Gold Standard 2012: Will There Be Another Quite Like This?

LAWeekly's Gold Standard 2011 was one of my favorite food events of all time, a gathering of the best of the city, whether Michelin-starred or mom and pop, fine dining or street - chefs flocked at the call of The inimitable Pulitzer prize winning food writer Jonathan Gold, to offer their hearts on a paper plate / plastic cup at an event like no other. 

I had been waiting twelve seemingly interminable months for this year's event - but merely a week or so away, the excitement started to play tug of war with wistfulness, when it was announced that The J Gold would leave LAWeekly for his former perch, LA Times. What would become of the much beloved annual extravaganza?  Who would have the pull to bring the likes of Michael Cimarusti, to an Auto museum of all places, in an event that from the start seemed designed for the people (vs. pure profit, though this year's admission price did increase by $15)?  I was sure only of one thing: that I would make the most of this potentially last year of the event, in its current form anyway before the Gold scoots off into the horizon.

This year's Gold Standard was again held at the Petersen Auto Museum, a quirky, fun venue where vintage vehicles lend a sort of timelessness without stuffiness to the event.   

The J Gold handpicks the food vendors that get to be there, and this year there were some great new additions to the list as well as some continuing favorites.  I almost died to meet the talented Michael Voltaggio at the booth for ink. - where he was personally serving up his show-stopping Beef Tongue and Tendon Taco with horseradish snow.  Said snow materializing as puffs of liquid nitrogen dissipated into thin air, for maximum theatrical value, of course. You'd think tendon would be very tough and chewy, but it was incredibly light, and in consistency just like a thin slice of ham!  Don't know what culinary wizardry was involved but the dish had a spunky design, and tasted amazing 

Palate Food+Wine was a huge disappointment for us when we went there for dineLA a while back - but their unexpectedly ethnic and delicious food offering at last year's Gold Standard (pig ear banh mi) had me convinced they are a 'must stop' at this year's show. And they had an awesome surprise there as well - serving up Lamb Heart Buns which were surprisingly supple.  Not as instantly addictive as the 'carpaccio'-like pig ear banh mi they had last year, but an exciting offering nonetheless.

While on what I'd call this decidedly non-onomatopoeic 'offal aisle' at the event - I couldn't help but be drawn to The Spice Table, with its eye-catching display touting pig tail. 

I half expected something like the version served at Animal - pork around a hard piece of cartilege.  But it was tender like meat that had been slow cooked for hours, and served on a piece of gem lettuce with mint, red parilla and fish sauce.  Delicious.  Added to my list of places to try a full meal at, soon.

Then there was the Salted Plum Lychee Panna Cotta by Starry Kitchen, one of my favorite bites from the show. The formerly underground and now popular downtown LA restaurant served up salted plum two ways: with chicken (I was too full by that point) and with lychee panna cotta.  The little cups of creamy heaven were as gorgeous to look at as they were to eat.  A taste of the tropics tinged by subtle unique salty-sweet-tartness.

Mo-Chica / Picca Peru served up perfectly grilled, skewered Black Tiger Shrimp with aji panca foam.  It was perfectly cooked with a nice smokey char. 

Their second item was Carapulcra: Sun-dried potato stew, roasted pork belly, jalapeno salsa. I liked the texture of the Peruvian potato, but out of the two items on offer the shrimp was much more flavorful and impressive.

Although there were literally table after table of all you can drink wine, cocktails are more my thing, and I was glad to see quite a few gourmet cocktails served at the show.  My hands down favorite was the St. Germain champagne cocktail.  It was light, refreshing, and sparkling, on a hot day - and proved the best way to get out of the heat.  In the flurry of activity and migratory movements of the flock of foodies, I didn't get a chance to write down the ingredients, but this was defnitely one addictive drink.  I had three, at last count.     

Last year, Providence offered a breath-taking item - scallop tartare on nasturtium leaf, pinned to a clothesline - that I completely missed because I somehow didn't see their booth until near the end of the show, when they had already run out.  So this year I made a beeline for their booth as soon as I got onto the show floor. Was hoping for seafood and maybe a glimpse of Chef Cimarusti, but neither were to be found - their offering this year were cups filled with pistachio, white chocolate, meyer lemon and rosewater.

