As a lifelong San Diego resident, I’m no stranger to an Indian Summer. So when it comes time to celebrate the “end of summer” with the rest of the country, I’ll politely oblige knowing that season is in full swing back at home. That being said, my new favorite way to send off summer is at the Los Angeles Times The Taste event over Labor Day Weekend. It’s definitely one of my favorite foodie fests in LA and I’m always so happy when I’m invited back to cover the event.
The sun was shining (or shall I say, blazing), the Paramount Studios back lot was sparkling, the food was amazing and the drinks were perfect. I was fully prepared to spend the next 48 hours eating and drinking some of the best of the best from the city.
We were in the presence of culinary greats like Thomas Keller and Nancy Silverton who enlightened us during cooking demos and round table discussions and were among executive chefs who we’ve been fawning over for years.
Here’s a look at our favorite bites and drinks from the Taste 2014.
One of my favorite events from the Taste was Field to Fork where local chefs and restaurants put a spotlight on locally-sourced ingredients.
The spread from Tender Greens, also found in San Diego, was delicious. The fig fricassee and watercress salad was perfect for the hot day, along with grilled corn gazpacho and the olive oil cupcakes.
Light bites and chilled dishes were wholly welcome during the day events as temperatures felt as if they were reaching the 90s on the back lot. I absolutely loved the presentation of this Summer Vegetable Parfait.
Seafood seemed to be the star each evening and this Octopus Garden from The Raymond 1886 definitely created a buzz with its tuna can-like presentation.
One of the best parts of indulging in a food fest is tasting concoctions of ingredients you would have never known to be complementary. The Church Key was doing some amazing things at the Dinner with a Twist event with their Crispy Pork Belly. The meat was covered in a Gochujang glaze before placed on top of a pillow of cashew butter. The dish was absolutely heavenly.
By far, my favorite bite of the weekend was probably the smallest. Craig’s offered a Corn Flan topped with smoked salmon and caviar. The Butterscotch Pudding really helped to balance the bite and I can’t wait to check out the restaurant in its full glory.
If you’ve been reading my articles long enough, you’re well aware that I have an extremely adventurous spirit. So it should be no surprise to you that I fully committed to tasting the “weirdest” and most adventurous bite of the weekend. Loteria Grill changed its menu nearly every hour and I was excited to try out their Grasshopper Tostadita.
The mixologists, wine makers and spirit purveyors were in full-force during the Taste and we loved trying everything. I loved trying out American Star’s line of artisanal vodkas. I especially loved the Caviar Lime vodka tonic with fresh caviar lime pulps that popped in my mouth.
My lifesaver though throughout the weekend was the Frozen Kirin Ichiban. The beer was topped with a slushee like Kirin beer and it was perfect for the hot summer day. I hear this is only available at Angels Stadium but I’ll be on the hunt for others offering up this awesome drink.
Lastly, I just couldn’t keep my hands off of the Choctal tent. Their single-origin vanilla and chocolate ice creams were perfect during the day and all of their flavors tasted different from the others based on the vanilla bean or chocolate from its sourced locale. I can’t wait to try all eight flavors.
The Los Angeles Taste event will always be my favorite in the city. Maybe it’s the sparkle of the back lot or maybe it’s just all of the amazing vendors who participate each year. Regardless, you must check out the Taste again next Labor Day Weekend.
