Anne HamnerHappy Friday! Here’s what’s popping up in L.A. this week. Enjoy unique sour beers at Free Play and IPAs at the L.A. IPA Festival or attend the SIP Pop-Up Event at Duke’s to support those affected by the Woosley Fire. Planned Parenthood honors Helene An as Chef of the Year at its annual Food Fare, while the Stouts N Staches Brew Fest celebrates Movember in March.
Ongoing, starting Feb. 24
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken is coming to the Westside! What makes this location different? It has created the city’s first CBD-infused doughnut. If you can't wait until the new store opens at the end of March, stop by their DTLA location and preview the westside treat every Sunday to “Beat the Sunday Scaries.”
“For the Santa Monica opening, we wanted to create something new and playful that had never been done in the city before,” co-founder Elliot Spaisman tells L.A. Weekly. The comfort-food twist features a chocolate birthday cake doughnut with a CBD-infused chocolate mint buttercream frosting topped with sprinkles.
Friday, March 1
Grand Central Market has partnered with the Angels Flight Railway to kick off Friday Night Flights, starting today from noon to 10 p.m. For $15 per person, enjoy a round-trip ride on the historic Angels Flight funicular, followed by a flight of drinks or light bites at the Grand Central Market at their exclusive partners, including DTLA Cheese, Golden Road Brewery, Horse Thief BBQ and the Oyster Gourmet.
Grand Central Market, 317 S. Broadway, downtown; grandcentralmarket.com.
Saturday, March 2
Sours are the new IPA. They’re refreshing and light, and you don’t always wake up with a headache from too many dark beverages. On Saturday, Free Play is offering sour beer drink specials to kick off LAFC season. Free Play is featuring close to a dozen rare sour beers for only $7 to $12 for a 10-ounce pour from 5 p.m. until midnight, including sours from small-batch distributors like Up Right (Oregon), Brouwerij (L.A.) and BFM (Switzerland). Free Play is on the new second floor at LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium.
Free Play, 3939 S. Figueroa St., 2nd floor, downtown; freeplaydtla.com.
Saturday-Sunday, March 2-3
Celebrate classic West Coast India Pale Ales from across our beer-loving Golden State at the sixth annual Los Angeles IPA Festival presented by Mohawk Bend.
This year’s main event involves sampling numerous West Coast IPAs from breweries like Boomtown Brewery, Barley Forge and many more. Many of the IPAs are made exclusively for the festival, so beer lovers can get a taste of truly unique varietals. Beer lovers get to vote for their favorite to win the People’s Choice Award, and the festival also brings in a panel of judges to taste and award their favorites. If you are truly passionate about the IPA game, you can upgrade your experience and indulge with a brunch with the Brewers ticket for only $40 on Saturday.
The ticket includes a bottomless brunch buffet and unlimited tastes of the competing beers, all while engaging with some of the best brewmasters in California. If that's not enough, you also get to help judge the beers as the pros do and complete a Beer Judge Certification Program score sheet. On Sunday, wake up bright and early for beer tastings that start at 9:30 a.m. with eight preset flights and half-pints of the remaining beers while supplies last. There will also be a No Leftovers recap brunch that will include your choice of a brunch appetizer, entree and unlimited tastes of the remaining IPA Fest beers for only $45.
Mohawk Bend, 2141 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park; laipafestival.com.
Sunday, March 3
The Woolsey fire affected a huge part of the L.A. community and we are still dealing with the repercussions of rebuilding. That’s why SIP Malibu Grapes is starting a series of SIP pop-up events to help those affected by the fires to rebuild.
The first event will be held on Sunday from 2 to 5:30 p.m. at Duke's Malibu in the Ocean Room. The event will include a live band, raffle prizes and a silent auction. Tickets are $75 per person presale and $95 at the door and include Duke’s hors d’oeuvres and some of Malibu’s finest wines.
The proceeds help support the California Wildfire Center, headquartered in Malibu; it's dedicated to saving wildlife in the Malibu community and protecting the fragile Santa Monica Mountains.
Duke’s Malibu, 21150 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu; eventbrite.com/e/sip-pop-up-1-wine-food-fundraiser-tickets-55309725879.
Stouts N Staches; Credit: Stouts N Staches
Sunday, March 3
Stouts N Staches Brew Festival returns to Venice for its sixth year supporting the Movember Foundation. The event includes beer from local breweries such as Venice Duck and Clutch Kolsch, as well as exclusive whiskey tastings and a pig roast hosted by Oscar Hermosillo, owner of Clutch and Venice Beach Wines.
Tickets are $15 in advance for general admission (includes access to music, games, vendors, etc.) and $40 for VIP (includes two drinks, pig roast, whiskey tasting, live music, beard trims and more).
The goal of the festival is to raise awareness for the Movember Foundation, which supports men’s physical and mental health in the L.A. community, and to bring locals together over good food and good beer. The festival will be in the parking lot of Clutch Venice on Sunday from 3 to 8 p.m. and will include giveaways, free mustache beard trims, leather treatments, live music from a Bob Dylan tribute band, cigar rolling and many more men-focused activities.
There will be a vegan option, too — this is Venice, after all.
Clutch Venice, 427 Lincoln Blvd., Venice; eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-stouts-n-staches-brew-fest-and-pig-roast-tickets-55040776444.
Catherine An, left, chef Helene An, Elizabeth An, Nina An (Elizabeth’s daughter); Credit: Planned Parenthood
Thursday, March 7
What better way to get a jump on celebrating International Women's Day (which is Friday) than by attending Planned Parenthood’s annual Food Fare? Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the event and enjoy gourmet food and drinks from over 150 California vendors at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.
The event was started in 1979 by Julia Child and has grown into a renowned culinary phenomenon bringing together some of L.A.’s best chefs, including Helene An, who is being honored as Chef of the Year. Helene An and her family are best known to local foodies for their popular restaurants Crustacean, Tiato, ANQI by House of An and An Catering.
There will also be a wine silent auction, Raffle for Choice, a dream experience auction and a VIP reception for sponsors. Tickets are $150 per person for the daytime session (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) and $350 for the evening session (6:30-9:30 p.m.). All proceeds benefit Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles.
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