Campanile got a little lost behind the long line for Bulgarini Gelato (it was really hot inside the event venue) - and to be honest I sort of reached for their sampling only because I was tired of waiting in the gelato line, and their booth looked wide open for approach.  This turned out to be a great bite - 28-day dry-aged prime rib with white bean horseradish sace, and balsamic over bread. Delicious bites of beautiful folds of flavorful, tender beef.

One of my favorite things about the Gold Standard is that it's an event for you to discover new dishes / places without committing to a full dinner.  And sometimes, new restaurants that don't even have a permanent address - like LudoBites last year, and this year: Le Comptoir - Fried Quail Egg with wild greens and flowers. Simple, elegant, and divine. Can't wait to check out Chef Gary Mene's prix fixe meals, even if it requires a trek downtown. 

Sotto served up a nice juicy cube of Porchetta. 

And I got to sample from new, hot restaurants like Short Order without the oft-reported long lines.  The Pretzel Pup, with its hot dog in hard-to-find-but-oh-so-ahmazing toasted pretzel bread and the subtly delicious kraut made by the lovely and talented Ms. Koslow of SQIRLLA. 

Short Order was actually very generous with their samplings - aside from the Pretzel Pup they also served up a bean salad with garbanzo beans, haricots vert, and a Mac Salad. 

Their sister cafe, Short Cake, sampled Single Origin Verve coffee. I don't know anything about coffee at all, but this was so fragrant I was willing to risk a caffeine headache for it.  Twice: once for the Salted Caramel Latte and once for the Vanilla Latte.  Loved both, but maybe the Salted Caramel Latte more if I had to choose one.

Sunday is always an awkward day to have too much to drink, especially during the day, but I needed to try the gorgeously amber colored rye cocktail by Bulleit. It was apparently called a French Quarter Cooler and contained rye, chartreuse, benedictine. Another surprising light and refreshing drink.

Drago Centro offered fresh shaved truffle over their Agnolotti. I was too slow and only managed to grab one with a small piece of truffle, but others got pieces so massive you can see every fleck in the pattern.  But he pasta was freshmade and tasted fantastic.

Another newcomer to the WLA dining scene, Tsujita, best known for their tsukemen - somehow just brought sushi to the event.  Everyone got a small plate with two rolls plus a spoonful of ikura (salmon roe).  In a way, though not showing off their most famous dish, sushi was a smart choice as it was hot and humid in the event space and with people running around booth to booth it would be hard to try to dip noodles in broth.

This year the event seemed larger than the last - as there was another 'wing' set up in the parking lot area under tents - and in this extension wing, in the far corner was hidden gem Tasting Kitchen.  They score huge points in my book for presentation - bean stew served on a silver spoon with handbroken bits of crisp salmon skin.

Across the way was Upstairs 2, serving up the culinary equivalent of 'smart casual': Lobster Tater Tot with Sea Bean Salad.  A lovely grown-up version of a childhood classic, with beautiful greens on the side. 

MB Post has received rave reviews for its bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuit - but breakfast was not on the menu for the event.  Instead they served up cups of Cous Cous with Pomegranate, Feta and Marcona Almonds. Sort of a nice Mediterreanean inspired side, but not particularly memorable.

Roy Choi, godfather of the food truck as hotbed for innovative fusion cuisine, was also on hand to personally serve up octopus and squid dishes (both with bold flavors, of course!) at the A-Frame / Chego booth.

Night + Market is a place I've been meaning to try forever, but somehow always got sidetracked.  So was excited to check out the Moo Sadoong in trays served by chef/owner Kris Yenbamroong himself!  I didn't realize the level of spice I would encounter though - it definitely cleared my sinuses.

One of the reasons why Gold Standard is so aptly named, is that you would never leave this event hungry.  The food samples are not only high quality, they are generous porions and AYCE.  So after gorging for several hours, I realized I physically did not have room left for all the desserts on offer.

