Every now and then we try to highlight a few Eater-sanctioned events, the kind of things we would spend our own hard-earned dollars on, so you should too. This week, it's all about fun in the sun and gorging. Know of something we can't miss? Drop it here.
SANTA MONICA: This year's Gourmet on Fire event might not have as many chefs as previous years, but the chefs getting their grill on are top-notch: Neal Fraser, David Myers, Jill Davie from Josie, Suzanne Tracht, and exec chef of Loews, Gregg Wangard. It's quality over quantiy, friends. Gourmet mag sponsors the event, 10% of the $90 ticket goes to Morgan Freeman's Granada Relief Fund. Seriously?booze, grilled foods and side dishes, all poolside overlooking the beach? We hear Randy Newman singing now (We originally wrote Gary; it's not "in cars..." that we hear in our head, it's "I love LA." We love it.) Saturday June 23, 3pm-6pm, Loews Hotel; call 877.490.3337 for tickets.
CULVER CITY: Here's another one we look forward to every year: Taste of the Nation, which benefits Share Our Strength. You feed yourself, you feed underprivileged children and their families. Simple. The central downtown Culver City location allows lots of nibbling and schmoozing in the afternoon, and plenty of nearby bar/wine hopping for the rest of the evening (with designated drivers, natch). We hear the event might move to larger digs next year, but we hope it stays outdoors. Some restos to look forward to: Border Grill, Grace, Ford's Filling Station, The Foundry on Melrose, Fraiche, A.O.C. and Lucques, Drago. Oh, heck, just look at this slideshow of chefs to get the gist. Tickets are $95 in advance, $105 at the door; 100% of the ticket sales goes to SOS. Sunday June 24, 1pm-5pm, Media Park. Click here for tix.
We'll be attending both, just look for the martini shaker and we'll most likely be next to it. Can't make it? Look for post reports and pics next week.
