The Los Angeles Times Food Bowl is back with a monthlong celebration of LA’s vibrant culinary culture!
Now in its fifth year, the 2021 edition of the Food Bowl will feature both in-person and virtual events. Read on for some highlights from the event lineup.
Exclusive Screening of “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain”
Though the much-anticipated new documentary “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” won’t be released theatrically till mid-July, Angelenos can see it on June 26 during an exclusive LA Times Food Bowl screening at DTLA’s Exposition Park. The film includes plenty of archival footage featuring Bourdain, previously unseen footage from “Parts Unknown,” and new interviews with friends and colleagues of the maverick chef/author/travel documentarian. As befits a night focusing on Bourdain’s legacy, tickets to this Night Market Cinema event, taking place outdoors, also include stellar food. Savor your choice of a meal from four standout LA restaurants: Tacos 1986, Jon & Vinny’s, A’s BBQ, or Bridgetown Roti. You’ll also enjoy a sweet, creamy treat from Wanderlust Creamery, one drink ticket, and water from Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. You can find more information here.
Gold Award Dinners with Guelaguetza, July 12
Named for the late, great Jonathan Gold, the Gold Award will be presented by Gold’s wife, LA Times Arts & Entertainment Editor Laurie Ochoa, on July 12. Ochoa will preside over two live, multi-course dinners featuring live music and drinks at Mexican restaurant Guelaguetza. Located in Koreatown, Guelaguetza was lauded as “the best Oaxacan restaurant in the country” by Gold and won a James Beard Award in 2015. A platter of assorted moles, vegan tlayudas, unlimited micheladas and horchata, and hot cocoa with a side of mezcal are some of the meal’s high points.
Restaurant of the Year Dining Series at Phenakite, July 11
Porridge + Puff in Filipinotown has earned Chef Minh Phan plenty of acclaim. Accolades for Phan continue since she opened Phenakite, a weekend residency, in a Hollywood courtyard last summer. Now honored by the LA Times as Restaurant of the Year, Phenakite will host a 14-course prix-fixe dinner on July 9 and a bento box brunch, during which the Restaurant of the Year award will be presented, on July 11. Find more details here.
Free Virtual Panel Discussions
Women in Food, Red Drinks for Juneteenth, and Food Waste and Accessibility are the focus of three free online Food Forum discussions taking place on June 9, 15, and 23. You can find more info here.
Patio Pop-up Series
Beginning June 11 and continuing throughout June and July, the Patio Pop-up Series, hosted by Perrier, will take place at restaurant and bar patios across the city.
More Food Bowl events and restaurants will be announced soon. The Times has also curated a guide to their 50 favorite LA restaurants, many of them under the radar, currently offering outdoor dining. You can find additional info on the 2021 LA Times Food Bowl, including updates and public health information, here. Bon appetit!