Huckleberry brought a ridiculous (in a good way!) spread of at least 15-20 desserts from cookies to cupcakes and cakes and pies, that all looked incredible.  It was the ultimate sadness for me not to have enough room to try everything.

Mozza had apparently served up Butterscotch Pudding as well, but had run out by the time I got to them.  They did have a small mountain of Pecan Rosemary cookies, which were a fabulous mix of sweet and savory on a crunchy bite-sized cookie.

All in all, another successful event that I would deem 'foodie event of the year'.  I rolled myself out after 3.5 hours of feasting, almost bursting at the seams (good thing I remembered to wear stretchy clothing!)  Though the future of this particular event with LAWeekly is uncertain, I'm looking forward with hope to the new era that Mr. Gold will bring to LA Times and possibly at least some of its well-heeled food events.

[For full set of 40+ photos from the event, check out the album on my Facebook page]

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LAWeekly Gold Standard Food & Wine Event 2012
March 3rd 1pm-5pm General Admission, VIP early entry 12pm
Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036

$75 General Admission, $95 VIP

Website: laweekly.com
Twitter: twitter.com/thejgold
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1MB This Weekend: Two Toasts on the Coast

It's only Tuesday, and I"m already thinking ahead to my next days off.  This weekend there are two notable seaside city food & wine events - both on Sunday.  How am I to choose?!

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Taste of Abbot Kinney

What: Abbot Kinney is one of my favorite streets in LA, with its boutique shops packed with one of a kind finds and the 'upscale neighborhood gems' of restaurants like Gjelina and Primitivo.  Taste of Abbot Kinney offers a chance to sample foods , cocktails and wines from some of its hotspots as well as access chef demos, a silent auction and raffle.

VIP Reception includes: chef demos, appetizer and cocktail tastings, event book with exclusive recipes, bios, and insider info from chefs and mixologists of Abbot Kinney, entry into 'opportunity drawing' and gift bag.


General Admission includes: tastes at all participating restaurants and event book.

When: Sunday. October 23, 2011 VIP reception: 3:00-6:30pm Tasting Tour: 4:30-6:30pm

Where: Abbot Kinney, Venice, CA

How much: VIP $100 Tasting Tour $60 (50% off tickets at Goldstar here)

Anticipated drool-worthiness?: 90% This event drew flak last year for running out of food and drinks early, so this year organizers have taken steps to address the main concerns, and also got Chef Joe Miller of Joe's Restaurant/ Bar Pintxo to chair the event to lend credibility. Gjelina, Primitivo, Lemonade (and Creme Caramel LA) are all participating, which would make the event (at Goldstar prices for budget foodies) worth it!  For Food Network fans, the VIP reception will be hosted by Adam Gertler, best known as host of the network's Kids in a Candy Store. Also, proceeds go towards a good cause - Inside Out which supports empowerment of at risk youth through the arts.

Event website: insideoutca.org

Los Angeles Magazine The Food Event

What: Sample food from some of LA's top restaurants, watch celebrity chef demos and participate in panels with the experts. All at a beautiful estate in the rolling hills of Malibu that will make you feel like you're on vacation: Saddlerock Ranch, home to Semler and Saddlerock wines (close to Malibu Wines, a venue I love!). "The ranch boasts acres and acres of natural beauty, vineyards, rolling hills, animals like llamas and zebras, and space to spread out and relax for a true escape from the city, but with just a short drive." (quote from event website)

When: Sunday, October 23, 2011 1-4pm

Where: Saddlerock Ranch 31727 Mulholland Highway Malibu, CA 90265

How much: $95 advance purchase up to 10/22 ($110 at door). Add $5 for 1 year subscription to LA Mag

Anticipated drool-factor?: 100% I love the grounds of Malibu Wines, great for a 'daycation' just a short drive up the PCH, and I expect Saddlerock Ranch to be very similar. I like that it's AYCE/drink for one price, and list of participating restaurants include some of my favs: Waterloo & City and Westside Tavern and some I've been wanting to try like Lukshon, Cleo, Mas Malo, Mo-Chica, Playa and Rivera. Plus it's a 21 or older event, so no unruly kids...

