Alfredo Jimenez of Los Angeles International Wines helps a visitor to his booth select a wine.
Publisher Ed Avis manned the el Restaurante booth at the Western Foodservice Expo in Los Angeles earlier this week. He reports on the highlights, as they pertain to Latin foodservice.
The Best Salsa!
One highlight of the show was the award presentation to the winner of the 2015 el Restaurante Salsa Contest, Chef Alfonso Ramirez. The contest, sponsored by Mama Linda, attracted entries from across the country. Chef Ramirez’s winning recipe – for Salsa a la Vizcaina – earned him $500. You can read the winning recipe by clicking here.
More Winners
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, chefs and owners of Border Grill & Truck and stars of the Food Network series “Too Hot Tamales,” received the TORCH Award on Monday preceding their demonstration in the Culinary Theater on the Show floor. This new award recognizes an individual or group of individuals whose achievements have enhanced and brought innovation to the restaurant and foodservice community.
Mariachis
One of the exhibitors at the tradeshow was a local Mexican restaurant, Don Chente Bar-Grill & Lounge, which is owned by Vincente Ortiz, one of the Ortiz brothers of El Pescador Restaurant fame. The Don Chente booth really livened up the International Pavilion with delicious food samples, staff dressed in traditional Mexican costumes, and, on the last day, a full-blown mariachi band!
Mexican Wines
People rarely think of wines when they consider Mexican cocktails, but a very popular booth in the International Pavilion was the booth of Los Angeles International Wines, which was exhibiting a full line of exquisite, high quality wines from Mexico. The booth was frequently full of wine lovers, both amateur and professional, who wanted to savor the quality vintages from the oldest grape growing regions in the Americas. The wines they served could easily find a spot on tables in the best Mexican restaurants in the United States.