The Incomparable Taste, SoCal’s Deliciously Diverse Food Festival
It’s become the gold standard of food festivals in Southern California. The Taste, held over three days of Labor Day weekend, is the place to go not only to enjoy food and beverage favorites from some of L.A.’s top places and prestige vendors, but to sample and savor new items from up-and-coming restaurants and other purveyors.
The popular festival is held on the backlot of Paramount Pictures Studios— with much of the action taking place on its famed New York Street. The lot is a popular location for charity and fashion events, but it may never see as much concentrated revelry as it does for the three-day Taste, which is sponsored by the Los Angeles Times.
The culinary extravaganza features more than 130 restaurants and more than 100 wines, beers and spirits during five separate themed events including Field to Ford, Cocktail Confidential, Flavors of L.A., Sunday Brunch and BBQ and Dinner With a Twist.
Thousands of avid food and drink enthusiasts make fine form of the opportunity to abundantly sample Southern California’s diverse epicurean offerings with unlimited tastings from standout restaurants like Café del Rey, Ingo’s Tasty Diner, The District, BOA Steakhouse, Hinoki and the Bird, Badmaash, Celestino, Diablo Taco, Mexikosher, Scarpetta, Tanzy, Slapfish and Terrine—to name just a few.
And there’s more. Each savory session featured demonstrations and discussions with a noted Times food or restaurant writer and a top chef or mixologist.
Among them were the newspaper’s Jonathan Gold, Amy Scattergood, Jenn Harris, Russ Parsons and Noelle Carter and chefs Roy Choi, Daniel Joly, Jessica Koslow, Bruce Kalman, Curtis Stone and Ludo Lefebvre.
The range of beer, wine, spirits and creative cocktails being shaken and stirred was off the charts. Among those pouring: Don Julio, Estancia Wines, Hornitos, Knob Creek, Icelandic Glacial, Mark West Wines, Southern Wine & Spirits, Tom Gore Vineyards and the perennial favorite at the festival, Stella Artois. Stella always produces a beautiful space in which to pour its many varieties along with some tasty accompaniments by its resident chefs, and its famous glassware for various types of brews, which many guests take home.
Adding to the fun of the festival are the VIP lounges put on by the sponsors, including the Times and American Express/Delta SkyMiles, which offer a place to rest one’s weary feet and rejuvenate for even more tasting.
There’s even some great swag, including Los Angeles Times reusable tote bags that had everyone asking, “Where did you get those?” They ran out fast. And Delta offered a gift bag to cardholders with sunglasses and beach towels, perfect for the rest of the season.
But the big takeaway at the end of each session: culinary contentment–and a list of great new places to dine.