Event website: lamag.com/thefoodevent

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What will you be doing this weekend?

[For more upcoming foodie / fun events, check out my very creatively named Upcoming Food Fests & Fun Events page.]

Los Angeles Food & Wine: Lexus Grand Tasting - Well Engineered Inaugural Fete

Pebble Beach Food & Wine was one of the best food events I've ever been to, one that I had saved up to attend with "Foodie Mentor" several years back (pre-blog!), but which time has not worn down in my memory - I still remember every detail of the single event we attended - the Lexus Grand Tasting - distinctly.

So, when it was announced those same organizers would be bringing LA its very own food & wine festival, I was beyond excited.  The format mirrors that of Pebble Beach - themed events, featured chefs, all over the city over several days - but with more of a celebrity emphasis given that it is, afterall, LA.

The LA fest was also a logistical feat, with over 55 events over the span of 4 days.  Of these, the ideal one for food lovers on a budget, would have been the Lexus Grand Tasting, which was to bring together 30 chefs and 200 wineries so that you can experience tastings from all at once.  This event was spread over Saturday and Sunday, with varying chefs and wine purveyors.  At $195 for one day's general admission, it was still well beyond my budget - and I was getting ready to live vicariously through other bloggers / twitter when the good news came that event organizers had miraculously approved me for a press pass (thank you)!! 

It was a gorgeous Saturday when I headed downtown to join in the festivities at LA Live.  Apparently there's a deck towards the back, beyond the Mariott, where they had set up tents for the event.

Both indoor/outdoor spaces were abuzz with food and wine lovers, flitting from booth to booth alternately tasting and sipping.  Wineries far outnumbered chefs, and I tried to strategize to hit food booths first - but ended up just going with the flow and letting plates reveal themselves among the glasses as I went down the aisles.

The stellar line-up of some of LA's finest chefs included Mark Peel and his Campanile team - I didn't get to meet him at the booth, but made myself at home with their Mussels with sausage and aioli a delicious dish, that was somehow light (with an amazing broth) and hearty (with sausage and rich aioli) at the same time.  At food events, with limited stomach capacity, it's sort of the measure of how good something is - the number of times you go back for a plate.  I had about 4 of these (no shame, at all).

Ricardo Zarate and his Mo-Chica / Picca Peru team also brought two best-of-show dishes:

Alpaca Chorizo Crostini (alpacas are a South American species of camelid that look like llamas!), exciting as it was the first time I've had this.  The meat was pretty tender, and evenly infused with seasoning, so I'm not sure what the natural flavors of the meat is like, but I liked the way Chef Zarate prepared it!

...and Diver Scallop Anticucho, perfectly seared with a mix of crunchy and leafy greens on top.

Of course, with the celebrity focus of the festival, the Grand Tasting would not be complete without a Food Network star.  The featured one was Tyler Florence, who not only gave a cooking demo that morning to VIP ticket holders - but was also on hand at a booth, preparing samples of Hamachi Tartare Cauliflower Panna Cotta for guests.  For me, the fish 'blanded' into the cauliflower panna cotta, in taste as well as texture - but great for Tyler fans to get the personal service - he pretty much stayed at the booth, prepping samples or giving interviews, throughout the event.

Speaking of celebrity chefs - Todd English also had a booth at the event for Olives, though I did not see the chef while I was there.  Say what  you will about celebrity chefs, but at the Pebble Beach event Todd English's booth had one of the best bites of the show the year I went, a succulent pork belly on the most unbelievable, fresh made flatbread. 

At this LA Food & Wine event, the Olives team presented an inventive plate, with a fuschia-colored Roasted Beet Risotto with Blue Cheese, Corn Raita and Ginger Soy Skirt Steak.  I would never think to put all of those things together, and despite the unnatural-looking coloring of the risotto and all its accompaniments, everything worked unexpectedly well together, and I thought everything besides the dry and overly chewy beef was some of the most creative and delicious bites at the event.  Too bad I only saw this towards the end of the show, and was too full to go back for seconds (would have had 3-4 plates if I had room!)

