Welcome to the weekend. Start the weekend right with a tasting of rose, then check out the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, discover art in Echo Park and Venice Beach, or celebrate 21 years of community fun in Santa Monica. For the hungry ones out there, learn how to make pies with Evan Kleiman, enjoy French food in the great outdoors, taste the Flavors of Los Angeles, or sample just a little of what South Pasadena has to offer.
Friday, May 18
Tastings of Rose
Beverly Hills (6:30-8:30pm)
Who says you can’t wear white and drink Rose before Memorial Day? Start your weekend with the wines of Summer with a Tastings of Rose at L’Ermitage Beverly Hills Hotel. You’ll be tasting some of the most enchanting still and sparkling Rosés from California, France, Italy and Spain poured with tastings of artisan cheeses, charcuterie and passed appetizers. Tickets are $40 and more info with info to buy is here.
Renaissance Pleasure Faire
Irwindale (10am-7pm, Sat & Sun)
The 50th anniversary of the very first Renaissance faire is upon us, with the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire celebrating its Golden Jubilee through the weekends of April and May. Grab a turkey leg and see such faire favorites as the Poxy Boggards, the Dread Crew of Oddwood, Moonie and Broon, the joust, the puritans, and of course Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I in the village of Port Deptford, abutting the Santa Fe Dam. Tickets are $25/adults, $15/children ages 5-12 (aged 4 years or younger are free). For more information and a full list of entertainment, check out their web site.
Saturday, May 19
Echo Park Art Walk
Echo Park (12-6pm)
Echo Park PDA (public displays of art) Art Walk is a one day event that will turn the side walks of Echo Park into a fun, playful and artistic landscape. Discover chain link fence galleries, driveway theaters, sidewalk chalk art, performance art, live music, food trucks and more. This even is free and takes place on Echo Park Ave at Sunset Blvd.
Venice Art Walk
Venice (Sat & Sun)
Don’t miss the all NEW Venice Art Walk & Auctions hosted by Google Los Angeles. Enjoy their curated silent art auction, live music, taste bud tingling food trucks, family art activities and exclusive Art & Architecture tours at Venice’s largest community celebration. This event is free, guided tours are available for an additional cost. Check out their web site for more info.
The 21st annual Santa Monica Festival
Santa Monica (11am-6pm)
The 21st annual Santa Monica Festival brings together the community while highlighting the dynamic connection between the City’s businesses, arts and environment, providing ideas and solutions for a greener, healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. The festival offers something for everyone with an array of interactive activities, live music and dance, fitness and food. Admission, parking and bike valet are free. Festival highlights include performances by Dustbowl Revival, La Santa Cecilia, Lux Aeterna and Vaud & The Villains, fitness classes, eco-friendly workshops and a Santa Monica Farmers Market “Chef Challenge” cooking competition.
Hands on Pie Workshop with Evan Kleiman
Redondo Beach (11am)
KCRW’s own Evan Kleiman shares some of her favorite pie recipes. Known across the Southland for her radio show, Good Food, Evan is a wealth of culinary knowledge and a gifted storyteller. In this workshop she’s share her secrets to perfect pie and you will have a chance to make, bake and eat pies of your own. On the menu, Classic Double Crust Apple Pie, Fresh Blueberry Pie, and Coconut Banana Cream Pie. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased here.
Sunday, May 20
Picnic des Chefs
Agoura Hills (11:30am-4pm)
The Club Culinaire of French Cuisine will hold its annual Picnic des Chefs on Sunday at Vasa Park in Agoura Hills (2854 Triunfo Canyon Road), where 4 acres of lush mountain side await you. LA’s top chefs will create authentic dishes from various regions of France. Participating chefs (partial list): Marius Blin (Hotel Sofitel); Michel Blanchet (Michel Cordon Bleu); Joe Miller (Joe’s Restaurant); Josie LeBalch (Josie Restaurant); Neal Fraser (BLVD); Yvan Valentin (Sweet Temptation); and Christian Kaufmann (Emil’s Swiss Pastry). Chefs will cook up over 700 lb of meat, poultry and fish, 500 lb of vegetables, 200 lb of cheese and 500 baguettes, 50 artisan breads and much more. Over 50 wineries will be pouring their favorite selections. All this for just $60? Hell yes, tickets here.
Flavors of Los Angeles
Santa Monica
The fifth annual Flavors of Los Angeles event spotlights premier chefs and restaurants to raise funds for the American Liver Foundation. Flavors guests will experience a five course culinary extravaganza prepared tableside with wine pairings prepared by the top ten restaurants and chefs in Los Angeles, including: Host Chef and Executive Chef, Shigefumi Tachibe, Chaya Downtown; Chef Chef John Sedlar, Rivera and Playa; Executive Chef Kevin Meehan, Cafe Pinot; Executive Chef Jean Froncois Meiteigner, La Cachette Bistro; Executive Chef Mirko Paderno, Oliverio at the Avalon. Tickets for this exclusive event are $275. Proceeds benefit The Greater Los Angeles Division of the American Liver Foundation. A very limited number of seats are available. Call (310) 670-4624 for tickets.
Americana, A Taste of South Pasadena
South Pasadena (4-7pm)
Go back in time at Americana, A Taste of South Pasadena and take in the sounds, sights, and tastes of our town South Pas. Enjoy tastes from all the favorite local and neighboring restaurants. Take in the sounds of local entertainers from yesteryear. Indulge in a silent auction, live auction and wine pull. Add a new, unique, collectible to your home from a local artisan. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased here.
