Food Fest Season! The 411 + Ticket Deals

It's the latter half of summer, which signals the start of a specific season for food and drink enthusiasts in the city: Food Festival Season! (So excited!)

Today marks the kickoff of the first of the highest profile festivals; check out the 411 and how to score ticket deals for each below! Have a blast and maybe I'll run into you at one of these events :)

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Los Angeles Food & Wine

What: Four day, "epicurean extravaganza" that draws some of the top chefs and stars to events from cooking demos, tastings, book signings, seminars to live entertainment and more, all over the city.  Now in its third year!

When: August 22-25, 2013

Where: Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Downtown LA (see website for details)

How much: $50 and up for individual events; $150 for Lexus Grand Tastings GA / $195 for VIP (see website for details)

[Deal alert: Lexus owners get 15% off tickets to the event - see Lexus offer page for details]

Anticipated drool-factor?: 100% with the Food & Wine connection, an All-star lineup of chefs/ stars from and visiting LA will be in abundance, from the Thomas Keller, to Grant Achatz to Scott Conant to Charles Phan & David Myers.  Food Network fans can also get their fill of Giada de Laurentis and Curtis Stone in multiple events.

The Lexus Grand Tastings especially are always fun, AYCE and drink extravaganzas, and there are specialty themed events to appeal to your interests whether it's food, wine or cocktails.

Check out my recaps of events from previous years: Lexus Grand Tasting 2011 and Lexus Grand Tasting 2012 + Richard Blaise Cooking Demo

Also: the live auction will benefit Share Our Strength in their efforts to end childhood hunger.

Event website: lafw.com
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Los Angeles Times The Taste

What: Three day series of events celebrating food and drink, in that quintessential Hollywood backlot venue at Paramount.

When: August 30-September 1, 2013 (Labor Day weekend!)

Where: Paramount Pictures Studios 5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

How much: $65 for most events if you purchase by August 29 ($85 and up thereafter - see website for details).  Opening night event $125. 

[Deal alert: 

• LA Times members save 20% off tickets via this link here.  
• Everyone else: buy a ticket at $55 from LivingSocial for any single event on Saturday or Sunday (save $10 off early bird price! deal ends 8/23) OR get your tickets by 8/29 to get the early bird rate of $65 for most events  ]

Anticipated drool-factor?: 100% great staycation option for Labor Day weekend, and very affordable as food fests go. It's fun to be on the backlot of an iconic working Hollywood studio, and you know Pulitzer prize winning food critic "The J Gold" will have the best curated collection of Flavors of LA in one evening (Sat 8/31 7:30-11:30pm), and you'll have a mind-blowing experience as always with cocktail chef Matt Biancaniello in the event he is co-hosting, Cocktail Confidential (Sun 9/1 7:30-11:30pm)! My recaps of events from past years here, here and here.

Event website: events.latimes.com/taste


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Sycamore Kitchen: Hatfield Pastries Half Price Starting 4:30pm Daily!

Hatfield's, the restaurant, has been on my To Do list for forever, yet somehow I still haven't made it there.

But just down the street, in a far more casual, laid back "urban bakery-eatery" by the same power-couple-chefs Quinn and Karen Hatfield, I could pop in for a quick, affordable bite.

The space is industrial-rustic, which does give it a 'colder' vibe even in the perpetual SoCal sun on the patio - not a soothing place to linger for hours chatting with friends or people watching, but a comfortable enough spot to grab quick pastries and coffee.

Last week, on a Saturday afternoon, I stopped by close to closing due to sheer laziness - which will no doubt be repeated many times in future since it was rewarded by a fantastic deal!  Apparently, starting at 4:30pm every day that Sycamore Kitchen is open, all their pastries are 50% off til closing (5pm).  Makes sense as a quality control measure, as the pastries won't keep til the next day anyway.

So, I kicked off with a Oatmeal Brown Butter Scone ($3 regularly) , and an Apple Galette washed down with a glass of  Vanilla Cafecito ($3.75).

I had actually been looking forward to trying the sour cherry buttermilk scone, and settled for the oatmeal brown butter only because they were out of the sour cherry one - I should know by now not to settle for substitutes, but the oatmeal scone was too grainy in texture for me.  The apple galette was tasty, but not as buttery and flaky as the foodgasm-inducing ones at Chaumont.

