Open Mic Night, Chef-Style

Foodies and chefs tell stories of their favorite suppers. And more.

If you've lived in Los Angeles, or any city for any length of time, you've likely been to something like an open mic night, or something resembling that.

Gotta give anyone who gets up at a mic props, of course, regardless of how successful they are. It isn't easy to tell jokes cold, or a hilariously painful story from junior high. It can sometimes be challenging to connect to the story being told.

What is easy to connect with, though? Stories of food. Stories of eating something lovely and special. Stories of a nice meal with friends. That's a common experience for many people, and even if the storyteller is talking oysters and you don't eat seafood, you can see the supper they describe.

Meanwhile, Back at Cafe du Monde, the traveling talk-about-food show (and now book) is all about short food tales told by chefs and other food professionals. Call it a very focused, very flavorful spin on open mic night. And, we should add, the speakers, who all will be speaking for 5 or so minutes, are all invited up to the mic.

Those speakers will include Brigitte Pailet, general manager of Snookie's; Theo Stephan, founder of Global Gardens Olive Oil and Vinegar; Brandon Bouet, Executive Chef at Tom Bergin's; and the person jump-started this spicy series, Peggy Sweeney-McDonald. The stories will involve favorite meals and favorite eateries and other topics of a delicious nature.

A ticket is $25. That nets you the show, plus some Irish coffee and a beignet. And you have two chances to savor the tales at Tom Bergin's Tavern: Sunday, Jan. 27 and Monday, Feb. 11.

Short stories, snazzily told, about foodstuffs, while we devour a powdery-sugared beignet? Call it the most offbeat open-mic-er we've ever experienced.

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