Everything's Comin' up Street Food: Bizarre Foods San Diego, East LA Meets Napa, and LA Street Food Fest's 3rd Annual Summer Tasting Event

Enchiladas placeras in Patzcuaro, Michoacan

Was it fate that I began a food blog focused on street food back in 2007? Was it great strategy? Nope--it's just a delicious string of luck that has transformed my calorie intake into something more. While I'm first and foremost a saxophone player, I sometimes think I endured a rather stressful decade-long gig touring Mexico so that I could eat my way through mi tierra--towards the end of that run, it was only about the food, the culture and the place.

The food truck explosion, the proliferation street food shows, Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain, Jonathan Gold, and the global rise of Latin cuisine--Mexican food conquers America.  Everything is coming up street food.

This week, after a selection process that lasted a couple of weeks and involved many great candidates, I have been chosen to host the Los Angeles episode of a New Show on the Travel Channel. I will wrap three days of filming later today, and will be able to share more about the show as it's gets closer to the air date--I've also contributed locations for the episode.

In the meantime, I have three big events to share with you: I will appear on Bizarre Foods San Diego this coming Monday, 7/16; Alta Med's East LA Meets Napa is back at Union Station on 7/20; and LA Street Food Fests 3rd Annual Summer Tasting is at the Rose Bowl on 7/21, featuring 2 legendary Baja chefs, an iconic seafood stand, Tijuana's most popular taqueria, and a breakout new street stand in Baja.  



Bizarre Foods San Diego with Andrew Zimmern airs on Monday, 7/16

In Bizarre Foods San Diego with Andrew Zimmern, I take Andrew to see my favorite barbacoa man--Paco Perez at Aqui es Texcoco--they we have an old school Texcoco style barbeque in Paco's backyard. We also stopped at maybe the best torta ahogada place on the planet where all the ingredients including the bread are house made. El Gallito is a Chula Vista institution. There's also a delicious crawl through San Diego's superb Filipino restaurants. Here's a clip from our barbacoa segment.

Bizarre Foods San Diego airs Monday. 7/16 @ 9/8c on the Travel Channel


East LA Meets Napa on Friday, 7/20

I attended a preview of Alta Med's annual fund raiser, East LA Meets Napa hosted at Playa by Chef John Sedlar. The tasting was supported by 2 of LA's best Latino chefs, Rocio Camacho of Rocio's Moles de los Dioses, and Chef Hugo Molina of Seta. Wines were poured from Gustavo Thrace, Alex Sotelo by none other than Alex himself, and Vanessa Robledo's Black Coyote

The event is a fund raiser to help provide affordable medical care for families in need, and is exactly what it advertises--distinguished mom and pops, chef driven restaurants, and taquerias from East LA and the surrounding communities are paired with Latino owned or Latino made wines from Napa.

It's the best Latino food and wine event in LA that brings dance, great wines from Napa and Mexico,and pairs them with tacos, sopes, empanadas, birria, moles, ceviche, and more. It's a mixed crowd but the body movement, and spice are extracted from LA's upwardly mobile Latin community.  I never miss this party--tacos and wine All Night Long. Check out my ELAMN post from 2010  titled wine, dine, and the conga line. Less than 300 ticket remain, click here to purchase now.

East LA Meets Napa 2012, Friday, July 20th @ 6PM
Union Station
$100 per person


La Street Food Fest on 7/21 at the Rose Bowl.

From upper left going clockwise: Chef Javier Plascencia's Mision 19 (kumamoto oyster with chicharron) , Chef Benito Molina's Manzanilla (sorpresa marina of Ensenada seafood ceviches), La Guerrerense ( tostada de erizo con almeja pismo), Tacos Kokopelli (gringos en vacaciones taco), and Mariscos El Mazateno (camaron enchilado) 

Another event I've never missed is the original LA Street Food Fest and there annual summer tastings. For only $45 you can sample street food the best chefs, Gourmet Food trucks, traditional loncheros in LA; and I'm bringing 5 of my baddass chefs, street food carts, stands, and taquerias  from Baja into the mix.  $65 dollars gets you an early entry and VIP experience. Each year this event has delivered great food, in abundance.