One of my favorite things about food festivals is the element of discovery - being able to take restaurants for a test drive before committing to a full on culinary journey with them. 

And there were quite a few chefs / restaurants that I've not heard of (some from other parts of the country) that I was glad to have the chance to try.

A local find is Savory, from Malibu, which brought a Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Candied Hazelnut and Black Truffle Creme Fraiche.  The soup was a little sweet, and takes a little getting used to, but I liked the sampler with the crunchy candied hazelnut and of course the dollop of super fragrant black truffle creme fraiche, which hits your nose first and then sets your synapses firing on all cylinders in a split second.

An out of town discovery was The Bristol (Chicago), which had an incredible seafood plate that made you forget for a moment you were in downtown LA, and transported you to some seaside fishing village where some kind soul has just lifted the crab and mussels from the ocean and plopped them on your plate.  Complete with foam and the lightest whipped pommes puree.  The chef told me the name of this dish, but it was long and in the chaos of the event, I'd simply condensed it in my mind to "OMGaaaaaaahhhhh".  The only sad thing is that since The Bristol is in Chicago, I won't be able to just 'pop over' for that full meal.

Another favorite at the show from an out of towner was the spicy Soppressata (dry-cured salame) from Old Town Social of Chicago, served in a paper cone!  Another one I'll be sad not to be able to visit easily.

For dessert, I've been wanting to try Madame Chocolat, otherwise known as Mrs. Jacques Torres (Mr. Torres' shop is a must stop on the rare occasions when I make my way to NYC).  There were what looked like chocolate marshmallow pops which went very quickly so I didn't get to try, and a lovely dark chocolate bark with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds. Made a note to myself to visit her shop soon.

There were a few booths that had beautiful displays - one of these was the Four Seasons Resort Maui Wailea, which had an appropriately ocean-themed table, and served up Salmon Tartare in adorable bite-sized waffle cones. 

Rosa Mexicano had a massive pan of duck that they made for their tacos fresh at their booth - I at first wasn't going to use up stomach space for this, but after the scent of stewing duck wafted over, I caved and loved every bit of the bite.

Joe's Restaurant had a roasted pig head on display at their booth, perhaps to indicate a nose to tail approach, where they served up Pulled Pork Sliders and fresh-made paella.  I literally got the last scoop of paella in the pan, so perhaps that impacted the sample, but to me it was dry and didn't bowl me over with its flavors - the rice wasn't as rich with saffron / seafood flavors as I would have liked.

There was of course plenty of alcohol on pour, and it was great to get to sample everything from France's #1 champagne, to LaMarca prosecco, to Portugese white wine, to Ice Wine from Canada (including a Cabernet Ice Wine!).  Not into wine? Beer drinkers could grab Stella, Hoegaarden and Leffe on tap at the Stella Artois space, where they also gave away souvenir beer glasses in velvet bags. 

As a total lightweight, I couldn't get through more than a few tastings at select booths, and collapsed into a food/wine coma as soon as I got home.

All in all, the event was technically well run, very organized and vendors did not run out too early - but just needs a little elevation and extension next time round.  The food samples were not at the caliber of the Pebble Beach event, with just a smattering of luxe ingredients and innovative preparations - but granted it was also not nearly as expensive. As "food" comes before "wine" in name, would be good to pump up the food offerings versus wine - and to extend the event run time to allow people to sample everything without having to literally race through the venue. 

So, a solid start as part of a well engineered festival, that by its sheer scale helps put Los Angeles on the map to gain greater recognition as a dining destination.  Looking forward to seeing what they do with the next one!

[To see more photos from the event, visit my Facebook page]

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Los Angeles Food & Wine: Lexus Grand Tasting 2011
Saturday October 15 12pm-3pm General Admission, 10am-3pm VIP with cooking demo
Sunday October 16 11:30am-3pm General Admission
L.A. Live - Event Deck
800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015
General Admission: $195 one day, $350 both days; VIP $250 one day

Website: lafw.com      
Twitter: twitter.com/lafoodwine
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Good Food Festival and Street Fair - Eat Well, Do Good

Farmers Markets are about eating local, supporting small farms (and people who produce food as passion projects), sustainability and community.  I love being able to meet the farmer who grew the veggies/herbs or raised the cows (steak) / caught the seafood I buy - and learning something new from them every time I go.

