The L.A. Times Food Bowl returns to the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24, 2026, and this year it brings a big reveal with it. For the first time in Food Bowl history, Friday night hosts the live countdown of The Times’ 101 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles, ending with the No. 1 pick. Every ticket is all-inclusive, with unlimited bites and sips from more than 40 restaurants per night.
Saturday is a different party: cooking demos from Roy Choi and from Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer, plus another 40-plus restaurants. Both nights are 21 and over. Here is who is cooking, what each ticket gets you, and how to plan the night, from the official Food Bowl site, FAQ, and Tixr ticket page as of September 28, 2026.
The quick version
| When | Friday, October 23, 7 to 10 p.m. (VIP from 6 p.m.). Saturday, October 24, 6 to 9 p.m. (VIP from 5 p.m.). |
| Where | The Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport, 3021 Airport Ave., Ste. 203, Santa Monica, CA 90405 |
| Highlights | 101 Best Restaurants live reveal (Friday), L.A. Times Gold Award to Norm Langer, Roy Choi, Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer (Saturday), DJ Danny Stern |
| Ages | 21 and over, government-issued photo ID required |
| Tickets | GA from $135 plus fees, VIP from $245 plus fees, weekend passes from $215 plus fees, on Tixr |
| Re-entry | No |
| Parking | Not included. Reserve ahead through Tixr; no sales at the door. |
| Official site | latimes.com/events/la-food-bowl |
Friday: 101 Best Restaurants in L.A.
Friday is the list night, presented by OpenTable and Square. The schedule has two moments to plan around:
- 8 p.m., L.A. Times Gold Award. The award honors SoCal culinary excellence in memory of critic Jonathan Gold. This year’s winner is Norm Langer of Langer’s Delicatessen, which The Times calls an L.A. institution since 1947.
- 9 p.m., the live reveal. L.A. Times Food reporters and chefs count down to the No. 1 restaurant in Los Angeles.
GA ticket holders on Friday also get a first-edition print copy of the 2026 101 Best Restaurants in L.A. magazine.
Who’s cooking Friday (so far)
| Restaurant | Chef | Cuisine, neighborhood |
|---|---|---|
| Alta Adams | Keith Corbin | California cuisine, West Adams |
| Baroo (VIP only) | Kwang Uh | Modern Korean, Arts District |
| Budonoki | Dan Rabilwongse | Japanese, Virgil Village |
| Darling | Sean Brock | Southern, West Hollywood |
| Dunsmoor | Brian Dunsmoor | Heritage American, Glassell Park |
| Funke | Evan Funke | Italian, Beverly Hills |
| Holbox (VIP only) | Gilberto Cetina | Mexican seafood, South Central |
| Kato | Jon Yao | Taiwanese, Downtown |
| Komal | Fátima Juárez | Mexico City street food, South Central |
| Saffy’s | Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis | Middle Eastern, East Hollywood |
| Sqirl | Jessica Koslow | California cuisine, Virgil Village |
| Two Hommes | Chef Mando and Chef AB | Afro-centric, Inglewood |
| Wilde’s | Natasha Price | British, Los Feliz |
Saturday: Saturday Night Flavor
Saturday drops the list and turns up the party, with chef demos and cookbook signings on the stage:
- 6:15 p.m., Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer. The hosts of A&E’s “Kings of BBQ” do a live cooking demo and barbecue talk from their cookbook, “AC Barbeque: The Husky and Handsome Guide to Grilling.”
- Roy Choi. The Kogi chef does a live cooking demo tied to his book “The Choi of Cooking.”
Who’s cooking Saturday (so far)
| Restaurant | Chef | Cuisine, neighborhood |
|---|---|---|
| Cinnies | Kiki Meyer | Cinnamon buns, DTLA |
| Frank n’ Franks | Brian Ayala and Mario Aguilar | Sandwiches, Chinatown |
| Hamasaku | Hiyoshi Kumeta | Sushi, Westwood |
| Hearth | Seb Fernandez | Wood-fired California cuisine, Moorpark |
| Jitlada | Sugar Sungkamee | Thai, East Hollywood |
| Kogi | Roy Choi | Korean, various locations |
| Lucky Bird | Chris Dane | Fried chicken, DTLA |
| Lugya’h | Alfonso “Poncho” Martinez | Oaxacan, West Adams |
| Maydan | Rose Previte | Middle Eastern, North African, Caucasus, West Adams |
| Sunday Gravy | Sol Bashirian | Italian, Inglewood |
| Unreal Poke | Jordan Maldonado | Poke, Arcadia |
| Villa’s Tacos | Victor Villa | Mexican, Highland Park |
Both lineups say more restaurants are coming, and The Times adds names on a rolling basis. Drinks come from 20-plus beverage purveyors, including sponsors Cutwater (spirits), Sanpellegrino, San Simeon Wines on Friday, and Spritz Del Conte on Saturday. DJ Danny Stern plays the event.
