1. American Wine & Food Festival
Each fall, this three-day festival takes to the Universal Studios back lot, attracting foodies and supporters of the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation. The 2008 festival, held September 26 to 28, brought out chefs including Joel Robuchon and Eric Ripert and participating restaurants such as Cut and Craft.
2. Taste of the Nation Los Angeles
Dedicated to ending childhood hunger by enlisting chefs to donate their time and resources, this event takes place each June in Culver City. The program includes samples from L.A.’s top chefs, restaurants, and winemakers. For the June 1, 2008 event, AK, Craft, Citrus at Social, Fraiche, and Katsuya were among the participating restaurants.
3. Santa Barbara County Vintners Festival
Wine enthusiasts take this opportunity to meet vintners, taste wines, and partake of food and music in an outdoor environment. With more than 100 vintners, the festival is expected to draw 3,500 attendees to River Park in Lompoc on April 18.
4. San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival
Produced by World of Wine Events L.L.C., this November festival is held at multiple venues in San Diego. The five-day event features more than 800 wines, plus samples from more than 70 San Diego restaurants and chefs.
5. Extravaganza for the Senses
Benefiting the Los Angeles Free Clinic, this event takes place at the Fox lot every July. In 2008, the event drew more than 1,500 attendees and featured samples from 30 restaurants and 80 wineries. This year’s event will be held on July 18, with Bill Knight and the Wine House as sponsors.
6. Great Chefs of Los Angeles
This annual food event takes place in November at the CBS lot. In 2008, the event was hosted by Table 8 chef Govind Armstrong and featured samples from 20 of L.A.’s top restaurants. The theme was “Go Green, Go Organic,” featuring an array of organic samples and biodegradable flatware.
7. Savor the Season
An epicurean gala featuring top local chefs, auctions, music, wine, and spirits, this event benefits Break the Cycle, an organization that educates youth about domestic violence. Last year’s event took place at Vibiana in September.
8. Uncork a Wish Wine Tasting and Auction
This annual event, held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica each spring, features nearly 100 wineries. Last year’s Moulin Rouge-themed event for about 2,000 guests raised $300,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles and featured a surprise appearance
by Ryan Seacrest. The next event will be April 4, 2009.
9. Western Food Service and Hospitality Expo
Moving from the Los Angeles Convention Center to the San Diego Convention Center in 2009, this expo features exhibits from more than 500 food and hospitality suppliers. The event, which runs from August 30 through September 1, will also feature culinary demonstrations, samples from international distributors, and a new product gallery.
10. Art of Food and Wine Palm Desert
This event—featuring food and wine tastings, chef demonstrations, culinary seminars, art, music, shopping, and golf—attracts about 4,000 attendees to Palm Desert each November. The 2008 event featured an opening-night “Food Flight” event at the Desert Willow Golf Resort with live music, art, and informal modeling from El Paseo boutiques, plus wine dinners, a dessert tasting, and a B-52’s concert at the McCallum Theatre.
