Independence Day may be long gone, but don't put the grill away quite yet. July is National Grilling Month and when the weather is this good, there's no reason to heat up the house with your energy-sucking oven. If the summer's got you feeling lazy and you don't want to stand over the BBQ in the heat, here are a few grilling events worth checking out. more ›

The dynamic duo of Chef Ludo Lefebvre and his wife Krissy took their act on the road for a new series on the Sundance Channel called Ludo Bites America. With the series debuting on Tuesday July 19th, we had the chance to ask the Lefebvres a few questions about the show, the food, and life in front of--and behind--the cameras. Here's Part One of our two-part interview. more ›

It's just a few hours by car or practically the blink of an eye by plane--Las Vegas has long been one of Angelenos' favorite escapes for a night or two (or more for the brave) of great food, drink, gambling, and entertainment. LAist is taking a look at some of the great reasons to be lured to the Nevada desert for some sun and fun in Sin City. First up: A 4th of July Weekend BBQ & Beer event at the Bellagio. more ›

Though all around the country, backyard BBQs are being fired up today, every day in Los Angeles' Koreatown Korean-style BBQs get fiery hot and draped in meat for customers to gobble up. Today's Eye Nosh is a nod to great KBBQ. Tell us in the comments which restaurant is your favorite! more ›

If you felt like you took the weather for granted before this week's rainpacolypse, here's your chance to make up for it. This Saturday afternoon, Cube Marketplace is opening up their downtown location for a rooftop barbecue to support the Cube Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving dietary habits, clean-food access and nutritional knowledge among underprivileged LA-area children and their families. more ›

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Other than South LA, the San Fernando Valley seems to have the most barbeque joints in the Los Angeles area. Today we're going to pit one place's ribs against the other. Mind you, we are not looking for the best ribs in the Valley. I wouldn't back either of these up as the best. more ›

Happy 234th Birthday, America! (Psst, we don't think you look a year older than 230.) If you have your red, white, and blue outfit all coordinated, your miniature flag at the ready for waving, and nowhere to take that irrepressible American spirit, you might want to take a look at our pretty darn spectacular list of 4th of July Events that has all the pool parties, BBQs, fireworks shows, parades, and hootenannies you might be yearning for. Whatever you decide to do today, Angelenos, be safe, designate a driver, surf with caution, and have fun. more ›

Let's admit it, downtown and the Westside have more than their fair share of gourmet food trucks. The Valley needs more moveable feasts, and that's where Smokin' Willies comes in. Bill “Smokin Willie” Kelley has been marketing his own BBQ sauce, based on an old family recipe, for years and even has his own cookbook. more ›

The old-fashioned tradition of Sunday night family dinner has gone the way of tuna noodle casserole, so why not start a new Sunday night tradition? Zeke's Smokehouse in West Hollywood (Next to the Formosa) is featuring "BBQ & Blues", a weekly live musical performance featuring local blues musicians. Don't worry, you can probably still find time for the occasional family dinner or Pupu platters and Singapore Slings at the Formosa. more ›

Last Sunday the Spring Street Smoke House held their 1st Annual Rib Eating Contest. A few days later we discovered in our LAist Featured Photos pool some shots from the event, which were taken by Arne Meyer aka arne360 who remarked that the event wasn't "as messy as you think!" more ›

How about a barbecued Thanksgiving? Thankfully, SoCal weather allows for it. Feast your eyes on Adam Carolla, a feisty Joel McHale, and Jimmy Pardo (LAist Interview) taking drool-worthy lessons from Grillmaster Adam Perry Lang. More videos from the three-parter after jump... more ›

K-Town is getting its own food festival early next month and it looks like it could become a staple of LA's summer festival scene. How could grilled and smoked meats with magical flavors not be a hit? Details are slowly coming out for the event, set for August 8th, but here's what we know: Jonathan Gold and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are confirmed to be cook-off judges. Confirmed restaurants include Beverly Soon Tofu, Byul Dae Po (Star BBQ), Ham Ji Park, Mu Dae Po, Park's BBQ, Seoul Jung, So Hyang, Soowon Galbi. There will be a food eating contest more ›

Kinda quiet on the event front on the Memorial Day, so here are a few ideas for those of you who aren't 'cuing it up at home today. FILM BBQ The 5 Minutes Game & Cinefamily Memorial Day BBQ happens at 6 pm tonight at the SIlent Movie Theatre. “What we're gonna do is choose fifteen movies you've likely never seen before (with most, if not all the films unavailable on DVD), line 'em up, and only show you the first five minutes of each, not counting their opening credits. After all that, you, the audience, gets to vote on which film out of the fifteen we all then watch in its entirety.” Bring something to cook on the Cinefamily Grill. Tickets are $10, and the 'cue starts at 6 pm. more ›

Late last night in Westwood, among the dense maze of housing east of UCLA's campus, was a line, at least an hour's wait for some, of some 500 people waiting to grab some Korean inspired tacos and burritos and maybe the day's special--Kimchi Fried Rice Cake with Egg-Shiso. Meet Kogi BBQ. It's Korean food with the edge of a street taco on a catering truck mixed with the savvyness of Web 2.0 (follow them on Twitter to know their location). more ›