There are more than 75 restaurants, trucks, carts, and chefs. There's plenty to drink at the beer garden, a tequila tasting tent, and cocktails all around to beat the heat.

It's worth your money just to experience Ensenada's La Guerrerense, considered one of the best seafood carts in the world; or Tacos Kokopelli, who've been injecting fresh blood into the Baja street food revolution. Chef's Javier Plascencia and Benito Molina are known all over the world for their respective style of Baja cuisine. Mariscos El Mazateno serves up perhaps the best shrimp taco ever made.    

This day is a celebration of street food in Los Angeles, and we even have LA's own Kogi in attendance. The greatest street food tradition in the US meets the gala street food experience. Come by and say hello, and be sure to get a taste of Baja.

LA Street Food Fest 3rd Annual Summer Tasting Event
Saturday, July 21st
Pasadena ROse Bowl
$65 for VIP (3:30-4:30)
$45 for general admission (5-9pm)
Click here to purchase tickets.      

East LA Meets Napa 2011,Friday,July 8th at Union Station: Celebrating the Flavors of Michoacan

A purepecha woman prepares lunch over an open fire in Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacan


On June 22, 2011 I was invited to lunch with Castulo de La Rocha,President and CEO of Alta Med,for a preview of East LA Meets Napa, The Flavors of Michoacan, on Friday July 8th.The reason to highlight Michoacan Castulo stated?, "Many of the Latino wine makers in Napa have roots in Michoacan.They came to Napa as part of the Bracero program which brought Mexican laborers to the US starting in 1942.This was established between Mexico and the US to meet America's labor shortage during World War II.

East LA Meets Napa is the premier Latino food event in Los Angeles that reflects a color,flavor, and spice of our local multicultural blend. It's where the movers and shakers of LA's Latino business and lifestyle move and shake to the sounds of mariachi, cumbia, and son.Our best East LA restaurants, Los Angeles originals, get together with the Latin winemakers for hot night at Union Station. Bring your dancing shoes.Get your tickets here.

About Alta Med
Alta Med has delivered quality care to the underserved communities of Southern California for more than 40 years! The proceeds of this event go towards helping those without proper health care, which is even more important during these tough economic times. Not only will you be attending the best party in town, you'll be indulging for a worthy cause. For more information on Alta Med go to their website.


At the preview, Jimmy Shaw made his mole verde, Michoacan style. Jimmy's Loteria Grill will be there along with Hugo Molina of Seta, local favorites Cook's Tortas and Dorados, and Phlight restaurant.At the preview lunch each of these restaurants played on the Michoacanan theme, and there will even be a woman there presenting traditional Michoacanan cuisine. Be sure to look her up, I have something put aside for me, hands off!

In all there are around 30 participating restaurants, and about the same number of wineries.


Famous Mexican chef of Izote restaurant in DF and cookbook author,Patricia Quintana was an honoree last year at East LA Meets Napa.


John Sedlar and I delivered invitations last year in person to Baja wineries,they were a big hit and the good news is they're back.Look for Vinedos Malagon, Vinisterra, Adobe Guadalupe,Cavas Valmar, L.A. Cetto, and Bodegas San Rafael at this year's event.So, grab a glass.


Mix and mingle under the Los Angeles skyline at DTLA's historic Union Station.


Sing along to the mariachis, that's how us Mexicans karaoke.


Put on your red shoes and dance.....


And, enjoy the Flavors of Michoacan at East LA Meets Napa, Latino LA's night of fine food and drink.Viva Michoacan!!

East LA Meets Napa
Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles
July 8, 2011
6:00 p.m.
Ticket prices
$125 pre-sale before June 3
$150 June 4 - June 30
$200 July 1 - July 8

Alta Med's Fundraiser: East LA Meets Napa 2010-Wine, Dine, and Conga Line.

