LA TIMES: THE TASTE 2012

What better way to spend Labor Day weekend than to munch and consume gourmet food and drinks at Paramount Studios?  Unless you really love family barbecues there isn't a better way.  I was lucky enough to attend one of The Taste events, the Cocktail Confidential, for free rather than paying the $75 entry fee (although you do get your monies worth since the food and [alcoholic]drinks are unlimited).

The Cocktail Confidential was held Saturday night inside Paramount Studios.  Dozens of gourmet food and drink vendors set up shop on the studio lot and provided patrons samples of food, beer, wine or cocktails from 8pm-11pm.  The event also had mixologist demonstrations but I was too busy stuffing my face to remember to watch.  The lines could get a bit long but if you had a food buddy like I did, splitting up and grabbing plates for each other was the most efficient way to sample each vendor.

   Everything was tasty but the highlights (i.e. the dishes that I remembered a month later) were:

Bulgarini Gelato:  almond gelato with red wine  and The Gorbals: confit beef tongue romesco .

Bulgarini Gelato: Almond Gelato with Red Wine (poured over)

The Gorbals: Confit Beef Tongue Romesco

Bourbon cocktails

Cheddar popcorn

The participating vendors are listed below.  (Photos courtesy of the lovely Christina Phan)
Restaurants

A-Frame
American Tea Room 
Ammo
Be. Flirty
Blue Palms Brewhouse
Bulgarini
Casa Azul Cantina
Creme Caramel LA
Factors Deli
FEED Body + Soul
Glendon Bar &; Kitchen
Haven Gastropub
Industriel Green Street Tavern
Katana
Marsatta Fancy Chocolates
Nonna Of Italy
Pig’s Feed Under Plantation Rum
Pig’s Feet Under
Pinches Tacos
Ray’s & Stark Bar
Red Lion 
Sadie
Sunny Spot
Takami Sushi 
Terroni Restaurant
The Blvd at Beverly Wilshire Hotel
The Cake Mamas
The Counter Custom Built Burgers
The Gorbals
The Pub at Golden Road 
The Roger Room
Villains Tavern
Wood & Vine

Wines, Beers & Spirits

ABSOLUT Vodka
Adult Beverage Company
Akvinta Vodka
Ancnoc Whisky
Atlantico Rum
Bernardus Winery
BlackBeard Spiced Rum
Bulleit Rye
Caorunn Gin
Chopin Vodka
Citadelle Gin
Cline Cellars
Coco Breve
Cold Spring Brewing Co.
Death’s Door Spirits
Don Q Rum
Double Cross Vodka
Francis Ford Coppola Winery
Freixnet USA
Gosling’s Black Seal Rum
Herzog Wine Cellars
Jefferson’s Very Small Batch Bourbon
Karlsson’s Gold Vodka
Karma Tequila
Kooksoondang Brewery/Bekseju USA
Mionetto
Pearl Vodka
Pearl Wedding Cake Vodka
Peroni
Prévu
Rebel Yell Bourbon
Seven Daughters
Simply Naked Wines
SkinnyGirl
Stella Artois
Svedka 
Tequila Semental
The Glenrothes Select Reserve 
Tyku Premium Sake & Spirits
VeeV Açaí Spirit 
Wente Family Estates
Wild Turkey 

http://events.latimes.com/taste/