This Weekend! Gearing Up for The Taste , The LA Times’ Epic Food & Wine Event

The Los Angeles Times Food & Wine section must have more connections to restaurants, wineries, breweries and street food vendors than an AT&T switchboard has to cell phone users. How else could they pull off a four day long food festival with at least 9 events featuring unlimited tastings, wine, beer, and spirits!?

Los Angeles Times Food & Wine Present The Taste

Quoting their website, “The Taste is a four-day food and wine extravaganza, celebrating all things epicurean.” This event – more like collection of events – brings together top chefs, beverage makers, and foodies like you and me to do what we do best.

Better Than Other Food Events? Maybe!

I’ll be the first to admit it: this event is pricey! Each of the sub-events is $125 or more. I’m still filing this post under Cheap Eats though, because overall it’s a good deal.

Each event features unlimited tastes from at least 30 restaurants and 30 beverage vendors. Also, compared to other foodie events, this one is spaced out over days and has each event has a different focus. Find the right event for you based on your tastes buds, time of availability, and budget.

And to keep “budget” in the equation, make sure you use the promo code WEB to save 40% when you buy tickets online. That $125 ticket just got a little more affordable!

Make a Game Plan…and Wear Stretchy Pants

Spread out over four days and all over Los Angeles, there’s no way attendees can get to every single happening that makes up this belt busting event. But who says you shouldn’t try!? 😀

Following is a breakdown of the events by day. For more details, check out The Taste events page on the LA Times website. For details on each event, follow the link behind title of the event.

Friday, September 2

• Burgers & Beer – See how Los Angeles’ most celebrated restaurants and chefs interpret what a ‘burger’ means to them.
  Beverly Hills, 9900 Wilshire Blvd., 7-10 pm, $125

• Art of Mixing – Learn the secrets behind mixing a show-stopping beverage.
  Hollywood, The Studios at Paramount, 9 pm-12 am, $125
  

Saturday, September 3

• Secrets from the Kitchen & Cellar –Check out an exclusive interview with celebrity couple Chef Ludo & Krissy Lefebvre. See what Michael Voltaggio is cooking up. Sample the latest dishes from top L.A. restaurants like Craft and Napa Valley Grille.
  Beverly Hills, 9900 Wilshire Blvd., 11 am-3 pm | $150

• Taco Tequila Tryst – Roy Choi and L.A.’s best taco artists create one-of-a-kind tacos.
  Hollywood, The Studios at Paramount | 7-10pm | $125
  

Sunday, September 4

• Fashion Bites Brunch – Los Angeles’ hottest brunch spots will serve up signature dishes alongside free-flowing Bloody Marys, Bellinis and mimosas.
  Beverly Hills, Rodeo Dr. | 10 am-2 pm | $150

• Street Eats – Cooking demos and panel discussion (and food too) focusing on featured restaurants in Hollywood, Downtown, Chinatown, gourmet food trucks, and more.
  Hollywood, The Studios at Paramount | 4-8pm | $150

• Desserts After Dark – Duff Goldman and acclaimed pastry chefs will showcase the most sinful sweets L.A. has to offer.
  Beverly Hills, Rodeo Dr. | 8-11 pm | $150

• Food Noir – Los Angeles’ most celebrated restaurants and chefs serve up ‘noir’ inspired dishes, wine and spirits. pop into the iconic Orpheum Theatre to enjoy classic Warner Bros. cartoons, vintage newsreels and trailers for legendary movies from Hitchcock, DeMille and more.
  Downtown, Broadway between 8th and 9th | 8 pm-12 am | $125
  

Monday, September 5

• Picnic in the Hills – Kids (14 and under) get in free with admission to this one! Hosted by Food Network star, Giada De Laurentiis, enjoy amazing chef creations, as well as fun kid and family-focused events.
  Beverly Hills, 9900 Wilshire Blvd. | 12-4pm | $150

Are you going to The Taste!? Leave a comment below to let me know. Maybe I’ll see you at one of the events. If I do, the drinks are on me! 😉