As I was headed to San Antonio the next day for work, and foresaw lots of heavy Tex Mex in my future, I decided to temper all the carbs with a pay-it-forward detox Market Salad ($13). 

Sycamore Kitchen is known for their pastries, but since I only had a day in LA between two almost back to back business trips, I decided to give the salad a try.  It came in a giant bowl with pears, apples, golden beets, mix of leafs - I loved the taste of every element, which were farmers market fresh - except for the parsley which added a slightly overly pungent herby flavor.

But because I couldn't pass up the 50% off deal, and knowing it would be slim pickings the next day at LAX for gourmet pastries - I stocked up on the signature Salted Caramel Pecan Babka Roll ($3.50), and two mini Brown Butter Date Mini-Bundt Cakes ($2.75 regularly)

The babka is much lauded across the board by critics and blogs as far as I'm aware, but it was much too heavy of a sugar bomb for me - I am a much bigger fan of the lighter, more subtly sweet mini-bundts. 

All in all, the pastries were not mind-blowing, but very good for the price (and especially after 4:30!) and I will be back to try other things from the extensive pastry case next time I'm in the neighborhood!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5 bites  
Presentation - 5 bites
Originality - 5 bites
Ambience -  4 stars
Service - 5 stars
Overall experience - 5 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 90% 

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Sycamore Kitchen
143 S La Brea Ave  Los Angeles, CA 90036
Ph: 323.939.0151
Website: thesycamorekitchen.com

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dineLA Winter 2013: Caulfield's at the Thompson Hotel Beverly Hills

For my first dineLA meal of the year, I knew I had to try Caulfield's, the newly overhauled restaurant in the Thompson Hotel in Beverly Hills - aside from new interiors by HD Buttercup to new leadership in the kitchen by Chef Stephen Kalt who has previously served in Daniel Boulud's kitchen at famed NYC icon Le Cirque - the menu just looked like fun, and a good deal at just $25 for 3-courses, practically surreal in most parts of Beverly Hills.

The interior design to me kind of had a Manhattan vibe, softened by SoCal sun streaming through huge windows.  It was well designed, yet comfortable, my fav combination in a restaurant.  The unpretentious space was well paired with an unpretentious staff - on the day of my visit there seemed to only be one server for four to five tables, all dineLA customers - but he was equally attentive (as much as he could be spread so thin) and friendly to all of us.

Where many others defaulted to boring salads or tuna of some sort as a starter, Caulfield's offered options like Rabbit Terrine, Latke with creme fraiche and salmon caviar, and one of their signature dishes, House Smoked Trout in a Jar ($12 on regular menu) with creme fraiche, egg, pickled veggies and toast.  I have a dear friend who adores rabbits and reads this blog (thank you for your support!!!) so I skipped the terrine and went for the trout.  LOVED the presentation (beautiful salmon-colored flakes in a mason jar, served on a wooden cheese board with perfect little toasts and small mound of veggies) backed by skillfully balanced flavors. I normally don't like my eggs hard-boiled, but I think it serves as a nice counterbalancing texture to the light flaky fish here, and its mildness a counterpoint to the sharp acidity of the pickled carrots, radish and brussel sprouts.

Intrigued that they have a whole section of Binchotan Charcoal Grilled proteins, for my main I went for the Binchotan Charcoal Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak with fingerling yams and antichucho sauce ($25 on its own on the regular menu, meaning for dineLA you would have gotten the starter and dessert free!) - this had a nice smokey crust outside, with an incredibly tender and flavor-rich inside.  The finely chopped buttery garlic and parsley mix reminding me of the sauce you usually get with escargot (I love French food so this is a + to me).  For those not into red meat - ladies at the next table over raved about the trout as the best they've ever had, and in talking with them they are well-travelled and know their food.  I just didn't want to do trout on trout over 2 courses though.

I had high hopes for the dessert, given the elaborate description: Frozen Milk Chocolate Souffle, Dark Chocolate Pearls, Orange Toffee, Coffee Caramel, Blood Orange. 

