Review: Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival 

The Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival hosted its inaugural event in a massive tent just north of the Santa Monica Pier. As soon as I walked in I felt a celebratory vibe. I have been writing about culinary events for many years now, so I know the first year for any festival can be a challenge. Granted, I attended the final day of the event, but I was quite impressed. So It was nice to be excited about writing this LA Wine & Food review.

LA Wine & Food Festival Review

The event attracted a nice crowd. However, it was not too congested. The layout allowed for enough room to accommodate the attendees. There was also seating, cool cars, as well as a dance floor. DJs Mango & Ginger were great. The music was pumping while happy people were eating, drinking, and dancing too. There were plenty of vendors, so one could easily access food and drink with little or no lines. Of course, later in the day there were a few lines for trendy food vendors, but they were well worth the wait. 

Wine & Cuisine

I was drawn to Mizel Wines (Mizel Estate Vineyard), based out of Malibu. I started off with a lively Grenache called Easy to Please. This 62% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, and 8% Syrah. was light yet filled with flavor, berries and floral on the nose. I left for some food then arrived back to try the Smooth Touch Syrah which was full bodied and peppery, with notes of vanilla. This paired perfectly with a delicious meatball from Élephante. They were serving up some delicious meatballs (pork, beef spicy tomato sauce, parmigiana). These garlic infused delights were provided by Chef Thomas Lim from the Wish You Were Here group. I went back to score another bite to eat with my final taste from Mizel Estate. 

Next I came upon Bé U. Here I met Chef Uyen Le. She presented me with what she called Vietnamese comfort food. Chạo Tôm is a traditional dish – Seasoned Shrimp sausage, skewered with a lemongrass stalk, then char-grilled, topped with scallion oil in addition to crushed peanuts on top. This was a delicious union of smokey citrus and mint…so good. 

Female Owned

Then I met a group of woman from El Vino, a  female owned winery. The wine is made in the Mexican wine region of Baja California. The Tempranillo was exquisite. The medium bodied wine offered deep berry note, blueberry on the nose and firm tannins. 

A Smothered Biscuit (buttermilk biscuit smothered in savory velvety delicious country gravy with homemade chicken sausage) was calling my name. Chef Arica Thomas created this delectable biscuit. She told me her restaurant, Auntie Beulah’s Biscuits & Chicken just opened four months ago. I can’t wait to go. This was fabulous. 

Chef Sydney C. Hunter III from Belles Beach House provided a yummy Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice (Ginger, Shoyu, spicy aioli, chives). This zesty bite of fresh tuna had quite a kick. I loved the crunchy rice as well. Belles Beach House is also part of the Wish You Were Here group. 

Amazing Pizza

Pi00a LA offered the most delicious Asian style Neapolitan Pizzas. Yes, there was a line for this, but boy was it worth it. We enjoyed a Spicy Soppressata (Pomodoro Soppressata, Fior Di Latte, spicy chili crunch). The take out only Pi00a LA is headed by Melody Stein, who made her mark on the culinary world in 2011. She was the first deaf chef to own a restaurant in San Francisco. Now Stein and her family have started Pi00a LA, and are making waves in a sea of talented LA chefs. 

Finally, after all that food, we indulged in some delicious Uli’s gelato. It was a fun day. As the event came to a close, people were still dancing. I even convinced my husband to dance with me. Be sure to purchase tickets next year. Stay tuned…visit the website for additional info – https://www.lawineandfood.com/