The first rule of Bite Club, you do talk about Bite Club!
Okay, now that I’ve gotten that obligatory bad joke (dad joke?) out of the way–I promise, only one more joke/pun in this piece–let’s talk about Tastemade‘s #BiteClub Mardi Gras event last week. Tastemade had been on my radar for a while, but not being the most telegenic person in the world, I’ve never felt the desire to create a Tastemade video. Fortunately, attending Tastemade’s free Mardi Gras “Bite Club” event did not require appearing on camera.
Taking place at Tastemade Studios in Santa Monica, the event was hopping, packed with people but never feeling too crowded. Music, provided by Mudbug Brass Band, was festive and appropriately loud. Food and drink were easily accessible, even at the most popular stations. Nearly all the expected dishes were present for a N’awlins-inspired event: gumbo, muffuletta, étouffée, beignets (a few notable absences for a Mardi Gras menu: red beans and rice, king cake).
The undisputed crowd favorite was Bar and Kitchen‘s Shrimp and Grits, which were freshly prepared in the Tastemade Studio kitchen throughout the evening. Probably the most inventive was a series of NoLa “Tanks” (savory brioche donuts, blowtorch-crisped, piped with savory filling, and topped with various ingredients) by Fill R Up that were nearly as popular as the shrimp and grits. My personal favorite were the Frog Legs by Preux & Proper; like tiny little chicken wings!
Other personal highlights included Little Jewel‘s spicy Jambalaya and Del Rey Deli‘s thick-stacked Muffulettas. Strangely, when I took shots of these dishes, my camera decided to get all moody on me, but they look kinda festive!
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Mardi Gras party without drinks. A number of craft breweries were on hand. I particularly liked Three Weaver‘s Seafarer Kölsch. And Stillhouse certainly rocked me with their Moonshine Hurricanes.
I’m not sure how many of these Bite Clubs Tastemade has done, but they nailed this event! As I walked around and mingled (bumped into several people from Reserve‘s Los Angeles office), I kept remarking to myself that this was one of the better run food events I’ve attended! It’s almost making me consider making a few video posts for Tastemade. We’ll see…
Tastemade
3019 Olympic Boulevard Stage B
Santa Monica, CA 90404
http://tastemade.com/
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