Our Pick of the Week is the Taste. It takes place this Labor Day Weekend. I’ve attended this event for the past few years and absolutely love it. Presented by the LA Times, enjoy cuisine from LA’s best chefs in a fantastic setting. You’ll find renowned food critic Jonathan Gold strolling through the event, checking in with attendees making sure everyone is happy.

Here’s the schedule:
Opening Night; Sept. 2^nd, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The Taste’s most intimate event features a focused collection of tastings, distinctive cocktail and wine offerings, and a chance to party on the backlot with all of The Times hosts and many of the festival’s participating chefs and bartenders. Restaurants include Badmaash, Little Pine, Love & Salt, Manhattan Beach Post, Son of a Gun and Sweetfin Poke.

Field to Fork – Hosted by Amy Scattergood, Times Food Editor, and Michael Cimarusti, Chef/Owner of Providence and Chef/Partner of Connie and Ted’s; Sept. 3^rd, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Local flavors and seasonal ingredients inspire this day dedicated to California’s endless culinary possibilities. Scattergood will lead a conversation on the new artisan grain movement with Nan Kohler (Grist and Toll), Alex Weiser (Weiser Farms) and Roxana Jullapat (Friends and Family). Cimarusti, who advocates for sustainable seafood, will share his socially-conscious kitchen secrets during a live demo. Madcapra’s masters of produce-driven falafel, Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer, will team up for a vegetarian cooking how-to. Restaurants include Aqui es Texcoco, Doomie’s Home Cookin’, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Kye’s Montana, L.A. Chapter and Salazar.

Dinner with a Twist – Hosted by Jonathan Gold, Times Restaurant Critic, Jenn Harris, Times Deputy Food Editor, and Ray Garcia and Michael Lay, Chef/Owner and Beverage Director – respectively – of Broken Spanish and S. Taqueria; Sat., Sept. 3^rd, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Saturday night at The Taste brings the best of L.A.’s dining and cocktail culture together for an al fresco, end-of-summer jam. In an homage to the creative friction that sparks memorable pairings, star chefs and bartenders will duet live on stage, revealing the chemistry behind their signature dishes and drinks. Garcia and Lay will highlight Mexican-American flavors steeped in tradition and crafted with a modern sensibility. Kris Morningstar and Ryan Wainwright (Terrine) will showcase the Southern California terroir interpreted through simple, soulful creations. Gold and Harris will host a group demo with three market-driven mix masters: Katie Emmerson (The Walker Inn), Nathan Oliver (WOLF) and Tobin Shea (Redbird). Restaurants include Church & State, HACHÉ LA, LEONA, Public School, The Bellwether and The Raymond 1886.

Sunday Block Party – Hosted by Noelle Carter, Times Test Kitchen Director, and Mary Sue Milliken, Co-Chef/Owner, Border Grill; Sept. 4^th, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The block party takes a cue from the backyard cookout – where great food and good times are the order of the day. Duff Goldman (Charm City Cakes West/“Cake Masters”) will show off his pastry-meets-sculpture skills in a live demo. Milliken, a pioneer of world cuisine in Los Angeles, will serve up modern Mexican fare while Ramiro Arvizu and Jaime Martin del Campo (La Casita Mexicana/Mexicano) will demonstrate authentic dishes from south of the border. In a nod to root-to-stem cooking, Carter will host a discussion on resourceful ways to maximize ingredients with Bruce Kalman (Union/Knead & Co. Pasta Bar), Chris Cormier (L.A. Mission) and Michael Flood (L.A. Regional Food Bank). Restaurants include Chichén Itzá, Donut Farm, Hinoki & the Bird, Mainland Poke, Simbal and The Guild.

See image: a taste of Viviane (2014)

Flavors of L.A. – Hosted by Jonathan Gold, Times Restaurant Critic, and Kris Yenbamroong, Chef/Owner, NIGHT + MARKET; Sept. 4^th, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Closing night turns the spotlight on the City of Angels’ glittering mosaic of culinary influences. Gold will explore new Filipino cuisine in a roundtable with three acclaimed chefs: Charles Olalia (Rice Bar), Gary Menes (le comptoir) and Alvin Cailan (EggSlut/UNIT120/AMBOY). L.A. native Yenbamroong, Food & Wine magazine’s current Best New Chef, will demo his classic Thai cooking. Nyesha Arrington (LEONA), famous for farmers market inspired dishes, will share a seasonal recipe. Baroo’s Kwang Uh will provide a glimpse into the future with his freestyle Korean food. And Tricia Carr (The Concoctologist) will lead a cocktail demo with aperitifs, bitter liqueurs and rosé wines. Restaurants include Guisados, Herringbone, Knead & Co. Pasta Bar, Oh Man! Ramen, The Little Jewel of New Orleans and WOLF.

The event takes place at Paramount Studios, a charming festive background for the event and home to many popular TV shows and movies.

Los Angeles Times The Taste presented by Citi is produced in association with Best Events. Sponsors include Acura and &TOKYO. Opening Night tickets are $150. Tickets for each of the Saturday and Sunday events range from $100 to $125, and a $25 discount on individual tickets is available exclusively to LA Times subscribers. LA Times The Taste has adopted the L.A. Regional Food Bank and the Collins College of Hospitality Management as charity beneficiaries for the 2016 event. See website for details and tickets.

Parking for all events will be located in the Paramount Pictures Studios parking structures:
Paramount Pictures Gower parking structure – 801 N. Gower Street, LA, 90038
Paramount Pictures Van Ness parking structure – 783 N. Van Ness Avenue, LA 90038

For faster event entrance to The Taste, park and enter through the Van Ness entrance. Parking charge will be $13 and is CASH ONLY.

When programming your GPS to reach the event, please program in the parking structure address listed above and please do not attempt to enter the Paramount Pictures lot via either entrance on Melrose Avenue. The Melrose Avenue entrances will not be working parking entrances for the event and you will be redirected.

Public Transport / Uber / Lyft / Taxi drop / Arriving on foot: Please proceed to either the Gower or Van Ness gate. No entry will be permitted through the Melrose gates.

What: THE TASTE 2016
Where: The Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Avenue CA 90038
When: Labor Day Weekend – Sept 2 – 4, 2106

2022 UPDATE: Unfortunately for all of us The Taste event is no longer taking place and the website has been shut down. See Destinations Section for a full list of food festivals or CLICK HERE for a direct link to the best LA annual Food Events.Visit the Stories Section; under Dining Drinking – the Events Page to read reviews of these food events or CLICK HERE for the direct link.