LAFW 2011 (Elise Thompson)
August 21-24 the LA Food and Wine Festival (LAFW) returns to LA, spanning four cities with nearly 30 special events! We have already done a complete rundown of the events happening Thursday and Friday. Here we present the schedule for Saturday and Sunday. You may need to make a spread sheet.
SATURDAY AUGUST 23rd
From 10:30am to 11:45am Saturday morning there are three events lined up, each appealing to a variety of interests. Top Chef All-Stars winner and Atlanta restaurateur Richard Blais will be performing a cooking demo while cookbook author and James Beard award-winning expert on cheese, Laura Werlin, presents Pairing Cheese with Champagne. Meanwhile, The Somm Epiphany hosted by Anthony Giglio will be sharing the wines that inspired wine professionals to discover their true calling. Each sommelier will offer a wine and food pairing, with wines from a variety of countries and vintages.
The first of the Lexus Grand Tastings takes place on Saturday from 12 noon until 3pm. 25 chefs including Vartan Abgaryan, Scott Conant, Richard Blais, Jason Fullilove, David Lefevre, Kris Morningstar, Casey Thompson, Fabio Viviani and Michael Voltaggio will provide tastings while over 300 wines and champagnes will be poured. In addition there will be book signings and photo opps with celebrity chefs. A VIP ticket grants early entry and exclusive cooking demos. A few of the pourings will be provided by Nellcote, Fess Parker, Justin Vineyards, Etude, Gundlach-Bundschu, Red Car, and Stag’s Leap Winery. Bubbles include Perrier-Jouet, GH Mumm, and Henriot. DJ Justin Fuselier will be spinning.
Duff Goldman and Fabio Viviani ALFW 2012
At 3:30pm-4:45pm, catch Mad Genius Tips with FOOD & WINE’s Justin Chapple & Wine Expert Anthony Giglio. Learn some exciting and oddball kitchen hacks like a foolproof way to peel eggs. Anthony Giglio will offer his wine expertise to help you choose wines for your ultimate summer party.
Or from 4:30pm-5:45pm challenge your wine-tasting skills at Top Taster for Top Fliers with Delta and Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson. Try this blind taste-test of 6 wines in 25 minutes. Two participants will win a pair of Delta tickets to any US destination. The event will culminate with champagne and special bites.
Is beer more your style? Join The Butcher, the Baker & the Belgian Beer Maker also from 4:40pm-5:45pm. Stella Artois’ National Brand Ambassador and Belgian beer host Bart Vandaele and chef/restauranteur Casey Thompson (Aveline).will present a variety of dishes paired with Stella Artois, Leffe Brune, and Hoegaarden.
A Master Class only for VIP ticket holders will be held from 5:30pm-6:30pm. Michael Chiarello’s Cooking Demo will focus on his signature Italian-Californian cuisine and relaxed Napa Valley-style entertaining.
Celestino Drago’s Stuffed Pasta LAFW 2012 (Elise Thompson)
The most upscale event takes place at Vibiana from 6:30pm to 10:30pm . Dining with the Michelin Stars brings together Pierre Gagniere of Twist at the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas, David Kinch of Manresa in Los Gatos, Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco and Michael Cimarusti of Providence in Los Angeles to create one spectacular meal. Dominique Crenn and Michael Cimarusti are LA Beat favorites, and will surely transport diners with their culinary artistry.
Not to be outdone, Lexus Live on Grand hosted by Michael Chiarello from 7pm-10pm features 25 chefs and 200 wineries plus multi Grammy Award winning artist COMMON. This is LAFW’s big party, celebrating “Food, Wine, Celebrity, Music and Los Angeles.” Look forward to platings by local chefs Neal Fraser, Steve Samson, Marcel Vigneron, Ernesto Uchimura, Nancy Silverton, Viet Pham, Walter Manzke, Alex Reznik and Ben Ford. The champagne list includes Krug, Pommery, Henriot, and Perrier Jouet. Wines from top Vineyards like Heitz, Jordan, Melville, Mayacamas, Flowers, Ahnfeldt, Rocchioli and Rombauer will be free-flowing. Access grants you early access (no lines!) plus a private cooking demonstration and reception with Chef Michael Chiarello.
SUNDAY AUGUST 24th
Scott Conant LAFW 2011
Sunday morning three events will vie for your attention.
Did you miss the Scott Conant luncheon at Scarpetta? Not to worry, Sunday morning Chef Scott Conant will be presenting a cooking demonstration from 10:30am-11:45pm at LA Center Studios downtown.
The sun won’t be over the yardarm at 10:30am, but I think Sundays are an exception. Explore the marriage of food and cocktails with The Cocktail Revolution. The French Laundry alumni Chef Timothy Hollingsworth will prepare small bites of food with cocktail pairings by the much-lauded Rivera barsmith, Julian Cox.
Junk Food and Killer Wines will satisfy your cravings. Wine Wise LLC contributor Anthony Giglio will pair wines from California, Italy, Portugal and France the sweet and salty guilty pleasures at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Sunday from 12noon-3pm LA Center Studios will be the location for the second Lexus Grand Tasting. Are you ready for this? Over 300 wines will be pouring from some of the world’s most prestigious wineries. 25 Celebrity Chefs will create delicious bites. Some of the restaurants representing are Girasol, Eggslut, Riva Bella, Bucato, Morimoto Napa, Michael’s, Rivera and Formosa Cafe (Hi Brian!). In addition, there will be book signings and photo sessions with some of the weekend’s biggest chef celebrities. VIP Access gets you in early plus gives you access to a VIP only Cooking Demonstration.
LAFW’s final event is a cooking demo with Lorena Garcia from 3:30pm-4:45pm. The Chef, restaurateur, TV host, Top Chef Masters alum and author will be cooking and sharing bites.
Salmon by Mark Peel at LAFW Grand Tasting Sunday (Elise Thompson)
