Michele StuevenThe Wayfarer DTLA will team up with Texas Bourbon distillery Garrison Brothers on Thursday, Dec. 1, for a “Meet the Maker” experiential whiskey dinner. The event will be an interactive tasting held across the property’s 12 floors, from the rooftop to the basement bar, hosted by whiskey peddler Charlie Garrison. It kicks off with a welcome cocktail at The Rooftop located on the hotel’s 12th floor, a three-course dinner with whiskey pairings at the Gaslighter Social Club, and one nightcap at the Wayfarer’s underground bar, Lilly Rose, all of which will highlight small-batch or signature expressions from Garrison Brothers. Tickets are $110 per person and can be purchased here.
Tickets are on sale now at LA3C.com for the two-day Music, Food and Art Festival that takes place on Saturday, Dec. 10 and Sunday, Dec. 11, at Los Angeles State Historic Park. Vendors include Gogo’s Tacos, CenaVegan, artisan boba from Lil’Bobacita, dim sum from AllDatDim Sum, TepitoCoffee as well as PrinceStreet Pizza, RidgesChurro Bar, TheMiddle Feast, and the BulgogiGrill Truck. Plus there will be a special Frites Truck presented by Stella Artois.
Holiday Road is back for the third year in Calabasas and includes photo ops, immersive walking trail, festive souvenir shop, premium holiday bar and a lineup of top food trucks like Cousins Maine Lobster, Vivace Pizza, Dreamy Creations, Baby’s Burgers, Heritage LA, Salt N Pepper, Middle Feast, Beignet Box, Flamin Hot Chicken and WISE Barbecue. Tickets are on sale now at HolidayRoadUSA. And will be open to the public for 30 days, Nov. 25 through Dec. 30, at the King Gillette Ranch, 26800 Mulholland Highway.
Courtesy Dandelion Chocolate Venice
Devilishly decadent Dandelion Chocolate will return to LA after a pandemic hiatus and will set up shop on Abbot Kinney in Venice, next door to Gjelina, with beautiful handmade boxes and single origin chocolate starting on Black Friday, Nov. 25. The retail pop-up will feature gifts for the holidays, including hot chocolate sets, a range of single origin chocolate bars from the Dandelion Chocolate Factory in San Francisco, and chocolate gift sets and baking essentials. They also will have chocolate-making demonstrations of small batch chocolate every day after Thanksgiving, in the chocolate mini-melanger.
Cult favorite taro donut shop from Hawaii, Holey Grail Donuts makes its official mainland debut with its first brick-and-mortar 1,000-square-foot location in Santa Monica on Saturday, Dec. 17. To celebrate the opening, Holey Grail Donuts will debut new donut offerings, including the unveiling of a “Breaking Bread” donut collaboration with Jon Gray of food collective Ghetto Gastro. Opening day will feature free Hail Mary donuts with cardamom and rose petals, as well as music from local DJ BlkSoap.
Here and Now‘s pop-up, Blitzen’s, will start early this year! Blitzen’s will bring the holiday spirit back to LA starting this week. The menu features new cocktails including the Mele Kalikimaka (Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum| Rhum JM VO | Overproof Rum| Cointreau | Pumpkin Seed and Pistachio Orgeat | Allspice Dram | Lime) and You’ll Shoot Your Rye Out (Pumpkin Spice Infused Rye | Madiera | Barola Chinato | Demerera | Egg White | Lemon). Blitzen’s also will offer a full food menu filled with holiday classics, like the Pigs in a Blanket, Latkes and Tamale de Carne, as well as seasonal pie from Julia Sugarbaker (formerly of Eleven Madison Park & Bestia) at Get Pie High.
You’ll Shoot Your Rye Out (Courtesy Here and Now)
As always, Blitzen’s will be dressed in its holiday best, with both Christmas- and Hanukkah- themed rooms in the bar and “snow flurries” on the front patio. They also will host themed events throughout the month, from live carolers and visits with Santa to holiday-themed drag queen bingo. The pop-up will run through Jan. 1; reservations are available now on the Here and Now website.
The historic La Venta Inn will kick-off the holiday season with its first annual “A Very La Venta Holiday” event on Sunday, Nov. 27, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Located atop the cliffs of Palos Verdes, the iconic landmark will feature gourmet food stations and craft cocktails from Made by Meg Catering, holiday crafts with Mrs. Claus like fresh wreaths, cookies, and photo frame decorating, and an ocean-view photo booth with complimentary photo strips and complimentary professional family photos.
What’s Popping Up is a weekly column in the L.A. Weekly that explores all that’s new in food and drink.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.