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The Los Angeles Times Food Bowl begins on Monday, May 1. The month-long event will feature guest speakers, exhibitions, dining pop-ups, classes, and a wide selection of special menus at restaurants around Los Angeles.
"We really wanted to do something that was unlike any other food festival in L.A. or the country," Jenn Harris, deputy food editor for the Los Angeles Times, and one of Food Bowl's organizers, told LAist. "And I think it is unlike anything in that it is a whole month-long event. But we just really want it to be a celebration of the city's diverse cuisines and cultures. L.A. just has so much to offer, and why not devote an entire month to eating here?"
Harris added that the name "Food Bowl" isn't just a riff on football. "A bowl of food can be such a unifier for different people and their food. We thought it was very inclusive. And with this festival, especially, we want it to be inclusive, so, that's why we opened it up to any restaurant to submit an event for it, because we want it to be, whether you're fine dining or a mom-and-pop place, we wanted you to be able to participate if you wanted."
Some highlights of the Bowl include the Los Angeles Times Night Market in Grand Park, which runs from May 10 to May 14. The nightly event will feature over 50 food vendors, as well as bars and entertainment. Tickets are free, however, tickets to The Super Market premium zone are $5-$10.
On Monday, May 8, the Italian Cultural Institute will be hosting a talk on olive oil. Tickets are free, but an RSVP is required. Internationally-renowned Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini will be holding a master class on beef butchery at chi Spacca on May 22. The event is $300 per person, and can be reserved here.
On Friday, May 5, Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold will be holding a forum at the Theater at the Ace Hotel. Gold will be discussing the "wrongs inherent in our current food system" with chefs Massimo Bottura, Mario Batali, Roy Choi, Dominique Crenn, and Mary Sue Milliken. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased here.
Notable pop-ups around the city include Chimney Coffee's weekly "Japanese-inspired breakfasts" for dinner series ($35; tickets here), a collaboration between The Bellweather's Ted Hopson and The Charleston and Pakpao Thai's chef Jet Tila (prices begin at $90; more information here), and chef Alvin Cailan will host a series of Filipino Food Fridays for each Friday in May. Tickets to each event begin at $48, and can be purchased here.
For a full list of events, event times, and ticketing, visit the Los Angeles Times' Food Bowl site here.
