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Celebrating chefs and local food at Vibiana

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If you’re the type who haunts the farmers markets to get a look at your favorite chefs, there’s a party coming up that will be full of star gazing. Roots of Change, an organization working to make food in California more sustainable and equitable, is organizing the party to celebrate the work of the Los Angeles Food Policy Task Force.

On Oct. 6, chefs and farmers – and a few politicians and policy experts – will gather at Vibiana on Main Street downtown for a reception called Good Food for All, a Taste of the Los Angeles Foodshed. Tickets are $100, and proceeds will benefit Hunger Action Los Angeles and Sustainable Economic Enterprises Los Angeles.

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Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been invited to talk about his plans for food policy in the city. But he’ll have a hard time competing with the main event: a walk-around tasting from some of the city’s best-known chefs.

Among those who will be providing the food: Josiah Citrin of Melisse; Jimmy Shaw of Loteria; Brendan Collins of Waterloo & City; Susan Feniger of Street, Cuidad, Border Grill; Ray Garcia of Fig; Suzanne Goin of AOC, Lucques and Tavern; Mark Gold, Eva.

Amy Knoll Fraser, who with her husband, the chef Neal Fraser, are working to open a restaurant in part of the Vibiana building, says 35 chefs have agreed to take part. They are being partnered with a farmer or two.

The farms include: Coleman Farms, Flora Bella Farms, Garcia Organic Farm, McGrath Family Farms, Peacock Farm, Penryn Orchard, Sage Martin Farms, Schaner Farms and Tamai Farms.

Neal Fraser will be one of the chefs cooking pork – several chefs will use as much of a whole hog as possible – and he’s working with Alex Weiser of Weiser Family Farm, Amy Knoll Fraser says.

The party is the kick-off event for the Roots of Change conference, being held Thursday and Friday at the Omni Hotel downtown. The focus is on how to increase access to healthy, affordable, fairly and sustainably produced foods.

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“I think this is something that’s at the core of what we do as food industry professionals, and it’s also a really important thing for the city,” Amy Knoll Fraser says.

-- Mary MacVean

(Photo of Neal Fraser by Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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