So carmageddon turned out to be a ploy by mass media to get ratings and scare the public into watching more television. Sucks for anyone that fell for it because they missed LA Street Food Fest. Compared to past years the lines were non-existent (except, of course, for the Grilled Cheese Truck and Cool Haus).
There was too much food to try it all, even for a professional food marathoner.
One of my favorite parts of food events is to watch the chefs barter with each other.
The highlights were the Baja chefs who brought Mexico’s finest including:
La Guerrerense: Sea Urchin Tostada
They have a line of salsas including a habanero, peanut blend that started the day off with a kick.
Mision 19: Pacific Oyster Asada w/ Chicharron Short Rib, Serrano Ponzu Butter, Lemongrass Foam
For Cinco de Mayo a Mexican director and producer made us a delicious dinner. Their friend, chef Javier Plascencia, has a stellar restaurant in Tijuana that my business partner and client visited last weekend. They came back raving about it so I was thrilled to try the oyster.
Manzanilla Restaurante: lengua, beef cheek and abalone
Some of my favorites were actually LA’s Mexican street food.
Mariscos Jalisco: Tacos Dorado de Camaron
Mexicali Taco & Co: Vampiros (garlic infused quesadilla)
Antojitos Carmen: Alambre Taco + Mini Pambaso + Mini Squash Blossom Quesadilla
They have one of the best spicy sauces in LA. It doesn’t look menacing as it’s creamy, but don’t be fooled. It’s vicious and delicious. So good, in fact, that we took a cup home.
The spice required an antidote. It came in the form of Ice Ice Shavie’s sublime Hammer Thyme shaved ice. You know I’m a sucker for 90′s music references so I was happy that the product lived up to the marketing.
Ice Ice Shavie: Shaved Ice: Hammer Thyme (strawberry, thyme, lemon, ginger) + Mojito (mint, lime)
I’ve never heard as many ball jokes as I did yesterday. It seems restaurants have realized balls are the easiest thing to serve at events like Street Food Fest, so Tiara Cafe, The Mighty Boba Truck and:
Starry Kitchen: Pandan Donut Holes + Double Fried Sweet Ginger Chicken Wings
Great Balls on Tires: Ballywood (Indian meatball on rice)
Picca continues its reign over July. Besides the Food & Wine Best New Chef title for Chef Ricardo Zarate
and the successful opening of Picca on Pico, add serving one of the best dishes at Street Food Fest to the list.
Mo-Chica + Picca: Peruvian Cau Cau (tripe stew)
America loves corn. It’s no wonder Peruvian food is making big strides- they have the biggest corn kernels….
Moo Dae Po II:
Yxta Cocina Mexicana: Shrimp Taquitos
Guelaguetza: Mole Tamales
Cacao Mexicatessen: Venison Chorizo Verde, Tortilla de Jicama, Serrano Relish, Goat Cheese Crema Mexicana
The Frysmith: Bacon & Port Poutine + Habanero Chicken Chili Fries
Glowfish: Okonomiyaki
Maggie’s Meat & Bread: Choripan w/ Tortilla Espanola, Chimichurri + Carbonada Criolla Tacos (Beef Shank, Pumpkin Aioli, Argentine Queso)
Streets of Thailand: Legendary Thai Iced Tea + Sailor Jerry Rum Mashup
Seoul Sausage Co: Kalbi Sausage + Spicy Kimchi Pork Sausage
July 17, 2011 at 12:54 pm
OK, just got a serious case of homesickness reading this!!! What an incredible array of food – wow. Just, WOW.
July 18, 2011 at 1:55 pm
[...] Food Marathon (love the logo) got photos of us as we were grilling the chorizo for the choripan–and a great photo of our sandwich too! In fact, the photo at the top is from Food Marathon. So go there and tell them (she, he?) how darned wonderful their photographic skills are. Follow Food Marathon on Twitter @FoodMarathon. [...]
August 11, 2011 at 12:54 pm
[...] Food Marathon (love the logo) got photos of us as we were grilling the chorizo for the choripan—and a great photo of our sandwich too! In fact, the photo at the top is from Food Marathon. So go there and tell them (she, he?) how darned wonderful their photographic skills are. Follow Food Marathon on Twitter @FoodMarathon. [...]
August 19, 2011 at 10:54 am
[...] Food Marathon (love the logo) got photos of us as we were grilling the chorizo for the choripan–and a great photo of our sandwich too! In fact, the photo at the top is from Food Marathon. So go there and tell them (she, he?) how darned wonderful their photographic skills are. Follow Food Marathon on Twitter @FoodMarathon. [...]
September 14, 2011 at 8:29 pm
[...] Food Marathon (love the logo) got photos of us as we were grilling the chorizo for the choripan—and a great photo of our sandwich too! In fact, the photo at the top is from Food Marathon. So go there and tell them (she, he?) how darned wonderful their photographic skills are. Follow Food Marathon on Twitter @FoodMarathon. [...]
October 9, 2011 at 3:58 pm
[...] Food Marathon’s Review of the LA Street Food Fest (we love their logo) [...]
October 9, 2011 at 6:07 pm
[...] Food Marathon’s Review of the LA Street Food Fest (we love their logo) [...]
November 3, 2011 at 10:26 pm
Curry…
[...]LA Street Food Fest 2011 Review «[...]…
June 28, 2012 at 11:08 am
[...] $65 VIP Hour+ early admission tickets for LA Street Food Fest this year. They’re doing it at the Rose Bowl again with Baja’s best curated by Bill Esparza (Street Gourmet LA)- that’s Javier Plascencia, [...]
July 22, 2012 at 12:13 pm
[...] In 2011 it was outside the Rose Bowl and I ate a lot, took a lot of pictures but didn’t write that much. [...]