Non-Hangover Observations: Picnic des Chefs

We popped over to Sunday's annual Club Culinaire Picnic des Chefs held in Griffith Park because the weather was perfect, and what could be better than a glass of rose and some French food in the park? Not much, really. Tickets were gratis for us, but even if we forked out the $50, it would've been worth it. Instead of having each restaurant set up a booth and serve food, booths were organized by region with several chefs manning each one. We caught Joe Miller dishing out escargot in Burgandy and Jean-Francois Meteigner slicing grilled beef in Provence; there was some lovely roasted chicken and frites in Paris, and the clafoutis at the dessert table was magnifique. French accents---real and fake--were in abundance, as were families, kids, couples, many stretched out on blankets in the grass. Not long after we arrived, people horded fresh baguettes and boules from the bakery table, which was a great idea until we spotted a a girl running through the grass half eating a baguette, half threatening to hit her brother with it, and we almost poked some nice woman's eye out at a wine table with ours. Tres dangereux!