I Like Pie at the 2023 Masters of Taste event. Photo by Elise Thompson.
Masters of Taste, the annual fundraiser for Union Station Homeless Services, categorizes its participants into various types of Masters, and their “Sweet Masters,” always delight. Who doesn’t love dessert? Here are a few of our favorites from this year’s Rose Bowl celebration.
I Like Pie absolutely stole the show with a dazzling array of little pies, a classic Dutch Apple with a little shortbread cookie topper, plus a strawberry rhubarb and a mixed berry, which were almost perfect, but we really need vanilla ice cream with fruit pie, and it just wasn’t feasible. Oh, I just remembered there was an ice cream truck! Missed opportunities, sigh. Let’s hope they return next year.
Nothing Bundt Cakes is our go-to cake for office parties. If you ever showed up without one, you’d probably get called in to HR. The texture is a perfect middle ground between light and dense, and the subtle but not cloying sweetness make it a winner.
Mi Piaci’s Blackberry Press at the 2023 Masters of Taste event. Photo by Elise Thompson.
Written with Karin E. Baker
Masters of Taste, our favorite local fundraiser, takes its beverages as seriously as the cuisine. At the 2023 strolling event at the Rose Bowl, they offered beer from the likes of Tarantula Hills Brewing Company, Macleod Ale, and the San Fernando Brewing Company. One of our favorite beers was from Arts District Brewing Company: Kindling Smoked Helles Lager, which was awarded Best in Show at the 2023 Brewers Cup of California. Their Tiger Lily Wood-Aged Golden Sour was another crowd-pleaser.
Participating vineyards included The Hitching Post, Woodford Reserve, Moraga Bel Air, Navarro Vineyards, and Paul Warson, whose 2018 GSM Blend 1102 (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre), with grapes from the Santa Ynez Valley, was a real standout.
Masters of Taste always hosts the most skilled mixologists in Los Angeles. One of the best cocktails of the day was the Blackberry Press from Mi Piace, a white-tablecloth Italian restaurant in Pasadena (Try the short rib ravioli!). Both of their cocktails featured Suntory Haku Vodka, a longtime favorite of ours. The Blackberry Press was made with Suntory Haku Vodka, Ventura Spirits Limoncello, a house-made blackberry-mint syrup, and lemon juice. Also on the menu was The Orange Grove, a mix of Suntory Haku Vodka, Campari, house-made basil syrup, grapefruit juice and lemon juice.
“The Night of the Iguana” (1964, Warner Archives Collection) Sin and redemption (but mostly sin) in Puerto Vallarta, with Richard Burton as a defrocked priest leading American tours in Mexico and Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr, and Sue Lyon as various women with carnal designs on him. John Huston’s adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play is perhaps best remembered for its high profile cast (though the major award noms went to Gardner, Grayson Hall as Lyon’s closeted lesbian aunt and Cyril Delvanti as Kerr’s aging father); Huston swings for the fences and reworks Williams’ ending, but any shortcomings are negated by the leads’ fine, full-bore work. Warner Archives’ Blu-ray restores the luster of Gabriel Figueroa’s Oscar-nominated cinematography and bundles two vintage featurettes – a 2006 overview with Huston biographer Donald Spoto, among others, detailing the director, playwright, and film, and a 1964 promo short with lots of location footage and scenes of Elizabeth Taylor visiting Burton on the set, which drew considerable media attention.
Do you wanna rock? Do you really wanna rock??? If you regret not being around for LA’s great music scenes during the 80s and 90s, here’s your chance to hear some historic shit! If you were lucky enough to be around, come relive the golden years and enjoy a raucus reunion. Many of the LA scene’s veteran musicians will appear this Saturday at the Redwood Bar & Grill downtown in support of Education Through Music – Los Angeles and their mission to bring music education into LA public schools.
There will be an all-ages afternoon show from 3pm-7 with 1990s Silverlake Scene reunions from Popdefect and 3-D Picnic, as well as Quazar and The Bamboozled, who have remained active since their Spaceland-era debut. In case you didn’t know, just the Popdefect reunion alone is a BFD, not to mention 3-D Picnic! Quazar and the Bamboozled puts on one helluva show, with a big, fun, costumed spectacle. With dancing! A large collection of records and CDs from the period has been donated by area artists, labels and DJs for sale and auction.
Nothing says spring has sprung in Los Angeles like going to an outdoor show at the Poor Kids Mansion in Lincoln Heights. The freezing nights and the rain have given way to let some people who REALLY love music to set up a PA in a backyard of a 120-year-old, 4-story house that has been home to many beloved Angelenos. Tonight’s bill included no less than thrash legends – HIRAX! Nestled between Cancer Christ and Ghoul with SMD opening, you know with Hirax that ya got no complaints.
