowing that the chili crab has been selling out like crazy, my type A self had to tweet Starry Kitchen to ask them to reserve two crabs for us...because if I was going to venture to DTLA at night (which usually freaks me out due to a past bad experience), I'm making damn sure I'm getting that crab, dammit.

We started with a comped plate of their signature Crispy Tofu Balls ($6.50), which I'd sampled at The Gold Standard previously - and like the last time, it was more tasty than a vegetable-hater would expect (and yes, despite the innuendos in the marketing of this dish so bold as to be against the very nature of innuendos). Crispy with puffed glutinous rice on the outside...    

...with the texture of the tofu inside like a firm cream cheese. The balls themselves are very mild in flavor, it's the sriracha mayo dipping sauce that gives it a nice and necessary kick.

 

Then came the Double-Fried Sweet Ginger Chicken Waaaaaaaaangs ($7.50) - which were "finger-lickin' good" and seriously addictive. Super crispy from the double fry, juicy dark meat inside, sweet with a bite from the ginger - these were a great way to whet our appetites for the meal ahead.

We knew we had to get the Grilled Fish "Heads+Tails" with Viet Fish Sauce ($11) as soon as we saw it on the menu - as expected, it was a show stopper - a very dramatic presentation of alternating fish heads and fish tails, with a crisp and lovely char, with that amazing sweet/tangy fish sauce.

Then there was the Pork Chili Oil Wonton + Szechuan Style Shredded Potatoes ($7) - the shredded potatoes were an interesting twist on the usual accompaniment for wontons: noodles.  

My favorite dish of the night, before the much-anticipated crustaceans ever hit the table - was the Claypot Caramelized Striped Bass+Pancetta (aka "Ca Kho To") ($22.95).  This was a perfect melding of two of my favorite styles of Cantonese cooking: steaming (of fish) and claypot stewing.  The fresh, skin-on striped bass (and broth) were delicate and light, tender and evenly infused with perfectly balanced sweet/savory flavors, punctuated by juicy cubes of pancetta (the western kind isn't an ingredient you see much in Cantonese cooking, but its distant umami inducing cousin, yunan ham is).  I loved this preparation - its flavors and presentation brought me home, if only temporarily.

Almost as a reprieve from all the stimulation, we had just before the crab, Japanese Garlic Noodles w/ Confit Garlic ($9).

And then...what we came for: Singaporean Chili Crab (Market Price) - whole crabs in all their glory, bowl piled high with french bread. So the moment of truth: was it what I tasted in Singapore?  I've only had it once, at one location in Singapore, so I don't have any real sample base for comparison, and I'm not sure that Starry Kitchen intended theirs to be an exact replica of however Singaporeans typically prepare theirs. The 1.5kg-er I inhaled in Singapore was a Sri Lankan crab in a very creamy, smooth thick orange colored sauce that was sweet and spicy, seamlessly blended together; the one at Starry Kitchen was a Dungeness crab in a more liquidy red sauce with chunks of tomato, that was primarily tart with strong garlic notes. In consistency only, if compared to pasta sauces I would say the difference was like vodka sauce vs marinara. And at LB Seafood I had loved sopping up the leftover sauce with fried mantou, which went perfectly with the sauce, with its slightly sweet pillowy doughiness offset by the crispy exterior that allowed it to hold up even with the sauce. But all I knew was that everyone at the Starry Kitchen table dug in with abandon - even with its differences, Starry Kitchen's version of chili crab is not something you can easily find in LA (if it can be found at all?), tasty and well worth a trip downtown to check out.

Nguyen was kind enough to comp us a plate of desserts: Osthmanthus Panna Cotta with Poached Pears ($5) Salted Plum Lychee Panna Cotta ($5) 5-Spiced Apple Fritters with Honey Bourbon Cream Sauce ($6) - I'd had the salted plum lychee panna cotta at another food fest, and still loved its unique blend of flavors every bit as much as the first time.


Hats off to chef Thi (aka "Kitchen Ninja" and wife of Nguyen) and of course Nguyen for a fantastically fun dinner!  Not sure how long the pair will be at Tiara Cafe, but try to catch them if you can - check their Facebook or Twitter for updates on their latest R&D creations, and make reservations in advance for their chili crab which sells out quickly!

