Michele StuevenOutstanding in the Field will produce a special Day After Tomorrow community table at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Saturday, March 8, to benefit the Altadena Community Fund and the Palisades Community Fund..
The lineup includes teams of two to three superstar chefs like Timothy Hollingsworth, Giada De Laurentiis, and Curtis Stone, and chefs entrenched in the city, like Neal Fraser of Redbird, who lent staff to feed unhoused people during the pandemic.
Also on hand will be Michelin-starred, food justice advocate Minh Phan, and Karla Subero Pittol of Chainsaw and Little Fish’s Anna Sonenheim, who teamed up in the days following the breakout of the wildfires to found a grassroots food-relief system that turned out more 20,000 meals, as well as local restauranteurs who were impacted themselves, such as Dean Yasharian of Perle in Pasadena, who lost his home, and Paola Guasp, whose Amara Kitchen in Altadena was destroyed by the Eaton Fire.
The dishes themselves reflect the team’s global perspective and the participation of local farmers who are contributing the best seasonal produce from the region. Nigerian Chef Tolo Eros of Ilé brings Jolof rice, and Pittol brings citrus marinades that speak to her Venezuelan roots.
Zaytinya Culver City by José Andrés will serve hummus, baba ghannouge, crunchy baby vegetables, lettuce cups, and lavash chips.
Outstanding in the Field was founded in 1999 by land artist Jim Denevan and has traveled to every US state and 25 countries, taking adventurous gourmets to farms, vineyards and stunning coastal locations to celebrate local farmers and fishermen.
The Day After Tomorrow event at The Rose Bowl Stadium will be its first actual field location. While Denevan typically constructs the long table in dialogue with the landscape, this 1000 person table will be shaped in cursive letters spelling out the word, LOVE.
Outstanding in the Field (Michele Stueven)
All’Antico Vinaio, the internationally famed Florentine sandwich shop opened its third and flagship location in Los Angeles in the heart of Beverly Hills this week. Known for its signature schiacciata bread, which is made fresh in-house daily with traditional Italian flavors, from creamy pecorino and truffle spreads to prosciutto Toscano, artichoke cream.
Tommaso “Tommy” Mazzanti, the family’s second-generation restaurateur was joined by partner and longtime family friend Tanya Bastianich Manuali, daughter of nearby Eataly’s matriarch Lidia Bastianich at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Being in Los Angeles is very special to me,” Mazzanti told LA Weekly at the opening, jam-packed with young Italians showing proof of drinking age as they waved their passports. “Seven or eight years ago LA and Beverly Hills were something I only knew from watching the films and now I am here. Some of the ingredients here are superior to those I find in Italy. The vegetables are the best. Cheese, good bread, and vegetables are 90% of what makes a good sandwich.”
And speaking of Eataly Los Angeles, the Century City outpost is teaming up with Too Good To Go for a special edition cooking class on Tuesday, March 25 that blends sustainability with Italian culinary traditions. Attendees will learn how to turn often-wasted ingredients into homemade pasta while discovering simple ways to cut down on food waste at home. For the class, students will make fresh orecchiette by hand, taste traditional Italian dishes repurposing leftover ingredients like Pallotte Cacio e Ova for bread, egg and cheese balls in tomato sauce, enjoy a chocolate and stale bread dessert and sip on a welcome Prosecco while learning from Eataly’s chefs. Tickets are available HERE.
Tanya Bastianich Manuali at All’Antico Vinaio (Michele Stueven)