Brand New Masters of Taste Features Global Cuisine

Birch Chef, Brendon Collins

(Gerry Furth-Sides) When people ask me for favorite restaurants of mine to try I recommend going to an events and try a lot at one time!  For everyone looking to sample a number of gourmet global dishes from a variety of   unique restaurants in the Pasadena area, as well as new restaurants to Los Angeles,  Masters of Taste, presents a new, outdoor, luxury festival on Sunday, April 3^rd, 2016 from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on the field of the Historic Pasadena Rose Bowl.  

Masters of Taste brings L.A.’s Top Master Tastemakers together for one afternoon to celebrate all realms of taste.  Culinary Masters and restaurants number 40, along with an array of signature sweets prepared by L.A.’s finest Sweet Masters.  Signature handcrafted cocktails and tastings from over 25 Beverage Masters include cocktail bars, wineries, local craft breweries, pressed juices and hand roasted coffee.  Lifestyle activations, live entertainment add to the day.  Approximately 2,500 influential food and beverage enthusiasts from throughout the Greater Los Angeles area purchased tickets.

Just seeing the light in the eye of Chef Calagero Drago of the family Drago family (here looking like a member of Andy Garcia’s family) and specifically of Drago Ristorante & Panzanella,  is proof of the high calibre and excitement of the event.

The hit of the recent spring Food Fare was a Drago family recipe for mushroom soup with truffles.  Their pasta dishes make a paleo love a complete meal of carbs.

Chefs include the former  “bad boy” of offals Brendan Collins, formerly of Waterloo & City, currently  of Birch Restaurant.  Executive Chef Collins who has always delighted with something special at food events is now even more of an attraction as an elder statesman of the Los Angeles culinary world with two successful restaurants.

Collins has worked closely with Inothetke’s Executive Chef-owner Carolos Tomazos, which opened early this year and is a rare restaurant offering Greek gourmet cuisine.  Tomazos himself has an impressive track record of helping extraordinary restaurants achieve their success, including Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York.  (You can read about Inothetke at://localfoodeater.com/inotheke-modern-greek-cuisine-comes-to-santa-monica, and at http:localfoodeater.com/inothetke.)

SOL COCINA Playa Vista adds the dishes of Chef de Cuisine, Tia Baker.  This new restaurant pulled out all the stops at its opening — with a tray of tequila drinks greeting guests even before they stepped in the door.  (Read about SOL at: //localfoodeater.com/baja-streetfare-inspires-sol-cocina)

Toca Maderas Chef Raymond Alvarez (see below) will provide the impetus and the complement to SOL as the second Latin restaurant.

The beneficiary of Masters of Taste will be Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to helping homeless men, women and children rebuild their lives. Headquartered in Pasadena, the agency is the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families through an array of services including street outreach, meals, shelter, housing, case management and career development. Since 1973, Union Station Homeless Services has helped thousands of people who were once homeless and without hope. 100% of the proceeds from this year’s event will go directly to Union Station Homeless Services.

Ticket Information:  Masters of Taste will take place on Sunday, April 3^rd, 2016. A VIP Power Hour will be held from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm and General Admission will be from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. For more information on Masters of Taste or to book your tickets directly, please visit www.MastersofTasteLA.com/Tickets.  A full list of Masters of Taste participants is also on the website.

Photo Credit:  Courtesy of the Historic Pasadena Rose Bowl

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