Three Food Events You Should Know About: Your Oktoberfest weekend begins with beer

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

ONGOING

Oktoberfest goes global October is for Oktoberfest, but at the Culver Hotel that doesn’t mean all German food all the time. Instead the iconic, wedge-shaped hotel will serve an ‘Around the World’ Oktoberfest menu (throughout the month) that pairs beers with their matching cultural comfort food. You get five courses in all, beginning with Germany (sausage, bacon and potato salad and Hefeweizen); then moving on to Japan (sesame-crusted ahi tuna and Sapporo); Southern California (organic butternut squash ravioli and Angel City Ale); Colorado (braised Colorado lamb and Hoptoberfest); and finally Mexico (churros with vanilla ice cream/Dos Equis). Best of all? The price. Dinner is $28; make that $38 with beer pairings. Sign me up! Culver Hotel, 9400 Culver Blvd., Culver City. (310) 558-9400. www.culverhotel.com.

SUNDAY

Tasting Abbot Kinney Join what’s being dubbed an urban adventure with the very first Taste of Abbot Kinney. Walk the famed street on an eating and drinking tour of its many popular establishments. If you buy a ticket, you can get a taste from almost every restaurant on the street including the Tasting Kitchen, Joe’s (which is also hosting a bartending competition), Marla’s Kitchen, Three Square and Equator Cafe. Certain places will also offer wine or Champagne. Ticket holders will also receive discounts at many of the street’s retail shops (Salt, Surfing Cowboys, Patio Culture and more). Proceeds benefit Inside Out Community Arts, a nonprofit that brings arts education to underserved L.A. school children. Check-in is at 920 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. (310) 397-8820. www.tasteofabbottkinney.com.

A tea tour If you’re a tea fan, you might want to consider joining Kuvlov (founder of the Valentine’s Tea Festival) for an in-depth tour of the Fowler Museum’s exhibition ‘Steeped in History: The Art of Tea.’ The exhibition (and tour) focuses on the history and culture of tea in the East. The tour will be followed by a lunch created by chef Kristy Choo of Jin Patisserie. Last of all you’ll wind down with tea purveyors 1001 Plateaus and a tasting of rare (and aged) Chinese teas. Fowler Museum, north campus, UCLA; enter campus lot 4 at Sunset Boulevard at Westwood Plaza. L.A. (310) 825-4361. www.fowler.ucla.edu.

-- Jessica Gelt