You’re not going to let a little Carmaggedon interfere with your weekend plans, are ya? Especially when there’s a bunch of food festivals like LA Food Fest (which I’m giving away tickets to) going on! Plus all this other fun stuff.
Thursday, July 14
Paella and Spanish Wine Tasting at 55 Degree
If you’re all Frenched out from Bastille Day activities today, 55 Degrees in Atwater Village has got a Spanish solution: paella from chef Adriana Morera of the Paella Project and Spanish wines like Tempranillos and Malbecs. The tasting will feature the country’s beloved dish with mussels, clams, chicken and chorizo, or there’s a veg option. Cost is $5 to $13.
- 6-10pm. 55 Degree, 3111 Glendale Boulevard, Atwater Village (map). (323) 662-5556
Bastille Day With Cointreau at Spare Room
The Spare Room really knows how to throw a shindig (I was just there last night for tiki night and had a hoot). So it’s no shocker that they’ll be doing up Bastille Day in style with Adele Jacques of ParisLovesLA performing Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot songs. Francophiles will tipple on specialty cocktails created by bartender Naomi Schimek. There’s the cognac, lavender, lemon cocktail Duke for a Day or do it up chic with the Champagne Flip (champs, cognac, Cointreau, egg yolk, cream and sugar).
- 8pm. The Spare Room at Hollywood Roosevelt, 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map). (323) 466-7000.
Bastille Day at The Bar at Cliff’s Edge
The Silver Lake bar is taking Bastille celebrations to another level inviting guests to show up in French costumes (I’m thinking Marie Antoinette or maybe a la hep cat Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face) for a chance to win a prize. The party will naturally have free cake as well as free rose wine and swinging French music! Vive la France!
- 8pm-12am. The Bar at Cliff’s Edge, 3626 Sunset Boulevard, Silver Lake (map).
Friday, July 15
District 13 Gastropub Opens in Hollywood
That’s right, slotted in the strip mall between Big Wang’s and Stout in the old Soi 56 spot is a new brewpub with food by Executive Chef Aoi Ratanamanee (Rambutan). The brew food — sausages, burgers, fish and chips — is meant to complement the quality beer the restaurant will be serving up like The Bruery Rugbrod and DogFish Head Palo Santo Marron. There’s even a Danger Dog! Yummy on all counts!
- Opens 11:30am. 1556 North Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood (map). (323) 957-1313.
Saturday, July 16
Munchathon: 5K Fun Run/Food Truck Festival in Orange County
If you want to just get out of Dodge altogether, hit up this fun food festival in the OC where you can nullify any weight gained from good food truck eats by running an obstacle course (with food and drink stops for obstacles) at the same time. It’s so crazy it might just work. OK, maybe not but still sounds fun. There will be over 50 food trucks, like Ahn Joo, Lobsta Truck and Ludo Bites Truck, plus a rec area where you can play ring toss, basketball or Frisbee.
- 9am-5pm. Oak Canyon Park, 5305 Santiago Canyon Road, Silverado (map).
Eat Real Festival
This food festival doesn’t just feed you, it teaches you everything about our favorite subject, from where food comes from to how it’s made. Learn how to make your own tomato sauce from KCRW Good Food’s Evan Kleiman, watch a panel on “The Future of Food Writing” featuring LA Times‘ Russ Parsons and LA Weekly Squid Ink’s Amy Scattergood. Nosh on food from Nom Nom and Flying Pig food trucks and browse the marketplace with goods by Creme Caramel LA and butchers Lindy & Grundy. The festival is free to attend, you just pay for your own Marketplace goods and food purchases.
- Saturday 10:30am-9pm, Sunday 10:30am-5pm. 8800 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).