LA Food and Wine Festival - Giada's Festa Italiana

Sophy took me to the LA Food and Wine Festival for an early birthday celebration this year. Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy food, and more specifically, Italian food. So what a great gift choice on her part to take me to Giada's Festa Italiana.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a really cool event. Restaurant chefs from all over serve food at their respective booths and the executive chef or owner of a restaurant actually plates the food for you as you pick it up. Lots of amazing food, and you can keep going back if you choose to. Basically, it's just a huge food and wine tasting event. Can't say I'm a big wine fan, but there sure was plenty of that around too.

I don't know how to recap and describe everything, so here are some pictures/favorites.

Porchetta by Meredith Manee from Culina in Los Angeles. A pig on the left and the porchetta cooking in the background.


It was a Giada event, so it only makes sense she was there.


My favorite dish, braised beef by Mirko Paderno from Oliverio in Beverly Hills


Wolfgang Puck taking part in the festivities


Christopher Hora of Engine Co. 28.


Goat milk Panna Cotta from Mark Ainsworth of Pastry Smart


Hedy Goldsmith of Michael's Genuine Food in Miami made us some sort of dessert that had bacon and nutella, nuff said.


Spinach Lasagna from Gino Angelini of Angelini Osteria in LA.


Thanks for the birthday present!