Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Truckin' Through the Holidays Charity Food Festival

Komodo Food Truck
On Thursday night, I attended the Truckin' Through the Holidays charity food festival to benefit the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank (one of my favorite charities). The event took place at Jaxon, a loft-like home furnishing store in Culver City. Not only was the parking lot packed with food trucks, but the interior of the store boasted an array of local, specialty food vendors handing out free samples of their wares and an open bar stocked with delicious Hungarian wines.

Essential Chocolate Desserts
Of everything I sampled at the booths, my favorites included the super fudgey brownies from Essential Chocolate Desserts, the fabulous vegan organic dark chocolate truffles from Nicobella (these would make great holiday gifts), and the  lattes from Matcha Source, made with fresh Japanese matcha and almond milk. Another great sponsor was The Haute Lunch Bag, a social network for women to explore their city, share reviews, and find exclusive lunch specials. What a great idea! Both the website and apps will be launching soon.

Matcha Source
After indulging in sweets and tea, we ventured to the open bar. I was excited to find that it was stocked with Hungarian wines, which are usually delicious, but rarely imported to the U.S. Of the wines we tasted, my favorite was the Tisza River Riesling (2007), a dry take on the varietal that was light and flavorful. I also enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon (2003), which was bold and full-bodied with a little age under its belt. Both were lovely and gone quickly.

Komodo's Meatballs with Romesco Sauce
After quenching our thirst, it was time for some food truck action. We chose the Komodo food truck, specializing in street food with a gourmet twist. We ordered several of the tacos, including the Blazin' Shrimp which were definitely blazing hot, the Meatballs with Romesco Sauce, a super porky confection topped with a red bell pepper sauce, and the Garlic Fries, served with homemade garlic oil and parmesan cheese. It was the perfect way to cap a perfect evening, all in the name of charity.

Photo Gallery:

Tisza River's Wine Bar
Essential Chocolate Desserts
Sleepers Magic Gourmet Spice Company
Nicobella's Vegan Organic Dark Chocolate Truffles
Matcha Source's Matcha Latte with Almond Milk
Komodo's Food Truck

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