We are thrilled to announce that the esteemed husband-and-wife duo, Chef Thomas and Chef Vanessa Tilaka Kalb of Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery, will host this year's event. Known for their refined, ingredient-driven approach, the Tilaka Kalbs have significantly influenced Pasadena's modern dining landscape. Their restaurant, celebrated for its Californian comfort food rooted in classic American cooking, emphasizes a seasonal, farm-to-table philosophy.
We Angelenos are spoiled for choice of stellar cuisines. Los Angeles is, of course, famous for amazing and authentic Mexican food, but it also offers incredible Japanese, Middle Eastern, Thai, Italian, and Ethiopian food - and that's just the tip of the iceberg, excluding the state's own California cuisine borne out of our bounty of stellar produce, meats, and seafood.
Since its opening in August 2024, Belle's - also known as Belle's Bagels, Delicatessen, and Bar - has quickly established itself as an all-day fixture on foot-traffic-heavy York Boulevard, slinging BEC bagelwiches and gravlax toast in the morning before shifting to chicken schnitzel and pickle martinis come sundown. After more than a decade as a pop-up, the deli has emerged as the rare new restaurant that feels like it's been there forever thanks to an upgraded-greatest-hits Jewish diner menu, retro-cool décor, and a spacious back patio complete with a crackling fire. A rotating menu of bar snack specials and a notably inventive cocktail program ensure that repeat visits feel fresh, even for regulars.
