Bam! Serious food fans kicked it up a notch at the Universal Studios’ backlot for one last end-of-summer bash. Gourmets and gourmands made their way to the haj of haute cuisine, that Super Bowl of satisfying flavors, the annual eat-like-there’s-no-tomorrow all-nighter known as the American Food and Wine Festival.
Thousands of foodies lined up for the finest fare around and the chance to get up close and personal with their favorite celeb chefs. Hosts Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff had top tastemakers flown in from every restaurant-loving location, including New York, Las Vegas to Tokyo.
Well-seasoned stars like throw-down king Bobby Flay and “Iron Chef” Mario Batali were cooking up a storm as well as sushi sage Nobu Matsuhisa, pesto prince Piero Selvaggio and Big Easy icon Paul Prudhomme.
Food Network junkies were in hog heaven and none could pass up a chance to meet Mario. The laid-back red head had them lined up with their cameras, all angling for a shot of the affable gourmet.
“We love you Mario!” shouted one from across the lot.
Mario had his rustic Italian meat stand dressed up with hanging salami, dried red peppers and mounds of autumn squash. He served, sliced, laughed and smiled; offering up platters of traditional Italian antipasto like coppa, oregano salami and lard.
Mario has become a super hot commodity in a very short period of time. He started at the Food Network in 1994 without a single restaurant to his name. Today, he has a slew of successful east coast eateries and is about to open his first L.A. outpost called Mozza. “Wait till you try it,” the chef told Malibu Seen. “We are going to have the best pizza in town.”
Meantime back at Camp Puck, Wolfgang had his Spago/Vert/Chinois team cranking it out with military precision. Chef Luis Diaz of Chinois on Main was serving up a delicious lamb dim sum spiked with lemon grass. Over at Spago, Lee Hefter offered a succulent Chinese fire- roasted pork belly with lotus steamed rice. But my personal fave was relative new comer Matt Bencivenga of Vert. Bencivenga did not disappoint, shaving generous portions of fresh late summer truffles over a sweet corn ravioli that oozed creamy bliss in every bite.
After 24 years presiding over the city’s yummiest fund raiser, Wolfgang Puck has the drill down pat. Looking relaxed with a glass of white wine in one hand and a towel in the other, the evening’s host seemed to take all the commotion in stride, “Things are going great,” Puck enthused. “Every year it gets bigger and better.” Bigger, yes, just like our waistlines.
The tasteful affair raised more than $1.5 million for Meals on Wheels and it doesn’t get any more delicious than that!