One of the Biggest Food Festivals of the Year Returns to LA This Weekend

This coming Sunday, Family Style returns to the CBS Television City in Fairfax District, with headliners Russ and Daughters, El Ruso, Felix, Jon and Vinny’s Truth BBQ, Wild Air, and Hotville Chicken leading a very strong lineup of Los Angeles and New York City restaurants. The food festival marks the return of large-scale outdoor events, though others like the weekly Smorgasburg in Downtown have shown immense popularity since coming back in the summer.

Family Style is more of a streetwear and food event, with brands like Off-White, Nike, the Hundreds, and more selling various merch to go alongside the food. As for other well-known LA restaurants and chefs that will be serving at Family Style, Jon Yao of Kato, Uncle Paulie’s Deli, Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, Earle’s on Crenshaw, Broad Street Oyster Co., Park’s BBQ, Mariscos Jalisco, and Howlin’ Ray’s will be on site. Check out the full food and vendor list right here, and tickets are on sale here. Just a note, the general admission ticket only gives access to the event. Food must be purchased separately from vendors upon entry. A $250 per person VIP admission offers a secluded VIP section and open wine bar, with free tacos from Tacos 1986 and NYC’s Wild Air, plus a slew of Family Style merch. Proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test will be required to attend.

Birth of the (cool) paleta

L.A. Taco has the story on Tocumbo Ice Cream in Anaheim, which specializes in Michoacán-style paletas. Flavors include rompope, maracuya, guanabana, chongos, and limón in a stunning, colorful array of frozen fruit ice cream bars.

Chain of popular Thai restaurants receives sentencing

Thai Original BBQ, which operates restaurants across LA and in San Francisco, failed to report over $7.5 million in sales to the state of California, and over $2.9 million in wages. One of the owners and operators, Chaturonk Ngamary Jr., was sentenced to two years in prison and was ordered to pay over $1.5 million in restitution.

More Japanese convenience in LA

Katsu Sando, the celebrated Chinatown restaurant from chef Daniel Son that serves Japanese convenience store sandwiches, is expanding to San Gabriel Valley with a new location slated to open early next year. The menu will be expanded as well, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Restaurateurs support vaccine mandates

TimeOut LA has a report on restaurant owners that have publicly supported Los Angeles’s proof of vaccine mandate for people who want to dine indoors or go inside other establishments like gyms, salons, and stores. “Honestly, I’m all for it,” says Jewel restaurant owner Sharky McGee. “The burden of each business trying to dictate what they think is best for their employees without the support of their government was a little hard.” At the moment there’s no specific mandate for workers to get vaccinated as the ordinance passed earlier this week only applies to patrons of the establishments.