All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go

In case you're looking for some local food events happening in LA in the next couple of months, here are some to look for, courtesy of DineLA.com:

August 3
More than 50 Central Coast wineries will be pouring yummy stuff at Wally’s 5th Annual Central Coast Wine and Food Celebration benefiting the Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship Fund. A handful of Los Angeles’ best restaurants will also be representing. Among them: Spago, Sona, Lucques and The Hungry Cat. For tickets, call 310.475.0606 or visit wallywine.com.

August 5
If tequila and red meat are the source of pleasure for your palate, you won’t want to miss tonight’s Herradura Wine Dinner at The Palm West Hollywood. Each course will be paired with an Herradura tequila for sipping. In addition, each recipe integrates tequila. Think aged filet mignon in an anejo cream sauce paired with Herradura Anejo. Sabroso. Call 310.550.8811.

August 18
Club Culinaire, the local organization founded to promote French cuisine, sponsors a series of dinners throughout the year. Tonight’s “Chef a Table” takes place at Grace, the stylish Beverly Boulevard eatery. Like all Chef a Table dinners, this one begins at 7 p.m. with a Veuve Cliquot wine reception. A five course dinner follows during which chef Neal Fraser will table hop, giving guests a chance to hobnob with one of our biggest talents. But Fraser’s not French you say? True. You need not be to be a club member. You simply must cook in the French style. $105 for members, $115 for non-members. For reservations, call 323-934-4400. For more information on the club, visit clubculinaire.org.

August 31
Join five of Los Angeles’ most celebrated chefs along with Giuseppe Tentori of Chicago’s Boka—Tentori was named one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs of 2008—at tonight’s 5x5 dinner at Water Grill downtown, the penultimate in this year’s series. Water Grill chef David LeFevre teams up with Josiah Citrin of Melisse, Gino Angelini of La Terza, Michael Cimarusti of Providence and Walter Manzke, formerly of Bastide, to prepare a six course menu that promises to blow away even the most jaded foodie. Make your reservations asap. Even with the $150 price tag ($215 with wine pairings), seats promise to go quickly. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Southern California Chapter of Special Olympics. For reservations, call Water Grill at 213.891.0900.

September 7 – 21
Angelenos can get into the spirit of California Wine Month by sniffing-and-swirling their way through over forty restaurants during wine & dineLA presented by American Express. Top LA restaurants will strut their culinary stuff with heavy-hitting wine pairing menus designed to highlight the best of our local grapes. Watch for participating restaurants and their menus at dineLA.com.


UPDATE: Gayot also has a great list of events going on this Summer. Some noteable ones are the 888 Menu at Gonpachi on August 8 & 9 which features 8 courses for $88 (for two people), as well as the Backyard BBQ Series at Vinotèque in Culver City for $28 per person, going on now through August. Get out and eat something!

What's New Pussy Cat?

For those who like to have something to look forward to, here are some new restaurants coming to Los Angeles in the near future. From me to you, keeping us all in the know!

SPRING/SUMMER

Gonpachi - On April 1st Beverly Hills will welcome a new neighbor with a taste for traditional Japanese cuisine, the latest from Global Dining Inc. who brought us La Boheme and Monsoon.(134 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills)

X Bar - Yet another place to see and be seen, although this one carries a nice menu to boot. The latest and greatest bar with tasty bites to match, including Shrimp in Chinese Pancakes, and fire pits to make the deal of your life around (2025 Ave. of the Stars, Century City).

Craft - You've heard my raving (2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles).

FALL

Bar Pinxto - From the Chef and Owner of Joe's on Abbott Kinney comes this upscale tapas bar (s109 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica).