Producers for the Taste of Ladera have announced some major entertainment coming to Founders Park.  This year’s celebration will take place on Saturday, May 1, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  The event will feature local food vendors and entertainment, all for a good cause.  Visit the Taste of Ladera at www.tasteofladera.com <http://www.tasteofladera.com>  to sign up for booth space or purchase tickets.

       Orange County’s most legendary rock group Lit will be headlining the weekend with their modern rock hits that include “My Own Worst Enemy” and “Miserable.”  Also joining the line up is the English Beat whose influential pop/ska sound topped charts with songs like “Mirror in the Bathroom” and “Tears of a Clown.”  The weekend will include a number of local bands and a special performance by “The OC Talent Show: Bet You Can’t Do That!,” formally known as Ladera’s Got Talent, a competition highlighting up and coming local talent.  Auditions for the talent show will be held April 1st and April 18th at The Ranch Sports Grill in Ladera.  The Derby Deli & Dueling Piano Bar will be making an appearance that will fire up the stage and get the crowd going.  Stay tuned for more talent announcements and visit www.tasteofladera.com <http://www.tasteofladera.com> for complete line up details.

This year’s Taste of Ladera is being presented by Riptide Rockin’ Sushi & Teppan Grills and The Derby Deli & Dueling Piano Bar.  A portion of the proceeds will go to help schools and charities in the community. Taste of Ladera is produced by Event Complete. For more information, sponsorship or booth space, please contact Event Complete at 949-218-0866 or email info@eventcomplete.com or www.tasteofladera.com <http://www.tasteofladera.com> .

www.gsfoods.com

Barbecue festival in Santa Monica California. A Saturday and Sunday event celebrating beer, food and entertainment.

For more info visit: www.LABBQFEST.com

2010 FESTIVALS AND EVENTS ON OAHU

Music, Entertainment, Culture, and Cuisine Enrich Visitor Experience

Cuisine

April 9-10, 2010

Kahala Food & Wine Classic

The Kahala Hotel & Resort welcomes back Emeril Lagasse, the beloved star chef of New Orleans for another Kahala foodie extravaganza. The event will feature an opening and closing dinner inspired by both Hawaii and New Orleans, a cooking demo with Chef Emeril, wine tasting from Schraeder Cellars, and a sampling event with Davidoff cigars. www.kahalaresort.com or (808) 739-8888

April 24, 2010
8^th Annual Waikiki SPAM Jam
The Waikiki SPAM® Jam is an exciting annual street festival that takes place on Kalâkaua Avenue in Waikiki.  The event celebrates the unusually high consumption of SPAM® in Hawaii and features a variety of Honolulu’s finest restaurants serving up SPAM®-inspired creations.  Two entertainment stages provide non-stop entertainment ranging from hula dancers to local musicians, and the event even includes a “Mr. or Mrs. SPAM®” contest to honor the most SPAM®-crazed fan on Oahu.  Proceeds from the event benefit the Hawaii Food Bank. www.spamjamhawaii.com

August

Joy of Sake Festival

Join visiting brewers from Japan and sake enthusiasts from Hawaii and Japan to sample this year’s newly released fall sakes. More than 250 sakes, including gold and silver award winners from 2008’s U.S. National Sake Appraisal, will be featured. The Joy of Sake is the largest sake tasting held outside of Japan and offers a rare opportunity to experience great sakes in peak condition.

www.joyofsake.com

For information on the Island of Oahu, go to www.visit-oahu.com, follow OVB’s Tweets at www.Twitter.com/OahuVB, or become a fan of Oahu on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/OahuHawaii.

We invite you to join us as we embark on a celebration of fine wines, spirits, and epicurean delights at our 7th Annual Newport Beach Food & Wine Festival. This idyllic waterfront setting here at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort provides the backdrop for three spectacular days of food and wine events.Acclaimed winemakers, our celebrated chefs, Master Sommeliers and noted experts will serve as the guides-captivating festival goers with educational seminars, and wine events with endless tasting tables. We look forward to your participation in this extraordinary event!

COST: $50 to $140

The Balboa Bay Club & Resort

1221 West Coast Highway
Newport Beach, CA 92663
ph. 949 645 4146

WEBSITE: balboabayclub.com

Roosters Foundation of Orange County hosting its inaugural Food and Wine Celebration on May 22 - 23, 2010 Event to Benefit Local children’s charities.

500 plus attendees will frolic at the Fairmont Hotel to enjoy wine, food and

fun! This two day fundraising event will feature twenty wineries on Saturday afternoon, May 22nd as a wine tasting celebration and appetizer pairing. Sunday, May 23rd late afternoon, a dining extravaganza, with 18 leading Orange County Chefs & Restaurants joining together for a black tie culinary extravaganza offering guests a sumptuous gourmet five-course meal paired with fine wines in an intimate setting with one of the top chefs in the area. The event features a silent and live auction. 

