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Food Weekend: Summer Cocktails, Outdoor Flicks, Jubilee, JazzReggae Fest

By Rick Paulas
May 25, 2012
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Ah, Memorial Day weekend. The opening three-day-long salvo into the year's summer. Full of barbecues, outdoor movies, festivals, and other things to stick in your stomach. For instance:

So you're holding a Memorial Day weekend barbecue, and you have all of the meats and veggies and entertainment (your cousin Matt's juggling act) all lined up, but you're still in the dark about what kinds of summer-appropriate cocktails to make. Well, you're in luck. Friday night at the Hollywood Farmer's Kitchen, Kate Payne, the author of "The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking," is putting together a demonstration class about exactly that!

If you've been missing the awesome "Food for Thought" series down in Orange County over the past month, well, Friday night is your last chance to check it out. The closing documentary is "Urban Roots," which follows the new trend of urban farming that's all the rage in Detroit. As usual, food trucks will be on hand to provide movie-goers with some (not free, of course) snacks.

Did that last entry whet your appetite for an outdoor movie, but driving down to Orange County seems like too much of a hassle? Then, have I got the event for you! Saturday night in Santa Monica, the popular Eat|See|Hear series kicks off with an outdoor screening of "Anchorman." Movie-goers can enjoy the comedy jaunt in advance of the now-insanely-buzzed-about sequel under the stars at the Memorial Greek Theater in Santa Monica High School. Before the film, bands The Diamond Light and Islands will be performing, while food trucks like Fatburger, The Lime Truck, White Rabbit, Nom Nom Truck, and The Greasy Wiener will be on-hand to provide mid-movie noshing. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and sweatshirts, as it might get a bit chilly.

Oh, what. That movie wasn't good enough for you? Well, how about a screening of "Napoleon Dynamite" on Saturday night down in Exposition Park near the USC Campus? The film is the first in the season of Street Food Cinema, meaning bands (in this case, Hush Money Quartet) and, more importantly, food trucks. On hand will be Kogi BBQ, Grill 'Em All, Dogtown Dogs, and more. Make sure to bring blankets and sweatshirts.

Saturday and Sunday, that odd strip of Silver Lake on Santa Monica, in between Sunset and Virgil -- where the calm tranquility of the street grid morphs into the chaotic hills -- is shut down for the third annual Silver Lake Jubilee. The outdoor festival features a ton of bands, authors, and comedians all plying their various wares-for-your-ears on a number of stages. But, seeing as this is a food blog and all, our interest is more in what we'll be eating from the various food trucks. A full list is available here.

What's that? You're all festival'd out? TOO BAD! Head on out to UCLA on Sunday and Monday for the 26th annual JazzReggae Festival. The first night, the so-called "Jam Night," is highlighted by performances from The Roots and Booker T. Jones. Meanwhile, Monday night's offering of "Reggae Night" will feature performances by Shaggy and a whole bunch of other reggae masters. Besides the tunes, of course there's going to be all sorts of food vendors on hand, including plenty of soul food options. Eat up!

For more food events visit kcet.org/events/food.

[Photo from last year's Jubilee from Flickr user kara brugman.]

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