Ok, Jump in Your Party Suit, Get Your Manicure On for Eater's Young Guns 2013 at LACMA

By Laura Medina

 

With the bounty of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables bursting out all over the place, someone or a group of people have to do something with all these ripe produce.

You know what this means?  Food and Booze Season is upon us now in Los Angeles.

Just because you're chowing down, it never means you're "slumming or slobbering down."  More than anything, with the abundance of at-their-peak produce, mixologists are straining, stirring, and shaking antioxidant-rich juice and puree with top shelf liquor.  They're adding antioxidant brightness to the liquor and adding edge to the juice.

Don't worry, there is still more than enough produce to grill, stew, and steam.  There are plenty of veggies and fruits as side dishes to accompany and garnish the meat for omnivores.

This Sunday night is the first time the public can sample the food of many of these dishes and drinks from the nation's top, young culinary stars at the first ever Young Guns Eve in Los Angeles (buy tickets here)

This means jump into your party jumpsuit, top, jeans, and jacket.  It is time to sip and savor the best of the hottest and hippest culinary talent under 30, Eater Young Guns Eve this Sunday night, June 23rd, 6-9pm where the hottest and the hippest chefs battle it out and mingle with the public at LACMA's Ray & Stark Restaurant & Bar (at 5905 Wilshire, CA 90036).  You can purchase tickets at http://eater.com/young-guns/.

LACMA's Ray & Stark in the courtyard.

The foodie festivities will continue onto Monday night's "Eater Young Guns Awards", still at LACMA's Ray & Stark, from 7-10pm on June 24th at LACMA on 5905 Wilshire, CA 90036.

This is when the Best Young Gun of Eater Young Guns 2013 will be awarded as the Best Young Guns of the year.

Who are these Young Guns and why are they're here?

Every year, Eater Young Guns candidates compete through three rounds of selections, beginning with a public call for nominations in February, which yielded over 2,700 nominations; then a vetting by Eater editors and the official selection committee comprised of some of the most well respected chefs and restaurateurs in the country to reduce the group to 50 semi-finalists; and finally, a second round of voting by the editorial staff to select the final class of 15.

Who are these lucky 15 young and under 30 chefs, representing the best of each city nationwide?

Here are some of them.  The 10 contestants, who came from all over the country to chop and dice and sear for two nights at LACMA:

  - Mitch Lienhard, Grace, Chicago

- Matt Lackey, Flyte, Nashville

- Jason Wang, Xi'an Famous Foods, NYC

- Jessica Largey, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA

- Jeremy Hoffman, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA

- Mike Brown, Travail / Pig Ate My Pizza, Robbinsdale, MN

- Ryan Lachaine, Underbelly, Houston

- Hourie Sahakian, Short Cakes, Los Angeles

 

Hosting the event will be Kris Morningstar of Ray's and Stark Bar and Jason Fullilove of Patina Catering at LACMA.

 

Each Young Gun class member receives an official winner's patch, a limited edition bottle of champagne and a lifetime of bragging rights.

 

As a former "Charlestonian" who dresses up to get messed up, keep your eyes out for Brooks Reitz,  the General Manager of The Ordinary.  He represent the best of Charleston's young culinary talent in L.A. 

Chef Sean Brock thinks he has the ability to be a future Danny Meyer, saying, "You know when you meet someone and you just smile because you're like 'Holy shit you're going to do some things in your life.' You can just see it in his face. He's going to spend his life working his ass off." 

 

If you want to read on, read on at http://eater.com/archives/2013/05/17/meet-the-eater-young-guns-semifinalists-brooks-reitz.php

For those who want a taste to remember this event or for those who can only dream about it.

One of the sponsors, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE East, provides these tasty, sophisticated libations to refresh and cleanse th e palate that you can recreate at home.

These BOMBAY SAPPHIRE East drinks are great to sip and cool down after a long, hot day.

Sapphire East G&T Reimagined (shown)

1.5 oz. Bombay Sapphire East Gin

3 oz. Tonic Water (preferably Fever Tree brand for best taste)

Garnished with: black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, lemon wheel, lime wheel

Directions: Build in a glass over ice, stir, and garnish with lemongrass stalk, black peppercorns, lemon wheel, and lime wheel (mix in with the liquid rather than on top).

 

"Far East Side" 

2oz. Bombay East

Muddle Banana Pepper

Muddled Cucumbers

1 oz. Lemon Juice

1 oz. Agave in the raw syrup

Cucumber and Mint Garnish

Cracked Pepper

These BOMBAY SAPPHIRE East drinks are some of the cocktails going to be sipped during the two nights of Eater Young Guns event.

So, get your manis and pedis on. Pick out your sassiest and chicest cami and jeans and jump into that jumpsuit...it's the Food & Booze Festival Season here in LA!