An Amazing Taste of Beverly Hills
It had never been tried before, but you can be certain it will be again. The first-ever Taste of Beverly Hills was a smashing success. Four days of food, wine, cooking demonstrations, premium liquor and a whole lot of schmoozing began on a perfect day for the city, its zip code –9-02-10. Things got off to a rip-roaring start with emcee and BH Mayor Jimmy Delshad—an electrical engineer who should have been an entertainer. The whole extravaganza was his brainchild and he started the party by presenting the keys to the city to Larry King and kicking off a concert by Natasha Bedingfield followed by Ne-Yo that boomed late into the starry night. The culmination: a fireworks display from atop the Beverly Hilton.
Each night featured a different theme and a select group of city’s top restaurants and their world-class chefs. Wolfgang Puck, Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel were among the top toques dishing out delicacies from booths for their respective restaurants. Participating eateries included everyone from 25 Degrees at the Roosevelt Hotel, Bazaar at SLS, Ago, Chaya, Delphine, Katana, Drago, Nate ‘n Al, Patina, Belvedere at the Peninsula, Culina at the Four Seasons, Wilshire, XIV and Zeke’s. Standout dishes included the burgers at 25 Degrees– far superior to the fatty ones from Umami, soy paper hand rolls from Katana—if you could brave the lines—and same for any of the coveted samplings from Petrossian Caviar.
It wasn’t just wine that was in plentiful supply, there was a vast array of hard stuff, including Avion tequila, Bombay Sapphire, Del Maguey mescal, “ri” rye, Pink vodka and Chivas Regal. The Stella Artois pavilion was a hotspot between the food-filled tents, with people lined up for several different types of beers and branded glass giveaways in blue velvet pouches. The Amex Lounge served up a variety of cocktails on the way in, or out of the venue. We’re sure the services of a lot of designated drivers were called upon. Bottom line: best SoCal food festival ever.
