Alexander’s Steakhouse

Masters of Taste 2023!

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) The sixth annual Masters of Taste premier outdoor food and beverage festival is on Sunday, April 2, from 3 to 7 p.m. promises to be as exciting as ever this year! Just look at the Media Preview below!

Please see www.MastersofTasteLA.com for details and tickets. General Admission opens from 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets start at $155. 1001 Rose Bowl Drive (626)791-6677.

The “priceless” event Rose Bowl venue for Master’s of Taste 2023!

The stage for this one-day event in the historic Rose Bowl stadium features 100 culinary and beverage masters. The hosts for the 2023 Masters of Taste are chef Michael Reed and Kwini Reed, known for their two restaurants Poppy + Rose in downtown LA, and Poppy & Seed in Anaheim.

Michael Reed and Kwini Reed of Poppy + Rose in downtown LA, and Poppy & Seed in Anaheim.

The restaurants and wineries are each unique and “put out a spread” to impress and delight guests. Below Chef Richard Archuleta of exciting Alexander’s Steakhouse; Chef Isaias Pena from Hank’s;  Event Host and Chef Michael Reed of Poppy + Rose, DTLA, Poppy + Seed, Anaheim;  Paul Watson of Moraga Winery, Bel Air off the 405, (shown here with Philip Dobard, Center for Culinary Culture

Masters of Taste 2023: Los Angeles’ finest chefs and wineries including chef Michael Reed, David Joyce of Soulmate WeHo, chef Isaias Pena from Hank’s and chef Richard Archuleta of Alexander’s Steakhouse.

Sample culinary delights from Pez Cantina. Owners Lucy and Bret Thompson’s spirits alone are worth the ticket!

Owners Lucy and Bret Thompson of Pez Cantina previewing Masters of Taste 2023

More than 25 spirit brands are participating, and a premier 50-yard-line cocktail bar will offer select wines, local craft beers, cold-pressed juices, cold brew coffee and live entertainment.

Know & Dobson front and center at Masters of Taste 2023!

In the last five years Masters of Taste has raised over $2.7 million in support of Union Station Homeless Services life-saving programs. The event continues to provide 100% of the proceeds to Union Station Homeless Services to help rebuild homeless lives and provide housing.

The pied piper who sparks the media get the Masters of Taste 2023 word out, Lawrence Moore.  

Guests will receive their own utensils and hand sanitizers will be provided throughout the event. This 21+ event has a VIP Power Hour from 3 to 4 p.m. General Admission opens from 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets start at $155 at mastersoftastela.com. 1001 Rose Bowl Drive (626)791-6677.

Live! AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival 2022

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(Photos by Gerry Furth-Sides. AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival content)The Historic Laurabelle A. Robinson House in Pasadena, one of the most, if not the most gracious, old-school and fun event sites in the world, will be home for a day to the  AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival presented by CHUBB. The garden grounds with ponds are the perfect setting for this outdoor gourmet food and drink in-person festival on Sunday, June 5th, 2022 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  

This year’s AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival will bring nearly 400 guests together in the stunning gardens to celebrate and sample wares from 20 top restaurants, cocktail bars, wineries, and breweries and much more. 

AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival at the historic Laurabelle A. Robinson House in Pasadena.

This year’s AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival will bring nearly 400 guests together for one exquisite evening featuring more than 20 top restaurants, cocktail bars, wineries, and breweries and much more. 

Superb sushi at the AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival
AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival major culinary celebrities – here totaling over a century and a half of experience

Some of this year’s AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival Restaurants and Desserts include Alexander’s Steakhouse, El Cholo Café, Gale’s Restaurant, Mi Piace, Porto’s Bakery, Ruth Chris Steak House, Tam O’Shanter, We Olive, Lark Cake Shop, Poppy Cake Bakery Company, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and more.

The inimitable Alexander’s Steakhouse, a star at AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival in Pasadena

Beverages featured include Cocktails and Spirit Tastings from 1886 at The Raymond, Dulce Vida Tequila, Krafted Spirits, JuneShine, and Golden Road Brewing, along with specially curated Wines. Pasadena’s very own Cerveceria Del Pueblo will also be pouring their distinctive beers showcasing flavors and aromas from South America, and Califia Farms and PepsiCo will be serving non-alcoholic beverages.

THE green corn tamales from El Cholo at the AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival in Pasadena

Proceeds from this year’s AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival presented by CHUBB will directly benefit AbilityFirst which has targeted programming to help an individual successfully transition from childhood to adult life; providing employment preparation, training, and experience; building social connections and independence; and offering both their participants and their caregivers an opportunity to refresh and recharge through their recreational activities. 

Tam O’Shanter at the AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival in Pasadena
Tam O’Shanter at the AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival in Pasadena

AbilityFirst’s person-centered programs empower individuals to discover what is important to them in their lives, and to develop the skills that are important for them to achieve their goals. 

The Raymond 1886 at the AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival in Pasadena
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse — we kept going to see when the burgers would be done and wound up LOVING these superb spicy potato chips the most at the AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival in Pasadena
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse at the AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival in Pasadena, so hospitable even while the food wasn’t ready because of a technical difficulty
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse at the AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival in Pasadena, so hospitable even while the food wasn’t ready because of a technical difficulty

Sponsors: Additional sponsors include, Bank of America, GHJ & Advisors, The Hartford, Longo Toyota-Longo Lexus among others. 