[Deal alert: And oh, coincidentally, you can get $20 off dinner at Starry Kitchen Nights with the $20 for $40 worth of food & drink deal running at Bloomspot right now til around Saturday 1/12 - click here for details.]

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Starry Kitchen at Tiara Cafe 
127 E 9th St., Los Angeles, CA 90079

Ph: 213.623.3663
Website: starrykitchen.com
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Towne: Upscale 'Neighborhood Hangout', Wood-burning Deliciousness

The minute I set foot in Towne, it literally took my breath away: with what I can only describe oxymoronically as casual grandeur, and the heady fragrance of wood-burning oven infusing the entire space.

Towne had been diligently promoting their fine dining offerings in a space that is sophisticated yet comfortable - positioned as a neighborhood hangout in an area of newly developed hi-rise condos (the restaurant is on the ground floor of the Watermarke tower). They had been holding several media dinners in past months to spread the word.  I had been drooling over pics other bloggers were posting on Instagram, and was excited to be invited to a media dinner recently to check it out for myself.

A meal at Towne starts with pretzel bread and mustard butter.

It was hard to choose from the list of delicious sounding craft cocktails, but I finally settled on the Eastern Mule ($13) Russian Standard vodka, lime, house 5-spice ginger beer.  The 5-spice was what intrigued fellow blogger LAOCFoodie and I.  The presentation was great in a lovely copper mug, which keeps the drink cool - but to be honest I couldn't really taste much of anything - there was a lot of ice...LAOCFoodie made much better choices, I actually loved the drinks he ordered, which were farm fresh and nuanced as I usually like 'em - you can read about his take on the food, drinks and whole experience here. 

The food was what intrigued me - many seemed like unique blends of different cultures' cuisines.  The first to arrive were the Kampachi "Tacos" ($12) avocado, hijiki, aji amarillo, creme fraiche.  Tortilla shells filled with chopped up sashimi, topped with aji amarillo (South American yellow chile pepper) infused creme fraiche and pickled radish. A tasty starter that uniquely blends Japanese, South American and Mexican cuisines.

Next up was a classic with a twist: Bone Marrow Matzo Ball Soup ($9) shiitakes, beef consommé. This is like a French chef's elevated take on the Jewish staple comfort food.The photo doesn't do it justice - it was pretty insanely delicious. First of all, why has no one else (that I'm aware of) ever switched up the good ole chicken broth for beef consommé? And the addition of fatty bone marrow and earthy shiitake mushrooms to the matzo ball soup makes it instantly addictive.  I also loved the balance of the rich flavors in the concentrated, yet clarified savory broth, with the spongey comfortingly mild flavors of the matzo ball, and sweet meatiness of the mushrooms. I've always been a matzo ball soup fan, but this takes it to a whole other level - loved it and would go back just for this dish (and some others, see below ;)).

 

Another favorite of the meal was the Wood Grilled Octopus ($16) roasted tomato puree, crips artichokes. The Spanish octopus had a perfect smokey char - and sometimes perhaps due to the texture of this seafood it doesn't really absorb flavors that well, but somehow this one seemed to be very evenly infused with amazing flavors from the tomato, artichokes, celery root, purple potato etc. I would have wanted the plate to be kept cleaner though, with less of a pile-up of veggies - and allowing the gorgeous octopus to take center stage, with veggies put back into their place as secondary accompaniment (ok maybe my own bias against veggies is at play here...but the octopus was so delicious it seemed a shame to bury it under all that...extra stuff...)

 

Another dish that arrived with an unexpected combination of ingredients: Seared Dayboat Scallops ($18) fig, pickled radish, coconut broth. Maybe it was the coconut broth, but to me this made me think of Thai food, though it wasn't at all spicy. The scallops were skillfully seared to be crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. The fig was an unusal pairing with scallop that kind of helped bring out its sweetness - it was a little disorienting at first but grows on you. The bok choy was another uncommon touch. This one was like a French Thai Chinese Mediterrenean mashup.