The other option was "doughnuts with pastry cream and jam".  The ladies who lunched at the next table had both, and said the donuts are better by far.  But, I had just met them for a few minutes at that point, and couldn't pass up what sounds far more exciting - so, I went with the souffle option.  I should have listened to them.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words - and it's very true in this case.  The presentation definitely evoked something that could occur in nature, and not in a good way - not very appetizing to look at, for sure. And in terms of taste and texture: though chocolate and orange are a common flavor pairing, the execution of the various elements just didn't come together coherently for me.  If I were to go back I would definitely want to see how the donuts are done.

But, two fantastic courses that saved me $12 regardless of dessert, made me a happy customer.  Also, if you don't have time or are unable to find street parking - valet parking here with restaurant validation comes out to just $4, much more affordable than other hotel valets in the area (*cough* Beverly Wilshire *cough*).

To check out my other dineLA picks, and tips on deal stacking, see my post here.

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 - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Caulfield's at the Thompson Hotel
9360 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Ph: 310.388.6860

Parking: Valet $4 with validation

Website: caulfieldsbeverlyhills.com

OpenTable: Look for reservations and points here

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Black Friday / Small Business Saturday / Cyber Monday: Delicious Deals

Initiate countdown to Shopocalypse...

Oh yes, as you are just coming out of a tryptophan induced haze thanks to the start of a solid month of celebratory feasting...

The time has come around again - holiday shopping season starting with that ominous sounding harbinger of retail madness: Black Friday.

Most of my money nowadays goes to food - but in the spirit of 'giving' (that includes gifts to myself, right? Might as well, at insane % off sales...?) - here are some of the deals to scope out this holiday weekend (and where to fuel up for your shopathons at a discount):

BLACK FRIDAY

• Pressed Juicery: 20% off gift cards (stock up now, I don't know any other way to get a discount on these juices - my favs are Greens 2 and Greens 3!) Friday 11/23 and Saturday 11/24, in-stores only
• Gilt Taste Black Friday Sale: up to 70% off gourmet goods!
• Tasting Room: 30% off wines + $5 flat fee ground shipping. Use promo code: BLACKFRIDAY30
• William Sonoma: 15% off electrics. Use promo code: ELECTRICS ends 11/25 11:59pm PT
• Saveur / Bon Appetit magazines: Discountmags.com is offering deals on magazine subscriptions including Saveur $8.98 for 2 years, 18 issues and Bon Appetit $8.98 2 years, 24 issues.  Sale ends Sunday
• Rebecca Taylor: save extra 25% off sale items. Use promo code: RTEXTRA2512
• Shu Uemura: 20% off + free shipping with orders over $50 Use promo code: WISH2012
• Zara: up to 50% off select items + free shipping
• Express: 50% off everything online through 11/23
• J Crew: 25% off + free shipping on orders of $150+ Use promo code: COLOR25
• Shoes.com: 15% off sitewide (use promo code 15off) or 30% off shoes on sale (use promo code: YAMS) ends 11:59pm CST 11/23
• iTunes $100 gift card for $80 at Best Buy
• Disney Store 20% off Use promo code: THANKS
• IKEA: eat for free when you make furniture purchase of $100 or more.  Just dine at the IKEA restaurant, get a coupon with your receipt, and when you make your furniture purchase of $100+, present your coupon to have your meal deducted from your furniture bill. Valid Friday 11/23-Sunday 11/2
• Hotels.com: Gift a getaway: 50% off select hotels - through Cyber Monday

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

Support your local small businesses!  Do your holiday shopping with them on Small Business Saturday, November 24th - if you need some extra incentive, some are offering special deals that day, and many are participating in the Amex offer where you can get $25 statement credit (see below)!

• American Express: Get $25 in statement credit! Just pre-register your American Express card here, then spend $25 or more in a single transaction at participating local small businesses on November 24th, then get $25 in statement credit within 8 weeks!  Check their searchable database for partipating businesses near you - highlights I've seen included in the list (or on the business' social media outlets):
• Sprinkles Ice Cream (Beverly Hills)
• Raphael (Studio City)
• Sushi Katsu-ya (Studio City)
• Firenze Osteria (Studio City)
• Take A Bao (Studio City)
• Studio City Car Wash (Studio City)
• The Edison (DTLA)
• Cafe Demitasse (Little Tokyo)
• Marukai Kawaii (Little Tokyo)  
• Pressed Juicery: Don't forget you can still get 20% off all gift card purchases at Pressed Juicery locations through Saturday!! I've become a little bit addicted to these hydraulic pressed juices that taste amazing and are good for you - not overly sugary like the juice blends from 'smoothie' places. It's an expensive habit but I figure I'm saving on the juicing machine and time washing/juicing veggies & fruits.  This deal gets it to a much more palatable price...(yep, totally 'self-gifting' this one)
• Starry Kitchen: Free appetizer or dessert with dinner for each group with purchase of entree! (If they haven't sold out of their Singaporean Chili Crab yet, gotta try it!)
• Flavour Gallery 30% off cool food inspired clothing and accessories including tee collections designed/inspired by Ludo, Chris Cosentino, Andrew Zimmern and more! Use promo code: SMALLBIZ through Sunday 11/25
• Mother Moo part of Sierra Madre Who Ville festival.  Sample Plow & Gun Coffee and purchase Jenkins Jellies.

