Beer, ice cream and charity = winning!

I can't believe I've missed FoodGPS' Beer Float Showdown, benefitting Share Our Strength, two years in a row. Well, the third time is going to have to be the charm, because hosting it at the Eagle Rock Brewery is just too convenient for me. I could even ride my bike, like FoodGPS and EatingLA did on the first Bike Bender. You should be there too on Saturday October 15, with the dual aim of feeding undernourished kids and nourishing your own self with plenty of craft beer and ice cream, paired by the likes of Laurent Quenioux, Ilan Hall, Andre Guerrero and Nguyen Tran of Starry Kitchen.

Ma ma mia, it's time for the Taste of Italy

Whether you have a drop of Italian blood of not, you can try food from Il Grano, Il Moro, Claro's , Il Pastaio, La Bottega di Marino, Paciugo Gelato and more, as well as drinks from Ventura Limoncello, Fernet-Branca, San Antonio Winery and more at next Saturday's benefit for the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles. Click here for tickets - it's sure to be a musical and wine-soaked evening!

The first Baja Culinary Fest: Why you should go and how to do it

Baja bluefin tuna tostadas and Baja cheeses at the Baja Culinary Fest preview at Playa restaurant. John Sedlar of Playa is participating in Friday night's dinner at Tijuana's Mision 19 restaurant.

Tequila. Mescal. Amazing seafood. Unusual cheeses, game and tropical fruits. No, it's not the Yucatan, but nearby Tijuana and Ensenada, which are fast becoming the muy caliente eating destinations of the moment. There's so much to try beyond fish tacos and lobster.
If you've ever felt Mexican food in L.A. doesn't quite live up to its potential, then you should make plans to check out the first ever Baja California Culinary Fest from October 5-9 in Tijuana, Ensenada, Tecate and Rosarito. If you're not that familiar with Baja, it's super easy to get around and the groundbreaking restaurants there are well worth the trip. All you need is a passport and a few pesos.
What's the best way to get there?: 
The easiest and cheapest way to get to Tijuana is to drive to the border, leave your car at one of the secure parking lots on the American side, and walk across through the passport checkpoint. A taxi or local bus is a short ride into the center of town.
If you prefer to take your car over the border so you can drive to the beach towns of Ensenada or Rosarito or tour the nearby Valle de Guadalupe wine region, buy Mexican insurance online before you leave from MexAdventure or Baja Bound.
You can also take the train to San Diego and then hop on the trolley to the border, or pick up a Crucero bus from Union Station. Baja Wine Tours will be running special buses from Union Station during the festival.
Where should I stay?
Hotels in Tijuana are very reasonably priced and not at all scary like some people seem to think. We stayed at the large, modern Palacio Azteca in Tijuana, which has a pleasant pool. In Ensenada, I've stayed in a bungalow at the very private and mellow Quintas Papagayo just outside of town. In Rosarito, the Culinary Festival recommends the Rosarito Beach Hotel.
What's the best day to go? 
There are events at the Culinary Fest from Wednesday to Sunday, but the main culinary festival is Saturday at Tijuana's racetrack with a smaller one in Ensenada at the same time. The main festival will have tastings from local restaurants, wineries, microbreweries, arts and crafts from Baja California's native communities, a street food pavilion and farmer's market. (Admission is $11.50)
What else is happening at the festival? 
- Friday's Baja on the Bay yacht trip on Ensenada's bay to visit oyster and mussel farms, with ceviche served on board.
- Friday night's chef dinner at Tijuana's Mision 19 (with the fest's organizer, chef Javier Plascencia, John Sedlar and mixologist Julian Cox); or at La Querencia with chef Miguel Angel Guerrero and mixologist Steve Livigni;
- and Thursday's Culinary Safari in Ensenada which includes a 7:30 a.m. hunting trip with Chef  Guerrero.and outdoor lunch after the safari. 
Is it dangerous?
I've been there twice in the last few years and haven't seen anything to raise concern; Bill Esparza of StreetGourmetLA, who has been instrumental in promoting the Baja culinary scene, travels safely there many times a year. Personally I prefer not to take my car, but that's just so I can take better advantage of all the tamarind margaritas and the groovy Tijuana mescal bar La Mezcalera.

And the winner of the great Silver Lake cookoff is...

Niki's clams with chorizo

I was honored to be asked to judge a cook off between my tenants Christian and Tyler and their friend Niki, a longtime EatingLA reader. The cook off took place over two evenings, and there were no real rules except that no vegetarians were invited. Each contestant chose a starter, entree and dessert. This was a really fun format for a dinner party that encourages the hosts to stretch their cooking muscles. Here's how the judging went down. Each cook started guests out with a fruity sangria-like spritzer, a refreshing kickoff for the evening.

