Eastside Food Fest's Lineup, That Free Orange Chicken Party, and More A.M. Intel

A menu full of options

KQED got their hands on some of the ancient menus being reprinted in Josh Kun’s new book To Live and Dine in L.A., and they’re pretty wonderful. The artistry alone is worth a peek, though the prices may make you wish for a better time.

Flying Thai

Ayara Thai is a hidden treasure, situated as it is out near the airport while quietly serving some fantastic regional Thai food. All month long they’re celebrating their 11th anniversary, with weekend displays of regional cookery that take guests through the whole of Thailand. This weekend, it’s Northeastern Thailand, filled with Nam Prik Pla La and more.

Go Nuts

Remember Spread PB, that Studio City spot dedicated to DIY peanut butter sandwiches? Well, CBS Los Angeles is discovering it for the first time, going deep in a taped segment on the snack shop. If you’re allergic to peanuts, just watching this segment might be enough to set you off.

Orange Chicken FTW

That Panda Express orange chicken truck is coming, landing inside the Chinatown Summer Nights party this Saturday in Chung King Court. Yes, there will be orange chicken and waffles, plus a chef’s challenge cook-off. Regarding the chef's challenge, judges Andy Kao, Andy Ricker, Russ Parsons, and Evan Kleiman will crown the best dish using Panda's orange chicken, with $1000 donated to a charity of the chef's choice.

Wine & Swine

Sadie Kitchen & Lounge in Hollywood is doing some interesting dinners, with their ongoing Pig & Porrón nights on Thursdays. It’s a pork-filled $35 affair, while porróns of wine get passed around for all to enjoy. After all, it’s not a party unless you spill wine on your shirt because you tried to drink from a pitcher hovering over your head.

One chef rolls out…

Spare Tire Kitchen & Tavern on Wilshire is already in the midst of a retooling, with new chef Isaias Peña working the stoves and introducing a revamped menu. Of note: Spare Tire wants everyone to know that they’re "not your typical drinking hole," which… doesn’t sound quite right…

Santa Barbara Public Market can't swing it

Though the Santa Barbara Public Market had big aspirations, like SF's Ferry Building-sized aspirations, the place just isn't doing well, with opening vendors Belcampo Meat Co., The Pasta Shoppe, and Crazy Good Bread closing within the last few months. Toddrickallen reports that it might have the same problems as sister spot The Market at Santa Monica Place, which is undergoing a major overhaul at the moment.

Echo Park sugar rush time

Woodcut Coffee on Sunset has settled into the neighborhood nicely, recently adding doughnuts (both savory and sweet) on the weekends from Campfire Confections.

A very merry Eastside Food Fest lineup

The Eastside Food Fest returns to the Mack Sennett Studios this year on October 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. Early discount tickets, available here, start at $40 (for non-drinkers, which is actually a handy price for those who don't need/want to drink alcohol). The festival this year features Alimento, L&E Oyster Bar, Little Beast, HomeState, Sticky Rice, and newer spots Jeni's Ice Cream, Dune, and Ohana Poke Company. General admin tickets start at $55 early bird and come with three drink tickets.

Listen to the dumpling life

Dumplings, they're a way of life in SGV. And to better understand the dumpling life, you can sign up to listen to podcast The Crawl with Midtown Lunch founder Zach Brooks. One note: the podcast exists on HOWL, a new pay-per-month audio network much like Netflix. Local writers Clarissa Wei and (Eater's own) Lucas Peterson chime in to the audio program.