With that wood-fired oven practically transforming me into the Froot Loops toucan ("just follow your nose!") - I was glad that we got to try the Whole Roasted Branzino (Market Price) from that spectacular smelling oven. Loved that it was served skin on, tail pretty much on, stuffed with herbs - deliciously smokey outside, sweet and super tender inside - laid on a bed of Sardinian cous cous.  We're not sure what makes the cous cous Sardinian, but it was smart to lay it out under the fish so that all the rich flavors from the fish are soaked up by the grains, making for an all-round delicious plate. 

Carrying over that same concept, but with a land animal: Glazed Beef Cheek Pot Roast ($18) sourdough gnocchi, roasted root vegetables, popover. The red-wine braised beef cheek could get you food-drunk with its incredible flavors, and make you cry with its tenderness - and the sourdough gnocchi sat below it to catch all those flavors. The only thing I didn't like about this was the popover - which wasn't as fluffy as I would have liked, and didn't have that fresh-baked bread flavor.

Another best of dish was the Spaghetti ($20) crab, sea urchin. The pasta was perfectly al dente, elevated with umami from added sea creatures.  And I think toasted parmesan.  Another dish I would go back for, though $20 is a bit steep - the portion is fairly generous.

An interesting veggie side was the Roasted Brussel Sprouts ($7) with tamarind, bacon, apple.  Crisped brussel sprouts seem to pretty much be on every restaurant's menu nowadays, usually with bacon, or pancetta, or some equivalent pork ingredient - Towne puts their own twist on it by adding tamarind and apple.  To me the sweetness and textures made the dish remind me of earthy, juicy shiitake mushrooms, cooked the chinese way in a starchy sauce.  Not that photogenic and kind of sticky, but very delicious.

 

And for the piece de resistance: Crispy Pork Shank for 2 ($18 per person) sweet & sour cabbage, whole grain mustard spatzle, mustard jus.  If Chris Harrison were here he would adapt his signature phrase to say: "In the most draamatic (pork) ceremony ever...".  Our server brought out a gigantic piece of pork (shank is I think the 'forearm' or 'calf' of a pig), with beautifully crisped skin...I'm talking caveman's dinner sized - the platter made me feel instantly primal.

Apparently they portion it for two people, but the shank we got could have easily fed four average sized Asians, I think.  When our server...um...knifed the shank...steam came out in its path and the meat fell away easily.  This one is definitely an experience, and given the generous size - just going by what we were served - I'd say it's a fairly good deal at $18 per person.  And again the spatzle underneath, to catch all the juicy goodness.  Yum.

 

Though I was about to burst out of my wrap dress at this point, there was still dessert to to come, and Towne boasts the pastry chef from Bottega Louie, so we were looking forward to tasting those pastries.  We got a S'mores Donut and three macarons (pistachio, chocolate peanut butter and jelly, and lychee).  The donut had a melty marshmallow center and was glazed with chocolate - I loved the concept but wasn't impressed with the taste or texture - it didn't taste fresh made to me.  Of the three macarons, lychee was my favorite, but I felt like none of them had the levity and crisp exterior with airy interior that the ones at Bottega Louie has.

We also tried the Peanut Butter Crunch Bar - made with choolate ganache and peanut butter cream - which I wanted to be less dense and sticky...

All in all, a great experience at Towne and I can see that it's a nice addition to the area - another beacon of light in the gentrification of downtown LA.

I was impressed with some of the creative risk-taking and overall most of the savory dishes we tried were delicious. Prices are not outrageous given the quality of the food and most of them are very generously portioned.  Definitely a nice place to go for dinner, especially for those in the area - and you can decide whether to dress up or not and still be comfortable either way.

*Disclosure: This meal was hosted.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Towne
705 W 9th St., Los Angeles, CA 90015
Ph: 213.623.2366

Website: towne-la.com
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Los Angeles Food & Wine: Richard Blais & Lexus Grand Tasting

Only in its second year, Los Angeles Food & Wine had already become one of the most highly anticipated events in the city - mainly for having the power to draw high profile chefs from around the country, to a series of themed cooking and tasting events over four days (August 9-12). 

