East LA Meets Napa Preview

Rivera's Indian Butter with Tortilla at Taste of the Nation LA.
I get invited to a good number of what I call "roving food events," many of which benefit a charity or particular organization. I twice went to Project by Project's Plate by Plate event held at the California Science Center during the heat of summer, but I found it a bit uninspiring. Two years ago there were many chefs in attendance, many of whom were busy manning their stations but the turnout last year was admittedly weak.

This year, I was able to attend two major events: Starchefs at the Fairmont Santa Monica and Taste of the Nation. Many people consider the latter event to THE premier food event in L.A. but I actually thought Starchefs was much better.

First, let me discuss the whole notion of these roving food events. Personally I think most of them are overrated, expensive (even if I'm not always paying), and difficult to enjoy. Most of the time I want to enjoy a good meal sitting down and being served. I can make exceptions for congregations of well-known chefs and high-quality restaurants, but I try not to make it a regular activity.

The problem is fundamental: there are usually tons of people squeezing into a small area or lining up in hot weather, vying for a small taste of some dish that's almost always run-of-the-mill. I can't tell you how many permutations of braised meat and some warm, gooey starch (such as polenta, mashed potatoes, or the like) I have experienced at these tasting events. You throw in the fact that you have to try and juggle a glass of wine along with the plate, and you've got a tough meal ahead of you.

Despite these deficiencies, there are positive things about chalking up bucks to attend of these tasting events. For one thing, they're fun, especially when they're well organized. The Starchefs event at the Fairmont was probably my favorite event this year because the crowd wasn't too packed into a small space (like last year's Gold Standard event). I enjoyed hanging out with Thomas Keller and Walter Manzke. It's nice to chat with some of my culinary heroes.

Although there are many over-done dishes, there are just as many compelling ones that perfectly encompass that particular restaurant in one bite.

Perhaps one of the best food events done every year is East LA Meets Napa, which takes place at Union Station. There's something great about putting together some of the best Latin cuisine-based restaurants along with Latino producers of wine (some from Baja California this year!) in one of the most beautiful and classic settings in the city. Everyone gets real wine glasses and an accompanying platter, which works better than getting individual plates for each station.

East LA Meets Napa also supports a great organization, AltaMed, which serves to increase the access to quality and culturally relevant health and human services to underserved communities in Southern California.

The event starts at 6:00PM and goes to 9:00PM this coming Friday, July 9th at Union Station (so get your tickets soon!). Some great restaurants you can look forward to seeing: Cook's Tortas, Porto's Bakery, Rivera, Loteria Grill, and Tacos Baja Ensenada. You can buy tickets here: www.eastlameetsnapa.com