2019 - LA Food Fest Fresh Eats
The LA Food Fest has always been about creating opportunities for small indie chefs, restaurants, and caterers you've never heard about but should. Every year we field hundreds of entries to the event that we narrow down at a series of open call blind tastings with 50+ tasters to vote on the goods. Everyone who makes it through that process gets featured at the Fest!
Ready to scope out the newest culinary talent LA has to offer? Here’s your insider guide to the new talent featured at this year’s LA Food Fest.
This year’s trends – locally distilled and hand crafted spirits, fresh new seafood flavors, Filipino food, Latin love, unique sauces, and vegan, vegan, vegan with a side of gluten free. Read on!
QUIADAIYN
Is there anything more comforting than a home-cooked Oaxacan meal? QUIADAIYN (pronounced kee-dane) might be one of Venice’s newest additions, but their recipes and kitchen craft go way back. Do yourself a favor and try their Mini Mole Negro Bowl. With over 20 secret spices (including dried chiles and chocolate) it’s a labor of love you can taste in every bite. Plus, it just happens to be vegan.
Cuizina
The late, great Jonathan Gold once said the time for Filipino cuisine is now. So what better time than now to taste Cuizina’s super fresh Veggie Egg Rolls and mouth-watering sigsig (skewers with vegan, pork, and chicken options available). This Long Beach hotspot is helping bring Filipino cuisine to the forefront of Asian food culture one bite at a time.
Cevicheria las Olas
Surf meets turf here, literally. This LA food truck brings the fruits of the sea right to your block, serving up a beautiful and bright Shrimp Ceviche Tostada “cooked” in lime juice, fresh cucumber, and more. It’s the perfect meal for LA’s dog days of summer.
The Burristas
What happens when you take a freshly made flour tortilla and pair it with humanely raised antibiotic-free pork shoulder that’s been braised in tomato, cumin, and garlic? Say hello to delicious. With a soft bed of rice pilaf and a sprinkling of sharp cheddar, red onion, and awesome sauce, the folks at Burristas pop-up are crafting artisanal burritos for the masses. Get your hands on at the 10th Fest.
Unincorporated Coffee
Get your groove on with these hot new beyond fair trade LA roasters. This awesome local coffee roaster and shop in the sweet burb of Altadena is serving up dangerously sexy cold brew concentrate on the rocks. Not only will it cool you down, it’ll fire you up. And you can find them later to buy your own beans and do it again.
LUVSPUN
Cotton candy never tasted so good. Treat the kid in yourself to a taste of LUVSPUN’s artisanal candy floss, made from organic raw sugar, and spun to order with no artificial colors or flavors and no shortage of very grown up flavor combos. It will leave your mouth feeling clean AF.
You Had Me At Helado
With a sweet and cheeky name like this, you know you’re in for some fun. This recent addition to the LA sweets scene has been serving up frozen treats to much fanfare. See for yourself what all the buzz is about with their Helado Duo. Combining their ‘Honeycomb Over and Chill’ ice cream with a ‘No Champagne, No Gain’ vegan, grapefruit sorbet (infused with champagne), it’s punny - AND guaranteed to make you dance/smile/cry.
*Kumana Foods
The new epoch in avocado-based sauces/dressings is here. Crafted from the creamiest avocados and blended the Venezuelan way - using onions, cilantro, garlic, and a touch of vinegar - this trio of sauces (Original, Mango, Hot) will have the food-dipper in you rejoicing.
Citrus Grove Distillers
Claremont’s premiere distiller is coming to you this weekend. With an assortment of creative, crafty, and quintessential spirits, Citrus Grove has something for everyone, even the non-drinkers! Be sure to try their hand-infused syrups and liquors in specialty cocktails – and mocktails! No time’s a bad time for a premium juice when it’s summertime! So join in, kick back, and bottoms up. Responsibly of course.
Jiant Hard Kombucha
There’s something extra in Jiant’s Kombucha that adds a nice smooth kick to it. Maybe it’s the fresh ginger. Or maybe it’s the 4.5% alcohol content. This gut-cleansing hard booch is a great alternative to beer or cider and will give you the perfect buzz for your gingerly stroll through foodie heaven.