The big one is back for the 27th time. Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff’s American Wine and Food Festival, we dare say the city’s grandest food event, will take place October 3rd on the Universal Studios Backlot. The evening throws together an A-team of world chefs to dole out tastings of whatever makes them proudest, and for $300, you can linger all night by their side (you can even sponsor a chef for $2,500). Nearly 90 wineries will be pouring and over 50 chefs will cook, ranging from Thomas Keller showing off Bouchon’s L.A. Debut, and masters like Nobu Matsuhisa and Joachim Splichal joining newcomers like Ilan Hall and Octavio Becerra of Palate Food + Wine. Unlike many other tasting events, the chef that is promised is the chef who actually shows up, not their employees. Here is the talent roster of chefs we are told will be there this year:
American Wine and Food Festival
October 3rd, 2009
Reservations
Guest Chefs
Gino Angelini: Minestraio Trattoria
Paul Bartolotta: Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare
Octavio Becerra: Palate Food + Wine
Matt Bencivenga, Yoshi Kojima, Scott Drewno, Ben Hong, and Sara Johannes: Red Seven, Source, Jai , and Five Sixty
Sam Choy: Sam Choy’s
Tom Colicchio: Craft Restaurants
John Cuevas: Montage Beverly Hills
Robert del Grande: Café Annie
Traci Des Jardins: Manzanita Lake Tahoe
Mark Djozlija, Aram Mardigian, John Lechleidner, Dustin Lewandowski: WP Bar and Grill
Lissa Doumani, Hiro Sone: Terra, St. Helena, and AME
Mark Ferguson: Spago Bachelor Gulch
Larry Forgione: An American Place
Mark Gaier: Clark Frasier Arrows
Ilan Hall: The Gorbals
Kerry Heffernan: South Gate
Lee Hefter, Thomas Boyce: Spago Beverly Hills
Thomas Keller: Bouchon
Cameron Lewark: Spago Maui
Walter Manzke: Church and State
Rene Mata: Chinois on Main
Nobu Matsuhisa: Nobu L.A. and Matsuhisa
Mark Miller: Coyote Café
Drew Nieporent, Stephan Lewandowski : Tribecca Grill
Ken Oringer: Clio
Frank Ostini: The Hitching Post
Mark Peel: Campanile
Charles Phan: Slanted Door
Stephan Pyles: Stephan Pyles
Richard Reddington: Redd
David Robins, Eric Klein Spago Las Vegas
Ari Rosenson, Matt Hurley: Cut
Richard Sandoval: Ketsi Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita
Jimmy Schmidt: Rattlesnake
Piero Selvaggio, Tommaso Tarantino, Luciano Pellegrini, Nicola Chessa: Valentino
Julian Serrano: Picasso
Lydia Shire, Mario Capone, Simon Restrepo: Scampo
Nancy Silverton: Mozza
Joachim Splichal: Patina
Cal Stamenov: Marinus Restaurant at Bernadus Lodge
Roger Stettler: Four Seasons Maui
Alex Startta: Alex
Laurent Tourondel: BLT
Yuji Wakiya: Wakiya Ichiemicharo Tokyo
David Walzog: SW Steakhouse, Wynn Las Vegas
Jonathan Waxman: Barbuto
Alan Wong: Alan Wong’s
Desserts:
Francois Payard: Payard New York
Sherry Yard: Spago