While not generally synonymous, Los Angeles and barbeque food have a lot in common. Both seem to attract the eccentrics, the slightly misguided. Both have a worldwide appreciation, but not many people talk about the greasy, slimy mess that gets left behind when all else is gone. And both are responsible for a lot of bad gas issues, and a sizable hole in the ozone layer. more ›

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Local food blogger Food Woolf went in for the attack (in the nicest, saucy rib-devouring way possible) at the 8th annual Lucques BBQ aka the Rib Roundup which was held Sunday August 10th. By the end of the meal there wasn't much left except for some bared bones, empty plates, stained table linens, and these delicious photos that she shared with us via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. It'll be another year until Lucques serves up their BBQ grub, but we thought we'd tease your tastebuds anyhow. more ›

Inspired by the popular Big Apple BBQ Block Party in New York, the L.A. BBQ Festival will take place at the Santa Monica Beach North Parking Lot on September 13-14. Enjoy the grilled meats from some of the top pitmasters around the country. Tickets are $10 a day or $50 for a two-day fast pass that gets you admission on both days, shorter lines for food and beer, and more (food/drink not included though). But if you go through Goldstar you can score the fast pass for only $25 (with a $6 service fee). There are only a limited amount available so that's why we're giving you the heads-up now. more ›

Miss Peaches on Lankershim has just premiered a new weekend barbecue menu for the summer. This cozy little cafe, formerly known as Angelina's, brings a welcome breath of southern comfort to NoHo. Famous for their fried chicken, Miss Peaches usually only pulls out the barbecue for its popular catering department. But this summer you can get your fix while relaxing at a table surrounded by their white picket fence. more ›

Over at B's Wonton Noodle House in Chinatown, LAist Featured Photos contributor ~db~ has a dilemma. "There are still literally dozens of soups I haven't tried at B's, yet the BBQ pork wonton is so incredibly good, I don't know if I'll ever get to the others... I think all this cost about 5 bucks. I could barely finish it, but of course I did." more ›

Liquid Kitty's annual punk rock BBQs have been such a success, this Sunday they are hosting a special Winter BBQ. What better to chase away the rain than with colorful drinks and hard-core thrash? Some dogs on the grill? Done! And all for the low, low, price of FREE. more ›

It's just another day at the beach for this polling place in Marina Del Rey, where volunteers hand out fresh-baked goodies to the voters and are hosting a BBQ for the poll workers. more ›

The first thing you blurt out when you walk into Jose Bernstein's is "it's a fuckin' hole in the wall" because it is a fuckin' hole in the wall". But that's never been a problem for UCLA students because what we lack most are money and holes. But Bernstein's is clean, hygienic and delicious so we do it anyway. more ›

Sometimes the news really does paint our wonderful town as something of a racial powder keg, which makes it all the more gratifying when you stumble across a truly diverse neighborhood. Hugging the western border of Koreatown, just south of tony Hancock Park and just north of West Adams, sits a neighborhood where true diversity is a reality. Just how diverse is Country Club Park? Ask yourself this; where else in town can you find a vegetarian soul food restaurant steps from a Goth club, across the street from a Korean church, next door to a Mexican market, up the block from a Korean BBQ, next door to a sushi place? It’s no wonder the LA Legal Defense Fund calls this neighborhood home. Every group in the city seems to be represented. And though the tenuous presence of gangs and pockets of poverty cause hiccups, homesteaders of all backgrounds seem eager to discover this unusual urban enclave. more ›

Dudes, it's raining, I know, but that doesn't mean there's still not cheap booze to be found in this city tonight! Here's a few more we managed to dig up this week -- send your secret spots and recommendations my way at carrie@laist.com. more ›

Last Friday night at Bordello, Elite Yelpers gathered for drinks and music to wish Stephy S, Community Manager of Yelp.com for Los Angeles (she's like Tom of MySpace, but goddess style), a farewell adieu as she takes on a larger responsibility for the website up at its San Francisco HQ (sister site SFist should feel so lucky). Since May 2006, Stephy has been leading the way for Yelp.com, bringing in the energy for a site that had nothing to a site that now has everything. Today, we spoke to Stephy about food, drink, some other stuff, and... food. After all, when it's your job included writing over 1500 food reviews (1575 to be exact as of this publishing), you're going to have great foodie suggestions. more ›

Forget the pageantry and regal demeanor of the Rose Parade, the 31st Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade is the ultimate antidote. Billed as being the loud and irreverent twister sister of the aforementioned annual march down Colorado Boulevard, the parade promises to "send up a woolly range of mischiefs, grounded superheroes, political pundits, homegrown satirists, art car inventors, and other bohemian frolickers." more ›

This is the recipe that will bar me forever from the Cordon Bleu, that will cause Anthony Bourdain to look upon me with scorn; it is cooking's dirty little secret. I first discovered these meatballs at a raging 4th of July party. I couldn't believe what they put in the sauce! It's just so awful! Then I tried it myself and now all of my friends are addicted. They stand around at my parties arguing, "No, it's sweet and sour" "It's got to be some kind of Jezebel sauce" "Well it's not BBQ." But I have no shame. I am willing to hold my head up high and tell the world the secret of the... more ›