A2‘s final rating: √ MARK YOUR CALENDAR √
THE BASICS:
WHAT: LA food FEST
WHEN: Summa, Summa, Summatime (2016 it was July 8, 9 & 10).
WHERE: This year it was at Exposition Park but in the future you can expect to find it anywhere in the city with a massive lawn that they can transform into foodie heaven.
$$$: With tickets ranging from $15 to $150, there is an event that every single Angelino can afford.
THE DISH:
SO WHAT’S THIS REALLY ABOUT?: LA food FEST is a yearly food event that showcases the BEST OF Los Angeles’ food and drink scene; all in one spot, for one weekend only. Besides the 100+ food and drinks vendors offerings their most popular bites, there is lots more fun to be had with a live culinary stage featuring food demos, a “food porn” cinema, an Artisanal LA Farm Shop so you can get your shop on (*a friendly reminder about the dangers of drunk shopping), games & a DJ spinning for when you have one too many beers and think it’s a good idea to dance your ass off (I mean, at least you’ll burn some of the 5,000 calories you’ll be consuming).
PICK YOUR PARTY: This is truly an event for every taste and budget—let us break it down for you. Day parties: The Golden Hour ($65) option gets you 2 hours of all-inclusive samples (yessss all you can eat & drink, fattie) and after, the MRKT ($15) option gets you entry and allows you to purchase whatever your heart desires all day long (items starting at $5). Night parties: At the Rose Garden Pop-Up Restaurant you’ll find multi-course, top chef meals with beer and wine parings ($95 and up).
WHO WAS THERE: From James Beard winning chefs to Buzzfeed’s #1 “Fries you should eat before you die”; they have something for every single taste bud. Here were some of the TOP vendors (according to yours truly): Amazebowls, The Halal Guys, Seoul Waffle Pizza, Knead & Co. pasta bar, Knuckle & Claw, Petty Cash Taqueria, Beaucoup Crawfish, Free Range LA, California Donuts, McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams and Salt & Straw. For the lush in all of us, here were the TOP drink vendors: Angel City Brewery, Stone Brewery and craft cocktails by Birch, Gracias Madre & Melrose Umbrella Co.
THE CROWD: Is as diverse as this melting pot of a city. You can expect all ages and all walks of life. This is the perfect event to bring the fam bam, your whole crew (even those vegan, gluten-free & I’m allergic to XYZ homies) or a date. Because they strategically capped attendance the lines aren’t absurd like others of this sort; you can spend more time tasting and less time waiting (this is a HUGE plus). Like-minded people coming together for the simple sake of eating—we love when we find our people.
CASH MONEY: ALL vendors accept credit cards, so need to bring that big ol’ stack of dolla, dolla bills ya’ll.
WHAT TO WEAR: The event’s official hashtag was #stretchypants, but as long as they’re not stretchy sweat pants (you’re not giving up on life here), we’re OK with the slogan. Definitely something comfy and cute because who knows where a day of drinking can take you… More than likely your couch passed out by 9PM, but you never know.
EDDR LIFE LESSON: FOOD + FEST(ival) = magic. Remember this equation.
A2 FINAL THOUGHT: Because of the options, setup and range of vendors this is a party not to be missed. We will def be getting a big group together next year! Can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store…
Till next time,
Alex
eat.drink.dish.repeat. 