LA Loves Alex's Lemonade Returns + Last Year's Recap

LA Loves Alex's Lemonade is one of the favorite events of the year. This year, it will be held at a different location. They are bringing it to Wilson Plaza at UCLA on September 20 (from 12-4pm). This festival gathers some of the best chefs, restaurants, and mixologists, not only from LA but beyond - and they bring their A-game, all to fight childhood cancer.

Last year, Adam Perry Lang, author of Serious BBQ, was serving up some sort of BBQ sandwiches. I was avoiding the long line, but got there too late and they had run out of the sandwiches! It may have actually been a lucky strike, as I got this giant piece of rib as consolation.

The Hungry Cat brought fresh seafood like these clams and sea urchin.

Fried oyster sandwich from Michael Cimarusti (Connie and Ted's).

Neil Patrick Harris is a huge supporter of LA Loves Alex's Lemonade so you may even run into him there ...

The famed Pizzeria Bianco from Phoenix is returning this year. Last year's event was the first time I tried the famous white pizza and it was great - made me want to try the real thing!

The event certainly does not lack in cocktail offerings. SoHo House's Chris Ojeda was just one among many mixologists serving cocktails. This year, Eric Alperin, Christiaan Rollich, Marcos Tello, and Aidan Demarest are some of the ones who've committed to the event.

There were also Macallan ... oh, did I mention there was an ice luge? There are also an abundance of wine.

Vosges was pairing up their chocolate truffles with beer and chorizo.

Among the other restaurants that will be serving this year are Ludo Lefebvre's Trois Mec, Scott Conant's Scarpetta, Tom Colicchio's Craft, Marc Vetri from Philadelphia, Giada de Laurentiis, Michael Anthony from New York's Gramercy Tavern, Michael Voltaggio's Ink, and many other big names.

Tickets are $195 per person and can be purchased here. 

Last year's location: the Culver Studios