This year, the market most frequented by the best chefs and mixologists around the city, Santa Monica Farmers Market - is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the Good Food Festival & Conference, which kicked off Wednesday September 14 and runs through today.  The festival showcases locally and sustainably produced food and innovative leaders from the good food movement, and focuses on educating people about issues integral to local food systems, and benefits of good food.

The five days of events consisted of speaker panels, chef demos, a financing fair, trade and consumer shows, food policy summit, film screenings, and an oceanside “Localicious Gala”. I missed all weekday events due to work and budget, but was excited to be able to check out the first of two days of the Good Food Festival Street Fair (loved that admission is only $10!).

The Street Fair is held at Santa Monica High School, featuring exhibits from family farmers and artisanal food producers, street food from vendors who source from them, demos from some of LA’s best chefs (and book signings), and other sustainable and food focused vendors.

There are also demos and hands-on workshops on gardening and urban homesteading, and agricultural art on display featuring paintings by Works Project Administration artists from the 1930’s!

I started the day by strolling through the tents on campus, some from vendors from my favorite farmers markets, and lots of new ones I hadn't seen before.  Here are the highlights:

Raw Cane Juice is a familiar sight, and sampled their all-natural, no chemicals, no GMO juices.  I love their "detox elixir" with lime as well as ginger juice and cayenne for subtle heat and lovely layered flavors.  Also on offer are straight up raw cane juice, and an "Alkalizer Tonic" with lemon & lime juice, and chlorophyll, that balances your body pH.

They are offering show special pricing on glass bottles of cane juice - $5 for small and $10 for large.

You can also find Raw Cane Juice at farmers markets around the city (I get mine from Studio City!).

Other good drinks: O.N.E. Coconut Water was promoting their Active line, which has more herbs & antioxidants than the regular line. And they were selling both their regular and Active coconut waters for $1 each!!!! Those who buy coconut water regularly know this is a steal - they are normally up to $3 at the grocery store! I definitely stocked up - and I think shocked the rep by buying basically 2 cases of them.

For kids of all ages: a line of 100% clementine/tangerine juices from Cuties, a California juice producer which had adorable packaging and a variety of fun flavors from tangerine-kiwi to tangerine-coconut.

My friend 'Designer' joined me after a few hours, and we noticed a lot of vendors were featuring Padron Peppers, a new item to us.  Capay Organics had a nice display of them, but Weiser Farms actually had roasted peppers for us to sample (and sold plates of them for just $1).  Padron peppers apparently pack a lot of heat for their size!  But without the biting heat of jalapenos - it was intense, but smooth if that makes sense?

LA County Master Preservers Karen Hobert and Laurie Dill also featured Padron peppers in their fall veggies pickling demo, and handed out raw samples for us to try at home! (Preparation is simple: just saute in pan with olive oil until nearly brown, then sprinkle generously with sea salt!) I'd loved their DIY pickling session at Eat Real Fest, and was telling them about challenges with finding allspice berries at my local stores - when the previous presenter, Joe, true to the spirit of the event kindly volunteered to give me some from his stash! 

With samples and inspiration, Designer and I headed back to the tents to check out other vendors.  Although the intent of the Street Fair is to showcase breadth of good food movement supporters, I did wish there were just a few more actual farmers in the exhibits, showcasing produce people may not have seen before (I love discovering new items at places like Hollywood Farmers Market).

Ventura Fish Co is another familiar sight - as a regular at Studio City Farmers Market.  A family-owned business, they source fish from local fishermen with sustainable practices.  Then smoke them and make them into delicious pates. Our favorite was skipjack, mixed with peppers for a bit of crunch and light heat. 

Ray explained they catch their fish 'deep set, long line' - fish are allowed to swim around 'on the line' at a distance from the boat, after they have been 'hooked' - a way to give them time to calm down after the trauma of initial contact.  This allows them to destress a bit which is more humane and better in the end also for our food. 

