The buzz is all about Palate Food + Wine these days. Not only does LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold praise Octavio Becerra's restaurant saying it is the "world’s favorite new place to eat in Los Angeles this fall," but Eater LA finds that Esquire's November issue lists Palate Food + Wine as one of the best new restaurants of 2008: "In a year when it was hard to stifle a yawn over the new restaurants in......

Sunday brings the 2nd annual TasteTV Luxury Chocolate Salon to Los Angeles, and chocoholics and the sweet-toothed can score discounted advanced tickets until 6 p.m. today online to the indulgent event. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Pasadena Center dozens of local confectioners and chocolatiers will be on hand to sample and talk about their tasty treats, along with the chance to see demonstrations and taste wines. Last year's event was a......

AP Photo/Eric Risberg Pronounced "pa-LEEN sih-rah," but with current events it's thought of otherwise and is leaving a bad taste for some Californians. From Serious Eats: "It was our best selling wine before (the V.P. announcement),” said Chris Tavelli, owner of Yield Wine Bar, which has offered Palin Syrah, a certified organic wine from Chile, by the glass since July. But after Sen. John McCain tagged Sarah Palin as his running mate, sales of......

Tool's Maynard James Keenan has wine on his mind today. / Photo by Tyler S. Andrews via LAist's flickr pool. WORDS: Zócalo hosts journalist E. Benjamin Skinner tonight at MOCA. He’ll discuss his book A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery. Skinner has witnessed negotiations for the sale of human beings in 12 countries and four continents (e.g., a Haitian 12-year-old girl sold as sexual and domestic slave for $50) and will discuss......

Maynard Keenan, frontman for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifier, loves the grape – especially the wine it produces. He’s taken his interest a step further by growing, harvesting and making his own wine. He's owner/part owner of a few vineyards in Arizona (Caduceus Cellars/Merkin Vineyards and Arizona Stronghold Vineyard), and this afternoon from 4:30-7:30 pm, he’ll be making an appearance at Whole Foods in Pasadena (465 S. Arroyo Pkway at Bellevue) to sign......

High-profile, pricey dining events are fun and all, but most of us would rather spend our dining dollars on an event that supports a great cause. If you're one of those people, you're in luck this weekend, because Savor The Season is one of those worth-it events. Not only does it feature a catered spread from some of L.A.'s best restaurants, but proceeds from the event are going to Break The Cycle, an organization......

Photo by rawkblog4 via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr FEED FEAR THE BIRDS Super cool speakeasy bar, The Edison, will screen The Birds tonight alongside the Jules Verne Festival. This screening marks the first in a monthly series at this bar. Hitchcock's own daughter, Patricia Hitchcock, will be in attendance as well as actress Tippi Hedren. No birds allowed. ENJOY A GLASS To attend a decent wine tasting one must travel to......

Andrew Steiner, former "Maitre Fromager" at Patina (Cheese Master -- now there's a worthy sobriquet!), has opened a shop of his own on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. Andrew's Cheese Shop is offering over 200 varieties of cheese, including many hand-crafted and artisanal varieties from all over the globe -- even raw milk cheeses! Andrew highlights cheeses like the Chimay Grand Cru (yes, from the same makers of the potent Belgian ale), Sally Jackson......

LA Greek Festival, Sept. 6-7. Photo by pink_fish13 via Flickr Looking for something to do this weekend that is the exact opposite of the LA Triathlon? Then head over to Saint Sophia’s Cathedral at Pico / Normandie for this weekend’s LA Greek Festival, a face-stuffing celebration of the heritage (and culinary prowess) of all things Hellenic. While last night was the free admission night, the greasy, delicious meat of the festival is still to......

The beautiful Langham Huntington Hotel is hosting a Wine Dinner next month that will feature the best wines from New Zealand, specifically those from winemaker Craggy Range, paired with a sumptuous meal in the hotel's Dining Room. Showcasing its finest wines including Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling, Chardonnay, Sophia and Syrah, winemaker Steve Smith from Craggy Range will discuss the winemaking process, the distinctive traits of the varietals and the unique history of the winery. Foodies and......

