Weekend of Wine & Food Self-Guided Tours for the Plebes

Not having cushy coffers, rich, old uncles or indiscriminate expense accounts -- the 26th Annual Wine & Food Festival (even the more accessible $150/person Red Hot @ Red Seven event) is a little out-of-reach for me at the moment, especially considering that I have some splurgy meals down the turnpike. I wish I could tell you how great of an event it'll be, but their PR folks are not at liberty to disclose the various offerings of the celebrity chefs and mega restaurants. Oh well, there are always reports from last year.

Since I doubt I'm the only foodie who will be missing out on this must-try epicurean extravaganza, I'll share with my LA Wine & Food Self-Guided Tour for this weekend:

Friday: FanciFull Fine Foods & Gift Shop is hosting a terroir wine, cheese and chocolate tasting from 6 to 9 p.m. with a focus on Italian wine and organic, "slow" made chocolates and cheeses; master sommelier Sean Crowley and store owner Terry August will be pairing and talking about how a food's geographical origin (and its soil, climate, water, etc.) affects its taste. Entertaining, educational and tasty too! $10 a person but you gotta RSVP.

Saturday: I personally am heading to the L.A. County Fair ($17 / person plus whatever you're buying from the food/drink vendors) for my third annual trip to slowly commit suicide enjoy fairtime fun and foods. I'd eat myself silly before I hit the $300 price tag of the AWFF at the Universal Studios backlot. Though I do hope I walk out with elastic arteries and a functional pancreas afterwards (not to mention a suppressible gag reflex when I can see, hear and/or smell the animals and their various activities of nature.)

Sunday: The Grand Avenue Festival is going on downtown from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.! Asides from lots of free activities and performances offered by The Museum of Contemporary Art, LA Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Music Hall and the Colburn School, the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion (home to LA Opera) partnered with Laetitia Vineyard and Winery for free wine tastings at 1 and 3 p.m. Tickets are required for admission and available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so get your cabooses there quick. And of course, there's a good deal of eats available in the downtown area. I am inclined to either checking out the recently opened Nickel Diner for breakfast beforehand or maybe a taco truck or Little Tokyo for early dinner afterwards. Either way, no need to dress up and no need to fork over $750 either.

You can say I'm either laying low, getting cheap sour grapes or giving the all those fancy chefs the frugal finger (though I will say AWFF's benefactor charity, Meals on Wheels, is a GREAT cause, having volunteered for them in the past). Maybe next year I'll be more financially planned for the festival, but this time around it's freebies and cheapies for me.

P.S. Feel free to let me know if you wanna join me in the above self-guided tour excursions!