Welcome to the Memorial Day Weekend. We’ve got an action packed long weekend ahead of us. Kick it off Friday night at the Fiesta en Mayo Food Truck Night or Barnsdall Wine Tasting. Weekend long events include the Newport Beach Wine Festival, Silver Lake Jubilee, and Malibu Family Wines live music. Other events this weekend include BBQ and wine, Learn About Wine advanced palate builder, some outdoor cinema/food/music festivals, a party at Pink Taco, and a Big Daddy Summer BBQ.
Friday, May 25
Fiesta en Mayo Food Truck Night
Westchester (5-10pm)
Head to Westchester on Friday after work for some food trucks and live music by the Couchois Brothers Band. There will be over 15 food trucks, beer, wine and margaritas too. For the kids, they will be screening movies with face painting by Ella. The event takes place at the Visitation School Grounds at 8740 S Emerson Ave in Westchester. More info on their web site.
Barnsdall Wine Tasting Fridays
Los Feliz (5:30-8:30pm)
Unwind and enjoy the beautiful Barnsdall Art Park as the sun is setting, from the gated gardens in the West Lawn of the historic Hollyhock House. Silverlake Wine will present four selections of boutique, small production, artisanal wines from around the globe. This week will feature DJ Dan Wilcox of KCRW and delicious food from Heirloom LA, Let’s Be Frank, Gastrobus and Coolhaus. Tickets are $25, or $5 for kids and designated drivers. More info here.
Malibu Family Wines
Malibu (Fri-Sun)
Live music is back at the Malibu Family Wines tasting room. Grab a picnic basket and a bottle of wine from their tasting counter and enjoy live music in the beautiful hills of Malibu. The music starts on Friday night from 7-9pm and continues through the weekend. This weekend enjoy the musical folk rock and blues stylings of The Shoemaker Brothers, latin guitar specialist Victor Torres, French Cabaret music by Les Zazous, James Taylor cover band Taylor Made, singer songwriter Lois Fein, and the acoustic quartet Cuppa Joe. Shows are free and are 21 and over only. No outside wine is allowed, but they have plenty of great wines available at the tasting room. For a full list of showtimes check out their calendar.
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.
Newport Beach Wine Festival
Newport Beach (Fri-Sun)
The 9th Annual Newport Beach Wine Festival features a weekend of events geared toward every wine and food lover. The event kicks off on Friday with a Master Sommeliers Wine Dinner with Guest Chefs at the Balboa Bay Club. Other events include a Spanish Wines and Tapas Seminar, a Cheese and Wine pairing, a Grand Tasting on Saturday, then a brunch on Sunday along with a Afternoon Argentinean BBQ. For prices, tickets and more info check out their web site.
Saturday, May 26
Silver Lake Jubilee
Silver Lake (Sat & Sun)
The third annual Jubilee street festival, LA’s premier music, arts and food festival, will be held in Silver Lake this weekend at Sunset Junction. The Jubilee features the city’s best selection of bands, comedy, literature, artists, food trucks and shopping. The 2012 Jubilee will feature 60+ bands, 15+ food trucks, 40+ craft vendors, 40+ comedians and performers, as well as beer, wine and mixed drinks. Tickets are $25 for each day, or $35 for a weekend pass.
Street Food Cinema: Napoleon Dynamite
Exposition Park (5:30pm)
It’s time for Street Food Cinema, the swankiest summer fest featuring cool outdoor movies, tasty food trucks and live music in Los Angeles! Bring a blanket, the family, the dog, and a picnic. Outside food and beverages are welcome. FOod will also be available for purchase from food trucks. This weeks food trucks include Kogi BBQ, Grill ‘Em All, Munchie Machine, Don Chow Tacos, After School Special Truck, Dogtown Dogs, and AROCKin ICE. Tickets are $10 per person. Get more info and tickets here.
Eat|See|Hear Presents: Anchorman
Santa Monica (5:30pm)
For the westsiders, you also have your own outdoor cinema event. Complete with live music and food trucks. Food trucks include Fatmobile, Me So Hungry, The Greasy Wiener, Fresh Fries, White Rabbit, Shrimp Pimp, Nom Nom Truck, Flatiron, The Lime Truck, Buttermilk, and Coolhaus. Doors open at 5:30, live music by The Islands at 7pm, and the movie starts at 8:30 sharp. Tickets are $10 and are available online.
Sunday, May 27
Palate Builder
Downtown Los Angeles (3-5:15pm)
Learn to taste like a pro at Learn About Wine’s Palate Builder. This unique, action-packed, tasting class and palate workout will help you break through to fine wine appreciation! It will be a class that you
will want return to again and again. The workout includes a sense/scents of place tasting. Explore the smells of wines with their Le Nose Du Vin sensory kit. Learn about grape identification, places, and wine making styles. There will also be a blind tasting to test your new skills. The class is just $60 and you will get to taste over 20 wines. Wow. Get your tickets now.
BBQ Wines with Church BBQ
South LA (3pm)
Enjoy vino from Silver Lake Wine at the 8th Annual Memorial Day Weekend Barbeque Wine Tasting at The First Assembly Baptist Church. Join them as they pour Chateau Soucherie Cuvee L’Astree Rose de Loire, Cefalicchio Bianco Puglia, Molnar Family Pinot Noir, Random Ridge “Cabernets”, and Sans Liege Grenache paired with the some of the best bbq in the City of Angels. Ribs, Links, Chicken, etc, prepared by one of the most special places, The First Assembly Baptist Church in South Los Angeles. The cost is $20 a person, reservations are required. Call 323 662 9024.
Monday, May 28
Pink Taco Memorial Day Celebration
Century City (Fri-Mon)
Celebrate the long weekend at Pink Taco in Century City with 2-for-1 pitchers of margaritas, $5 shots, $8 margaritas, $100 bottles of 901 Tequila, two for $5 tacos, and a raffle with great prizes. Follow them on Facebook for all the updates.
Big Daddy Summer BBQ
Culver City
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.
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:
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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