First course: 

Niki started with a cool combo of smoked trout and fennel salad. She bought the trout already smoked at McCall's, which seemed like a reasonable compromise -- accompaniments of a zingy horseradish sauce topped with sliced cornichons and a bright-tasting salad of sliced fennel, arugula and radishes provided crunch, heat and tangyness. Score: 5 out of 5
Tyler sneaked in an amuse-bouche before the starter -- hollowed-out cubes of watermelon were perked up with balsamic vinegar and basil. Tyler's gazpacho was super-fresh tasting; paired with a simple red-leaf lettuce salad, it was a great way to usher out summer.
Score: 3 plus 1 for the amuse = 4

Main course:

Niki continued her seafood theme with clams with chorizo, garbanzo beans and kale. The broth danced perfectly on the edge of saltiness, and the slices of toasted bread were terrific sopped up with the clam broth. Score: 5
Tyler roasted a chicken with lemon slices and paired it with a cool herb-inflected rice salad; his carving skill was evident in the nicely-portioned pieces on our plates. Score: 3

Dessert:

Niki made a caramel pot-de-creme topped with creme fraiche and salt crystals; it didn't have the impossible richness of a butterscotch budino but the slightly tart creme fraiche cut the rich custard nicely. Score: 4
Tyler went with a chocolate souffle with raspberries and whipped cream. Sometimes the classics are the best: Fresh out of the oven, the warm, deep chocolate flavor was a lovely way to end two nights of culinary skill. Score: 5
Both cooks turned out delicious meals with lots of thought, and I had a lot of fun judging the results. So next time you're inviting guests for dinner, why not make a contest out of it?
Here's the results:
Niki: 14
Tyler: 12
Congrats to Niki, winner of the Griffith Park Blvd. area dinner championship and future "Come Dine With Me" star!

It's LQ day today!

Well, not officially, but chef Laurent Quenioux is all over the city today. First, he's creating the menu for Cart with a Cause, which is parking conveniently in front of my office at 5900 Wilshire Blvd.
For the lunch, he's partnering with Starry Kitchen where's he's been doing a residency the past few months for a French-Vietnamese snack supreme. Plus, your $10 lunch will feed a senior citizen for a day.

On the menu:

Boudin noir banh mi

Head cheese salad with pickled onion vinaigrette

***

Tonight, head over to Pasadena's Vertical Wine Bar, where Quenioux is now the chef. For $25, you can toast what's new at Vertical including beers on tap, the new Library room and Quenioux's very original tastes. I'm trying to get to both, by which time I'll probably have eaten my way from the nose to the tail. And check out what Quenioux is doing on Sunday, Monday and some Tuesday nights at Downtown's Starry Kitchen (hint: it involves tonka bean infusion and sweetbread chipolatas). But be careful, because Starry Kitchen's website might make your brain explode!

Mixto: Los nuevos burritos de Silver Lake

The arrival of Mixto in the old Burrito King spot is a sure sign of the Silver Lake of the future: grass-fed, compostable, vegan-friendly, and of course more expensive than the old Silver Lake. From the owners of Tomato Pie, Mixto's menu sticks mostly to tacos, burritos, tortas and quesadillas with a few sides and salads.
 
 
I tried a carne asada torta; made with grass fed beef, the meat was nice and tender but didn't pack a ton of flavor. A free-range chicken taco came with a possibly handmade tortilla, pickled onions and a creamy salsa, but strangely, you'll pay extra to add the cilantro or onions that are usually laid out alongside salsas on a counter. These simple preparations will need a dollop of salsa to wake them up. Fresh mixto green salad was pleasant with arugula, lettuce, yellow peppers and a sprinkle of cotija cheese. Of course, there's also a kale caesar salad.

New tables freshen up the old Burrito King

They've put in new wood tables and given the outside a coat of bright green paint, and the remodel was done in record time. Mixto doesn't have the more ambitious Mexican cooking of a Guisado's or Cook's Tortas, though it's still nice to have a place in the neighborhood where the food seems healthy enough to eat fairly often, and there's even delivery. But I can't help slightly missing the old-school Silver Lake joints like Zamora Brothers, where the jalapeno-laden $2 gut bombs brought on a state of chile euphoria before crashing victoriously into your stomach.
Mixto
2827 Hyperion Ave.
Silver Lake
323-668-1818

Good Food Festival: a $10 ticket for us commoners

The food fests just keep on coming: September 14 through 18 is the first Good Food Festival & Conference, sponsored by the Santa Monica Farmers Market, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and FamilyFarmed.org. The five-day event concludes with a weekend festival and street fair at Santa Monica High School (Go Vikings!). A number of top local chefs are involved, but the focus is squarely on artisan food producers, food entrepreneurs, local food systems and a food policy summit.
Local luminaries: Cooking demos include Sang Yoon, Evan Kleiman, Suzanne Goin, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, Ian Hall, Nancy Silverton and more.
Coolest events: Localicious Gala at the Annenberg Community Beach House (This one is $125)