Ticket Information: The AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival will take place on Sunday, June 5th, 2022, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Historic Laurabelle A. Robinson House. For more information and to purchase Tickets directly to this year’s AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival, please visit Tickets to AbilityFirst Festival of Fall 2022.

A garden setting for the AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival in Pasadena

Masters of Taste 2019 Masterpiece Preview

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) It literally was a “dark and stormy night” for the media preview of Masters of Taste 2019 this year.  After a two-hour drive to the Rose Bowl, the excitement of the event started right at the gate where the chefs hailed us from their cooking in  a temporary outdoor kitchen in a drizzling rain, and continued throughout the heart-warming event in the – surprise — men’s locker room, usually unavailable even to non-sports press, when rain forced the event indoors.  I have not had this much fun since internationally famous jockey Lafite Pincay propelled me into the men’s locker room at Santa Anita Racetrack to show that even eating ice cream with me didn’t make the scale go higher.  

Everyone was in a great mood from the time you walked inside the locker room doors

L.A.’s premier outdoor, luxury food and beverage festival takes place on Sunday,April 7th, 2019from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on the field of the Historic Pasadena Rose Bowl.

Masters of Taste 2019 is also introducing Chef Michael Hung as the event’s first-timeHost Chef. 2017 and 2018Masters of Taste Culinary Master.  The chef told a moving story about how $40 separated him from being homeless after a fire in his San Francisco apartment.  It was representative of the communal bond between the event participants on the presenting and receiving side. In the last three years Masters of Taste has raised over $1.5 Million in support of Union Station’s life-saving programs.

“I have been a participant in Masters of Taste for the past two years and it is spectacular. Cooking and serving people on the field of the Rose Bowl could be a once in a lifetime dream, but I have been lucky enough to get to do it for the past two years, and this year, the honor to be able to formally host the event,” says Hung. “And, while the festivities are amazing, what is most impressive is that Masters of Taste donates 100% of proceeds from this event to Union Station Homeless Services each year. Homelessness deserves our attention, focused work and finances, and Union Station Homeless Services and Masters of Taste are truly leaders in helping those who are in need.”

Chef Michael Hung told us why the Union project means so much to him

Chef Michael Hung’s illustrious career credentials include time spent with Traci Des Jardins’s James Beard Award-winning team at San Francisco’s Jardinière and overseeing the kitchen at Roland Passot’s Michelin-starred La Folie. Chef Hung then left San Francisco to open the local and nationally acclaimed Faith & Flower in Downtown Los Angeles (still) under his leadership before he moved on to Viviane in the Avalon Hotel Los Angeles and then his own company Ardour Hospitality 

The evening featured a festive Fat Tuesday menu of the top chefs, Hung, Chef Sammy Monsour of Preux & Proper; Chef Jonathan Aviles of Salazar, Chef Jon Hung, The Raymond 1886.  Sweets were served by Lark Cake Shop and Mignon Chocolate (see below). Beverage Masters included East Imperial; San Fernando Brewing Company, San Simeon Wines and Ventura Spirits.

Salazar Chef Jonathan Availes’ “Coctel de Camarón”

Chef Sammy Monsour’s “Fat Tuesday” gumbo with faro replacing rice served at Preux & Proper. Nice.

 

Seared Sea Trout prepared by Chef Jon Hung of The Raymond 1886

Roasted Prime Striploin on Bordelaise Sauce by Chef Michael Hung of Faith & Flower.

Red Velvet Cupcake by Lark Cake Shop in Silverlake

A lush Miniature Variety Chocolate box from Mignon Chocolates’ Joe Terpoghossian

Masters of Taste2018 attracted nearly 2,800 guests and garnered media attention throughout Southern California and beyond. Masters of Taste 2019 features the finest fare from over 45 Master Chefs including returning Culinary Masters Chef Erwin Tjahyadi (Bone Kettle), Chef Kyle Johnson(Bourbon Steak), Chef Calogero Drago (Celestino Ristorante), 2019 Host Chef Michael Hung (Faith & Flower) and Chef Lee Hau Fu (Lunasia Dim Sum House) just to name a few.  L.A.’s top Sweet Masters, signature handcrafted cocktails and tastings from over 40 Beverage Masters complete the list with  spirit brands and bars, a premier 50 yard-line cocktail bar featuring four of L.A.’s most distinguished drinking destinations and their Master Mixologists, select wineries, local craft breweries, live entertainment and much, much more.

100% of the proceeds from Masters of Taste2019 will directly benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping homeless men, women and children rebuild their lives. Union Station is part of a premier group of human services agencies in L.A. County that are leading the way to end homelessness in our community.  Services include street outreach, meals, shelter, housing, case management and career development.


Ticket Information:  Masters of Taste 2019 will take place on Sunday, April 7th, 2019 and is a 21+ event.  VIP Power Hour runs from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. General Admission from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. For more information on Masters of Taste 2019, please visit www.MastersofTasteLA.com. 

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