Chefs Bruce Kalman's & Duff Goldman's "Foie Grock" Rock Band Rocks Scott Harris' & Raphael Sbarge's The KNEAD to Give Food & Music Festival.

By Laura Medina

In his normal life, Scott Harris is just an architect and contractor who just happens to work and live in Hollywood.  This is where things turn hip, cool, and nice.

Along the way he did work for Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion, then he does very interesting and challenging work for environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. while he did more conventional work for fashion designer, Catherine Maladrino.

Along the way, he garnered enough goodwill, that when he thought of a charity that encompasses charities that means a lot to his clients, why not throw a charity festival that focuses on what people love, gourmet and wholesome food and music?

This is how he came up with The KNEAD to Give Food & Music Fest, with TNT's "Murder in the First" Raphael Sbarge.  This eco/foodie/music charity event supports causes that are dear to heart for these environmental celebrities, Ed Begley Jr. and Sharon Lawrence and causes such as: Food Forward, HoneyLove, Muir Ranch Pasadena, Hollywood Orchard, and FoLAR.

A coterie of friends show up for support, with their own causes and charities: Ed Begley, Jr., Sharon Lawrence, Raphael Sbarge, and Raul Campos.

This is how the charity works, there's a silent auction where people quietly sign up how they'll bid for each prize.  Then, there's a real bidding auction where Scott and his celebrity friends auction off a prize, such as a minimal baseline bid at $500 for a tour of the Playboy Mansion, then the bid takes off from there.  Who ever bid the most and the highest that prize.

The impresario, Scott is proud to say that every $0.90 off each dollar placed will go directly to each charity and cause; and that everybody is doing out of love, volunteering their spare time and energy for this charity fundraiser.  There was a lot of love to give that night at Grand Central Market.

The snack table is by a roving vegan, non-dairy, gluten-free catering company that Ed Begley, Jr. approves.

Here's one of the causes, Hollywood Orchard.  It's a program that teaches kids on field trips, where they explore and locate local fruits, growing free and available within their neighborhoods.

Here are some of the preserves, jams, syrups, vinegars, and butters harvested from free local fruits, growing in their neighborhoods, ripe for the picking...in a wholesome, delicious way.

Existing wait staff from Grand Central Market, served green and gourmet hors d' oeuvres of: Caviar & Seaweed, Fried Crispy Rice Squares topped with Beets Caviar, Olives & Sardine, and Scallop Ceviche.

Later, they served miniature but filling Knead Bakery's lasagna, non-dairy pizza and cheesecake. 

For dessert, they served cold-brewed coffee and the legendary, limited-edition Coolhaus' + Knead Bakery's "The Freddo-Ice Cream Sammie," Cannoli Ice Cream sandwiched between Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The real treat is "Foie Grock," Chefs Bruce Kalman's and Duff Goldman's moonlighting rock band.

This is a rare treat and performance...

Scott Harris' and Raphael Sbarge's The KNEAD to Give Food & Music Fest gives enough love to feed the soul.

"The Neighborhood Changed for the Better," Hansen's Sodas takes Mar Vista on a Pedi-Cab Ride with Mar Vista Art Dept.

By Laura Medina

What used to be the rough and tough "Dog's Town" of juvenile delinquent, blue-collar, and single-parents surfers and "East Venice" of recently disappearing gangs, Mar Vista is sly on the re-bound.

Unlike with what's happening to Venice's Abbot Kinney Elite clashing against long-time Oakwood residents, there's an happy co-existence at Mar Vista Art Dept. where they welcome and nurture local talent then promote them while boosting neighbor morale.  Besides, the long-time Mar Vista residents aren't "too chic for their own good."

With help from Los Angeles strong-hold and all-natural traditionalists, Hansen's Sodas helped sponsored this fun goodwill event.

They threw up an vintage arcade with old school Pac Man and Space Invader and a real, vintage ping-pong machine.  Of course, they were pretty generous with real-life Hansen's Soda vending machines doling a guessing game of whatever flavor soda...

What most guests had missed because there was so much fun was that Hansen's Sodas matched the muralists/graffiti artists with meals that they paired with their sodas.  Oh so Gen-X/Millennial!

Apexer was the second mural on a side of a neighborhood bank.  At each and every mural site, there is an Hansen's Soda Lounge.

Each muralist has a meal paired with them.  Apex's meal was Hamatchi Sashimi washed down with Kiwi Strawberry Soda.

Who owns this super-duper cool Mar Vista Art Dept.?

DJ N3FF and his art-gallery/gallerina girl-friend.

Since they owned the building, his mural is the fourth one painted on the side of their building. 

Hansen's Sodas paired their Mandarin Lime Sodas with N3FF's favorite Lime Chili Braised Carnita Tacos dusted with Queso Fresco.

Wyatt Mills' mural is the fifth and final mural on the Hansen's Soda Pedi-Cab Ride Tour...more on that later.

His meal was the most basic and classic, Prime Beef Burger Sliders with olde-fashion Root Beer, can't go wrong with that.

