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- Proof Bakery’s Pavlova with Meyer Lemon and Blackberry from Taste of the Eastside 2012 (Elise Thompson)
The sun was shining on Barnsdall Art Park last Sunday, the perfect day for Taste of the Eastside. There were plenty of tables, but people seemed to prefer lolling around on the grass while children ran amuck with balloons and ladies glided by shaded with parasols.
There was a great community vibe, with restauranteurs even chattier than usual, and lots of people running into friends and neighbors. It seems like restaurants are no longer afraid to serve the ballsy stuff, with offerings like chicken liver pate, Buffalo-style cauliflower and oysters on the half shell. The Buffalo cauliflower is all vegan and was the talk of the event. There were lots of tacos, from Hugo’s carnitas to Yuca’s cochinita pibil. We also enjoyed delicious iced treats, with spectacular lavender sea salt gelato and Xiao’s Vietnamese coffee ice cream. My favorite bite of the day, though, was Square One’s fluffy pancake with bacon caramel. Sometimes simple foods done very well turn out to be the best.
Taste of the Eastside worked with Sustain LA to work towards a Zero Waste event. Convenient containers with recycling and compost bins were abundant, along with volunteers to help you decide where to put that fork. In addition, all proceeds went to local charities! We look forward to next year.
