The Essentials

My head is still spinning and my belly is fully sated, as I've just returned from the overwhelmingly entertaining food expo The Essentials - the 7th Annual LA Weekly Food and Wine Event in Downtown LA at the California Market Center. Featuring over 120 booths manned by the best of the best in terms of Los Angeles restaurants, wineries, and distilleries, The Essentials truly is foodie paradise - wandering from Bestia to animal to ink with wine in one hand and Sino tequila in the other, indulgence is the order of the hour, making it extremely difficult to decide which booth to stop at first!

Dress: Pinup Couture
Belt + Purse: Kate Spade New York
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Bloodline
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW® Pomade in Auburn

Father's Office - chicken liver mousse with onion jam on pumpernickel toast

Picca - salmon causa

Maude - pan perdu with foie gras mousse

Bestia - crispy ciciolli with mustard creme fraiche, candied mandarinquat, pickled jerusalem artichoke, and pea tendril

animal - char siu pork with ramen vinaigrette

Saint Martha - Salmon Tataki

ink. - rye pasta with smoked trout roe, bagel crumbs, and dashi brown butter