The most fun part and the most unifying aspect of the art party was the Pedi-Cab Ride Tour where Hansen's cab bikers take guests on a neighborhood tour to stop, sit, and enjoy at each mural tour, where there's a Hansen's Soda Lounge (complete with Hansen's Soda vending machine) to sit, enjoy the mural...and the locals then hop on back in the pedi-cab then onto the next mural until you finish when you return to Mar Vista Art Dept.

Here's my bike driver, Adam.  He's real nice and down-to-earth. He deserved the meal and soda pairing for dragging this scribe's lazy butt from mural to mural. Ha!

Alright, here's the low-down list of the mural pedi-cab tour:

Madsteez is the first mural, painted across the parking lot from Mar Vista Art Dept.

The second mural is Apexer, on a side of a bank, across the street.

What's really cool about the Mar Vista neighborhood is how accommodating and friendly it is.  This is the third mural by StarFightera, a woman muralist and that's her Hansen's Soda Lounge, across the street.  Pretty darn for the apartment complex to do that.

Here's N3FF's mural.  His is the next-to-last and fourth mural. Easy enough for him to paint this on the side of his building.  He co-owns the Mar Vista Art Dept.

The fifth and last mural is directly behind and next to N3FF, Wyatt Mills' mural.

Of course, the real action happened upstairs on Mar Vista Art Dept.'s rooftop patio VIP bar.  This used to happen in SoHo and Lower Manhattan way back when forty years ago; but, it's happening and alive in Mar Vista.

CVS never looked so good at night and the chef caterers grilled beef slider and taco.

But those cramped-in Manhattanites are gonna be hating-envy, Mar Vista Art Dept. has a backyard patio where there's enough room for a second lounge to print t-shirts and celebrity DJs, Chrizma and Peanut Butter Wolf teach kids how to mix and rip while the kids lock and pop it to the beats.

This Hansen's Soda art party tour isn't your usual snotty, stuck-up art groupie event.

Actually, it was open to the public, encouraging their neighbors and locals to walk on by and enjoy.

A ten-year resident has said, "The neighborhood has changed for the better."

Pour on the goodwill, Hansen's Sodas and Mar Vista Art. Dept.

Cointreau Cocktails Around the World Feast.

By Laura Medina

Cointreau's "The Art of La Soiree," with Jeremiah Brent, is more of a Moroccan Feast with globe-trotting appetizers.  They really elevated the art of the cocktail party.  This scribe is pleasantly surprised.

At the beginning and at the start, guests assumed this is going to be an usual cocktail party, gently pacing itself on cute hor d oeuvres: finger bowls of Ahi Tuna Poke with tortilla chips, guacamole dip & tortilla chips, vegan & chicken Spring Rolls, and Beef & Brie on Crostini toasts, and spoons of Beef Pho Soup.

We all assume that's enough.  We were gladly proven wrong...

The first course is a Cabbage & Pomegranate Slaw Salad.

The Moroccan Feast, even comes with it's own cocktail, Cointreau Moroccan Tea...

2 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

2 oz. Pomegranate Rooibos Tea

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

It can be paired with Lamb Tagine, spiced and flavored with apricots and almonds.

To go with the Vegetarian Couscous and the Stewed Chicken Couscous.

It didn't stop there.  There was a Banh Mi Sandwich Bar doling delicious slices of beef pate nestled in a blanket of  pickled vegetables, cilantro, sriache sauce in crispy and puffy French baguettes.

The central bar had corners serving trays and trays of tapas, that were mentioned above.  That's a clever idea for a party.

The main bar sling out...

These cocktails, such as the Moroccan Tea (mentioned above) and this Cointreau Hanoi Rickey...

2 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

3 Thai Basil Leaves

Two Slices of Mango

4 oz. Perrier

...were especially crafted for this event only...

The Cointreau Hanoi Rickey matches the Confit Duck Leg Banh Mi sandwich.

Split Croatia Spritz...

1 oz. Cointreau

3 oz. Malvasia White Wine

1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

2 oz. Perrier

It was paired with Grilled Sea Bass and pasta...

The Cointreau Castillo...

2 oz. Cointreau

2 oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice

1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

2 small slices of Jalapeno

It was paired with Grilled Rib-Eye Taco.

The fruit garnishes for the Castillo, were snacked on instead...

On a hot, steamy afternoon, thank god they put out Orange Granita with candied lumps of oranges...

On a sweltering day, the smart foodies and cocktailians dumped their cups of orange granitas into their existing high ball glasses.

Why the feast?

Jeremiah Brent,..

"When entertaining, I am constantly inspired by my love of traveling-and not just by the destinations, but by the absolute joy of the journey itself.  When you travel and experience other cultures, you take something away with you-be it artifacts, traditions, scents, or even recipes."

The real title of the event should be "Collection de Voyages" is an experience co-curated by Cointreau and interior designer Jeremiah Brent that shares their inspirations from a life well-traveled.