Historic Vibiana downtown hosted the first Cochon 555 event in L.A., featuring five top chefs, cooking five breeds of pig, paired with five wines. The traveling pork-fest has been a huge sucess across the country and finally made its way out west for one night only.
The Feast judged the competition that brought out Ben Ford of Ford’s Filling Station, known for his whole pig dinners; Mozza chef Chad Colby, also known for nose-to-tail cooking; Joshua Whigham of The Bazaar by Jose Andres; Tim Goodell of Public Kitchen & Bar; and Octavio Becerra of Palate Food & Wine.
After a pre-party where Lindy & Gundy butchered a pig, the main event got underway with five stations of pig dishes and wines, followed by co-judge Neal Fraser pulling together a roasted pig for the family meal.
Fraser told us that while the restaurant he was scheduled to open at Vibian this summer might be delayed, his consulting project in Manhattan Beach with Jason Lorten of Gjelina is going well. “It’s hard to say what the menu will be like, but it will be a mix of my cooking and Jason’s—which is similar.” The space should be open by late June with a wine room, bar, and DJ lounge. The former Beaches property has one of the only unobstructed ocean views in Manhattan Beach, and will be a block away from David Lefevre’s new M.B. Post. [The Feast]
