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If you missed last week’s teaser post, then maybe it comes as a surprise to you that The Saban Free Clinic hosted its 14th Annual Extravaganza for the Senses event again here in Los Angeles. The Sunset Gower Studios lot was the location for more than 40 Los Angeles restaurants and nearly 60 wineries and breweries to share their food and beverages with the crowd. Your golden ticket purchase included unlimited tastings of any and everything you could imagine with each and every dollar from the proceeds going towards the Clinic’s continuing efforts to provide health care to those who may not be able to afford it. It’s a very true and worthy cause. Amir was out of town, so I took my good friend Brandi along for the ride. Check out some of the photos of the amazing food and wine we had the opportunity to try.
Once we received our bracelets, it was time to get down to business.
A crispy, crunchy and tender tuna burger from 25 Degrees. This may have been one of Brandi's top favorite nibbles of the evening.
Experience Raw's spicy vegan version of Pad Thai. It's made with almond butter, gluten-free sea kelp noodles and tons of spices and herbs. Very spicy indeed!
A melt-in-your-mouth good lasagna bolognese from Angelini Osteria. This bolognese might make you slap somebody. It was that good! Definitely my favorite of the evening.
Fennel salmon on toast from Canele. It was great to see Chef Corina again after our one night cooking in her kitchen at Canele. That was an unforgettable experience!
Watching the crowd from afar. Lots of mingling, eating, sipping and signing up for all of the amazing gifts featured in the silent auction of course.
Huge hot dogs from family-owned Earlez Grille. We got a dog (NY beef for me, turkey for Brandi) with everything on it, including NY style onions!
El Huarache Azteca's famous mole rojo. There was also a mole verde. You can see it if you look closely.
Sipping on the Estate Chardonnay from Laetitia Vineyard & Winery.
Upstairs2 Three Grilled Cheese with gouda, gruyere and goat cheese. The bibb lettuce salad had sunchokes, white mushrooms, fennel and a Spanish sherry vinaigrette.
Tables full of goods in the silent auction. There were so many donations up for the auction. The selection was unbelievable.
Up, up and away! Balloons floating over the heads of the crowd.
Tito's Martini Bar offered vanilla bean and mango cocktails. These babies were strong!
Oooh, a mini pumpkin whoopie pie from Simplethings. They have delicious mini pies too! Try the new turtle pie with caramel, chocolate and a big pretzel stuck in the middle.
Rush Street dished out sliders on our favorite bread--King's Hawaiian buns!
Pizza Antica pulled out the pork with guanciale (or pig cheeks) and pancetta over the sweetest corn we've had all year. That is no lie!
The lovely folks from POM Wonderful had a table set up to hand out juice and cocktails. They had the same black current and blueberry flavors offered at Bren Herrera and I's Blogging While Brown panel. So refreshing!
It's the Francis Ford Coppola Votre Sante Pinot Noir and Chardonnay up for tasting.
A delicious orecchiette with lamb ragu from Oliverio.
Numerous vineyard owners inform tasters about their wines.
First Street Cuisine Catering's vegan sushi with brown rice, cucumber, carrots and shiitake mushrooms.
Momed's Duck 'Shawarma' peppered with oven-dried tomatoes and served with tabbouleh.
Sweet strawberries and cream trifles from Food for the People.
It was a pleasure to once again be invited to attend The Saban Free Clinic’s Extravaganza for the Senses. The work they do for the local Los Angeles community should be applauded, and hopefully this year’s event proved to be yet again a big push for their services. There should also be a big thanks for each vendor who contributed food, beverages and silent auction goods. The entire event was a true testament to community support for the greater good. Until next year!
To find out more about The Saban Free Clinic, please visit their website.
The Saban Free Clinic provided media passes for this event. The opinions expressed here are our own.
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Sounds like a terrific event and some great eats here!
Looks like a good time with great eats! The orecchiette with lamb looks good!
Wowza! More fabulous food and people.
I want some of that raw pad thai! I’ve never heard of that First Street Cuisine catering but I am totally intrigued now that I see their vegan sushi.
What a cool event to take part off, great pics.
Wow! Looks like it was a great event. I’m glad you didn’t take an up close pic of that braised pork cheek…I would’ve had to taken a bite outta my computer screen lol! Yum!
as always, great pictures! We may not be able to taste it, but at least we can look at it… (and drool…)
wow fun event and for a good cause love your dress
and I want that lasagna
What a fun and delicious evening!
What an awesome event! Good food for an amazing cause!
What a feast for a great cause. Those little grilled cheese sammies look irresistible, as did the pumpkin whoopie pie.
What a wonderful event and cause. We have a different health care system here and from what I understand we are very fortunate.
Sounds like so much fun. Hope I can go next year.
I love the venue and all the small plates! Now I just have to figure out how to get an invite for one of these shindigs
Wow. A win-win situation indeed. My eyes cannot seem to tear away from that orecchiette with lamb ragu. Love your style, fashionista!
Looks and sounds like it was an awesome event
Wow, what a great event, love the pictures…so much to taste!
Hope you are having a wonderful week
You west coast, big city folk make me ill with your extravagant gourmet food events! (just kidding but slightly green with envy)
I am not sure which enthralled me more, the sliders or the pork cheek. That event was a wonderland. To quote Napoleon Dynamite, “LUCKY!”
i love that you got to meet my fab POM friends! I wanna know!? How was that sushi?? So jelly you’re constantly surrounded by such wonderful eats!