Tickets
Tickets are sold only through Tixr. Prices below are the base prices listed on September 28, 2026; Tixr adds fees and taxes at checkout. The early-bird two-for-$199 GA deal is sold out for both nights.
| Ticket | Friday (101 Best) | Saturday Night Flavor | Weekend pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA | $155 | $135 | $215 |
| VIP | $285 | $245 | $395 |
- GA includes: all-inclusive food and drink, chefs, demos and entertainment, a four-month free L.A. Times digital subscription for non-subscribers, and the option to buy parking. On Friday, it also includes the live reveal and the first-edition 101 Best magazine.
- VIP adds: entry one hour early, a VIP-only fast-track line, VIP lounges with private bars, a VIP viewing space near the L.A. Times Food Stage, VIP-only restaurants (Baroo and Holbox on Friday), and reserved discounted parking.
- Transfers yes, refunds no. All sales are final, but tickets and parking reservations can be transferred through your Tixr confirmation email.
- One night per ticket. You can only enter on the date and time on your ticket.
Getting there
- Parking: Not included and not sold at the door. Reserve through Tixr, first come, first served while supplies last. Lots open one hour before your ticket’s entry time, and there is no overnight parking.
- Rideshare: The official drop-off address will be shared closer to the event.
- Lining up: GA and VIP holders can line up one hour before their entry time. Check-in instructions for each ticket type are coming closer to the date.
Since every ticket includes alcohol, rideshare is worth planning for, especially if you are not the one holding the parking reservation.
Tips for eating your way through 40 booths
- Bring your ID. Every attendee needs a valid government-issued photo ID, even if you look nowhere near 21. The name on it does not have to match the ticket.
- Put the ticket in your phone wallet. The FAQ recommends Apple or Google Wallet; printed or digital tickets both scan.
- Drink the water. Complimentary water stations and bottles are set up throughout, and non-alcoholic drinks are part of the pours.
- Check the signs if you have allergies. Each booth posts a menu marking nuts, seafood, dairy, gluten, vegan, and vegetarian items. Ask the people serving about ingredients, since The Times does not control menus.
- Travel light. Bags are searched, and non-clear bags get an extra look. No outside food or drink, and no Tupperware, plastic bags, or thermoses for leftovers. Food and drinks cannot leave the venue.
- Leave the good camera at home. Cameras with detachable lenses and audio or video recording devices are on the prohibited list, along with large backpacks, glass, cans, laser pointers, and fireworks. Pepper spray and pocket knives must be left at Will Call.
- Stay once you are in. There is no re-entry.
Accessibility
The FAQ says the whole venue is paved and flat, including the entry, the restaurant booths, and the restrooms, and the restrooms are ADA compliant. ADA-recognized service animals are allowed; emotional support and therapy animals are not. Other questions go to eventinfo@latimes.com.
Still to come
The rest of both restaurant lineups, the rideshare drop-off address, and check-in and arrival instructions for GA, VIP, and weekend pass holders are still to be announced. The 824 Journal will update this guide when they are.
Sources
- L.A. Times Food Bowl, official site (dates, venue, ticket benefits, featured chefs, DJ)
- L.A. Times Food Bowl FAQ (hours, ID and age policy, re-entry, parking, bag policy, prohibited items, accessibility, transfers)
- 101 Best Restaurants in L.A. night: schedule and lineup
- Saturday Night Flavor: schedule and lineup
- L.A. Times Food Bowl 2026 on Tixr (ticket tiers and prices, September 28, 2026)
Featured photo: Josh Lim (Sky Harbor) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
