Weekend Recap: The Taste LA & a Doggie Beach Day
Never have I ever had a more drool-worthy weekend.
In the span of three short days, I munched my way through the menus of a handful of LA’s top restaurants, indulging in a bite here and a nibble there of the tastiest morsels from the most in demand chefs in town.
This magical food fest I speak of is Los Angeles Times’ The Taste LA, a weekend-long celebration of local chefs, fine beverages and culinary hotspots, amidst the towering faux-cityscapes of the famous Paramount Pictures lot.
Dress: Mint via Nordstrom Rack (similar super cheap option here) // Shoes: Call It Spring (similar here) // Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC in Almond
While I was impressed by the amount of healthy, fresh fare at the event, there was — as expected — a wide array of fried and sugar-laden delicacies.
At one point, my friend Rachel, who attended the opening night party with me, asked me how she was supposed to stay on track with her healthy eating goals with so many tempting options at her fingertips.
My trick? A few bites of the aforementioned fritters and such + copious amounts of the fit and fresh food = a moderately balanced night of eats.
Here’s how it’s done:
Friday Night
Beef Tartare from Firefly in Studio City – very tasty.
I counted this one in the healthy category as they use organic, locally-sourced beef and heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil. Whole sample down the hatch.
Chicken Skewers from the soon-to-open Bowery Bungalow.
One word: succulent. Most of the salad and the whole skewer were both quickly consumed.
Frozen Kirin Beer — half regular draft, half frozen (like an movie theater icee).
Healthy? Eh. Delicious and refreshing. Yes, maam.
Corn Custard from Goldie’s on 3rd. So amazing.
I don’t know what was in this but it was mind-blowing. I’m guessing it was butter, which typically produces that effect in the brain.
Broke my one bite rule with this one and consumed about 3/4 before enforcing restraint.
Tilapia & Shrimp Ceviche from Escala in K-Town. Simply delicious.
You really can’t go wrong with ceviche. Always a fresh, healthy option.
Many more mouth-watering bites were consumed on this evening, but these are the ones I managed to photograph before cramming in my mouth.
Saturday
“W” Necklace: Lord & Taylor – 50% off! // Shades: Chloe (similar here) // Hat: Forever 21 (similar here)
Saturday, I took a brief break from face-stuffing to take Mr. Chow to the beach.
We headed an hour north to the dog-friendly Harbor Cove Beach in Ventura.
While it isn’t as pretty as Santa Monica or Malibu, it was a great beach for picnicking.
After a quick jog down the shore, my man and I enjoyed the healthy lunch we’d picked up from Erewhon back in WeHo while watching Chow search for sand critters.
Chicken Salad made with extra virgin olive oil and a Wild Salmon Burger over corn succotash made for a tasty lunch.
On the way home, we picked up some local fruits and vegetables from an authentic — not a pop up in the middle of Melrose — roadside Farmer’s Market. Stay tuned for a very colorful tomato salad to come.
It was a day well spent, and certainly worth the drive.
Sunday
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC in Black // Necklace: Stella + Dot // Blouse: Melrose boutique (similar here)
Sunday it was back to The Taste to finish devouring my way through LA.
This time I brought my man, who’s always up for good food and a few laughs.
Within moments of arriving, I discovered what is sure to be my new favorite wine — sorry Cocobon.
Goosebump is a smooth, fruity red blend that you can find at BevMo for under $10. Sold.
Yellowtail, Thai Snapper and Octopus Soup from smoke.oil.salt on Melrose. Perfection.
I was told they used extra virgin olive oil in this, so it lands in the healthy category.
Charred Octopus, Melon and Arugula Salad from Black Cat in Silverlake.
Another light, fabulous dish. Can’t wait to try their whole menu.
And our last bite of the night — Lamb Fry Bread Sandwich from Acabar on Sunset.
This definitely qualifies as one of the most indulgent yet scrumptious items at the festival. I had one luxurious bite before passing it off to Groomzilla.
Again, there were lots of other fabulous creations at the event, but these were the most memorable.
A big thanks to Diana and Kristin over at JS2 Communications for having me this weekend. It was such a fun, memorable event — can’t wait for next year!
Audrina @ Mindfully Audrina says:
The chicken skewers and corn custard look too good to be true! It sounds like you had an exciting weekend :) Now I’m going to try and make these delicious food!
http://mindfullyaudrina.blogspot.com/
Kim says:
I like the one bite rule for events like that – perfect way to get to sample more!!
Whitney English says:
Totally!
Ashley @ A Lady Goes West says:
Everything looks amazing! Yes, I live in San Francisco so there are tons of food events and festivals all the time. While I like to try everything, I do try to fill up on the healthy stuff when I can. But let’s be honest, a food festival is a good time to splurge!
Whitney English says:
I agree. If you’re going to splurge, you should pick something worth it, and a festival like this definitely qualifies!
Arman @ thebigmansworld says:
I love your balanced approach…except that beer sounds like punishment. I give you props for drinking it. So much seafood there- should Australia ever have something like that, it would cost the same as a Melrose Drive vehicle.
Whitney English says:
Haha, you don’t like beer I take it??
Alex @ True Femme says:
All of the pictures of you are so gorgeous, Whitney! Sounds like a fun weekend!