The thing I was most excited to learn, is that five times a year Ventura Fish Co brings their boat into harbour, and allows customers to board and buy fish that just came in straight from the ocean.  There's no charge for admission and the next Fish Market will be sometime in late November / early December (timing depends on weather, size of catch etc. so they can't specify just yet) - to learn more about this when info is available, sign up for their mailing list!

Closeby to Ventura Fish Co. was The Santa Barbara Cheese Company - who produces artisan cheeses that are 100% cows milk that's rBST hormone free - who sampled three white cheeses. Our favorite was the "Montecito", a 'gouda-like' cheese that has been aged for 60 days - a semi-soft cheese that's sweet and nutty.  Loved this and bought a slice to take home!

There were also lots of sweets vendors who use natural and/or local ingredients.  Les Macarones Duverger had a beautiful table that I couldn't get enough shots of - including a display that made me wish macarons really did grow on trees!

They didn't have samples, but offered a show special:  $1 for the first macaron (vs. $1.75).  They use all natural ingredients and could give Paulette a run for its money with the light, Parisian style macaron that didn't at all taste coconut-y or collapse/clump together on first bite.

Lemon Bird Jams had some amazing sounding jams - from pomelo ginger and urfa biber, to orange and buddha's hand mostarda, to flower jellys.  I really wanted to love these unique creations, but the flavors for me did not meet expectations of nuanced layers suggested by the product names.  I'm rooting for them to keep working on the flavors though, and to start getting into farmers markets (right now they are just online) to get the visibility and support - love the creativity (and lovely packaging) and want them to succeed!

It was also good to see Creme Caramel LA there as well.  They had a special creme caramel flavor for the show - ube macapuno - which unfortunately sold out by the time we got to the booth.  Hopefully they will bring the flavor back another time!

A handful of restaurants were on hand to sample their farm fresh dishes - one of our favorites was from Paul Martin's American Bistro, a lovely smoked salmon lettuce cup that impressed us even as people who are not big fans of lettuce!

Malibu Pies sampled several pot pies, including an amazing curry beef pot pie that I wanted to sit and eat all day (for $7 you can get a full sized pie to chow down on at the event or to take home). 

Another highlight of the show were the cooking demos from some of the best chefs in LA.  I got to see Sherry Yard (renowned pastry chef at Spago) demo a giant apple strudel for 35 people - with help from sous chef Sally Camacho, who you might know from this season's Top Chef Just Desserts!

It was a fun demo, with Sherry's very liberal use of (and advocacy for) butter!  A helpful tip we got from the demo about pastry making - use a spray bottle to get clarified butter spread evenly and lightly over pastry to keep it moistened.
You can see the recipe for Sherry's apple strudel here.


Later in the afternoon was a fantastic demo from Suzanne Goin (Lucques, AOC, Tavern) who showed us how to make a simple, yet amazing meal of heirloom tomato and eggplant salad, and seared wild salmon with summer succotash and cherry tomato brown butter sauce.  I'm a big fan of Lucques Sunday Suppers, sophisticated and artistic creations, yet unencumbered and designed to let the natural flavors of her farm fresh ingredients be the stars.  At this demo, we died, just from the description, before a pan ever got fired up.

Suzanne was a truly great teacher.  She showed us exactly how to do each step and gave tips from storing ingredients (e.g. don't let tomatoes touch each other - store in individual peach crates or wrap each in newspaper), to how to get a nice sear on fish (put small weight on top - not enough to crush, just enough to press - when fish is in pan, skin-down, to get nice flat crisp sear), to how to tell when a piece of meat / fish is done (when juices start coming out, you're arriving at 'medium' / when white bits of fat start to come out from under skin, you should be about done).  The dishes seemed simple enough for the home chef, yet sophisticated and tasty enough to entertain with.

And as top chefs always advise - always taste your food: "If you're cooking and you find that you're hungry as you're finishing up, that's a bad sign.  You should have been tasting throughout the cooking."