This year I was excited to get a press pass to two of those events on Sunday: a cooking demo with Richard Blais of Top Chef fame, and the Lexus Grand Tasting .  There aren't many things I would wake up at an ung*dly hour of morning on weekends for, but I set three alarms to make sure I got to the cooking demo downtown at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live.  And it was well worth it - on reality TV shows, clearly editing plays a big part in shaping 'characters'. So it was fantastic to get a sense of the 'real' Richard Blais in person - who turned out to be hilarious! While showing how to put together a hamachi dish, he opened up the floor to any questions

from the crowd, kicking things off with "If you are wondering about the hair....it's equal parts duck fat and liquid nitrogen". 

We heard a little bit about his restaurant, Spence, in Atlanta, and as he demonstrated different techniques with elements of his hamachi creation - we also got to sample a tomato pate fruit that was refreshing and delicious.

And though we didn't get to taste the actual final product, it was an absolutely beautiful dish - there were so many components I couldn't even take notes fast enough, but if memory serves correctly, it was a hamachi sashimi wrapped in cucumber, with fried clams (freshly shucked with liquid nitrogen), olive oil "pearls" (ice cream flash frozen with liquid nitrogen), and dill (which chef described as "oceanic" and a bit "like the Jackie O of herbs, so elegant, simple and beautiful" - love the quotable Blais!). 

Right after, I headed down to the tent in the LA Live event space for the big Lexus Grand Tasting.  The setup was essentially the same as last year's but I was happy to see many more food stations.  Instead of an Amex lounge this year they had a Delta one (where they were giving out lanyards that you can use to hang your wine glass around your neck - sad I missed those, they ran out by the time I got there).

There were many delicious bites/sips to be had from the 30 chefs' booths + 300 wineries - much of it was a blur in the race to sample as much as I could within the 3 hour event...so hopefully I captured names and ingredients correctly, but apologies in advance if not!

One of my favorite things about these tasting events is that you get to sample bites from a wide variety of high caliber restaurants, ones you may not have been quite ready to commit to a full meal yet, and ones from other cities that you might want to consider on your next visit.

So my first stops were at booths of restaurants I've been meaning to try.  I was drawn to the Rivera booth by their cute displays of savory looking cones.  There were two kinds when I got there, one that was filled with salmon tartare and sesame (which was SO tasty with its perfect balance of lush smooth bites of fish with the crunch of sesame and cone), and the other with some sort of salad topped by pumpkin seeds.

Mercato di Vetro served up a lamb merguez sausage sandwich (really more of a wrap or taco) - a hearty bite with bit of heat, super juicy with a slight char.  Loved. 

Their other offering was one of my favorites at the show - a tomato gazpacho with liquid nitrogen frozen lime and basil sorbet, in a plastic shot glass.  In the summer heat, this was the perfect sample to serve - it was life-savingly cool and refreshing, and instantly addictive (I shamelessly went back for I think 5 before I lost count...)  I sincerely hope that they sell these at the restaurant by the pitcher, because I need a fix NOW and I will easily down that amount in one sitting.   

A restaurant that I will probably never be able to afford, Nobu served up one of the best bites of yellowtail I've ever had.  It made me ecstatic (that I got to try it) and sad (that it probably won't happen again until the next LAFW) at the same time.

The Lodge at Pebble Beach brought a well balanced plate of grilled cheese with pork belly and tomato gazpacho 

Post Ranch Inn had one of the most photogenic tables with their wagyu beef with compressed watermelon and edible flowers (they were tasty bites too!)

Searsucker (I had a lovely meal there on my last trip to San Diego, which I've yet to blog about!) wins for most generous serving, with a lobster roll that is gigantic in size and flavor.  I only wished I had more stomach space - I wouldn't have been able to stop eating these...

MB Post had a lamb belly with pickled peaches that was good, though not mind-blowing and just a bit too chewy and overseasoned...

The Plumed Horse (Saratoga & Los Gatos, CA) was all about a classic, well executed: braised beef short rib so tender and flavorful, made transcendent when paired with a perfectly creamy polenta.