Picking up right where we left off last year, the best food and wine event in Los Angeles approaches. This isn't a sip and swirl kind of event. When the food is gone and the wine bottles are empty, it's time to dance the salsa, merengue, the cumbia. This is a Latin-American event, but the crowd is pure Los Angeles. This is the food Angelinos have grown-up with, Latino cuisine, from the East LA flavors of El Tepeyec, the haute fonda cuisine of La Casita, to the modern Latin stylings of Rivera. The latin wine makers and vineyard owners have an idea what to pair with this food. East LA Meets Napa is the only wine event in the US that qualifies as a rumba!

Alta Med has delivered quality care to the underserved communities of Southern California for more than 40 years! The proceeds of this event go towards helping those without proper health care, which is even more important during these tough economic times. Not only will you be attending the best party in town, you'll be indulging for a worthy cause. For more information on Alta Med go to their website.



I was invited by Castulo de la Rocha, President and CEO of Alta Med, pictured second from the right, to attend a preview of the 2010 East LA Meets Napa restaurants and wineries.

The event was held at Phlight restaurant in Whittier, one of my favorite bites at the 2009 event.


Here are the featured vintners for the 2010 East LA Meets Napa:
Alex Sotelo Cellars, Black Coyote Chateau, Bodegas San Raphael, Cejas Vineyards(my fave from last year),Chateau de Vie,El Centauro Del Norte,Elements of Sonoma,Encanto Vineyards,Fria Family Vineyard,Gustavo Thrace Wines,L Lohr,Karl Lawrence Cellars,Madrigal Vineyards,Maritas Vineyards,Mi Sueno,Renteria Wines,Riverbend Cellars,Robledo Vineyards,San ANtonio Winery,Sequoia Grove Vineyards,V. Sattui Winery, and Veramonte.And, I'm very proud to announce the participation of Adobe Guadalupe,Cavas Valmar, L.A. Cetto, and the cowboy wine maker J.C. Bravo from the Valle de Guadalupe. On a recent trip to Mexico's premier wine country I recruited these wineries to be a part of East LA Meets Napa.

Some of the East LA spectrum of Latino cuisine:
Birrieria Chalio,Cacao Mexicatessen,Cobras & Matadors,Cook’s Tortas, El Tepeyac Cafe, Esquela, Homegirl Café, La Casita Mexicana, La Parrilla Restaurant
La Serenata de Garibaldi,Phlight Restaurant,Porto’s Bakery & Café,Rivera Restaurant,Setá,Taco’s Baja,Tamayo Restaurant,Teresitas,Tila’s Kitchen



Three chefs that will be at the event gave us a glimpse of what you are in store for at the 2010 East LA Meets Napa. First up was Hugo Molina of Seta in Whittier, just around the corner from Phlight.

Seta is not Latin cuisine exactly, but serves food in a Latin American steakhouse aesthetic. Hugo is a Guatemalan chef who studied in Mexico among other places, but his emphasis is on Italian cooking.


The pan seared, bacon-wrapped diver scallops with a creamy mushroom risotto and bits of blood oranges was a texture and flavor "Dream Team." This was my favorite dish of the tasting.


Chef Molina also served an interesting cool,and mildly tart Golden gazpacho with poached shrimp and Israeli couscous. Going to make it out to Seta,and soon.


Daniel Salcido did an excellent job as home chef at the East LA Meet Napa preview.


He started with a Mexican cheese stuffed, tempura-battered squash blossom, atop a consume of hibiscus and orange blossom.This was a superb first bite of our tasting.


Daniel's "torito", a crab and asparagus stuffed chile guero in a chipotle cream sauce. This member of the chile relleno family is a prized indulgence of mine, and Phlight's interpretation was very nice.


Steven Arroyo, the restauranteur formerly of Church and State, and current owner of Cobras and Matadors and Potato Chips spilled the beans on his new venture, Esquela.


Steve would plans to explore timless premise of the taco, that "everything tastes better with a tortilla wrapped around it". The first taco off the line in the yet to be opened Esquela was a pork chop taco. At East LA Meets Napa you can get a sneak preview of his new restaurant.

Come and join the fanciest rumba(party)in LA. Don't forget to bring your dancing shoes!


