We don’t mean an actual road trip, obviously, because knowing some of the party animals at Thrillist, you would probably be waking up on Bourbon Street wearing only beads. Instead, Thrillist has made it possible for you to sample some cross-country favorites without ever leaving town, assuming you consider Hollywood “town.” How else are you going to enjoy a road trip without having to clean Cheetos out of the backseat for the next week?
Last night we attended a press preview for this weekend’s festivities. Thrillist has assembled some of the country’s best regional eats under one roof. We’re talking Tony Luke’s Philly Cheesesteaks (way better than Pat’s or Gino’s), DC’s Georgetown Cupcakes, Luke’s Lobster Rolls, and Black Seed Bagels from New York, which one of the people I spoke to had gone to great measures to get his hands on. Lardo’s from Portland, which I had been unfamiliar with, made probably the best mortadella sandwich I have ever eaten. Drinks are being provided by Spindrift Seltzer & Soda, Portland’s Underwood canned wine (a definite game-changer), and locals King Harbor Brewing, bringing the trip back home.
There were about 300 people in the two-room event space, and it was perfectly comfortable, with no waiting in lines. There will be 2-hour sessions Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, each capped at 150 people, so you should have plenty of elbow room. Their system is set up so that each guest has a punch card which gets validated at each station to avoid food waste. Don’t worry, you will definitely not starve. I might recommend a lanyard if you have an old one lying around from a convention somewhere. Then you can tuck your punch card in the plastic pocket that usually holds the name badge. Because I lost my punch card in like, 10 minutes. Tickets are a steal at $33, so get yours now. The only caveat is that it is strictly street parking, so arrive early.