Of all the exhibitors, the one that definitely raised eyebrows (mine, at least) was Playboy Mansion - I had no idea they were a source of Food & Wine caliber dining and was curious to see what they would be sampling.  The answer should have been obvious - and lends itself to bad puns, of course: lamb tartare (i.e. raw meat) with pickled onions, on brioche bread.  The lamb was edible, but the bread was not.  They also served a compressed watermelon 'salad' with balsamic vinegar.  Let's just say that I don't think people are going to Playboy Mansion for the food anyway...but fun to have checked out their offerings at the show - curiosity satisfied.

It wasn't until later into the event that my truffle radar kicked in, and I spotted the WP Catering booth with Jidori Chicken, Corn Ravioli and *fresh shaved truffle*!!!!  The entire tower was delicious, but I especially (shockingly, I know) loved the truffle topping the most. 

WP Catering also had the most interesting+fun+tasty dessert plates at the show - Sticky Toffee Pudding with Stout Ice Cream, Gooseberry and a piece of chocolate imprinted with a QR code with a 'secret message'.  In the rush for food and drink, I didn't get a chance to download a QR code scanner app to find out what the message was - do share if you were at the show and got to check it out!

Chef Celestino Drago was personally greeting guests and serving them pasta with *fresh shaved truffle* (they had a giant display of gorgeous truffles that they almost had to pry my fingers - and nose - away from) at the Drago Centro table. 

Campanile had a lovely rich fatty piece of smoked salmon wrapped around goat cheese

...and a fantastic chipotle brownie bite with maple bacon ice cream!  Sweet with a bit of heat in the brownie paired nicely with the sweet / porcine saltiness of the ice cream.

Akasha peach cobbler with whipped cream and red currants - loved the clean flavors and perfectly ripe peaches and the unexpected pop of red currants.

Another fun dessert was served up personally at The Gorbals booth by chef Ilan Hall (Top Chef season 2 and Time Machine Chefs) - snow cones, a kid dish made upscale/adult with toppings of smoked marshmallow and maple bacon tapioca. 

While sampling all the food at the event, many people noted how the flatware was really convenient as you could cut through food with the side of the fork versus having to juggle forks and knives and plates while trying to find perch space at the communal tables.  This is the work of event sponsor Knork, which provided all the silverware at the event - these are apparently specially designed - forks have a bevelled edge which makes it easier for cutting, and curved tines which makes it easier for scooping up food (so it's like a fork with some knife and spoon benefits!).  At the event they gave out plastic versions of their knorks as samples, and ran a contest inviting people to take and tweet pics of the knork next to their favorite dish at the show for a chance to win a 20 piece set of silverware. Fun! (They also very kindly gave me a 'real' knork to take home - thanks guys!)

Aside from celebrity chef / restaurant booths, Lexus also had their own featured corner resting space, set up to look like a southern style front porch complete with whitewashed wood panels and rocking chairs.  In that space there was also a bar where they served vodka/whiskey cocktails.  I had a Mint Julep which was made pretty with a perfect little sprig of mint, but which definitely showed they didn't skimp on alcohol there - it was pretty strong. 

Speaking of alcohol - you'd think from the focus of my post so far that it's a purely food event - but no there were tons of wines and champagne on pour - I'm just not as big of a wine drinker, so didn't really spend a lot of time at those booths.  But champagne I love (as do others, apparently - these boths are always first to run out), and hit up several including Perrier Jouet.  Beer fans could also hit up the Stella area for beers on tap and souvenir glasses - it was a nice way to cool off in the heat.

I do still wish that event organizers would make the Grand Tastings run a bit longer so that it would feel less of a race to sample everything (especially for those who are paying $150 for admussion to feel like they've had time to get their money's worth, at a less stressful pace) But all in all, a fantastic afternoon celebrating some of the best food and drink that LA has to offer.  Can't wait til next year's event!

[To see more photos from Los Angeles Food and Wine events, visit my Facebook page]

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Los Angeles Food & Wine

Richard Blais Cooking Demo
Sunday August 12, 2012 10:30am-11:45am
Diamond Ballroom - JW Marriot at L.A. Live
Admission: $50

Lexus Grand Tasting 2012
Sunday August 12, 2012 12pm-3pm General Admission, 11am VIP early entry
L.A. Live - Event Deck
800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015
General Admission: $150

Website: lafw.com      
Twitter: twitter.com/lafoodwine
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