The four-day food extravaganza known as "The Taste" took over town during the holiday weekend, blanketing the city with high-profile chefs at nine big events. The inaugural festival came about from two previous events: In 2010, Los Angeles Times and Food & Wine each held separate events over Labor Day weekend (the Los Angeles Times Celebration of Food & Wine and the Taste of Beverly Hills). This year, they combined to form one mega event, spanning Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and downtown.
Times vice president of advertiser marketing and events Anna Magzanyan and Johnathan Crocker of Best Events co-founded and co-produced the event. "From our earliest conversations, the vision for the Taste was to bring together 2010’s most successful food and wine events to establish an unprecedented citywide extravaganza," Magzanyan said.
She added, "And it is safe to say that we exceeded that goal by delivering nine signature events over the course of four days in three distinct locations. The excitement and energy throughout the weekend was palpable, and we captured the dynamic of the dining and spirits scene in Los Angeles—one that rivals that of other top culinary capitals. From the noir vibe we created in downtown L.A. to Giada De Laurentiis's picnic in Beverly Hills and the tacos washed down with tequila at the Studios at Paramount, we delivered something for every palate and brought this city together to celebrate food in a manner never done before.”
LG Electronics USA was the official kitchen appliance partner for the event, providing four kitchen suites for use of the chefs.
Here's a look inside the program's nine events.