CYBER MONDAY

• Innovative Dining Group (includes BOA, Delphine, Soleto, Sushi Roku): get $20 bonus card for every $100 spent on gift cards! Offer good through 12/21.  Cyber Monday deal is for free shipping and gift wrapping.
• Whole Foods Market (southern CA and Hawaii stores, online purchase only): 30% off all wines sold online at www.wholefoodsmarket.com/online-ordering
*Items must be paid for online to receive discount and picked up from a participating location between 11/28 - 12/7/2012. Discount will be taken off regular price at checkout.
• Jacques Torres: 15% off orders of $50 or more online purchases 11/26 only midnight through 11:59pm.  These are one of my favorite chocolates in the world!! Love their chocolate truffles!!  
• Compartes Chocolatier free shipping on orders over $50 through midnight 11/27. Use promo code: FREESHIP Also select gift sets on sale including Love Nuts Tower (save $10), and Truffles Tower (save $15)
• Vince Camuto: 30% off all orders excluding watches and clothing, through 11/27. Use promo code: HOLIDAY 
• Loews Hotels gift your fav stress case a vacation/staycation: 40% off Loews best rates + free in-room internet access during length of stay for travel 11/26/12-4/30/13 (deal via Johnny Jet) 
  
  
  Read more: http://www.johnnyjet.com/2012/11/cyber-monday-travel-deals-roundup/#ixzz2D1w8VigV
• Harry Potter fan alert: complete set of DVDs for all 8 movies on sale at Amazon for $33 (usually averages $70 at retail)!
  will run from 12:01 AM, Monday, November 26 (EST) to 3:00 AM, Tuesday, November 27.  Bookings apply for travel from November 26, 2012 – April 30, 2013. Those who book on Cyber Monday will receive up to 40 percent off Loews Best Rate at 15 Loews Hotels & Resorts and Free in-room Internet access during length of stay.
  
  Read more: http://www.johnnyjet.com/2012/11/cyber-monday-travel-deals-roundup/#ixzz2D1w8VigV
  will run from 12:01 AM, Monday, November 26 (EST) to 3:00 AM, Tuesday, November 27.  Bookings apply for travel from November 26, 2012 – April 30, 2013. Those who book on Cyber Monday will receive up to 40 percent off Loews Best Rate at 15 Loews Hotels & Resorts and Free in-room Internet access during length of stay.
  
  Read more: http://www.johnnyjet.com/2012/11/cyber-monday-travel-deals-roundup/#ixzz2D1w8VigV
  will run from 12:01 AM, Monday, November 26 (EST) to 3:00 AM, Tuesday, November 27.  Bookings apply for travel from November 26, 2012 – April 30, 2013. Those who book on Cyber Monday will receive up to 40 percent off Loews Best Rate at 15 Loews Hotels & Resorts and Free in-room Internet access during length of stay.
  
  Read more: http://www.johnnyjet.com/2012/11/cyber-monday-travel-deals-roundup/#ixzz2D1w8VigV
  
  
  Read more: http://www.johnnyjet.com/2012/11/cyber-monday-travel-deals-roundup/#ixzz2D1vjdF00
  
  
  Read more: http://www.johnnyjet.com/2012/11/cyber-monday-travel-deals-roundup/#ixzz2D1vjdF00
  
  
  Read more: http://www.johnnyjet.com/2012/11/cyber-monday-travel-deals-roundup/#ixzz2D1vjdF00

Happy deal hunting!!! And stay safe out there!!