Taste of Larchmont to Bring a Wave of Goodwill and Great Food to the Boulevard

As they have done every summer for over a quarter of a century, businesses and residents will come together to celebrate Taste of Larchmont, an evening food festival benefitting HopeNet on August 26th. HopeNet is a secular, non-profit organization which supports 13 food pantries run out of a variety of faith-based organizations in Wilshire Center, Koreatown, Hollywood, Los Feliz, and Silverlake. In keeping with this year’s theme, “A Day at the Beach,” decorations will have a surf vibe, including a classic and very Instagrammable Woodie—one of those wooden-clad cars immortalized in songs such as Surfin’ Safariby the Beach Boys.

 

Twenty restaurants will be on hand at the event offering samples of their cuisine.  Among those participating are Cafe Parisien, Erin McKenna’s Bakery, Go Get Em Tiger, Good Goose, Jeni’s Ice Cream, Kiku Sushi, Larchmont Village Wine & Cheese, Le Pain Quotidien, Le Petit Greek, Louise’s Trattoria, Muraya, Peet’s Coffee, Salt and Straw and Sweet Fin. The event is also being supported by several non-restaurants located on Larchmont Boulevard such as Brett Parsons Real Estate, Coldwell Banker of Hancock Park and Pickett Fences.

 

Nora Sullivan-Houndalasof Le Petite Greek said the restaurant is planning to serve Kotopoulo Tou Zorba, oven-roasted chicken breast with lemon and dill in a Moschofilero wine sauce along with its famous Patates Sto Fourno, oven-roasted potatoes with lemon & oregano.

 

“It’s a lovely event, Sullivan-Houndalas said, “and a great cause.”

According to Levi Webb, HopeNet’s executive director, the process of the organization’s work begins when its food pantries place an order with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. HopeNet uses a grant from the United Way to pay for that food and for its delivery to the pantries. HopeNet must then raise additional funds to give these food pantries an allowance to spend on necessary supplies, such as boxes and bags, and other costs not covered by the grant to better serve their clientele. HopeNet also offers training and technical assistance as needed. There is no administrative staff other than Webb, and all 13 HopeNet food pantries operate rent-free and are run by volunteer staff. Funds that are raised—such as those from Taste of Larchmont—can be efficiently directed toward serving the over 170,000 people HopeNet reaches out to each year.

“Most of our food pantry recipients are working poor,” said Webb. “They might have two or threes incomes in the home, but because the cost of living is so high in Los Angeles, it’s still difficult to make ends meet. The next largest group is those on fixed incomes— seniors or people with disabilities.”

Attendees at Taste of Larchmont will not only support a worthy cause, but have the opportunity to learn more about it.  All volunteers at the event will be HopeNet pantry workers who are glad to discuss what they do. So, come enjoy a foodie’s paradise with a conscience. Along with a tempting array of savory and sweet options, the event will feature a DJ, a silent auction and a raffle. Grand prize is dinner for two at twelve different Los Angeles restaurants.

 

TASTE OF LARCHMONT- A Day at the Beach

Monday, August 26th

Larchmont Blvd. between Beverly Blvd. and 1stStreet

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Event Tickets $50, Single raffle ticket $5, Pack of 5 raffle tickets $20

Tickets for entry and raffle can be purchased online at http://www.hopenetla.org/taste-of-larchmontor on-site on the evening of the event.

 

 

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