Proceeds will provide funds to feed and support children throughout Orange County. Here in Orange County, more than half a million residents are at risk of hunger – 40% of those are children. Proceeds will benefit local children’s charities and the Roosters Annual Food Drive, which provides much needed food to the less fortunate.

COST: $75 to $400

Fairmont Newport Beach Hotel

4500 MacArthur Blvd.
Newport Beach, CA 92660
ph. 9496773404

WEBSITE: Roosters Foundation of Orange County

The Edge of L.A.International Wine Festival
Saturday April 10, 2010
2 pm. - 6 pm
Michael’s Tuscany Room  470 W. 7th, San Pedro, CA

This is a monumental event occurring for the first-time ever in historic downtown San Pedro.

We will be celebrating the spring season with over 40 wineries represented,  pouring an array of fine wines ranging from California regional to French varietals, down-under delights and a Beer Garden!!.  Come celebrate your love of wine (or come learn more about wine) at this charitable event celebrating the spring season and downtown San Pedro.

Special pricing is available including some great packages for you, your friends and/or clients.  Don’t just attend the wine festival but select a package to also be a guest at an exclusive wine tasting dinner event following the afternoon festival.

A silent auction will be open for all wine festival attendees during the festival.

A portion of the ticket proceeds and all of the silent auction proceeds will benefit the Golden State Pops, Grand Vision Foundation, Relevant Stage, and the Warner Grand Theatre of downtown San Pedro.

www.edgeoflawinefestival.com

COST: $50 to $500

Michael’s Tuscany Room

470 7th Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
ph. (310) 831-1551

WEBSITE: Edge Of LA Wine Festival Information

The Culinary Masters is Southern California’s featured chef & wine event. One of the area’s premier chefs will prepare his/her signature dishes paired with wines table-side for you and your guests. This exclusive dining experience will benefit Mission Hospital. Coupled with the extraordinary dining experience is an upscale Live and Silent Auction.

WEBSITE: www.theculinarymasters.shutterfly.com

COST: Starting at $500 per person

Location: Charlie Palmer Steak, DC

Join host Charlie Palmer at the National Cherry Blossom Festival kickoff, the Pink Tie Party.

Click here for full details.

Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 6:30 pm
W Washington C.C. - great room, lower level
515 15th street, NW

Celebrate the season of the blossoms!
Enjoy cherry-inspired dishes & cocktails
by 20 top Washington chefs, including Charlie Palmer Steak

dance & illusion by Ebina performing arts
& silent auction spectacular

$150 per person; $250 per person includes VIP pre-Party with Charlie Palmer

202.661.7567 or click here to buy tickets.

Proceeds benefit the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that coordinates, produces, and supports  creative and diverse activities promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natual beauty and the environment, and community spirit.

The Taste of Huntington Beach is a unique venue for a sampling of the fine restaurants that Huntington Beach has to offer, paired with beer or wine, all in the name of charity.

Tickets are available now at www.hbrestaurants.com

MICHAEL’S ON NAPLES GOES “HOG WILD” WITH WEEKLONG SALUTE TO PORK FEB 18 - 25

(Executive Chef David Coleman Explores Italian Tradition Using Becker Lane Organic Pork)

            Long Beach’s #1 rated restaurant according to the Zagat Guide, Michael’s On Naples, is going “hog wild” the week of February 18 – 25 as it celebrates an age-old Italian tradition highlighting various pork dishes.  Executive Chef David Coleman will prepare a number of specials all week featuring Becker Lane certified organic, pasture-raised pork. Among the items that will be included on the $55 per person, four-course chefs tasting menu are house-made sausages, slow-cooked pork belly with heirloom beans, house-made mortadella, warm testa salad and country-style pork chops with braised leeks.  Pork items will also be available a la carte.

Pork from Becker Lane is used by only the finest chefs in the world as the pigs are raised in a 2,000-year-old tradition of being fed acorns and allowed to graze freely.  Coleman says that the weeklong program goes hand-in-hand with the restaurant’s adherence to the slow food movement that reinforces the connection between “planet, plate and palate.”  People who follow this concept embrace the notion that with the pleasure of dining comes the responsibility to protect the heritage, tradition, and culture of food. 

            “We’re delighted to launch our version of this Italian tradition, which underscores our commitment to the slow food movement. We believe that food should taste good and be produced in a clean manner without harming the environment, and that animals should be treated humanely in the process,” said Coleman. 

Situated in the heart of picturesque Naples Island — Long Beach’s most exclusive neighborhood — Michael’s on Naples has developed a devoted clientele fierce in their loyalty of the restaurant. The menu is designed to protect the heritage, tradition and culture of food (i.e., herbs and spices are fresh and never bottled, produce is organic and secured from local farmers, meats are organic and come from small-scale providers).  In addition to its renowned wine list, Michael’s On Naples offers a full bar.  For more information, call (562) 439-7080 or visit www.michaelsonnaples.com.

