Playa played host this week to three chefs and four vineyards offering a preview of what is to come at the seventh annual East LA Meets Napa at Union Station. The event, to be held July 20 2012, “celebrates the richness of fine cuisine and the success of Latino vintners from Napa Valley.” East LA Meets Napa offers wines from over 60 wineries, with countless participating restaurants crowding the expanse of the Union Station plazas.
At Playa this week, coming attractions presented by Chefs John Sedlar, Hugo Molina and Rocio Camacho started off with a number of small bites presented by Chef Camacho. Her potosina empanadas were worth a second pass, in spite of the temptations of huitlacoche and squash blossoms. The tasting of five different meats with five different moles was an eye opener to everything a mole could be.
The charming Chef Hugo Molina of Seta brought back his popular barbacoa, this time on a tostadita, and took home the gold with empanadas filled with beef and manchego Cheese — light, puffy, airy and properly deep-fried.
Chef John Sedlar wowed with his Tortillas Florales, this time showing off the bounty of his rooftop garden with greens and herbs that married just right. (More on that garden later!)
The event sells out every year, so order tickets now. East LA Meets Napa is one of many popular fundraisers for AltaMed, an organization commited to providing patient-centered healthcare to the underserved populations of Los Angeles and Orange counties.
