Food lovers lucky enough to attend Los Angeles Times’ The TASTE over Labor Day weekend devoured dozens of savory samples and gulped cupfuls of craft cocktails. If you’re feeling left out, the best I can offer is a rundown of event highlights and ruminations on general food trends.
Celebrated restaurants from all corners of metropolitan Los Angeles distributed small, often artistic plates of top-shelf menu items. For instance, Glendale’s own le comptoir (Gary Menes‘ superb pop-up in the Bekins building on Brand) served a fragrant and delicious cherrywood smoked potted shrimp.
I noticed certain food items kept popping up again and again. Kale continues to be popular among health nuts and taste nuts alike. There was a Tuscan kale Caesar, baby lacinato kale with salami, kale and crispy shiitake salad, and even a delicious kale shake from Studio City’s Sun Cafe made with banana, cashew and agave.
Unusual greens of all kinds were major stars at most of the events, which bore titles like “Field to Fork” and “Flavors of L.A.” At food booths and in cooking demos held throughout the weekend, chefs such as Michael Cimarusti (of Providence) and John Sedlar (of Rivera) created seductive salads made with redwood sorrel, fennel fronds, chervil, golden purslane, wild arugula and other chlorophylls.
