L.A. Weekly is excited to confirm the final restaurant line up for The Essentials at the California Market Center in DTLA. Join us Sunday, March 26th, 2017 from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. for LA Weekly’s signature food and wine extravaganza! Curated by our award-winning food writers and critic Besha Rodell, the event showcases signature bites from restaurants featured in our 99 Essentials restaurant issue that hits stands the same week. Along with great food, guests will enjoy wine from top-shelf wineries, cocktail samples from our liquor partners, as well as non-alcoholic sips and shopping in our vendor village.
Guests can expect more of LA’s hottest chefs, wineries and homegrown Los Angeles vendors, all in our expanded California Market Center Penthouse. Take in 360° views of stunning DTLA as you enjoy samples of the best food and drink this city has to offer.
Confirmed restaurants include: Angelini Osteria, animal, a.o.c, Baroo, Bestia, Beverly Soon Tofu, Bigmista’s Barbecue & Sammich Shop, Burritos La Palma, Cacao Mexicatessen, Chengdu Taste, Chi Spacca, Chichen Itza, Colonia Publica, Coni’Seafood, Dune, El Coraloense, El Huarache Azteca, Elf Café, E.R.B., Guelaguetza, Guerilla Tacos, Guisados, Isaan Station, Jitlada, Jon & Vinny’s, Kogi, La Casita Mexicana, Le Comptoir, LocoL, Love & Salt, Lucques, Lukshon, Maude, Melisse, n/naka, Night + Market, Parksbbq, Pine & Crane, Pok Pok LA, Providence, Racion, Republique, RiceBar, Rose Café, Rustic Canyon, Salt’s Cure, Sotto, Spago, Summer Rolls, Szechuan Impression, The Bellwether, The Hungry Cat, Trois Mec, Tsjuita LA, Union and Wexler’s Deli.
New to The Essentials this year will be The Freshmen 15. A restaurant must have been open for a year in order to qualify as “essential.” That takes many new restaurants we love out of the running, so we decided to add a new list of up-and comers, places that would be considered for the 99 if they weren’t so young. The Freshmen 15 will run in the 99 Essentials issue, and will be celebrated alongside the 99 at our Essentials event as well. VIP guests will be able to try samples from The Freshmen 15 at the event at 1pm before doors open to the general public at 2pm.
Confirmed Freshmen 15 include: 71Above, Baran’s 2239, Erven, Gus’s Fried Chicken, Gwen, Here’s Looking at You, Holbox, Kali, Kato, Lalibela, Michael’s, Salazar, Shibumi and Winsome.
Tickets are on sale now at http://ticketf.ly/2iRpb9p. General Admission tickets include: entry into the event, unlimited food samples, beer/wine/cocktail tastings, entertainment and more! VIP Admission tickets include: access to the Freshman 15 showcase at 1pm, entry to the event, unlimited food samples, beer, wine and cocktail tastings, entertainment, VIP gift bag and more!
A portion of this year’s event proceeds will benefit Food Forward. Food Forward rescues fresh local produce that would otherwise go to waste, connecting this abundance with people in need, and inspiring others to do the same.
Confirmed sponsors for the event include: UCLA Extension, Jim Beam, Basil Hayden’s, Life Water, ONE Coconut Water, Center Theater Group, Melissa’s Produce, Cacique, Angel City Brewery, San Antonio Winery, Califia Farms, Bai, Gotta Have S’more, DRY Sparkling, Farm Fresh to You, Health Ade Kombucha, and Jakeman’s with more to come.
Follow L.A. Weekly on Facebook facebook.com/LAWeekly, Twitter @laweeklystreet, and Instagram @laweekly for updates as they unfold.
We hope to see you there!
About L.A. Weekly:
L.A. Weekly, and more recently LAWeekly.com, has Los Angeles covered, with investigative reporting, comprehensive calendar listings and forward-thinking cultural coverage, including daily blogs like the highly regarded Squid Ink, which covers the city’s food scene. We keep our readers loyal with stories by some of the country’s finest writers—now accessible through our mobile platforms. In 2007 L.A. Weekly was the first newspaper to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for its food criticism. This year, restaurant critic Besha Rodell was honored with a James Beard Award, widely considered food writing’s top prize.
