Olio E Limone

This week, movie folk -- both celebrities and cinephiles -- will flock 95 miles north to the 28th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Running in conjunction with the festival is Film Feast. In its third year, Film Feast is not your ordinary restaurant week.

There's a catch: All of the participating restaurants must showcase a local ingredient or cinema star. Starting today and running through Feb. 3, 21 eateries are offering prix-fixe menus. Turn the page for five reasons to step on it to Santa Barbara for Film Feast.

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Rachael Narins

L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade Stand

L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade Stand is arguably the premier charity auction/food and wine event raising money -- a lot of money -- for pediatric cancer research. Hosted by Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne (Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern) and David Lentz (The Hungry Cat), it was held for the third year in a row at Culver Studios in Culver City on Saturday, Sept. 29.

The "decadent chefs cookout" brought out more than 1,200 people, including a bevy of celebrities, celebrity chefs and lots and lots of guests with deep pockets, gladly willing to donate their time and money for the worthy cause. There were more 40 restaurants, bars distilleries and wineries offering their finest to attendees. The lemonade stand itself, which was the first thing you saw as you entered, served Red Robin freckled lemonade. The lemon-strawberry drink, which was refreshing on such a hot day, was served up by local schoolchildren and tween TV stars as a reminder of the lemonade stand started by then-4-year-old Alexandra "Alex" Scott, who began this inspiring project while fighting (and ultimately succumbing to) her own cancer.

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Clarissa Wei

Strawberry nachos

The California Strawberry Festival was a two-day berry celebration May 19-20 at Oxnard's Strawberry Meadows of College Park. "We have so much more real estate compared to last year," Daisy Tatum, executive chair of the California Strawberry Festival, said. "The park has been totally improved -- we are dust-free this year. There is so much space and now we can see where we can even expand."

More than 50,000 people turned out for the festivities and a whopping 1.5 million strawberries were consumed over the weekend. "We have everything here," Tatum said. "But for me, anything with strawberries and whipped cream will do." There was plenty of that. The "Build Your Own" strawberry shortcake tent itself used 8,000 pounds of sliced strawberries, 275 flats of whole strawberries, 3,000 loaves of pound cake and 1,500 cans of whipped cream.

In case you missed out on the festivities, Squid Ink headed out to the event on Sunday and snapped some photos. Though there were plenty of non-berry-related vendors to go around, it was the strawberry dishes that stood out. From strawberry pizzas to deep-fried strawberries with a cinnamon sugar layer on top -- the festival had it all. If the samples and desserts were not enough, visitors could even purchase a large crate of strawberries to take home. Turn the page.

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G. Snyder

Lindy and Grundy's Erika Nakamura cuts a hog down to size

If the air seemed a bit heavier with the scent of bacon along the Sunset Strip last night, it was due to the pork-centric carnival that rolled through the House of Blues on Sunday: the second annual L.A. stopover in the nationwide Cochon 555 tour, an event combining five chefs, five whole heritage-breed hogs, and five winemakers together into one bacchanalian cooking competition. This year's venue further cemented Cochon's reputation as the rock concert of food festivals, featuring a well-lit stage where live hog butchery subbed in for screaming guitar solos.

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Rachael Narins

There is a word in Japanese, shoku-iku, that roughly means teaching the importance of food, from appreciation to understanding the role that food plays in society.

The Japanese Food & Sake Collection event this past weekend was a perfect example. It was a celebration of 21st-century Japanese culture with a trade-show-in-a-ballroom feeling that lightened up considerably with drumming, dancing and the consumption of lots of sake, soju and beer. (We were tricked into trying one yuzu-flavored sparkling malt liquor. Shudder.) Vendors and purveyors were offering samples to the 2,000+ attendees -- a huge variety of culinary choices. By no means comprehensive, it really was a terrific insight. And delicious. For instance, who knew apple cider vinegar was popular as a beverage?

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A bubbling pot of mole at the Feria de los Moles

Krista Simmons

While some of our blogger brethren headed down south this weekend to celebrate the regional cuisine of Baja California, those who hung tight had the opportunity to taste distinct moles from Oaxaca and Puebla. Over 30,000 people turned out for Sunday's Feria de los Moles at Plaza Olvera, where snaking lines waited to sample each regions' black gold.

The event sprung out of a friendly argument between co-founders Gabriel Cruz of Oaxaca, and Pedro Ramos of Puebla. Each contended that their region's mole was superior, but they wanted to let the public decide. Thus the Feria de los Moles was born.

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Flickr/Mulsanne

First, take off your shoes.

If you've ever wanted to stomp grapes a la Lucy and Ethel, now's your chance. The 11th Annual Malibu Family Wines Grape Crush & Harvest Festival is being held this Sunday, September 25 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu. And, because this is Malibu, after your feet are nice and pulpy purple, Fred Segal Salon Foot & Nail Spa will be on hand to give you a foot scrub, "nail art" and goodie bag.

The event ("eco-friendly," of course), a fundraiser for City Hearts: Kids Say Yes to the Arts, will feature a gourmet restaurant row, silent auction and beauty treatments. Participating restaurants include the Four Seasons Westlake Village, Longshot Coffee, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Padri Restaurant, Rosa Mexicano, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Sam's by the Beach, Smoke City Market, Sweet Butter Kitchen, Topanga Catering Company, Wolf Creek Restaurant & Brewing Company and Beanfields Snacks. Malibu Family Wines will be serving their Semler and Saddlerock wines. With glassware and bamboo utensils and dinnerware, the event will be nearly zero-waste and powered by a solar trailer.

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San Gennaro Foundation

Aunt Chippy, Guillermo, Cousin Sal and Uncle Frank from "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in a cannoli-eating contest during the annual feast.

Hollywood is preparing to paint the town red, white and green this weekend when the 10th annual Precious Cheese Italian Feast of San Gennaro comes to town. The Italian street festival, hosted by event co-founder Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla, will take over Hawthorn Avenue (between Highland and Orange) from September 23 to 25. The festival is a fundraiser for the San Gennaro Foundation, which since 2002 has donated over $750,000 to local charities that benefit Los Angeles shelters for children and families, food banks for the homeless and school programs for underprivileged youth, among others.

"The Feast of San Gennaro is something my family and I look forward to every year," said Kimmel, who is Italian on his mother's side.

Besides the meatballs and the grape-stomping, it's a great opportunity for Guido/Guidette-watching: Last year Snooki from Jersey Shore dropped by, and this year they're expecting Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola and boyfriend Ronnie to class up the joint.

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A. Trachta

For carb-lovers in Los Angeles, a great day is nearing. On October 1st, the Italian American Museum will host its 3rd Annual Taste of Italy at the 1869 Pico House and its cobblestone plaza. More than 50 restaurants will invade a tiny portion of L.A. for a day, but should pack big, authentic flavor and, of course, wine.

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St. Anthony's

Don't miss the grilled lamb chops

The grilled lamb chops with garlic fries will transport you to Mt. Olympus. Also, it's fun to walk around getting all Bacchanalian on licorice-y ouzo. You may wake up the next morning wondering why you are covered in cheap evil eye jewelry looking like some two-bit Aphrodite -- then you will recall that you spent the previous evening at the Greek Fest in Arcadia.

"Come visit us and we will wine, dine and spoil you the Greek way!" said co-chairman of the event Charlie Christodulelis. Seriously, they will.

This year's festival, put on each year by St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Church in Pasadena to raise funds, is this weekend, September 16-18, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. Proceeds from the event benefit the cultural, educational, athletic and community outreach programs run by the church.

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