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<\/a>Part of the 2022 Master of Taste festivities. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this preview.<\/p><\/div>\n
The link to purchase tickets, along with all the official<\/em> info, is at the bottom of this preview. But I\u2019m here to break down the most<\/em> important\u00a0scoops that\u00a0you need to know about\u00a0Masters of Taste 2023.<\/p>\n It’s taking place on Sunday, April 2, 2023, from 4-7PM for general admission, with an extra VIP hour from 3-4. (Here\u2019s an expert tip: It\u2019s much less crowded for that first hour, so, if your budget allows, I highly recommend spending the extra bit of money for it.) And, as usual, it\u2019s on the\u00a0field of the\u00a0iconic Rose Bowl, which is\u00a0always<\/em>\u00a0magical. If you\u2019ve never been on that hallowed ground, this is a wonderful opportunity to cross that rare experience off your list.<\/p>\n Before I tell you about all the incredible food and beverages that await you, I must say that my favorite part of\u00a0Masters of Taste\u00a0is knowing that\u00a0one hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to Union Station Homeless Services, which is a\u00a0nonprofit organization that\u2019s working to end homelessness and rebuild lives here in Los Angeles, specifically the San Gabriel Valley. I always applaud efforts in that category; we need them now more than ever!<\/p>\n So that\u2019s the\u00a0kind<\/em>\u00a0aspect of Masters of Taste. Now let\u2019s get to the\u00a0fun<\/em>\u00a0parts!<\/p>\n Karen Salkin showing one of the prettiest desserts at Master of Taste in 2018. Photo by Karen Salkin’s left hand. (How DOES she do it?!)<\/p><\/div>\n Here\u2019s how cool it is\u2014the whole event is just one price for admission, and then you get to eat and drink to your heart’s content. You don\u2019t spend even one more dime all day! Even the parking is free. (But please do not drive there if you\u2019re one of the people who loves sampling the very many alcoholic beverages on offer! Either designate a teetotaling driver or take a car service.) And, if tradition holds, we even get our own cute little set of cutlery on the way in, which cuts down on plastic waste. Speaking of that, there are even bins specified for composting<\/em> alongside the ones for trash and recycling.<\/p>\n There are expected to be about one hundred food purveyors between restaurants and caterers; the latter offerings are always special because we don\u2019t have the option of trying their fare every day, as we do with actual eateries.<\/em> And most of the sponsors proffer more than one tidbit. For example, an Italian cafe might be serving pizza, pasta, and dessert. You really have to pace yourselves so you don\u2019t get full before you have a chance to try a bit of everything<\/em>. I promise you\u2014one gigantic fried chicken breast from Gus\u2019, (always one of the most popular booths there,) can feed a family of five! (Okay, I\u2019m exaggerating, but only a bit.)<\/p>\n Some desserts from 2022. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Since I’m not solely a restaurant critic anymore, (as I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve all noticed from the over forty categories in this e-zine!,) most of the places at Masters of Taste will be new to me. That makes it extra-exciting because it\u2019s the perfect opportunity to up my knowledge in the SoCal restaurant scene, and get back to being a part of the in-crowd. I look forward to trying it all! Especially the desserts. Yu-um!!!<\/p>\n And there are sooo many beverage participants, both alcoholic and otherwise, that they\u2019re listed in\u00a0four<\/em>\u00a0categories!!! I\u2019m just always grateful that bottled or boxed flat water is readily available all day because that\u2019s the only thing I drink.<\/p>\n In addition to the culinary choices on the field itself, the fun begins as soon as we enter the premises. There are food trucks right on that top level, along with pretty seating areas in which to enjoy the fare. You can start eating and drinking right away up there, but we usually end<\/em> our day there, as a relaxing respite after we\u2019ve gained about ten pounds chowing-down on all the wonderful treats on the field!!! We always need to sit down and quietly enjoy our last licks.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>