LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. Hear our news on-air at our partner site:
Food & Wine brought their famous foodie road show to Los Angeles for the first time last fall, and now they're back a bit earlier in the game to showcase some of the world's top culinary talent. The four day festival will be held at venues throughout the city, circulating through the Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Downtown L.A areas.
There was a founders dinner to kick off LAFW last night, but tonight marks the first event of the festival that's open to the pubilc: Giada de Laurentiis' Festa Italiana. The Italian fête will take place over at the Nokia Center at L.A. Live, and will feature some serious heavyweight talent including Michael Chiarello, Scott Contant, and Top Cheffers Fabio Viviani and Antonia Lofaso.
LAFW will continue on through Sunday night, and will include pretty much every Food Network, PBS, and Travel Channel host that you'd want to meet in your wildest foodie wet dreams.
There are several dinners and seminars throughout the weekend, including one presented by Eater that looks strangely similar to last week's Luckyrice festival at the Helms Bakery, only Eater's will have Andrew Zimmern as master of the house. LAFW ends with the Grand Tasting on Sunday afternoon.
You can check out the full schedule and purchase tickets here.