The Taste 2011 Returns with a Vengeance

L.A. Sates offers a whirlwind recap of the dazzling sights and marvelous flavors brought to you by the Los Angeles Times and Food & Wine magazine during this year's 2nd annual The Taste. We joined ambitious Los Angeles diners on the sunset kickoff of a four-day spectacle of culinary delight, celebrity talent, engaging demonstrations, and more food than you can shake a lanyard at.

Among the promised guests were not to be missed local favorites, rising stars and legends. We were lucky enough to catch up with Chef Ludo and Krissy LeFebvre, of Ludo bites, to get their thoughts on The Taste, and the growing palate of L.A. diners. Chef Kajsa Alger delighted guests with a demo of one of Street's signature dishes, and Susan Feniger stopped by to give us the scoop on L.A.'s culinary growth over the past decade, and the evidence of it seen throughout The Taste event.

From Rodeo Drive to The Studios at Paramount to Downtown L.A., The Taste was an unprecedented effort showcasing celebrity chefs at nine signature events over the Labor Day weekend. Guests were treated to unlimited tastings of delectable creations from 40 of the city's best restaurants plus unlimited tastings from some of the top wineries, breweries and distilleries.

The unquestionably successful separate events on 2010, the Los Angeles Times Celebration of Food & Wine and Food & Wine's The Taste of Beverly Hills, soundly joined efforts in delivering this season's monster culinary festival, The Taste. Like hungry diners searching for an even bigger fix, this event proved to be unmatched in many ways, not simply for a local food and wine festival, but so too as a standard nationwide.

Our diners and chefs love and respect food. Keep supporting the growth of our culinary landscape, our local chefs, and all the unique fare Los Angeles has to offer. Keep watching LASates.com for future openings and events.