Review: The Manhattan Beach Food and Wine Festival

The Manhattan Beach Food and Wine Festival made its exciting debut at Manhattan Village on October 11, 2024. Presented by Electric Avenue Events LLC, the festive opening night treated foodies to a fun evening of music, culinary delights as well as all types of spirits. Celebrity chefs greeted us along with participating students from the Careers through Culinary Arts Program the event’s official nonprofit partner. Read more about C-CAP below. 

Manhattan Beach Food and Wine Festival 

Manhattan Beach Food Wine
ETG Founder Kathy Leonardo with Chef Susan Feniger (Border Grill, Socola) who served up an outstanding lamb taco, as well as a warm cheddar drop biscuit – yum! Photo by Richard Bilow; All photos courtesy of ETG

It was so much fun to hob-knob with well known chefs Susan Feniger (Border Grill, Socola); David LeFevre (Fishing with Dynamite, MB Post, The Arthur J – Manhattan Beach); Neil Fraser (Redbird, Vibiana); Jet Tila, as well as many more. 

My very first bite of the night was fantastic. It came from the incredible restaurant Badmash by Arjun, Nakul and Pawan Mahendro. The skewered butter chicken was so tender, and that audacious Indian butter sauce was superb! 

Manhattan Beach Food Wine
Butter Chicken from Badmaash; Photo by Richard Bilow

Next, Chef Jose Acevedo from Mercado in Manhattan Beach offered me a Jicama Shrimp Taco, while my husband went for the Carnitas Taco. We often share a bite from each, so we don’t fill up too quickly. Richard raved about the carnitas, but we both agreed the crispy zesty shrimp on the unusual foldable jicama taco was darn near perfection. My husband paired his carnitas with some Lalo Tequila, while I started scanning the area for wine. I immediately spotted a lively booth. Gramm Vineyards poured me a glass of their 2022 Pinot Noir. This was smooth with notes of dark fruit such as plum and cherry. The ladies were having a great time at the event and were both quite knowledgeable about the wine.

Manhattan Beach Wine Food
The Team from Gramm Vineyards; Photo by Richard Bilow

Italian Cuisine

Now that I was armed with a tasty pinot, I was ready to dive into the Meatball Hero (Basil & Parmesan) that I noticed at Chef Antonia Lofaso’s booth. I had met her years ago, when Scopa Italian Roots first opened in Venice. I knew what I was in for, and boy was that good – it brought me back to my NYC family dinners. 

David LeFevre (Fishing with Dynamite, MB Post, The Arthur J) tempted us with Pumpkin Risotto with Duck Leg Confit, Taleffio & Tarragon – delish! Photo by Richard Bilow

I decided to continue down my Italian culinary path and picked up a dish of Lasagna Verde ‘Nonna Elvira’ spinach pasta, beef ragu, fried spinach at Angelini Osteria + Alimentari. I noticed a woman working hard, as she cheerfully engaged in small talk with some of the attendees. After telling her how much I enjoyed the food, I found out Elizabeth was the wife of Gino Angelini. He poked his head out of the booth netting and exclaimed – “she’s in charge. I only work here.” I replied “As it should be.” 

Elizabeth and Gino Angelini of Angelini Osteria + Alimentari; Photo by Kathy Leonardo

Truffle Dishes

Next, Chef Matthew Stowe of Joey Restaurants enticed me with an outstanding truffle dish. Not only did it feature a Black Truffle Ravioli with a shrimp, it was topped with a slice of Prime New York Steak. I absolutely love truffle, and this decadent dish had it all. It paired nicely with a 2018 La Spia PR28 Valtellina Superiore from Lombardia Italy. I picked up a glass of this excellent red from Metta Fine Wines. Owner Yoni Treibatch is an importer of wine working with eight family vineyards from various countries in Europe. The medium-bodied red offered notes of dark fruit with a whisper of spice, as well as a long finish. 

Manhattan Beach Food Wine
Chef Matthew Stowe of Joey Restaurants; Photo by Kathy Leonardo

Chef Stowe also provided a second dish which was equally unique but very different. This was a Lobster and Prawn Sushi Tacos with Avocado Cream, Coconut Lime Dressing, & Cilantro. It was refreshingly flavorful, and the crunch of the taco shell took it over the top. 

I also found more truffle infused dishes from Chef Steven Fretz of Coast Range Solvang. The Fresh Falafel Slider with Truffle Tahini Sauce & Tomato Relish was exceptional. The Truffled French Onion Soup was so fantastic, that I went back for more. Many of my readers know that I LOVE Solvang. So, now I have to return to review this restaurant. CLICK HERE to find out more about Solvang.

Stars of the Culinary World

The Manhattan Beach Food and Wine Festival was a star studded event for those of us who follow the culinary art scene. Throughout the evening, I kept spotting more and more of my favorite chefs. Michael Reed, Brett Thompson, Ayesha Arrington, where a few more of the top chefs dishing out their amazing cuisine. I could go on and on, so let’s cut to the desserts!

Spotlight on Dessert

Chocolatier Jeffray Gardner of Marsatta Chocolate always seems to steal the show for me. His chocolate is out-of -this-world. The man is so passionate about chocolate, that I find myself transfixed by his stories. His commitment to the artistry of this culinary niche is as inspirational as his chocolate creations.

Chocolatier Jeffray Gardner of Marsatta Chocolate; Photo by Kathy Leonardo

Chef Suzanne Goin offered miraculous mini s’mores (bittersweet chocolate, house graham & toasted marshmallow). A mesmerizing Vanilla Gelato Affogato with Espresso, Whipped Cream + Chocolate Pearls came from Chef Sherry Yard. The renowned pastry chef worked at Spago for two decades. Plus, her OMG Cookie Lollipops, Flourless Chocolate Almond Hazelnut were scrumptious. One more favorite was the Matcha Green Tea Tiramisu Marscapone Cream. This delicacy was provided by Chef Ray Hayashi of RYLA in Hermosa Beach.

Careers through Culinary Arts Program

Throughout the festival, I kept meeting C-CAP students at all of the booths. They were smiling, as they worked hard to prepare as well as serve the food. C-Cap is a fantastic organization that gives young people from often underserved communities direction and skills to work in the culinary field. Visit the website to find out more about this important nonprofit – https://ccapinc.org/

The Manhattan Beach Food and Wine Debut Festival was absolutely fantastic. The chefs, the cuisine, the spirits, the soundtrack, as well as the students from C-CAP all contributed to the success of the event. Even the happy attendees added to the flavor. Keep your eye out for next year’s event…you won’t want to miss it. Visit the website for more info –  https://www.manhattanbeachfoodandwine.com/

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