Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival
Aug. 21–25. The city heats up as celebrity chefs, acclaimed wineries and winemakers and a few Hollywood stars converge for cooking demos, tastings, lunches, dinners and wine seminars. Highlights include Giada de Laurentiis’ Festa Italiana, Tacos and Tequila at The Bungalow Santa Monica, Asian Night Market hosted by Iron Chef Morimoto and much, much more. Locations, hours and admission costs vary; see website for more details. Headquartered on Grand Avenue, downtown. lafw.com
Diner En Blanc
Aug. 21. Take part in the chic Parisian-inspired secret picnic that is expected to draw more than 1,000 foodies and outdoor eating enthusiasts all dressed in white. Just pack your picnic and accoutrements (like your finest china and stemware), rally at one of the predetermined destinations and wait for the final call that will lead you to the evening’s secret destination. Over the course of the night, you will eat and celebrate amid live music, dancing, complete with festive white balloons. losangeles.dinerenblanc.info
Taste Of Brews
Aug. 24. The premier beer-tasting festival features dozens of seasonal, craft and microbrews paired with cuisine from high-end eateries. Great beer is as offbeat as Los Angeles gets! Noon–4 pm. $27.65–$42.50. Lighthouse Park, 200 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, 714.375.1132. tasteofbrews.com
The Taste
Aug. 30–Sept. 1. Los Angeles Times–sponsored festival celebrates L.A.’s culinary achievements with multiple food-and-drink-centered events hosted by star chefs, L.A. Times writers and libation experts. Highlights include Field To Fork hosted by Russ Parsons and chef Michael Cimarusti, Flavors of L.A. hosted by Jonathan Gold and chef Sang Yoon, Labor Day Block Party hosted by Noelle Carter and chef Nancy Silverton, and more. Event times vary. $50–$85. The Studios at Paramount, 5555 Melrose Ave., Hollywood. events.latimes.com/taste
L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade Culinary Cookout
Sept. 28. The L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade Culinary Cookout, hosted by Chef Suzanne Goin, business partner Caroline Styne (Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern) along with Chef David Lentz (The Hungry Cat), returns to Culver Studios for its fourth season. Expect an afternoon of fantastic fare, cocktails, children’s activities, silent and live auctions, and much more. The 2013 event is shaping up to surpass the aspirations of previous years, with returning chefs Giada De Laurentiis, April Bloomfield, Gabrielle Hamilton, and many more. The event supports the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) in their quest to find better treatments and ultimately cures for all kids with cancer. Noon-4 p.m. $175+. Culver Studios, 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City. alexslemonade.org
James Beard Foundation’s Taste America®
Oct. 11-12. The national traveling food festival visits the City of Angels in October, opening with a gala dinner All Tracks Lead to LA, taking place at Union Station downtown. In place of the traditional cocktail hour, guests are invited to attend “Food Trucks for the Foundation,” where they will be treated to an elite selection of food trucks—from modern gourmet iterations to traditional taco trucks—paired with suds from local breweries, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the South Patio. At 8 p.m., diners will move indoors to the building’s original Grand Concourse, where they will enjoy a five-course dinner accompanied by regional wines and libations from some of Los Angeles’ most lauded mixologists. The festivities continue Oct. 12 with a series of free, in-store consumer events at the Sur La Table location at the Farmers Market; Taste America All-Star Rick Bayless and other awarded chefs will participate in cooking demonstrations at the event. Activities of the day will also include cookbook signings, tastings from Los Angeles’ top artisanal producers, and more. jamesbeard.org