L.A. Times Food Bowl to Celebrate the 101 Best Restaurants of 2026 and Saturday Night Flavor, Oct. 23 and 24 at the Barker Hangar

The Los Angeles Times has announced details for Food Bowl, its annual festival celebrating Southern California’s dynamic food scene, taking place at the historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on Oct. 23 and 24. For the first time, the event’s opening night will feature a reveal party for The Times’ annual 101 Best Restaurants in L.A. guide, presented by OpenTable and Square. Both all-inclusive ticketed events will offer unlimited tastings from over 40 of the region’s top restaurants, craft libations from local wineries, breweries and distilleries, culinary demonstrations and cookbook signings by renowned chefs, plus music from DJ Danny Stern. General admission, VIP tickets and weekend passes are available now at lafoodbowl.com.

Highlights of the two-night festival include:

• 101 Best Restaurants in L.A.
  Friday, Oct. 23 │ 7-10 p.m. (VIP early entry begins at 6 p.m.)
  Kicking off the weekend, Friday night’s Food Bowl festivities will feature gourmet bites and premium drinks in celebration of this year’s 101 Best Restaurants in L.A. honorees, leading up to a live countdown to the coveted No. 1 spot. Curated and ranked by Times restaurant critics Bill Addison and Jenn Harris, the highly anticipated list spotlights Southern California restaurants that consistently deliver sustained excellence. Originally created in 2013 by the late, Pulitzer Prize-winning restaurant critic Jonathan Gold, the guide has become a definitive map to the region’s vibrant food culture and remains one of The Times’ most popular features. Attendees will receive an exclusive first-edition print guide. During Friday’s event, The Times Food team will also reveal this year’s Hall of Fame inductee and present the 2026 Gold Award.

• Saturday Night Flavor
  Saturday, Oct. 24 │6-9 p.m. (VIP early entry begins at 5 p.m.)
  Food Bowl’s Saturday night event will feature all-inclusive bites and sips alongside special cooking demonstrations by comedic duo and culinary entrepreneurs, Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer (AC Barbeque) as well as James Beard award-winning chef Roy Choi (Kogi BBQ, Best Friend).

Participating Food Bowl restaurants include: Alta Adams, Baroo, Bistro Na’s, Budonoki, Cinnies, Darling, Dunsmoor, Frank ‘n Franks, Funke, Hamasaku, Holbox, Jitlada, Kato, Kogi, Komal, Lucky Bird, Lugya’h, Maydan, Mini Kabob, Mish, Saffy’s, Sqirl, Sunday Gravy, Two Hommes, Unreal Poke, Villa’s Tacos and Wilde’s, with more to be announced in coming weeks.

Food Bowl is a production of LA Times Studios, a Los Angeles Times Media Group company. L.A. Regional Food Bank is returning as the charity partner of Food Bowl. OpenTable and Square are the presenting sponsors for the 101 Best Restaurants in L.A. guide. VIP tickets, which provide early entry, access to exclusive food and drink offerings in a VIP lounge are also available for purchase. For additional information, visit lafoodbowl.com. Connect on Facebook, X and Instagram @LAfoodbowl (#LAfoodbowl).