Foodies With Benefits

Everything You Need to Know About L.A.’s 25th Taste of the Nation, Sunday in Hollywood

Michael Voltaggio will debut his Frito-laced avocado melt
Michael Voltaggio will debut his Frito-laced avocado melt Photo: Caroline on Crack

This Sunday, June 10, from 1:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon, Taste of the Nation will hold its 25th annual fundraiser, what many seasoned eaters cite as the best tasting event in town. $160 VIP and $110 general admission tickets are still on sale, with the full kitty going to four L.A. food banks as part of Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in the U.S. This year’s event marks its first at The Lot in West Hollywood and to help people navigate the snarl of traffic coinciding with Pride Weekend, there is a $25 offer of pre-paid parking on-site, as well as nine-dollar parking at the neighboring Target. Most importantly, what will you be eating here?

Over 40 local restaurants will be there to serve their cooking, including Campanile, Fig, Picca, Cooks County, Plan Check, Joe’s, .ink.sack, AOC, Ray’s, Night + Market, Lukshon, and Lazy Ox. So far, Michael Voltaggio says he’ll debut an avocado melt with Fritos, Plan Check’s bringing its sensational smoky fried chicken, and as we reported on Monday, Umami Burger will get you feasting on some “pink slime.”

To drink, there will be a craft beer tent teaming local brew-masters with different restaurants, resulting in collaborations like Ommegang with The Golden State and Eagle Rock Brewery with The Surly Goat. A similar theme will be present with the cocktails, with La Descarga in command of some spirits from Appleton and Infinium and Harvard & Stone concentrating on St. George Spirits and Miracle Mile bitters, while Pour Vous sticks to Champagne duty and Intelligentsia serves coffee on what we can only foresee as a balmy day ahead.

Elsewhere, several chefs will unite to provide auction packages, such as a dinner for six at Wilshire cooked by Nancy Silverton, Suzanne Goin, Akasha Richmond, and Nyesha Arrington and a dinner cooked by Mary Sue and Susan at an L.A. aquarium. There will also be a cook-off between Whist’s Chris Crary, of Top Chef Texas, and caterer Ron Neter, who won last year, hosted by Paul Gilmartin and judged by Evan Kleiman, Aarti Sequeria, and the Voice semifinalist Chris Mann. All this will happen within the three-hour time frame, while VIPs score fonuts from Waylynn Lucas and eats from Pigg. Whew!

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, June 10, 1:00-4:00 P.M. at The Lot, 1041 N. Formosa Ave. Hollywood.

Everything You Need to Know About L.A.’s 25th Taste of the Nation, Sunday in