LA Weekly’s 9th Annual The Essentials Celebrates L.A.’s 99 Essential Restaurants

Fiona Chandra

LA Weekly’s annual celebration of LA’s 99 essential restaurants returns on Sunday, March 26. From 2-5 p.m., food lovers can sample signature bites from over 70 of LA’s greatest restaurants. The 9th annual The Essentials will take place on the penthouse of California Market Center, which offers guests a 360-degree view of downtown Los Angeles while they eat and drink.

This year’s event will showcase 56 of LA’s 99 most essential restaurants and 15 of the city’s best new restaurants, as curated by LA Weekly’s award-winning food critic, Besha Rodell. The participating essential restaurants include LA’s biggest names, from food trucks to fine dining restaurants. Guests can taste bites from Animal, Bestia, Trois Mec, Sotto, Chi’SPACCA, Maude, and Providence. True to the diversity of LA’s culinary scene, the event also brings essential ethnic restaurants including Chengdu Taste, Coni’ Seafood, Guelaguetza, Jitlada Southern Thai, Baroo, El Coraloense, and Isaan Station.

Event-goers will also enjoy plenty of sips from twenty wineries, cocktails samples, beer, as well as non-alcoholic drinks and the opportunity to shop in the vendor village. Confirmed sponsors include Jim Beam, Basil Hayden’s, Angel City Brewery, ONE Coconut Water, and more. There will also be live entertainment from Motown on Mondays.

VIP guests will also have access to the Freshmen 15 showcase, which celebrates the great up-and-coming restaurants that have been open less than a year. This year’s list includes 71Above, Gwen, Erven, Salazar, Gus’ Fried Chicken, Kali, Shibumi, and more of LA’s best new restaurants.

The list of Freshmen 15 will also run alongside the 99 Essentials restaurant issue, which will hit the stands the same week as the event. General admission tickets are $65 per person and include unlimited food samples, beer/wine/cocktail tastings, and live entertainment. VIP admission is $105 per person and includes access to the Freshmen 15 showcase at 1pm and a VIP gift bag. A portion of this year’s event proceeds will benefit Food Forward, a local nonprofit which rescues fresh local produce that would otherwise go to waste and connecting them to people in need by donating them to over 300 hunger relief agencies in Southern California.

LA Weekly’s The Essentials, March 26, California Market Center. Purchase tickets here.