Asada Fest - Showcasing the Flavors of Los Angeles

Carne Asada and Los Angeles is the combination that conjures up thoughts of just one thing, incredible tacos. Searching out carne asada and that perfect grilled flavor and putting it in a taco resonates with nearly Angeleno and there are too many great taco spots to mention. To bring it all together and then some, Asada Fest, presented by Northgate Gonzalez Market, debuted in Los Angeles and did the meat it was named after proud.

Asada Fest took place on July 13th at the Rolling Greens Arts District, downtown Los Angeles. The sprawling grounds contained everything you would want in a weekend barbeque party. Of course, the air was filled with the smoke of an incredible variety of meat, centered around plenty of carne asada. Beyond an endless lineup of tasty tacos, guests were treated to cocktails at every turn, live music and Luchador wrestling.

Northgate Market was front and center of Asada Fest, featuring high-quality meats sourced from Harris Ranch that you can buy at their markets and enjoy at your barbeque. Northgate treated guests to their carne asada tacos with every topping you can imagine and truly unique cactus salsa. They also served up some perfectly prepared pork belly to give guests a little something different, but equally delicious.

The Rolling Greens Arts District grounds seemed endless and proved to be a great venue for not only Asada Fest, but for any event and can take care of hundreds of people as they did this day. There was something for everyone beyond just the wonderful food. There were live performances by Mi Banda El Mexicano, a Selena Tribute Band, live Luchador Wrestling Matches, and a special appearance from El Hijo del Santo. The setting made for the perfect backyard gathering feel and provided a great social gathering for old friends and making new ones.

There were so many flavorful and fresh off-the-grill selections, it was a challenge to taste everything. The list of chefs was as good as it gets, as Asada Fest featured, Baja’s most prolific chef, Javier Plascencia, who helped define Baja California’s Michelin Guide-recognized food scene for the last 20 years, San Diego’s Claudette Zepeda of Top Chef fame, RobeGrill “Que Chille” social media sensation coming directly from the northeast badlands of Hermosillo, Sonora, Yesenia Rios from Tijuana’s prestigious Culinary Arts School, Chef Daniel Castillo of Heritage Barbecue, a self-made California institution in San Juan Capistrano that is known for its hours-long lines and melt-in-your-mouth Chicano-style smoked meats, Sonora’s most celebrated Cocinera Tradicional, specializing in the art of butchering whole cows for asada, Nereida Vejar, as seen on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles. No one was disappointed with what they served and seemingly each dish was better than the last.