Scenes from the Eat Real Festival: Los Angeles 2011

This past weekend was the first Eat Real Fest in Los Angeles.  The festival, which was held at the Helms Bakery complex, has been held in Oakland for three years and this was the first Southern California edition.  The festival, which is likely to become an annual event, celebrates local and sustainable producers of all things food and drink. Attendance was free, only the food, drink or merchandise purchased cost money.

Part of the local food purveyors offering food were a fleet of food trucks, which had people lining up to munch on their vittles.  Other options included the highly regarded Big Mista's BBQ, which cooked "pig candy" and chicken wings among other items.  A fellow attendee, Nick from TreasureLA, particularly enjoyed the pig candy.

I found the chicken tamales ($2.50 each) from Corn Maiden to be a nice mixture of sweet and spicy with the salsa proving a kick.  The tamales were made without lard, which was a draw for me as I do not eat pork.

There was an outdoor beer garden as well as several spots indoors to quench your thirst with beer and wine.  Above, folks lined up to get some Firestone Walker beer.

Alex Jermasek, an apprentice butcher at Lindy & Grundy, won the Chicken Breakdown competition.  Below, he hoists his chicken trophy in triumph.  Amelia Posada and Erika Nakamura, the eponymous founders of Lindy & Grundy cheered his victory.

Despite it being the weekend of Carmageddon, thousands attended the free festival, which did create some long lines and waits for food.  The demand exceeded many vendors expectations, and some like Creme Caramel LA sold out of everything they brought.

The event ran smoothly and attendees were in good spirits, so I look forward to the return of the festival next summer, and hope to try Creme Caramel's treats before then.  Keep up to date on Eat Real happenings at their website: www.eatrealfest.com

Don't Mess With My Lamb: Lamb Burgers from Lindy & Grundy

Fairfax can be a little like the wild west, at least the stretch near Melrose Avenue.  I went back to Lindy & Grundy's butcher shop for some ground lamb to make lamb burgers.  When I went to the register, the person in front of me took my package of wrapped ground lamb with their items when they left.  At first neither the cashier or I could figure out what happened to my lamb, but then he described the clothing worn by the previous customer and I ran outside to chase him down.

Nobody messes with my lamb.  I looked in both directions but he was nowhere to be seen.  Finally I spotted the culprit in the coffee shop next door.  As I said excuse me for the third time to get his attention, I was joined by the cashier from Lindy & Grundy.  We explained that he had taken my lamb and he looked through the paper wrapped meats in his bag and lo and behold found my ground lamb.  Must have been an accident, he said.  We didn't belabor the point and I went back to the butcher shop, paid and left.  I was not about to let my lamb run off without me.

The lamb meat was coarsely ground, so I formed it into patties that were loosely packed to keep the texture.  I seasoned the patties with salt pepper, a little herbs de provence and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.  I grilled the lamb burgers on my bbq and they came out great.  I'm glad that an "accidental" thief did not deprive me of this meal.

Lindy & Grundy: 801 North Fairfax Avenue, just north of Melrose Avenue. Mid City. Phone: (323) 951-0804. Website: http://www.lindyandgrundy.com/index.htm

Lamb Chops @ Lindy & Grundy's

I thought there was a lot of fuss last year when McCall's Meat and Fish opened in Los Feliz.  That was just a tempest in a teapot compared to the hullabaloo that has surrounded the opening of Lindy & Grundy's butcher shop last week.  The shop, run Erika Nakamura and Amelia Posada, has gained national attention in publications from Bon Appetite to the New York Times and local press from KCRW and the Los Angeles Times to just about every food blog and newsletter in the region.  Nakamura and Posada source whole animals that have been raised sustainably on local ranches and butcher them on-site.

The two female butchers are the only shop locally that breaks down their meat from whole carcasses.  They have a track on the ceiling that takes the meat on hooks from the entrance to the back where they wield their knives.  They have cultivated relationships with ranchers who do not use antibiotics or hormones and who raise the animals on pastures, not in pens.  Their uniqueness both in concept and in gender in a male-dominated industry has led to extensive coverage which has caused them to sell out of most of their cuts of meat on a daily basis.

When I visited on Saturday I lucked out and visited during a time when they were less busy, although the shelves were rather bare as lots of other folks had the same idea as I did.  Fortunately the butchers were carving up a lamb and sliced four frenched lamb chops for me.  They were beautifully trimmed and Nakamura  gave me some of her famous "lamb mix" which I used to season the meat.  I grilled the lamb chops for ten to eleven minutes on my bbq using generous amounts of the seasoning and they came out wonderfully with a great lamby flavor.  There was enough fat to keep the meat juicy but not too much that it was fatty.

Posada and Nakamura have worked to become a neighborhood fixture in their only one week of operation.  They ask customers names and recognize repeat visitors.  It is old fashioned but likely better than most any butcher shop was "back in the day."  Breaking down whole animals means that they have all cuts of meat, not just the most popular, which gives them an opportunity to educate their customers on unusual cuts and try new things.

Lindy & Grundy also has dry aged beef, which they age on-site in their aging room in the back.  The dry aged product is expensive, reflecting the investment in aging the beef for more than a month, but looked like an enticing way to celebrate a special occasion at home.  If you want something in particular, I recommend that you call ahead so you are not disappointed.  Just don't take the last few lamb chops.  I want them!

Lindy & Grundy: 801 North Fairfax Avenue, just north of Melrose Avenue.  Mid City.  Phone: (323) 951-0804.  Website: http://www.lindyandgrundy.com/index.htm

Artisinal LA: Handcrafted Deliciousness this Saturday & Sunday

If you are the type of person who frequents farmers' markets, shops at Etsy, appreciates the local or handmade or just likes to munch on quality snacks, then Artisanal LA is for you. It is a weekend long community shopping, tasting, and learning experience showcasing local, sustainable and handmade foodstuffs from Los Angeles on this Saturday and Sunday, October 23-24 in the penthouse of downtown's historic Cooper Building. Tickets to the event are $10 in advance or $15 cash at the door.

Your ticket includes local craft beer and spirits tasting, totebags, demonstrations and workshops and the opportunity to shop from more than 75 vendors including Cake Monkey Bakery, Lindy & Grundy's Meats and Perishable, the pop-up pickle shop from Chicks with Knives.

The workshops include home butchering, local beekeeping with backyard beekeepers, garden cocktail infusions and many more.  Some of the proceeds will go to benefit the LAUSD Edible School Gardens, to bring gardens that grow fresh vegetables to more of the 900 public schools in Los Angeles.

If you plan on going to graze on all the fresh vittles, I highly recommend buying your ticket online, both to save some cash and to make your experience smoother.  Tickets at the door are cash only and when they reach capacity they will not sell any more tickets in person.

Seeds, veggies, chocolate, pickles, meat, caviar demos....  what more could you want?  Follow Artisinal LA on Twitter for all the latest news and updates.  The location is 9th St & Los Angeles St and parking is available in the building for $10.

The Cooper Building: 860 S Los Angeles St, 11th Floor Penthouse, Downtown LA 90014