The 32nd Annual Planned Parenthood Food Fare

photo courtesy of Border Grill

Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger and Julia Child

This Thursday, March 10th, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles will hold their 32nd Annual Food Fare at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. One of the longest-running food events in L.A., the event has come a long way since it began -- in 1979 with a cooking demonstration by Julia Child.

This year's event will include such restaurants and food trucks as Michael's, AOC, Ammo, Border Grill, Pazzo Gelato, Church & State, Bar Pintxo, Il Grano, Joe's, Lucques, Momed, Clementine, Border Grill Truck, Pink's, Pinches Tacos and Tavern. There will also be many other vendors, including wineries and caterers and florists -- some 150 in total, when last we checked -- and an auction. This year's event honors Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, of both Border Grill restaurants and Border Grill Truck, as Planned Parenthood Los Angeles Chefs of the Year. Which gives the photo above a particularly beautiful resonance.

The day session runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; tickets are $150 in advance, $175 at the door. The night session runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; tickets are $225 in advance, $250 at the door. (Buy tickets here.) According to the PPLA Food Fare website, the fair market value of each ticket is $65. The remainder of the cost is a charitable contribution and is tax-deductible. In case of cancellation, all purchased tickets will be considered a donation. So eat as much as you can and consider that the rest goes to a very good cause.