¡Latin Food Fest!, the fourth annual Latin food, wine and spirits fete, hits in 2016, Los Angeles March 18 to 21.
Celebrity chefs, and wine and spirits personalities will again converge in Downtown Los Angeles for four days of non-stop Latin food, spirits and wine indulgence. Confirmed ¡Latin Food Fest! title chef is Ricardo Zarate, the founding chef/owner of celebrated Los Angeles Peruvian restaurants Picca, Mo Chica, and Paiche. Zarate is also the author of “The Fire of Peru: Recipes and Stories from “My Peruvian Kitchen,” which he will be signing at ¡Latin Food Fest!.
¡Latin Food Fest! Los Angeles also features an impressive who’s who of Latin culinarians that will be demonstrating on-stage, including Tati Polo, and local favorites such as chef Rocio Camacho of Las Molenderas Restaurant, Daniela Demetrio of Ubatuba Acai, Milbet Del Cid of Puchic Guatemalan, Connie Cossio of Coniseafood, Tortas Ahogadas Chago, Francisco Pérez of Aqui es Texcoco, Anthony Jacquet of Sarita’s Pupuseria, Fogo de Chão Churrascaria, Robert Luna of Màs Malo, Ben Diaz of Rosa Mexicano, Chuck Abair of Barcito, Stacey Scantlebury of Soca Chef and 150 other restaurants, chefs, wineries, distillers and food makers.
Here are highlights of ¡Latin Food Fest! 2016:
Spirits of the Americas: Los Angeles Latin distilled spirits enthusiasts will kick off the 2016 ¡Latin Food Fest! by tasting tapas from the hottest restaurants and cocktails prepared by top mixologists from an exhilarating collection of international distilleries representing Bacanora, Cachaça, Mezcal, Pisco, Raicilla, Rum, Sotol and Tequila.
Grande Tasting: An all-inclusive Latin food, wine and spirits-tasting journey to the Caribbean, Central and South America, Mexico, Portugal and Spain. Wines from Argentina, California, Mexico, Spain and spirits such as Bacanora, Cachaça, Mezcal, Raicilla, Rum, Sotol and Tequila pair deliciously with the cuisine. VIP pass holders get in at 11am and into the VIP Lounge for sliced Spanish jamon & wine by Aveniu Brands, Oyster & Organic Tequila Bar, a gift bag, Alquima Tequila, KORBEL California Champagne, cocktails by Grand Marnier, massages by Healing Massage Venice, and more.
Grande Tasting: An all-inclusive Latin culinary adventure for all ages. Guests will sample Latin food and beverages, the wine and beer garden, dance to live music, learn to make fun foods at the cooking demo tent from celeb chefs and bid on memorabilia at the silent auction.
Havana Supperclub: This six-course private chef’s dinner will feature a Cuban tasting trip.
For more information and tickets, visit https://latinfoodfest.com/tickets
Throughout a groundbreaking, nearly 40-year career, Mary Sue Milliken finds the key to her success in following her insatiable curiosity. She is best known for Border Grill restaurants, trucks, and catering, which she runs with her business partner of more than 35 years, Susan Feniger. Mary Sue seeks to amplify the flavors of amazing ingredients, surprising guests with texture and color while maintaining harmony on the plate at every Border Grill location—Downtown Los Angeles, LAX, The Huntington Library, and Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, as well as gourmet food trucks and catering. In June 2018, Milliken and Feniger debuted a fast casual eatery, BBQ Mexicana, at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, and later this year they’ll return to Santa Monica with a new all-day Mexican restaurant.
Sindy Lazo is an Los Angeles based Venezuelan actress, author, comedian and TV host. Currently one of the contestants of the successful first edition of Master Chef Latino for the Hispanic audiences in the US. Known for her charismatic and funny characters in many Latin “Telenovelas”, Sindy also hosted her own talk-show “La Cocinita de Sindy” (Sindy’s Little Kitchen) for several seasons in Venezuela. Author of two best-selling books, “No vengas tú” (Don’t give me that…) and “La Cocinita de Sindy”, in which she compiles funny, dark and poignant essays about being a single girl who likes to cook but has no one to try her food.
Iconic culinarian, author, and entrepreneur Susan Feniger may be best known for her Modern Mexican concept, Border Grill restaurants, trucks, and catering, which she runs with her business partner of more than 35 years, Mary Sue Milliken. Now with locations in Downtown Los Angeles, LAX, The Huntington Library, and Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Border Grill continues to serve street food-inspired regional Mexican cuisine with a commitment to sustainability and the best quality ingredients. In June 2018, Feniger and Milliken debuted a fast casual eatery, BBQ Mexicana, at Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and later this year, they will return to Santa Monica with a new all-day Mexican restaurant. Feniger also launched her own solo ventures—Blue Window with Kajsa Alger at The Huntington Library in 2016 and to-go concept Grab & Global by Susan Feniger at both LAX and San Jose International Airports in 2018.
There’s little doubt that Enrique Olvera is the world’s best-known chef from Mexico. His restaurant PUJOL is widely considered the best restaurant in all of Mexico. And his New York eatery, Cosme, sets the standard for modern Mexican cuisine.
Growing up around expert and traditional cooks in Tijuana, Mexico, Marcela was raised to be passionate about food, and she jumped straight into a culinary life with her first job working at her aunt’s cooking school in Baja, Mexico. Marcela realized she, too, wanted to pursue this growing love for food full time and enrolled in the Los Angeles Culinary Institute. She then went to the Ritz Escoffier Cooking School in Paris to become trained as a classical French pastry chef.
Born in Lima, Peru, ‘the godfather of Peruvian cuisine’ Ricardo Zarate is synonymous with indigenous South American foods. Immaculately executed and fused with his underlying passion, drive and kitchen ingenuity, Zarate’s cuisine has earned him widespread critical acclaim and praise from media and consumers alike.
Josiah Citrin is a culinary expert and veteran of Los Angeles’s gourmet dining scene, with more than 25 years of experience. He is a two-star Michelin chef and owner of Santa Monica, California’s highly-acclaimed Mélisse, Charcoal Venice, and Dave’s Doghouse at the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles and Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Growing up in Mexico City, Richard Sandoval would join his grandmother in the kitchen and gather around her large table with family to enjoy lively Mexican feasts prepared from scratch. From his grandmother, he learned to respect fresh, authentic, ingredients and to create the vibrant flavors that turned family dinners into celebrated events. Meanwhile, his restaurateur father – owner of Madeiras in Acapulco and Villa Fiore in Mexico City – imparted lessons in service and restaurant management.