I’ve always been a fan of trash metal and I really feel that it has aged quite well. I saw the Big Four when it was called “Clash of the Titans” and Metallica was too busy getting ready to drop the “Black Album” on us to bother to join Anthrax, Slayer, and Megadeth in what was one of the best concerts I ever saw. I caught that tour at the El Paso County Coliseum with Alice in Chains as the opener and at one point I had lost all my friends, being that “The Barn” was completely General Admission, and I was just watching people start fires on the floor of the indoor venue. So epic! Last December, I saw Armored Saint with W.A.S.P. at The Wiltern and they just destroyed everything in their path. There was no concession for age or changes throughout time – they brought it as hard as ever with John Bush’s incredible voice as beautiful as ever and Joey Vera as powerful as ever and completely unrelenting in his attack. Pure heaven! Continue reading →
Oakland’s Rose Haze is fronted by songwriter Kate Ramsey (vocals & analog synth) with a stellar group of musicians making up the whole of the group: Ruben Gonzales (guitar, and also the group’s producer), Yoko Miyakawa (bass and violin) and Dustin Coker (drums). Their Bandcamp bio describes them as: “Hypnotic dreampop, textural shoegaze, sultry psych rock, ambient musings, soulful expressions”. They have been compared to My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive (by the A&R Factory website) – so shoegaze fans prick up your ears! Also, there is something for dream pop and psych fans to dig into – and anyone who wants to check them out.
This is the week to catch a Rose Haze show at several LA clubs, or go to all the shows! You can catch them live in dtla, Silver Lake, or Highland Park. And if you’re a lucky NAMM attendee, catch them at the Mellotron Demo before their gig at The Goldfish on Saturday.
Catch them at one (or all) of these clubs:
April 12:The Oracle Tavern, 1640 No. Spring Street, Los Angeles, 90012; 8:00pm, $10, free parking across the street behind 1635 No. Spring Street, and free street parking on Wilhardt Street around the corner (per the Oracle’s website), 21+.
April 13:The Silver Lake Lounge, 2906 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, 90026; 7:00p, $13.60 online or cash only at door (that’s what the SL website says!), street parking, 21+.
April 15: The Goldfish (formerly the Hi Hat), 5043 York Boulevard, Highland Park, 90026; 7:00pm, $11.33 online (that’s what TG website says!), free street parking or public parking lot off of No. Avenue 51; 21+.
Easter is this Sunday. If you still haven’t made plans, why not take a look at our guide to Easter brunch in LA? Spring has sprung and with these warmer days — we’re expecting a high of 77 degrees on Easter Sunday — we’ve included suggestions for brunching on rooftops, verdant patios, and by the ocean. See below for some of our favorites.
Head to Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery in Pasadena for a special Easter meal. Renowned for dishes like Sticky Toffee Pancakes, Eggs Benedict with Pork Belly, and Banana Pudding, the restaurant is open for brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., while The Cheesery will be open all weekend for your platter needs. You’ll need to order your platters by Saturday, April 8, for pickup on Easter Sunday, April 9. More info
At the forefront of the city’s best dining since 2002, Los Angeles’ groundbreaking A.O.C., from Chef Suzanne Goin and award-winning restauranteur Caroline Styne, is celebrating Easter with brunch at both the 3rd Street and Brentwood locations. Brunch offerings include Dungeness Crab Omelette with Watercress, Basil Pistou, Burrata & Crème Fraîche; Wood-Oven Baked Eggs & Grilled Toast with Chickpeas, Cavolo Nero, Feta & Aleppo; Spanish Fried Chicken & Cornmeal Waffle with Chile-Cumin Butter, Jamon Serrano & Maple Syrup; Green Chile Carnitas Hash with Sweet Potato, Avocado, Lime Crema & Poached Egg; and much more. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Reservations are available on OpenTable. Takeout can be ordered online for pickup, while delivery is available from DoorDash.
Celebrate Easter with surf and turf at BOA Steakhouse in Manhattan Beach. The extravagant Easter Sunday Brunch Buffet will include never-ending brunch classics such as pastries, sausage and eggs, a Seafood Bar, Turf Carving Station, and signature BOA items. Highlights include Lobster Avocado Toast, BOA Caesar Salad Action Station, Whole Roasted New York Strip, Sous Vide Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and much more! The bountiful dessert station will include Layered Nutella Mousse, S’mores Terrines, Layered Cheesecake Trifle, Cookies, and Macarons. Priced at $95 per person and $50 for children, you can secure a reservation online, or call the restaurant at 310-683-4080.