Here's the details:
Wednesday, September 14
Chef Demo with Amelia Saltsman and Friends
10:00am - 1:00pm Santa Monica Farmers Market: Amelia Saltsman, author of The Santa Monica Farmers Market Cookbook, will kick off the Good Food Festival and Conference with cooking demos at the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmers Market, joined by friends Suzanne Goin (Lucques, AOC, Tavern), Roxanna Jullapat (Cook County), Lindy & Grundy, and farmers Jerry Rutiz, Mike Cirone and Marcie Jimenez.
The Harvest, Good Food Film Series
Aero Theater (1328 Montana Ave.) Wednesday, September 14 7:30pm - 10:00pm Tickets will be available at the event Screening of The Harvest/La Cosecha, a new documentary that provides an unvarnished view of child and migrant labor in the United States food system. Produced by Eva Longoria.
WPA Art Opening 
Art Gallery on the campus of Santa Monica High School Thursday, September 15 6:30 - 7:30 pm Free, but reserve your place online
Rediscovered Gems: WPA Agricultural Art, an art exhibit featuring remarkable but rarely exhibited paintings created by Works Project Administration Artists during the 1930's.
Opening Symposium
Barnum Hall, Santa Monica High School Thursday, September 15 7:30pm - 9:30pm Free
The celebration of the Santa Monica Farmers Market 30th Anniversary kicks off officially with this evening of market retrospective and discussion moderated by KCRW's "Good Food" host Evan Kleiman. Special guests include Kathleen Merrigan, USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Laura Avery, Santa Monica Farmers Market, Mayor Richard Bloom, City of Santa Monica, Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Mark Peel, Campanile, Amelia Saltsman, author of Santa Monica Farmers Market Cookbook, Will Allen, Father Greg Boyle and Alex Weiser of Weiser Family Farms.
Food Policy and Public Health Summit 
Santa Monica College Friday, September 16 9:00am - 5:00pm $45
Admission includes "What's Working in School Food" and Good Food Trade Show. Scholarships & transportation available courtesy of The California Endowment and The Annenberg Foundation. Leaders come together for discussions about food, public health, and public policy. Speakers include Chipotle founder and CEO, Steve Ells; California Endowment CEO Dr. Robert Ross; Los Angeles Senior Advisor on Food Policy, Paula Daniels, and leading educators, policymakers, farmers, and Good Food advocates.
The day also includes the School Food Focus Showcase, to educate suppliers, health providers, and food service professionals in school districts about procurement practices and to link stakeholders with more healthful, regionally sourced and sustainably produced food.
Good Food Trade Show 
Quad at Santa Monica College Friday, September 16 12pm - 5pm $45 
Admission includes "What's Working in School Food" and Food Policy and Public Health Summit. Farms, food businesses, and distributors that offer Good Food will exhibit and meet with supermarkets, restaurants, hospitals, schools and other buyers of local and sustainable food to build buying relationships.
Localicious Gala
30 Years, 30 Chefs, 30 Farmers Celebrating 30 Years of the Santa Monica Farmers Market Annenberg Community Beach House Friday, September 16 7:30pm - 10:00pm $125
Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Santa Monica Farmers Market at an outdoor beachfront gala featuring 30 of L.A.'s best chefs paired with 30 market farmers to taste signature dishes that showcase the freshest and best of the season. Enjoy craft brewed beers, local wines, a silent auction and 30-course grazing menu at the beautiful Annenberg Community Beach House.
Festival and Street Fair 
Santa Monica High School (601 Pico Blvd. -Entrance on 4th St)
Saturday and Sunday September 17 - 18 Saturday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm Sunday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm $10
Admission includes "Chefs at Play," "Good Food For Thought Speaker Series" and "Grow Your Own" workshops.
Sample farm fresh food from farmers, artisan food producers, restaurants and the most earth friendly food trucks in town. Discover how to raise backyard chickens, grow your own vegetable garden, make homemade jams & pickles, watch expert bakers and chefs whip up seasonal delights and much, much more during our "Grow Your Own" and "Master Food Preservers" workshops.
Saturday, September 17

10:30am - 11:30am Sang Yoon (Father's Office, Lukshon) & Evan Kleiman (Angeli Caffe) 12:00pm - 1:00pm Sherry Yard & Eric Greenspan (Spago) 1:30pm - 2:30pm Mark Peel (Campanile) 3:00pm - 4:00pm Suzanne Goin (AOC, Lucques, Tavern)

Sunday, September 18

10:30am - 11:30am Susan Feniger & Mary Sue Milliken (Border Grill) 12:00pm - 1:00pm CJ Jacobson (The Yard) and Ilan Hall (The Gorbals) 1:30pm - 2:30pm Nancy Silverton (Mozza) 3:00pm - 4:00pm Ann Gentry (Real Food Daily)