She also brought out her favorite supplier from Shaner Farms, to answer questions about the farm!  It was lovely to hear their story about the 17 year relationship - farmer and chef are close partners, both passionate about their work, and each cannot do what they do without the other. 


A pretty funny anecdote Suzanne shared about her first time visiting the farm: "it was too cool for signs and street numbers", so when she couldn't tell which was their house, she tried to identify them by the avocados in their fields ("those look kind of like the ones I buy from them")!  Home chefs can also get access to quality ingredients - you can find Shaner Farms at Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesdays.

Right on theme, while cooking the salmon Suzanne talked about sustainable seafood, and how to find out where to get it - Monterey Bay Aquarium maintains a running list with a red-yellow-green light system to show at any time which species are ok to eat, or when we should refrain to allow populations to build back up.  You can download their Seafood Watch iPhone app to help find businesses and restaurants in your area that support sustainable seafood.

When the demo was done, the audience was invited up to the stage to sample the food - the salmon was absolutely divine, and I usually don't even like cooked salmon!

(For those going to the event today - chef demos include Susan Feniger, Ilan Hall and Nancy Silverton! Demos take place in the amphitheater, a little hard to find yesterday without signs - just head into the alley on the right, between the first area of tents by the entrance, and before you go up the slope to the second area of tents on the hill)

Aside from chef demos, there are also workshops and other fun events throughout the day - including a Mystery Lunch Box Cook-off.  We stumbled on this mid-afternoon, when a crowd gathered around a table with several silver platters of food. 

We somehow got ourselves into the judging panel, and went round the table with the crowd sampling the gourmet looking dishes, and voting for our top 2 with marbles. 

The dishes were beautifully presented: spinach egg lasagna, orzo tomato salad with strawberries and avocado, rice salad with tomato and squash, a gnocchi dish and a fettuccini dish.  All were vegetarian, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the rich flavors and sumptuous textures (yes, I'm generalizing that vegetarian dishes are usually bland and boring). 

I also thought that the dishes were created from different vendors - but turns out they were all made by teams of students from Santa Monica High School - definitely a very talented bunch! 

My favs were the spinach lasagna and rice salad - in the chaos of the crowd we weren't sure who actually won in the end - let me know in the comments if you were there and know the results!

Though we were filled up on the SaMo HS cookoff deliciousness, we couldn't pass up the Applegate full sized hot dogs - made with grass-fed, natural, humanely treated beef! So good, all around (except for the bread) - and apparently these don't cost that much either to buy at the grocery store - we were told $4-$5 a packet, and they were handing out $1 off coupons at the booth!

Before leaving, we scored samples from Nature's Path (flax seed granola and strawberry bars). 

All in all, certain elements of Good Food Fest Street Fair reminded me of Eat Real Fest - another event promoting local, sustainable food.  Except Good Food Fest didn't have some of the cool vendors serving up oysters shucked to order, and slick cuts of meat from Lindy & Grundy; is not as savvy with marketing (social media & signage); not in as 'chic' a venue as Helms Bakery; not as organized (it was hard to find different branches of the event, spread out over campus without much directional signage); not as many hands-on cooking workshops; and not free. 

That said, I still very much enjoyed Good Food Fest - it may not be as organized, or polished, as other similar events - but it genuinely, from the heart, celebrates community, and the symbiotic relationship between farmer, chef and eater, from farm to table. The event attracts A-list chefs for this reason.  At the core - it's about doing 'good', a passion project, authentically focused on changing perspectives, informing, and spreading the word about good food from people who are on the front lines advocating for the movement - among other things, to ensure that we take good care of what we have so that the bounty is there for future generations to enjoy.

Hope you'll get to check out the event today!

[For more photos of the event, check out my album on Facebook]
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Good Food Festival and Street Fair
September 17th & 18th 10am-5pm
Santa Monica High School, 1801 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Admission: $10 at door

Parking: $3 flat rate at Civic Center lot (333 Civic Center Dr) - across from SaMo High School entrance (sign at entrance says $9 daily max, but sign at ticket machine confirms $3 flat rate Saturdays & Sundays)

Website: goodfoodfestivals.com      
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