What Happened at LA Food and Wine
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: October 21, 2011

The red carpet, the celebrities, and of course the food; after two years in the making, I believe the first annual Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival was a success. 
I was only able to attend the red carpet premiere event and I was thoroughly impressed.  Many festivals list that such-and-such celebrity will be attending but this event was the real deal.  I met Los Angeles chefs like Ricardo Zarate, John Sedler, and of course the famous Wolfgang Puck and Giada de Laurentiis.  I also, mingled with Daniel Boulud, Chris Consentino, and Masaharu Morimoto.  I was in awe that all of these wonderful chefs were in one single place.
But what you are really interested in is the food.  Daniel Boulud's charcuterie was simple but executed wonderfully.  You received a tasting of five different meats, each with its own condiment which could be a sauce or a thin slice of cornichon.  I loved Hebert Keller's creamy avocado and crab gazpacho.  It tasted of summer in a glass. An how can I forget John Sedler's light savory flan with quinoa, a dish that was wrapped neatly in a colorful corn husk.  There were a variety of wine vendors, many of which I tasted and enjoyed.
A portion of the event's proceeds benefited St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, an organization devoted to providing nutritious meals to home bound elders.
If Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival goes for round two, I hope to be apart of it.