National Food conference comes to LA


Photo from Taste Talks In line for the food · Taste Talks starts off with famous chef Roy Choi’s Commissary breakfast burrito at The Line Hotel’s Garden. Chef Louis Tikaram will also explain the different types of curries and the art of curry making.

Photo from Taste Talks
In line for the food · Taste Talks starts off with famous chef Roy Choi’s Commissary breakfast burrito at The Line Hotel’s Garden. Chef Louis Tikaram will also explain the different types of curries and the art of curry making.

For all the restaurant connoisseurs and Food Network gurus that are upset DineLA is over, have no fear. Taste Talks, a national food conference, is coming to various locations throughout Los Angeles this weekend for three days of panels, parties, networking events, interviews and of course, delicious food.

Taste Talks began as a food industry leadership conference and barbecue in Brooklyn. It acted as a place for up-and-coming chefs to come together to spark discussion and new ideas. Taste Talks quickly gained popularity, hosting weekends of the conference in both Chicago and Los Angeles. From there, Taste Talks evolved into an online editorial platform that now features videos, interviews and articles from food industry celebrities and influencers, all with the goal of creating innovative dialogues about food and culture.

The Los Angeles festival kicks off on Friday, with the Opening Kelis’ Arepa & Agave Party at Hotel Normandie, which will feature a wide variety of Colombian arepas as well as tequila cocktails. The conference kicks off the following day at The Line Hotel, starting with a brunch at The Line Hotel garden. Then attendees can attend a wide variety of panels, demonstrations and discussions such as “Angelenos Eating Well: A Chat with Wes Avila and Snacky Tunes,” a discussion on “The Globalization of Dining,” and “A Dessert Demo and Discussion With Alma” at The Standard’s Ari Taymor.

After the conference is the Mother of Pearl Chef Dinner at The Unique Space in Downtown Los Angeles. The dinner will feature a multi-course meal from Los Angeles’ top chefs, including Kelis and Julian Hoyos Vallejo from Tres Bastardos in Colombia, Jesse Barber from Dudley Market in Venice, Brett Halfpap from Belcampo in Santa Monica, Valerie Gordon of Valerie Confections and Robyn Sue Fisher of Smitten Ice Cream, along with wines from Jackson Family Wines.

As Taste Talks rolls into Sunday, attendees get to experience the signature All-Star BBQ at Mack Sennett Studios. The BBQ will feature live music, with artists like The Glitch Mob, Rick Ross, Kitten and more. The barbecue will also feature some of the most innovative BBQ creations, including veri veri teriyaki chicken sausage with grilled pineapple from Chef Jude Parra of The Cannibal, Deconstructed pork Haitian style from Chefs Ron Duprat and Manouschka Guerrier, and 72-Hour Short Rib Steak from Chef Eric Klein.

Closing out Taste Talks Sunday night is a final industry party also taking place at Mack Sennett Studios. After the BBQ, attendees can mingle with some of the country’s best chefs and taste some delicious tapas courtesy of Badmaash and Delicious Pizza.

Different ticket tiers are available for the weekend, such as single event passes for the Mother of Pearl Dinner and All-Star BBQ; a conference pass, which includes brunch; a “food enthusiast” pass, which has access to the conference as well as brunch and the All-Star BBQ; and the “kitchen sink” pass, which is an all-access pass to the entire festival. Tickets can be purchased online.