Recap: L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade Brings Out the Culinary Stars

PHOTO by JENNIFER BASTIAN

It would’ve taken a superhuman appetite to try everything at the third-annual L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade, which packed nearly 40 chefs and even more bartenders, brewers and vintners onto the lawn of historic Culver Studios. But that didn’t stop some 1,200 attendees from trying. Between ticket sales and some luxurious auction items, over $500,000 was raised for childhood cancer research—L.A. Loves Alex’s is by far the city’s best culinary event with a conscience.

PHOTO by JENNIFER BASTIAN

Donald Link (Herbsaint and Cochon) brought with him the flavors of Louisiana: a cool black-eyed pea salad, a knob of excellent Cajun sausage and a hunk of boudin turgid with rice and pork. Whereas many of the day’s plates seemed only like festival-sized bites, Link’s felt like a fully formed dish, a complete Cajun meal downsized only to accommodate the bacchanal. 

To Do: Where the Good Things Are

The Santa Monica Farmers Market presents a night of food philosophy from its “Where the Good Things Are” series. The February 26 event focuses on how to deliver fresh produce from farm to fork and will be moderated by Evan Kleinman of KCRW’s Good Food. Guests are set to include a pair of farmers and buyers as well as chef Michael Cimarusti of Providence. (Cimarusti will be also serving some quick market-sourced bites afterwards.) The talk kicks off at 7 p.m. and will be held free of charge at the Santa Monica Public Library at 601 Santa Monica Blvd. Visit smpl.org or smgov.net/farmers_market for details.