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<\/a>The Rose Bowl field, all set-up for Masters of Taste. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
The 2024 Masters of Taste (MOT) is taking place this Sunday, April 7, 2024, at the\u00a0iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena once again. And\u2014no kidding\u2014it\u2019s\u00a0right on the\u00a0field<\/em>!\u00a0 I had been on that field several times before my first<\/em> MOT, (because of my friendship with the UCLA athletes in the late \u201890s, and also for a few professional events since then,) and let me tell you\u2014 it\u2019s a magical experience every time. But there\u2019s nothing as thrilling as entering the top of the steps for\u00a0this<\/em>\u00a0event, and taking in the entire tableau at once. Trust me on just how breathtaking that view is!<\/p>\n But the food and beverages from all of the participating eateries are the real<\/em> stars of the day! Trust me on\u00a0that<\/em>\u00a0statement even more! I\u2019d advise everyone to not eat much that day until you get there.<\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n General admission goes from 4-7PM, and there\u2019s an additional early<\/em> VIP hour from 3-4. (MOT is much less crowded for that first hour, so if your dining and recreational budget allows, I highly recommend spending the extra bit of money for it.) And that admission price covers absolutely\u00a0everything<\/em>! Once you\u2019re in, you can eat and drink as much as you like, including alcoholic beverages. (But if you\u00a0do<\/em>\u00a0plan to drink those, please either designate a teetotaling driver or take a car service.)<\/p>\n Before I get into the participating eateries, I have to tell you about the kindness<\/em> aspect of\u00a0Masters of Taste. One hundred percent of the proceeds go directly to Union Station Homeless Services, a\u00a0very worthy nonprofit organization that\u2019s working to end homelessness and rebuild lives here in Los Angeles, specifically the San Gabriel Valley. (You can read more about them on the Masters of Taste site linked at the bottom of this preview.)<\/p>\n Gus’ Famous Fried Chicken. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Now, as to exactly what we\u2019ll all be feasting on next Sunday, there will be over forty eateries offering\u00a0savory<\/em>\u00a0bites, (including the perennial favorite, Gus\u2019 Fried Chicken; Emporium Thai, a famous Westwood restaurant that I\u2019ve been recommending to MOT for a few years now; and\u00a0even the classy members-only City Club LA,) and over a dozen\u00a0dessert<\/em>\u00a0purveyors, (for which I can\u2019t wait to cheat on my diet!) As to the beverages<\/em>, there will be about four dozen various ones. (And that\u2019s not even counting the plethora of bottled\/boxed waters that are always on offer.) None of us will be wanting for\u00a0anything<\/em>, (except maybe a baggier wardrobe that day!)<\/p>\n And the fun is not solely on the Rose Bowl\u00a0field<\/em>; as soon as you enter the gates, there are booths and food trucks right on that top level. Whether you begin your food and drink journey right there or save that area to peruse on the way out, (so you can relax in one of their fake-foliage-covered armchairs,) it\u2019s all good. I guarantee that you will love it\u00a0all<\/em>!<\/p>\n The upstairs section, right when you walk through the gates. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n More good news is that the parking in the Rose Bowl lot is\u00a0free<\/em>! And close-by. On top of that, all attendees receive a cute little set of cutlery on the way in, so they can use their own<\/em> utensils for the day instead of each booth’s plastic ones, if they choose to be nice to the environment. To further help the planet, the waste bins all around the grounds are specified for either landfill, recycling, or composting, which my<\/em> recycling self really appreciates.<\/p>\n There\u2019s always a culinary Host of this event, and this year it\u2019s a husband-wife team with whom I\u2019m familiar. Lucy Thompson-Ramirez and Chef Bret Thompson own and run Pez Cantina downtown. I\u2019m a proud user\u00a0of their famous seasoning; now if only I could cook<\/em> like Bret. Lucy is always kind enough to invite me in for dinner, but, with my crazy sked, I just can never find the time, so I\u2019ll be happy to reconnect with them at Masters of Taste this coming week-end.<\/p>\n A very satisfied guest at the end of a previous Masters of Taste, wishing she had worn baggier pants! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n As a Masters of Taste veteran, I, of course, have some excellent, (if I do say so myself,) advice for you when you go. Since there\u2019s tons of walking, (it\u2019s on a football field, after all,) wear comfortable footwear. And because you\u2019re going to eat and drink more than you could have ever imagined, wear loose clothing, such as drawstring pants, or, let’s call it \u201cfaux maternity,\u201d dresses for the ladies. It actually doesn\u2019t matter what you\u00a0look<\/em>\u00a0like for this one\u2014everyone has eyes for only the food and beverages!<\/p>\n Most importantly, be smart and wear\u00a0sunscreen<\/em>! Even if it\u2019s not a sunny day. And perhaps bring a cap with you. You can never be too careful with the sun. Take this advice from someone who\u2019s had skin cancer twice\u2026on my face!<\/p>\n Now that you have all this important info, go order your tickets right now! I hope to see all my fellow SoCal denizens there. Come say hello, but please try to do so during the few seconds in which I\u2019m not stuffing my face!<\/p>\n For tickets and more information on all of it, just click right here:\u00a0www.mastersoftastela.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MASTERS OF TASTE 2024 PREVIEW Calling all SoCal foodies\u2014the seventh annual fabulous\u00a0Masters of Taste, (which features unlimited refreshments all day!,) is back in town.\u00a0 I\u2019ve attended the past five of them, (I, sadly, missed the first,) and now I can\u2019t wait for this 2024 version. So I’m happily sharing the lowdown on how to be<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>