East LA Meets Napa
Friday, July 9, 2010
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Union Station
800 Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Individual Tickets
$125 Pre-sale before June 25
$150 After June 25

For more information call 323-622-2405 today!

Purchase your tickets today

The 4th Annual East LA Meets Napa:Alta Med raises LA's temperature with latin wine and flavor.

Salsa is the reason!


A couple of Latinas enjoying wine, East LA meets Napa realized!

On Friday July 10, 2009, Alta Med hosted its 4th annual East La Meets Napa.42 tasting booths featuring a variety of restaurants from East LA and throughout the City of Angels, and Latino-owned or operated wineries from Napa.Union Station was the perfect place for this event.

This was my first time and I was blown away. It was a party, sizzling with Latinos and non-Latinos alike. The beautiful crowd danced to a live salsa band, mixed and mingled, and indulged in the many tastes of East LA. From the legendary restaurants serving East LA Mexican like El Tepeyac,Teresita's, Birrieria Chalio, and La Parrilla; to authentic offerings from Guelaguetza, La Casita, and Moles La Tia;the local stylings of Cook's Tortas and Homegirl Cafe; to the Nuevo Latino kitchen's of Phlight, Seta, and Rivera, it was a truely definitive Los Angeles experience.




The earthy birria at Chalio.

At the premier for the event I heard Castulo de la Rocha, AltaMed president and CEO, speak of AltaMed's mission to help bring health care to the underpriviledged in Los Angeles. He spoke briefly, and then grabbed a glass of wine and toasted to our health. This event supports a worthy cause, but once you arrive, you can dance the night away, eat like a king,enjoy some excellent wines, and know that you've arrived to a celebration. You're in the door, you've supported the cause, now let's eat and drink!


Los Angeles knows how to party.

I can't think of an event in recent times that was so Latino centric, but felt purely Los Angeles. To not attend this shindig is to miss a part of LA. This is an annual event to keep in mind.


Congo Room brings spice to LA.



Alive with laughter and conversation, East LA style.


Vaya salsero!


Ramiro Arvizu and the crew at the La Casita booth from Bell, CA.

And, the food.There were so many good options that Javier and I had to really plan our rounds bite by bite. My memorable bites? The mini chiles en nogada at La Casita, the birria at Birrieria Chalio, Seta's shortribs in sage sauce, the profoundly flavored meats at Cook's Tortas, Guelaguetza's mini tamal, the strawberry mole at Moles La Tia, and the nice traditional stew at Teresita's. La Monarcha Bakery had a fine empanada, too.

It's also a great opportunity to say hello to your favorite chefs and learn about new wines. The wines? For me,the big surprise of the night was the Pinot Noir at Ceja. Again and again, I hit their booth for another taste, hell, I was drinking not tasting. J. Lohr, Sequoia Grove, Encanto, Karl Lawrence, and the San Antonio Winery also had nice wines.We were surrounded by abundance, a hot and spicy massage of the senses.


Chiles en nogada and flan, La Casita.


Three moles from the palate of Rocio Camacho of Moles La Tia.


Cook's Tortas choice fillings.


Ceja's pinot noir was a favorite that night.


Guelaguetza's oaxacan tamal paired with a pickled jalapeno and mexican cheese.

The salsa band was fantastic, featuring many friends of mine from my musician life. It was great seeing those guys. The crowd, with many a Latino present, wasn't afraid to get on the floor as soon as the band hit. The crowd was full of spice, laughter, and excitement. It was great to see such a young and vibrant crowd, too. Watching 20 something Latinas enjoy wines with friends while eating tacos de birria was a beautiful thing indeed.

Make your plans now for next year.Taste a bit of Los Angeles in the heart of downtown, and experience the Latino flavor that is part of the unique diversity we enjoy here in our special city.See you at the 5th annual East LA Meets Napa.Bring your dancing shoes.



John Sedlar of Rivera takes a break from the action at Union Station.


Family and friend at Ceja charm the crowd with friendly Napa wines.


A couple dances to the sounds, sights, and delicious home cooking of East LA.

Annual Fund Raiser for:
AltaMed
http://www.altamed.org/default2.asp

See all the pictures