Find the best Los Angeles things to do this weekend

Edited by Christina Xenos

EVENTS
Food Bowl
May 1-31. The Los Angeles Times’ new, citywide food festival celebrates LA’s dynamic and influential food scene throughout the month of May while promoting social awareness about food waste and hunger. The Bowl hosts hundreds of events, but the centerpiece is Night Market, May 10-14 at Grand Park (200 N. Grand Ave, downtown), which features 50 restaurants, bars and food trucks, plus live entertainment. lafoodbowl.com

 

 

Brewery Artwalk
April 29-30. This biannual art walk takes place in what organizers claim is the world’s largest art complex, which is inside a former Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery. Browse the personal studios of more than 100 artists. A beer garden and a restaurant are also on-site. 11 a.m-6 p.m. Free. 2100 N. Main St., L.A., 323.638.9382. breweryartwalk.com

 

 

Chef’s Fable
April 30. Get read for Food Bowl with an event centering on the evolution of the culinary industry, its impact on the silver screen and how the world’s hottest chefs have grown to share the stage with Hollywood’s biggest stars. Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold will lead the discussion that features director David Gelb, actor/filmmaker Jon Favreau, chefs Magnus Nilsson, Niki Nakayama and Roy Choi. The conversation is followed by a screening of the movie, Chef. 6 p.m. doors, 8:30 p.m. screening. The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. wiltern.com

 

 

Taste of the Eastside
April 30. The popular food and drink festival showcases the culinary diversity of eastern neighborhoods such as Silver Lake, Echo Park and Los Feliz, with proceeds benefiting local nonprofits. Participating purveyors include Diablo Taco, Little Dom’s, Go Get Em Tiger, Fat Dragon, among others. $45/advance, $55/door. Los Angeles River Center and Gardens, 570 W. Ave., L.A. tasteoftheeastside.com

 

 

Street Food Cinema
April 29. The outdoor film series officially opens this weekend with a screening of La La Land at the Los Angeles State Historic Park. See website for a full schedule and times. $6-$21, under 6 free. 323.254.5068. streetfoodcinema.com

 

 

 

Downtown Burbank Arts Festival
April 29-30. Art lovers can enjoy a weekend of culture that includes viewing works from more than 200 original fine artists and world famous animators, in addition to opportunities to meet artists and animators face-to-face. dtnbur.com

 

 

 

Springfest Redondo Beach
April 27-30. Head to Redondo Beach for the annual community festival features carnival rides, a petting zoo, a food court and gourmet food trucks. Free. Aviation Park, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Redondo Beach. nrbba.org

 

 

 

FOOD + DRINK
Verlaine
The former Dominick’s restaurant space in West Hollywood gets reimagined by owners Matthew Hechter and Christopher Brandon and chef Diego Hernandez as Verlaine. Expect an overhauled interior and food that celebrates organic local ingredients. Hernandez is well-known for manning the kitchen at acclaimed restaurant Corazon de Tierra in Baja, Mexico for six years. Highlights of his menu here include rock cod ceviche; chochoyote with chichilo negro and pickled pig trotter; and suckling pig with sweet potato, salsa madre and smoked squash. 8715 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, 424.288.4621. veraline.la

 

 

Rudy & Hudson California Diner
Chef Joe Miller (Joe’s Restaurant, Bar Pintxo) teams up with Lawrence Rudolph (Pitfire Artisan Pizza, American Gonzo Food Corp.) to launch a new diner with a rock ’n’ roll edge in Santa Monica. Expect elevated classics—and breakfast all day—like brioche French toast with housemade preserves; Joe’s Chilaquiles with corn tortillas, organic eggs, smoked chicken, black beans, cheddar cheese and salsa; and the R&H Reuben with pastrami, sauerkraut, gruyere Thousand Island dressing and housemade pickles. The focal point of the dining room is a pop-art-esque mural by famed street artist and illustrator Donald Robertson, while posters of infamous clubs like CBGB’s and The Whiskey A-Go-Go adorn the entirety of the restrooms. 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. 1920 Santa Monica Blvd., 424.581.6444. rudyandhudson.com

 

 

MUSEUMS
Paul Simon: Words & Music
April 27-30. Reimagined and expanded by the Skirball, the exhibition traces Simon’s life and career and illuminates his creative process. The show was developed through exclusive interviews with the artist, and features  instruments, records, sheet music, handwritten lyrics, photography, costumes, and stage maquettes, as well as listening stations and performance footage spanning Simon’s six-decade career. 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A., 310.440.4500. skirball.org

 

 

THEATER
Archduke
Through June 4. The Mark Taper Forum hosts the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Rajiv Joseph’s new play about a group of young men and their unlikely path to terrorism at the onset of World War I. Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.628.2772. centertheatregroup.org

 

 

Block Party
Through May 21. This celebration of the Los Angeles theater scene spotlights three recent productions from local theater companies, each of which plays for two weeks. Failure: A Love Story runs from April 14-23; Citizen: An American Lyric opens April 28; Dry Land runs from May 12-21. Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 213.628.2772. centertheatregroup.org

 

 

Into the Woods
Continuing. This reinvention of James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s fairy-tale musical about the power of wishes finds the acclaimed Fiasco Theater ensemble revisiting classic songs like “Children Will Listen” and “Giants in the Sky.” (Photo by Joan Marcus.) Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.628.2772. centertheatregroup.org

 

 

Plasticity
Through May 22. The multilayered, multimedia theatrical event aims to take audiences on an often comedic tour of the collective unconscious. Ovation Award-winning co-writers Alex Lyras and Robert McCaskill (The Common Air) team with Grammy Award-nominated composer Ken Rich, visual artist Corwin Evans and two-time Emmy Award-winning editor/producer Peter Chakos (The Big Bang Theory) to examine how the brain is able to rewire and heal itself. In it, a comatose man recreates his identity by delving deeply into his memories, while hovering family members and loved ones (all played by Lyras) divide into scheming camps over grave neurological decisions. Monday nights. Hudson Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A., 323.960.7787. plasticitytheplay.com