“Eastside LA Meets Napa” Altamed Fundraiser Live 2022! celebrates Latino- Owned Restaurants & Wineries

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Returning after a two-year hiatus, half-century-old  AltaMed Health Services, we were honored to attend the nation’s largest, independent federally qualified community health center held the 15th East LA Meets Napa Food & Wine Festival at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.  The fundraiser featured and celebrated Latino-owned Restaurant cuisine and California wines from Latino-owned vineyards.

Eat Dessert first when you have to navigate traffic coming to LA LIVE! We discovered a new absolutely favorite after a generation of loving Cuban Portos Bakery: Cuban Dulce de Leche Besito^® Cookies. The layer also appeared in the most delicious cookies ever. (www.Portosbakery). Porto’s generous display included signature Mango and guava mousse cups and their guava and cream cheese-filled puff pastries called Refugiados.

Participating restaurants and chefs include: Oscar Perez, executive chef and co-founder of Sol Agave Restaurant at L.A. LIVE right around the corner, who was the first friendly booth.

Prize-winning, Spanish Paella Valenciana from Chefs Maria and Natalie Curie of WWW.elcoraloense featured chicken, pork, beans flavored with saffron and pimento. We were treated to our own special plate right from the pan.

Even more than usual the event was about people just so happy to get together again. Below are long time friends (on the left) Chef Marco Zapien flanked by longtime, respected media members, Yakir and Fay Levy and Barbara Hansen (seated). On the Right: Barbara joined by Latino Foodies.

Other highlights includes Chicken empanadas topped with Oaxacan mole negro and cheese made byRocio Camacho, or “the Goddess of Mole,” of@rociosmexicankitchen

Wines included Cabernet Sauvignon from gallegoswines in Napa ValleyHouse sangria from La Parilla Restaurant, Themis Pinot Noir from @justiciawines in Napa Valley 

Proceeds from East LA Meets Napa benefit AltaMed Health Services, which has provided
quality care to underserved communities of Southern California for nearly 50 years.
AltaMed’s programs provide health services regardless of ability to pay.

The event’s sister festival, OC Meets Napa, will take place at Mission San Juan Capistrano, a lovely venue, on October 15th. See //altamedfoodwine.org/ocmn

Juan Sanjuan III of Gloria’s Restaurant from Huntington Park, and Rocio Camacho of Rocio’s Mexican Kitchen from Bell Gardensand our old friends from El Tapayac who are expanding. The first place I went on a date in LA and where my husband and I always stopped to talk horses with the owner after coming back from Santa Anita!

Participating Vintners representing the Mexican American Vintners Association (MAVA) include: Herencia del Valle, Encanto Vineyards, Honrama Cellars, Bazan Cellars, and more.

All proceeds from the event benefit AltaMed’s programs that provide access to health and dental care, senior services, HIV treatment and prevention, teen mentoring programs, health education to more than 375,000 people in Los Angeles and Orange counties, regardless of their ability to pay.    

East LA Meets Napa tickets are $400. To learn more about AltaMed and view the full list of restaurants, vintners and entertainment participating in this year’s East LA Meets Napa, visit: www.Altamedfoodwine.org.  

  Grammy award-winning Ozomatli and Latin-jazz ensemble Monogorama got the crowd to dance with their variations of Latino music that blends cumbia, samba, funk and charranga jazz.