What an exciting weekend! I don’t know about you but I’ll be hitting up the American Wine & Food Festival at the Universal City Backlot on Saturday and then it’s Thom Yorke at the Orpheum on Sunday. Woo! OK, enough bragging. Here are other goings-on you can enjoy during this first weekend of October. Is it really already October?! Yikes.
Friday, October 2
Champagne & Chocolate Tasting at Morton’s The Steakhouse Burbank
Talk about haut-chocolat! Sipping champie while savoring high-end chocolates. For $45 a person, guests at this Burbank steakhouse get to do just that, plus enjoy hors d’oeuvres like broiled sea scallops and petite filet mignon sandwiches. But it’s all about the chocolates from Vosges: Gianduia milk chocolate with almonds and caramelized paste, Ambrosia white truffle, Naga milk chocolate with sweet Indian curry and coconut and Goji Berry milk chocolate with pink Himalayan salt. If you can’t make this event, there’s one in Beverly Hills on October 21.
- 6-7:30pm. Morton’s The Steakhouse Burbank, 3400 W Olive Avenue #180, Burbank (map). (818) 238-0424.
Saturday, October 3
Hotel Erwin’s Open House Hash Bash
Score free breakfast and mimosas at this new Venice hotel’s grand opening bash. Take a tour of the new digs and head upstairs to the roof lounge, High, for cocktails, a tan and 360-degree views of our lovely city, from Muscle Beach to Downtown. Swank!
- 9am-2pm. Hotel Erwin, 1697 Pacific Avenue, Venice (map).
LA Chinatown Moon Festival Moonlight 5K Run/Walk
Celebrate the mid-autumn moon at the Chinatown festival with a refreshing moonlit run. This is the first year of this 5K walk/run and a great way to work off all those yummy moon cake samples at the Southland’s oldest annual mid-Autumn Moon Festival. You can walk the 5K for fun or run it to be the first across the finish line. Online registration is closed but you can sign up at the event.
- 7:30pm. $35. 951 N Broadway, Chinatown (map).
Sunday, October 4
dineLA Restaurant Week Kicks Off
Every budget foodies favorite time of year is here! dineLA Restaurant Week where you can score some awesome deals on prix fixe lunches ($16-$28) and dinners ($26-$44) at some of the best food spots in L.A. What’s it going to be? Cache? Petrossian Paris Cafe? The restaurant week starts today and ends the 9th and then starts again on the 11th through the 16th. Make those ressies!
Over the Top Oktoberfest at the Verdugo Bar
This ain’t your daddy’s Oktoberfest. At the Verdugo Bar, they’re throwing down with an arm wrestling tournament that’s open to all genders and skill levels. Register to compete by emailing meandpotatoes [at] gmail.com. Beer bloggers Hot Knives will be on hand to grill up veggie beer brats to accompany with the homemade sauerkraut and Hefeweizen popsicles. And yes, there will be beer. Tournament starts at 3pm.
- 1-8pm. Verdugo Bar, 3408 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles (map). (323) 257-3408.