Visit our website

About Taste of the Nation

Taste of the Nation’s Impact

Since its inception, Taste of the Nation has supported the most effective nonprofit organizations working to end childhood hunger.

Here are a few examples of how we are making an impact all across America:

FLORIDA

Florida Impact, Tallahassee, increased the number of Food Stamp Program applicants by adding automated eligibility screening, benefit assessment, form-filling and mailing features to its toll-free bilingual Food Stamp Helpline. Calls increased sevenfold.

CALIFORNIA

California Food Policy Advocates, San Francisco, successfully advocated for expanding school breakfast programs to combat childhood hunger and obesity. The result: $18.2 million in state funds to provide fresh fruit for the program.

TEXAS

Sustainable Food Center, Austin, organized farmers markets near WIC clinics and adapted Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline courses to train WIC staff in nutrition practices and cooking skills. The staff used this knowledge to help clients who live with or are at risk of diet related diseases, including diabetes and obesity.

Our Results

Since Share Our Strength developed its childhood hunger strategy in 2004, our Taste of the Nation grant recipients and state partners have achieved impressive results against our plan to end childhood hunger:

• Distributed 2.5 billion pounds of food
• Served 35 million meals to children
• Served 791,000 kids through privately funded children feeding programs — that’s 23 million meals
• Provided 2.5 million hours of nutrition education or the equivalent of 106,000 days or 15,000 weeks
• Spent 110,000 hours advocating for federal child nutrition programs

*Source: Share Our Strength’s Grants Department

Project Dinner Table is a series of one-of-a-kind white table cloth dinners held on-location in unique and adventurous settings to celebrate community, local food sources, and the art of conversation. You will break bread with local growers, food artisans, and other spirited members of our community. Project Dinner Table is a tasty reason for people to gather, give back, connect, and share a phenomenal culinary experience. The humble idea of gathering around the dinner table to pay homage to local growers, sustainable sources, and community is a powerful message. Project Dinner Table invites you to share in our message and be part of the celebration.

www.projectdinnertable.com

Celebration of the best comfort foods made by LA’s best caterers and restaurants. Think mac & cheese, lobster ravioli’s, and sloppy joe’s made from kobe beef! It will be your standard five year old birthday party with lots of food, sweets, and juice (aka wine)! $40 per person.

 Click Here for more info

Join us for the 27th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival the marquee wine tasting event held along California’s Central Coast. Experience a weekend where wine tasting meets culinary delight; a weekend where the simple pleasures of wine, artisanal food and good company come together among the oaks and in the sun.The Paso Robles Wine Festival features more than 90 wineries pouring their best in the quaint Paso Robles Downtown City Park. Wine country cuisine and artisan foods are a true complement to the more than 400 wines being featured at this celebration. Music will resonate through the park on this spring day and the only thing missing is you.

Use the above tabs to navigate through the Wine Festival details.

Festival Ingredients

Wine Tasting
Let your palate point the way through the park in search of your new favorite Paso Robles wine or stay true to those you know. Either way you are sure to have a good time discovering the unique wines of Paso Robles in this unlimited tasting format.

Artisan Alley
Take a walk through Artisan Alley to taste locally grown artisan products from the region. From olive oil to flowers, almonds to cheese, lamb to beef and everything in between. Click here to see a list of Artisan participants.

Demonstration Kitchen
At the demonstration kitchen, attendees will hear from local top chefs as they share their secrets of sourcing local ingredients through 30 minute demonstrations. List of Chefs and demonstration schedule.

Regional Food Masters
Great wine begets great food and the Paso Robles Wine Festival is no exception. Special attention is taken on what foods local vendors are able to present and sell to accompany the premium wines served. Plan to satisfy for food cravings here.

PLEASE TASTE RESPONSIBLY:
While visiting the Paso Robles Wine Country we strongly suggest that you practice the 4 S’s of responsible tasting:
SWIRL, SMELL, SIP & SPIT

 Click Here for more info

Join us for a festive weekend filled with a wide variety of authentic Greek Foods and homemade Greek Pastries.Taste the true flavors of Greece Souvlakia, Moussaka, Pastichio, Tiropita, and Spanakopita. Enjoy the sweetest Grecian delights - Baklava, Galactobouriko, Karidopita and Kourambiethes.Dance to live Greek music and enjoy traditional Greek folk dance exhibitions performed by our 2008 Folk Dance Festival award winning dance groups.Stroll through the Plaka and shop in the many souvenir booths filled with imported artifacts and jewelry.Visit the “Kid’s Zone” filled with games, rides and other special activities.Take a guided tour of Orange County’s oldest Byzantine Church. Tickets $3 per person at the gate.

For list of foods: http://www.ocgreekfest.com/food.html

To print your free ticket: http://www.ocgreekfest.com/StJohn_Festival09_e-ticket.pdf

St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church
405 N. Dale St.
Anaheim CA 92801