Top Chefs come Together for Share Our Strength’s “Taste of the Nation” to Feed Hungry Children

This past Sunday, June 16th, Angelinos delighted in the 21st Annual Share Our Strength’s “Taste of the Nation” Festival. L.A.’s hottest chefs and restaurants were all there, united by their passion for flavorful food and helping hungry children. Taste of the Nation Los Angeles is dedicated to raising critical and much needed funds to support the national organization’s efforts to end childhood hunger in both L.A. and across America. Share Our Strength’s goal is to create a hunger-free generation by 2020.

Over 45 of the city’s finest restaurants and mixologists, participated in the special gastronomic event. Mariel Hemingway took the stage to kick off the entertainment, and comedian Janet Varney and host Chris Hardwick hosted the event. “Border Girls” Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of Border Grill and Ciudad performed onstage cooking demonstrations. Michael Mina of XIV provided a dynamic cooking demo and there were special appearances by Food Network TV personalities, and an enriched VIP experience. Pulitzer prize winning food  Jonathon Gold was all about the Mole and oversaw a Chef’s Mole sauce challenge! The hilarious Sklar Brothers were on hand oversee the Waiter’s Race.

It was great to see Chef extraordinaire Kerry Simon, one of the most respected and innovative chefs in the business, onhand with his team from Simon LA at the Sofitel. They served guests the freshest ahi tuna, seared perfectly on homemade pita, coupled with a delicious fava bean puree, finished with tomato-olive sauce. Divine. Just a sample of his eclectic, captivating cuisine you’ll find at Simon LA. (310) 278-5444.  He concurrently wows diners at his restaurants in Sin City – Simon at Palms Place at The Palms Las Vegas, all-American comfort food! (702) 944-3292 , and the sexy CatHouse Restaurant at Luxor Las Vegas, (702) 262-4228.

Spanning two floors, STK is a dinner-only ultra-sleek steakhouse, with excellent food to match. It is also home to LA’s hotspot, Coco de Ville. Both restaurants are part of The One Group. Executive Chef Jason Ryczek and Larry Greenwood served up short ribs, tuna tartar, cheesecake lollipops and blackberry panna cotta. (310) 659-3535

BLT Steak, (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) featured their mouth-watering Adobo marinated strip steak with smoked chickpea salad and green tomato chimichurri. Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel brings BLT Steak to the West Coast in the famed Le Dome space on Sunset Boulevard. The menu showcases raw bar selections, the chef’s signature warm popovers, specially selected Certified Angus Beef, fresh seafood and blackboard specials. Exquisite food. At his 10 BLT Steaks across the nation, Chef Laurent Tourondel presents his adaptation of the American Steakhouse with French flair. (310) 360-1950.

Tom Colicchio’s elegant restaurant Craft’s brand new Chef de Cuisine, Anthony Zapolla proudly featured a very tender and flavorful pork belly with summer corn and tomato medley. He was joined by Craft’s new head pastry Chef, Shannon Swindle. At Craft (in Century City), needless to say, the menu is extraordinary and extensive, offering thirty-one first courses, twenty main courses (including a $150 Australian Wagyu New York strip), thirty-five side dishes, cheeses, and thirty-six desserts! (424) 204-7486

Eric Greenspan,Executive Chef and owner of The Foundry On Melrose along with fellow Chef Josh McKnight wowed the crowd with their grilled Telligio cheese on raisin bread, accompanied with a sweet and savory apricot purée, confit tomatoes, arugula, and plenty of butter. Chef Eric took 1st place at the 2008 Grilled Cheese Invitational Cook Off, beating out 150 sandwiches! I could see why…it was my favorite ever too! He was also a judge for the 2009 Cook-off. The sandwich, which is on the bar menu, is also available with a short ribs topping (which is recommended). Greenspan describes his cuisine as “fine dining for the everyday man”. The Foundry on Melrose (323) 651-0915.

Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales”, Ciudad‘s owners-Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger shared cooking demos onstage, while Executive Chef Jeremy Tummel dished up some ultra-delightful black cod tacos and crab salpicon salads at their booth. At Ciudad/Border Grill downtown, you can experience firsthand bold, authentic flavors from South America, Central America, Cuba, Spain, and Portugal. (213) 486-5171

Little Ethan Ford was picture-perfect standing there holding three of his dad’s perfectly crafted Sliders. I asked him if he wanted to be a chef like his dad, and he explained, “For now, I just wanna eat his food!” Kids know what’s good! Acclaimed chef Ben Ford’s latest venture, Ford’s Filling Station, is giving people a reason to go out to eat again. Located in L.A’s new culinary hotspot, Culver City, Ben Ford describes Ford’s Filling Station as a “Gastropub…serious food for casual people”. It has the warmth of a neighborhood restaurant with a masterfully crafted menu and service. Prices are very reasonable, making it do-able for folks to enjoy a good meal out during our challenging economy. Favored for his flavorful, earthy cuisine at The Farm, and dazzled with his personal California Mediterranean cuisine at Chadwick Beverly Hills (which he opened), Ford’s Filling Station is also a huge hit. (310) 202-1470

ONE Sunset had their usual very tasty items. ONE Sunset is a sultry lounge where Executive Chef Jason Ryczek serves up a delectable share plate menu of some of the tastiest food in town! After 9, some of the industry’s top DJs spin great tunes. Loved by localites and celebrities alike. (310) 657-0111

The Chateau Marmont is classic Hollywood glamour, and Bar Marmont is where you can taste it. Executive chef Carolynn Spence, formerly chef de Cuisine at The Spotted Pig in New York, has created a menu that is pure gastronomic delight. Today at the event, she featured palate-pleasing avocado and cucumber tea sandwiches, and one of my favorites tastes of the day, an olive tapenade of feta cheese, Kalamata olives and roasted tomatoes on toast. (323) 656-1010

Chaya Brasserie Beverly Hills, the flagship of the four Chaya restaurants, open for more than 2 decades, was there represented by their chef de Cuisine, Atsushi Kenjo. Chaya has a great, long-standing reputation as one of Los Angeles’ constant best restaurants, catering to a loyal following of discriminating diners and celebrities. Chaya is described as Continental bistro with Asian overtones. This day, Chef Kenjo featured a delicious hand-wrapped Cantonese chicken miso rolls. (310) 859-8833

Chaya general manager Candy Potts was also onhand to represent M Café de Chaya, which features Contemporary Macrobiotic Cuisine — balanced, nutritious, creative cooking. They featured Macrobiotic tofu sandwiches with dark chocolate pistacho cookies. M Café brings this newly updated cuisine to Los Angeles in an inviting European café style setting, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 3 locations in L.A. (310) 410-0381

You just can’t beat great Italian cuisine, and Locanda del Lago in Santa Monica brought some of the love to Taste of the Nation with their vegetable tortellini, veal tenderloin and trout pasta. Still going strong 18 years in Santa Monica, you can experience the true flavors of Italy without the jetlag! (310) 451‐3525

The Bizarre by Jose Andres at the SLS Hotel featured Nitro Margaritas using liquid nitrogen with tomato with a salt foam; the next level of creative cocktails! Served with them was a liquid Mozzerella “pipette”. José Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator best known for bringing both traditional and avant-garde Spanish fare to America. www.SLSHotels.com

And to complete the luscious food fest, Aiden Demarest, Director of Beverages and Spirits at The Edison, and team were there to provide the creative cocktail pairings and wines provided by the Brown-Forman Corporation. Some of their brands include Bonterra Organic Wines, Southern Comfort, Fetzer Wines, Chambord Liqueur, Jack Daniels Tennessey Whiskey, and many more! At Brown-Forman their philosophy is that they believe in producing and promoting their brands responsibly, safeguarding the environment and helping to enhance our communities. www.brown-forman.com.

The area charities that benefited from this year’s event Taste of the Nation include the California Association of Food Banks, California Food Policy Advocates, Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and St. Joseph Center.

Since its inception 21 years ago, Taste of the Nation has granted $1.4 million to Los Angeles charities and raised more than $70 million for organizations in the United States, Canada and abroad. Taste of the Nation events promote awareness of Share Our Strength’s efforts across the United States. The funds raised through Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation support the most effective organizations that feed hungry children, as well as advocates that are pursuing long-term solutions to the challenge of hunger, both locally and nationally.

Generous support from the following sponsors ensures that 100% of ticket proceeds go to Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America. Local sponsors include Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, California Olive Ranch, Divine Pasta Company, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, 100.3 The Sound and Web Sponsor TastingTable.com and National sponsors include the SYSCO Corporation and Food Network, Brown-Forman, S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, and the National Pork
Board. The enhanced VIP experience, sponsored by L.A. Confidential Magazine, will include food by Moonshadows and Xooro; coffee by LA Mill; massage therapists by Spa Promotions and a Spy On Vegas mixologist.

Participating restaurants included The Bazaar at SLS, Tiara Café, Ford’s Filling Station, Locanda Del Lago, Fig, Akasha, Angeli Café, Animal, Church & State, Comme Ca, Craft LA, Fraiche/Riva, Gelato Bar, Grace/BLD, Jar, Joe’s Restaurant/Bar Pintxo, K-Zo, Loteria Grill, Lucques/AOC, M Café/Chaya Brasserie, Melisse, Mozza, Nobu, Palate Food + Wine, Rivera, Susan Feniger’s the Street, The Foundry on Melrose and many more. www.tasteofthenation.org.

Share Our Strength:
Share Our Strength is a national organization working to make sure no child in America grows up hungry. According to the L.A. County Children’s Planning Council, 25%, or 1 out of every 4 children in L.A. County 17 years and under are living in poverty (640,000). Yes, in Los Angeles! And over 4,000 children, 5 years old and under, are homeless on any given night. Needless to say, if they are living in poverty or homeless, they are going hungry.

They actively weave a net of community groups, activists and food programs together to catch children at risk of hunger, and surround them with nutritious food where they live, learn, and play. They also work with the culinary industry to create engaging and pioneering programs like Taste of the Nation, Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale, Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline, and Share Our Strength’s A Tasteful Pursuit.

For more information on Share Our Strength, visit:
www.strength.org.

Photography: Jane Emery