One of Los Angeles' hidden gems in an industrial part of downtown is the San Antonio Winery, who has been around for some 91 years. Starting last week, three of their wines, commissioned by Trader Joe's, hit shelves exclusively at all store locations for $4.99 a bottle. Two wines, Tres Pinos Red and the Josefina Syrah Rose, have previously been sold in the neighborhood grocery stores, but this season, San Antonio added a white version......

The annual Extravaganza for the Senses, a fund-raising tasting event benefitting the Saban Free Clinic previously mentioned here on LAist was held this past Saturday in Century City on the Fox lot. I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend and have returned with some photos for our readers. I'll be the first to admit that these photos don't really do the event justice, these photos were taken with camera in one hand,......

LEARNING*: Mindshare at the LA Brewery hosts the following speakers tonight: John Smart, futurist and founder of Acceleration Studies Foundation; Chuck Esterbrook, developer and creator of Cobra Language; Tali Krakowsky, director of experience design of Imaginary Forces; and Scott Pagano, creative director of Equilibrium Entertainment; Sissy St. John, wellness yogini, and Sena Koleva, UC Irvine grad student. Their topics include artificial intelligence, immortality and even the chemistry of love. This mind-sharing evening begins at......

Photo by theonetruedevo via Flickr Ready to eat and drink for a good cause? I know it sounds too good to be true, but it's legit, and I'm totally going! Extravaganza for the Senses is a fundraising event held annually to benefit the Saban Free Clinic, (formerly the Los Angeles Free Clinic) and features food from 40 Los Angeles restaurants and wine from more than 100 wineries. The presenting sponsor is the Wine House......

Photo by kpe II via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. ART* Attend the closing reception for Two Roads Gallery's group show featuring works by Kelly Thompson, Walt Hall, Teri Berman, and Douglas Alvarez. Artists will be in attendance and will be painting together, live. 6 p.m. // Two Roads Gallery // 4348 Tujunga Ave, Studio City // Free FILM The Silent Movie Theatre offers three showings of The Kid, a Charlie Chaplin......

Try hard and you might get this hang loose feeling from checking out the Hawaiian Fest in Northridge Photo by bhollar via Flickr Annual Northridge Ho Olau lea (Hawaiian Fest) Say Aloha to the the 50th state with a taste of the food and fun of Hawaii. Lots of Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts, vendors with all sorts of goods, fresh floral leis, loads of food (shaved ice!!!!), and beer. Luckily it won't be......

A reader commented in today's Tonight in Rock asked about bringing booze to the Hollywood Bowl to this weekend's The Cure show. "Please enlighten me about the Hollywood Bowl's BYOB policy... I've read that is only allowed at LA Philharmonic events and not 'leased' events. BUT I saw plenty of people with booze when I was there for the Jay-Z show. Trying to decide whether to bring stuff tomorrow for the cure... thoughts?" The reader......

Publishers of all stripes are selling books of all types. Jules Asner signed Whacked (she is gorgeous in person), Alan Cheuse signed The Fires, and Garth Stein signed The Art of Racing in the Rain. From fiction and business books to green books and cookbooks (and wine guides -- a bonus for this Wine Novice), writers, publishers and booksellers are hob-knobbing and handing out invites to tonight's biggest book parties. On various panels throughout the......

Photo by toastycakes via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr In an attempt to avoid the voter confusion rampant in the state during this year's Super Tuesday balloting, LA County officials are doing their best to educate the public about the InkaVote Plus system, including the audio options for disabled and multilingual voters. It seems "fire season" in the Southland is now a year-round thing. After yesterday's Griffith Park fire comes news of another......

