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Voices from The Taste

By Katherine Spiers
September 6, 2011
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Reporting by Cara Rifkin

The Taste, an event that's probably the largest food festival in Los Angeles (certainly the most star-studded), just concluded after a three-day run over Labor Day Weekend. Food lovers from around the state (including KCET readers!) made the pilgrimage to the various parties hosted around town, from Desserts After Dark to Taco Tequila Tryst. Our own Cara Rifkin was there to get the scoop on the most successful dishes and the people who love them.

"I don't think I can celebrate unless I have something special to eat ... Food in my family, and maybe in all Indian families, is the way you mark anything. Your birthday, your first holy communion, getting married, your first A. That food is a celebration. - Aarti Sequeira, winner of Food Network Star and host of Aarti Party

"My favorite burger is The Tasting Kitchen burger with the Epoisses. Unreal."
- Lauren Tompkin

"Stinky cheese, simple ingredients, just all around good burger." - Lauren Tompkin

Frank: Over in the back they have a prime rib one.  With...Zach: Short rib.

Frank: Yeah, short rib.  Ohhh that is unbelievable.

Zach: Still the best.

Frank: That's the best.

-Frank Gill (left) and Zach Golden (right) on the Kogi truck tacos

"It's my first time here. I won tickets off of The Wave and I'm so excited. I called and I was number ten caller and I won tickets and I brought my friend Trish down." -Cynthia Roberson

"The seabass at Corkbar. The freshness and the season that he cooked it in.  It was fabulous." - Cynthia Roberson on her favorite taco of the evening

Megan: Our favorite was the Chichen Itza tacos.Max: Number one item.  However the habanero salsa, and I love spicy, was probably the spiciest thing I've ever had.  And I thought I was going to die.  I literally told her she was in my will.  And that I loved her no matter what.  But it was incredibly good.

Megan: It was great.

-Megan Calhoun and Max Broude

Megan: Max sent me the link.  He's the big foodie in our relationship.Max: We were looking for something to do for the holiday weekend, and a friend of ours offered us 50% discount, and I said "that sounds like a good deal."

-Megan Calhoun and Max Broude on finding tickets to The Taste

John: We've been here all weekend.  Since Friday.  We drove down from Northern California.  Our son Johnathan Crocker is one of the people who produced this.Kay: We think this event is fantastic.  We've been to almost every one.

John: We're very proud.  Very proud.

-Kay and John Crocker

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