Continuing:
LA Derby Dolls
Echo Park (6-10pm)
The L.A. Derby Dolls are Southern California’s premiere all-female, banked track roller derby league. Watch girls on wheels as they battle out on the track with two teams of five players each: four blockers (one of whom wears a striped helmet cover as the “pivot”) and one jammer. Races take place every other Saturday and some Sundays. A full season schedule can be browsed here.
Silver Lake Farmers’ Market
Silver Lake (8am – 1pm)
The Silver Lake Farmers’ Market offers more than just fresh, local produce. Customers can also find vintage clothings, jewelry, music, and snacks, giving it more of a flea market vibe.
Sunday Suppers at Cecconi’s
West Hollywood
An elegant Sunday Supper that will feed up to four for just $50? Cecconi’s in West Hollywood has you covered. Chef Andrea Cavaliere brings classic Italian comforts such as wood-oven fired artisanal pizza, a hearty bowl of pasta and seasonal salad to the dinner table on Sundays at Cecconi’s – all with a sophisticated setting and price that’s hard to beat. Wine specials include a bottle of house red or white for $25. And if you have an additional guest in your group, add a pizza or pasta for just $12.50.
Weekend Flights at Rosso Wine Shop
Glendale (5-8 p.m.)
A new wine theme each week. Whether it is their Old World favorites or Pinot Noir from Russian River, they mix it up and keep the price reasonable. Visit www.rossowineshop.com for more details. They also have wines by the glass available at the bar, along with some select beer picks by the bottle, if the wine flight doesn’t work for you. Cost is around $10.
Maxwell DeMille’s Cicada Club
Downtown Los Angeles (6-11 p.m.)
Travel back in time to the glamorous days of Hollywood’s golden age of nightclubs every Sunday at the Cicada Club in Downtown. Featuring the finest vintage dance orchestras and entertainment, Maxwell DeMille’s Cicada Club is unlike any night on the town you have ever experienced. Vintage or evening attire encouraged. A dinner reservation will guarantee your table for the entire evening. To see who’s playing each week and for more info check out their web site.
Wine Pairing Wednesday at Upstairs2
West LA (7:30 p.m.)
Upstairs 2, located above the massive Wine House, offers a four-course dinner prepared by chef Todd Barrie every Wednesday, paired with four wines from around the world selected by sommelier Marilyn Snee. Each week will showcase a different wine region, and there will be a brief discussion of each wine and its pairing. The cost is only $55 per person. Make your rezzy here.
Upcoming:
May 28 – Memorial Day is the official beginning of Summer and the first Big Daddy Summer BBQ of the season at Fords Filling Station! Hang in the Beer Garden with meats served directly off their smoker and a beer in hand to celebrate the beginning of the summer barbecue season. For $28 choose from two meats like whole roasted pig or beef brisket; 2 sides like Mac & Cheese with ham hock and fresno chiles and corn on the cob. Then add a draft beer for just three bucks. Starts at 1pm, and goes until they run out.
June 2 – New York’s favorite outdoor market is coming to Hollywood this summer for a series of 4 fun filled events one block East of the historic intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Vine. The Hester Street Fair will be curating a collection of some of LA’s favorite artisans, craftsmen, collectors, food, brands, bloggers and music. The first event, Bite Size Food and Craft Festival, will feature some of your favorite restaurants, indie food chefs and a selected group of food trucks that bring their best menus in Bite Size portions, plus live music and a beer garden.
June 3 – The Rhone Rangers ride into Los Angeles with over 45 wineries pouring their American-grown Rhone wines. The event at the historic Vibiana, includes a walk through tasting over over 200 wines from 45 wineries. There will be food trucks of course. Tickets are $45. An early entry ticket of $85 includes time to mingle and drink with the winemakers themselves while you enjoy bites from the food trucks to pair with the wines. (Your backstage admission includes coupons for free food.)
June 10 – Taste of the Nation-Los Angeles returns on June 10, 2012, taking over The Lot in West Hollywood for an intimate encounter with Los Angeles’ top culinary talent from 1-4 p.m. The city’s premier tasting event will showcase local restaurants such as Culina, Whist, BLD, Border Grill, Ray’s & Stark Bar, SimonLA, ink.sack, Lukshon & Father’s Office, and Picca and Mo-Chica, along with Angelenos’ favorite bars, wineries, and craft breweries. Guests who purchase access to the special VIP area will enjoy delicacies from Waylynn Lucas’ Fonuts and UMAMIcatassen’s PIGG by Chris Cosentino, all to benefit the country’s leading anti-hunger organization, Share Our Strength. This year, Share Our Strength is proud to introduce the first Taste of the Nation Passport, allowing foodies from near and far to take advantage of the West Coast’s breadth of culinary talent. 100% of ticket proceeds from Taste of the Nation Los Angeles 2012 will benefit Share Our Strength.
June 9-10 – Another great event we attend every year, Spend the afternoon on the streets of the Historic Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. Make your plans now to experience over 500 Wines, Spirits and Beers, Lifestyle Exhibitors, Gourmet Food Trucks, Educational Classes in Wine and Food Pairings, Scotch, Sake and more at the 7th Annual WineFest. Enjoy great live music while you shop the wide array of Lifestyle Exhibitors from Wine Accessories to Oils and Vinaigrettes to Art and Clothing. Plus nosh and mingle with fellow Wine Lovers. Tickets are $75. Get your tickets here.
June 24 – The Vendys are a yearly street food cook-off that, since 2005, has determined the best street chef in NYC. The Second Annual LA street food showcase will be an intense cook-off between the best sidewalk chefs taking place at Pan Pacific Park, right next to the Grove. Until May 24th, they’ll be taking public nominations. Then 8 food vendors will battle it out for the ultimate in street food competition and take home the Vendy Cup. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges, but the general public is invited to enjoy great street food, wine and beer. Early bird tickets available for $30 here.
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