Review: 2026 LA Food Bowl Presented by the LA Times
The 2026 LA Food Bowl presented by the LA Times was bigger and better than ever. The popular foodie festival which began in 2017 moved to a new location this year – the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. I have attended many events at this venue and sometimes it becomes a bit overwhelming, but the producers created quite an accessible layout. While a good amount of the restaurant booths were outside, there were also food vendors inside. Tables were scattered everywhere which helped to spread out the large crowd. Cocktails and wine were available in various places.
2026 LA Food Bowl
As part of the kick-off event, a video presentation was prepared to celebrate all the restaurants that made it on the 101 Best Restaurants list (curated by L.A. Times Food restaurant critics Bill Addison and Jenn Harris). The L.A.Times also paid tribute to the late Jonathan Gold, the beloved Pulitzer-winning restaurant critic. Jonathan Gold’s brother Mark was on hand to give out the Gold Award to Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant. It was a touching moment when owner Norm Langer accepted the award.
The upscale restaurant Lielle won the #1 spot for its contemporary Californian and European cuisine. Its Nordic and Scandinavian-inspired techniques have afforded a unique menu while also keeping with the familiarity of California cuisine. While Lielle was not providing samples of its cuisine at the event, many of the other restaurant that made it to the coveted list were. Here are some of our favorites in no particular order.
LA Food Bowl ETG’s Top Picks – First Night
Colossus (with one of its restaurants Colossus Harbor making # 96 on the list) brought its famed Sourdough Gnocchi. The South Bay chain is led by Chef Nietn Colazas Rodriguez and Chef Eugene Santiago. They had fans jonesin’ for more of their speciality gnocchi made from sourdough bread scraps. The gnocchi was served with honeynut squash, Swiss chard, brown butter miso, and parmesan.
Best Wine
I immediately headed for a glass of wine from Jupiter Wine Co. Here I met owner Thomas DeBiase who poured me an Alla Goccia Sonoma Red. This was an appropriate pairing for my gnocchi. It was bright and easy to drink with notes of cherry and berry. https://www.jupiterwineco.com
Best Thai Food
Chef Justin Pichetrungsi’s Anajak Thai (# 12) presented Massaman Braised Beef Curry with peanuts. The beef was succulent while it swam in a sea of velvety, robust sauce. https://www.anajakthai.com/
Broken Spanish Comedor (# 18) offered a sought after savory delight. Chef Ray Garcia brought us a Chichatton crispy pork belly sitting in a pond of garlic mojo.
The pork was extra crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Moreover the citrus sauce was stupendous. The dish was topped with radish sprouts thus contributing to the overall mouthfeel. https://brokenspanishcomedor.com
Meat, Meat and More Meat
Moos Craft BBQ (#51) came in big with two slices of their signature Beef Brisket and some mighty tasty bbq sauce. While the pickled onions added another dimension, and provided a unified flavor profile which was outstanding. https://www.mooscraftbbq.com
Bistro Na’s (#54) had a consistently long line because it was simply delish!! The restaurant serves upscale classic Chinese. The Honey Black Pepper Angus Beef Bun, with its black pepper sauce was lip-smacking good. The sauce was sweet and spicy, while the combo of the beef tenderloin with onions and peppers was superb. https://www.bistronas.com
Other standouts included the Minced Sichuan Lamb Garlic Bread from Jade Rabbit, the Giuyère Tardette with truffle from Pasjoli, and also the Peruvian Scallop Crudo from Saffy’s.
Day Two of the LA Food Bowl
The second day proved to be just as fun with on stage food demos. Actors Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer kept us laughing with their comedic antics. While Chef Jeffery Smith Jr. attempted to keep the “cooking” portion on track, the duo kept cracking jokes. They were hilarious.
Additional demos were given by Cooking Editor for Los Angeles Times Food Cody Reiss as well as Chef Roy Choi who was promoting his latest book – The Choi of Cooking.
Before we get into the second night’s food, I do want to point out a favorite wine. This came from AJA Vineyards. The Cabernet Sauvignon had exceptional depth with notes of berry and a tinge of licorice.
LA Food Bowl ETG’s Top Picks – Second Night
Brothers Sushi was commanding a large crowd, as Chef Mark Okuda and manager Mai Tominaga were preparing spicy tuna as well as salmon hand rolls on the spot. The popular restaurant known for its in-house dry-aged fish program has four locations. My husband and I enjoyed spicy tuna hand rolls. These were so flavor forward yet delicate and tasty. https://thebrotherssushi.com
Best Baby Back Ribs
A tray of Sticky Ribs beckoned to me as I passed Tiki Kai. The retro-inspired Polynesian hot spot offered Slow Braised Baby Back Ribs, Glazed in a Honey Brown Garlic Sauce. These were truly magical. Sweet and tender, the meat just fell off the bone. https://www.tikikai.com
Ban Ban Burgers also had a long line most of the night, but it was well worth the wait. Although not a burger person, I fell in love with the Laab Smash from the very first bite. It was out of this world.
Unlike most burgers that offer a slab of meat, this was textured and flavorful. Since it was smashed, the ends were crunchy and the soft potato roll complemented the crispness of the burger. Furthermore, stacked on top of the burger was Thai Herb Gremolata, Thai pickle, market aioli and American cheese. The shoe string fries brought the whole experience together. https://banbanburger.com
Best Fried Chicken
Chris Danes of Lucky Bird provided Chicken Tenders with tres leches corn bread. The chicken was so crunchy and flavorsome. The plate feature a an upside down tube of liquid buttery cream injected into the cornbread. It was simply scrumptious. https://www.luckybirdla.com
My husband went nuts for the No Soy Pulpo (Spanish octopus zarandeado) provided by Villa’s Tacos. I don’t eat octopus, but it was a gorgeous work of art. The creamy dollops of cilantro and the red roasted tomatoes created a culinary masterpiece. My husband raved about the flavor. https://www.villastacos.com
Last but not least, Lunasia impressed me again. They were in attendance both nights. They usually hand out dumplings at these types of event which are always fantastic. However this time they served Stir Fried Black Pepper Filet Mignon and Spicy Sichuan Chicken. The filet was mouthwatering and tender and the chicken had a wonderful spice – both were fabulous. https://www.lunasiadimsum.com
Additional fantastic dishes included: KOGI’S Mini tacos, the Jerk Chicken egg rolls from ABL, and various Chicken Wings from Sunday Gravy. Also all the deserts made a big splash, but by the time we got to them, we were so stuffed.
If you find yourself in the LA area, and you happen to be a lover of food, be sure to attend the annual LA Food Bowl. It takes place each year in Oct/Nov. Find out more on the website – https://www.latimes.com/events/la-food-bowl
Read past reviews of the LA Food Bowl and other foodie events on ETG’s Food & Wine Festivals Page.