TALK Matt Welch, editor of Reason magazine and author of McCain: The Myth of a Maverick will be providing his take on the Republican Presidential nominee at the Deconstructing McCain chat. Sure to be a thought provoking and stirring presentation and of growing importance given the fast approaching election. 7:30 pm // Los Angeles Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium // 630 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles // Free READING Michael Ondaatje, author of The......

Photo of Next Door Tapas interior by Zach Behrens for LAist Next Door Tapas is a swanky and intimate little lounge in Studio City, perfect for a weekend or late evening bite -- just don't plan on being there before 6pm. Despite the 5pm opening that's advertised on most review websites, we showed up at 5:30 only to find half-dressed tables and an unready staff. The wine menu was quick to arrive once we......

On this evening's earlier story about the fire at Off Vine, a reader posted their experience in the comments section: I was eating here with my family and friends for the first time after attending the play Wicked. The waiter had cleared our plates and we heard commotion on in the kitchen. I asked what was happening and was told there was a fire upstairs. We were seated in the table closest to the kitchen......

A fire reported at the address of Off Vine Restaurant on Leland Ave. in Hollywood has left the building with heavy fire damage after a 34 minute aggressive firefight, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. At 5:20 p.m., a cell phone call prompted 86 firefighters to respond to the blaze, which was originally reported to be at a single family home, but later corrected as a home converted-to-restaurant....

Photo by nailmaker via LAist Featured Photos So maybe some of you kids have it easy when it comes to eating green: you're a vegetarian or vegan, you don't eat dairy, and you shop at your local farmer's market every week. You probably bike a lot and never talk on your cell phone while you're driving. Congratulations, you're our editor! But for the rest of us mortals, the recent explosion of articles and blog......

"Why is this night different from all other nights?" you might ask. Well, it's the first night of Passover, and even folks who will be sitting down to a seder somewhere in the Southland tonight will also be asking the same thing, because it's one of four questions that are posed in the traditional pre-dinner ceremony. Passover is a hands-on Jewish holiday, where families and friends gather around the table to honor the Israelites' exodus......

Artist and forager Nancy Klehm will be holding the last of her highly unique cooking classes at Echo Park gallery/performance space Machine Project this Monday, March 10th, from 6-9pm. There are still a few spots left (tickets cost $85 for members, $95 for non-members), so head on over to the website to sign up for a lesson on making your own fermented fruits and vinegars. Fruit wine sounds like a fantastic way to take......

It's National Cold Cuts Day. That term has always brought to mind those not very fresh, tasteless sandwich fillers served at large functions that you eat because you don't want to eat only macaroni salad. With the beef recall, dashing to your local butcher for some cold cuts sounds less appetizing than ever. However, the term "cold cuts" can include cheese and that's where you can freely celebrate. When I lived in NY, I......

DANCE The State Ballet of Georgia arrives for their Los Angeles premiere at UCLA's Royce Hall to perform Giselle. This historic Russian dance company is taking on a classic, with Nina Ananiashvili in the spotlight as the company's artistic director and prima ballerina in the title role. 8 p.m. // Royce Hall, UCLA // Westwood Plz at Charles E Young Dr S// (310) 825-2101 // $20 - 90 SPOKEN WORD It's an Anything Goes Open......

Tonight is the night to break out that special bottle of vino and head over to one of more than 20 LA-area restaurants that are obliterating the corkage fee in honor of "Open That Bottle Night." The foodie-minded folks over at EaterLA asked around and came up with a list of dining spots who are willing to forgo their usual $20-$35 fee for one night only so that diners could have a special meal to......

Photo by Phillyist's Matt Johnson, SkyscraperSunset.com, December 19, 2007. Phillyist explored an impending implosion and lived to tell the tale.Gothamist marveled at the city's new NYC-branded condom campaign - especially the use of a Toronto landmark in the advertising. (Also, fun fact: Gothamist turned five years old yesterday.)Tired of the worldwide Scientology protests? Torontoist totally isn't: they covered the big downtown protest the day it happened, and followed up with an examination of all......