Michele StuevenTopanga Social at Westfield Topanga is celebrating 818 Day with festivities lasting all weekend to celebrate the area code and the people of the San Fernando Valley on Friday, August 16, and Saturday, August 17 from 6 p.m. til 9 p.m. and Sunday, August 18, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. the action-packed lineup of events includes live music along with food and drink. There will be the 818 Tequila tent, Tarantula Hill Brewing tent, the Cilantro Lime burrito eating competition, Valley Pride decorations yard games, and Topanga Social street dogs.
The Reach is a new Go Go Bird sandwich in collaboration with FoodBeast editor Reach Guinto, inspired by childhood memories of Burger King’s Long Chicken Sandwich. Guinto worked with executive chef and Go Go Bird owner Brandon Kida to come up with a sandwich that features fried chicken tossed in Go Go Gyoza’s famous chili oil and dressed with yuzu mayo and butter lettuce, all tucked into a lengthy sesame seed bun.
The Reach (Courtesy Go Go Bird)
The Reach is the first in a series of special Go Go Bird sando collaborations In the coming months together with Beverly Hills-based Italian sandwich shop Lorenzo California that will include creations from charming L.A. Times food editor and fried chicken expert Jenn Harris, the cookie creators at Lei’d Cookies and TV personality Chris Oh. The Reach and all upcoming sando collabs will be available at Go Go Bird at Citizen Public Market in Culver City.
Nice Coffee Roasters is celebrating its first anniversary with a party and amateur latte art competition on Friday, August 23 at their café Nice Coffee DTLA. The event is free and will feature complimentary coffee drinks and snacks as well as wine and beer for sale. The main event of the evening will be the amateur latte art competition, with special guest judges and coffee experts Jaymie Lao, Nicely, and Nicole Rucker.
There are slots available for 16 home barista contenders who have had no professional coffee experience. The sign-ups begin at 6 p.m. and are first come first serve. The rules and details of the competition can be found below. There will be prizes from Nice Coffee Roasters and a grand prize of a Baratza Encore ESP coffee grinder.
The Victorian in Santa Monica has launched the Wild Wild Westside party that happens every Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. with sponsored beverages from Besa, a live DJ and singing performances, along with cornhole, card games, a petting zoo, an outdoor grill, and bull riding. Guests, 21 years and older, can enjoy the indoor, outdoor beachside hoedown at the mansion on Main Street in Santa Monica all summer long.
The Cuisines of the Sun tasting menu at Lunetta priced at $68 per person is available through Friday, August 16. It starts with an amuse-bouche of Kampachi crudo with chilled watermelon and yuzu kosho, followed by a Greek salad, wood-grilled swordfish or fire-roasted lamb kabob served with tzatziki and a wild herb salad. Panna cotta accompanied by a berry compote is for dessert.
What’s Popping Up is a weekly column in the L.A. Weekly that explores everything new in food and drink.
Cuisines of the Sun Fire Roasted Lamb Kabobs (Courtesy Lunetta)