Los Angeles Magazine's The Food Event 2022 Highlights

Los Angeles Magazine's The Food Event 2022 kicked off an afternoon of gourmet feasting in the majestic desert hills within Hummingbird Nest Ranch.

This year’s food festival had a little of everything. Surf and turf. Plenty of pizza and vegan grub. And lots of booze (with plenty of water thanks to the Mountain Valley).

Two of the best dishes were competing curries. Champion’s Curry from Little Tokyo perfectly summed up everything that makes Japanese-style curry such a delicacy. Thick and rich in all the right ways. There was also Emporium Thai with their one-of-a-kind southern curry. This is a family secret and the specialty of the house. If you’re near Westwood, it’s a can’t miss opportunity to dive into southern Thai cuisine.

Here are some of my favorites:

Favorite Dish - Little Llama - Inca Kola-Braised Carnitas Tacos, made with Inca Kola braised pork shoulder with panca pepper, Amarillo crema, pickled red onions and pickled pepper. I heard they’re working on their liquor license too. Looking forward to chicha morada and mezcal cocktails to enjoy with their amazing pork tacos!

Best Dessert - Guerrilla Tacos Mari’s Flan - Not just one of the best taqueria’s in the city, but home to the tastiest flan in LA.

A highlight this year was the well rounded assortment of cocktails and spirits. Suntory Toki Highballs and St. Germain Spritz are easy sippers on a warm LA afternoon. And Maker’s Mark raspberry lemonade made me pick up a bottle of raspberry liqueur on the way home just so I could remake the cocktail at home with my own bottle of Maker’s bourbon.

There were two newcomers to the cocktail scene. Mezcal 33 made their debut with their reposado and joven mezcals and a well-crafted cocktail menu. One drink named “Do You Trust Me?” blended their reposado with espresso liquor and Madagascar vanilla to create pure magic in a glass. It would go perfectly with another newcomer, Mario’s Hard Espresso.

The Tiki Tom

1oz Marios Hard Espresso

1oz Bumbu Spiced Rum

1oz Averna Amero

3 Luxardo Cherries soaked in Mario’s Hard Espresso

Mix ingredients in a shaker with ice. Stir until chilled. Pour over crushed ice. Garnish with cherries and mint sprig.

It’s easy to see why Los Angeles Magazine's The Food Event keeps going strong after 16 years. The richness of LA’s food culture continues to thrive thanks to the passionate hearts of restaurant owners, chefs, and culinary staff. I can’t wait to see what next year’s event has in store!