LA Food Fest
I had the pleasure of attending the 2019 LA Food Fest and it was so much fun! Keep reading to learn some useful information if you plan to attend next year:
The Venue
This year, the festival took place at the Santa Anita race track in Arcadia. The venue was beautiful and offered amazing views of the mountains. Unfortunately, it was the one weekend that we have had this June that was blazing hot! Luckily, there were lots of shaded areas and umbrellas for you to sit under while enjoying your food and beverages. I would recommend packing some sunscreen, a hat, and maybe a parasol if you want to be fancy. There was plenty of space at the venue so we did not feel crammed. There were also plenty of photo opportunities to take advantage of while there.
Parking was pretty simple, but I would recommend using a ride sharing service if you plan to drink. Your ticket includes unlimited alcohol. Also, be prepared to stand in a long VIP line to get into the event. I would recommend getting there early so that the wait time doesn’t eat into your time to enjoy the event. There was a sparkling water booth by the line to offer people cold water while they waited. That was a nice touch. There was also a DJ outside for entertainment while you stood in line. Once you were inside, other forms of entertainment included: bands, singers, and games!
The Food
The food was fantastic! There was something for everyone. The cuisines included: seafood, soul food, Italian, Asian, Mexican, and American. There were also many places with Vegan and Gluten Free options. The food was mostly served tapas style with each restaurant offering a sample size of their signature dishes. When you arrive at the Fest, you’re given a small tray to put your food on as well as a space to hold your beverages. Each restaurant either had a small covered booth or a food truck to hand out their food to the guests. The beverage companies also had small booths where they were offering full pours or sample pours of beer or hard liquor.I was pleased that the lines for food were never too long. I think the longest that I waited for an item was maybe 5 minutes. Some places did start to run out of food or beverages around 5:30pm, so I would recommend trying the food or beverages that you’re most interested in, when you first arrive at the Fest.
My Favorites
As I mentioned earlier, there were some healthy options available at the Fest. My favorite healthy dish was the Ceviche from Barranco Lounge. The presentation was beautiful and the Ceviche was fresh and flavorful!. My next favorite dish, was a healthier take on Soul Food. It was chicken and greens from Comfort LA. The best dessert I tasted was a chocolate chip mini cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting from 12 Oaks Desserts. I am a cupcake snob and I was impressed with their cupcakes. The frosting wasn’t overly sweet (I will flick overly sweet frosting off my cupcake in a heart beat) and their cake was actually flavorful. Well done 12 Oaks! I will give the runner up prize for cupcakes to Peaches Bake Shop for their vegan Champagne cupcake. They would be great for a bachelorette party. The best alcoholic beverage that I tried was the Extra Anejo Tequila from Sin Rival! it has a slightly smokey flavor to it and was super smooth. I could drink that tequila straight and it’s low calorie.
Conclusion
The event was for sure worth the price of the ticket. You will leave feeling full and it’s a really fun outing to enjoy with you significant other or friends. There were even children at the event so it’s family friendly as well. See below for additional photos from the LA Food Fest!
