DEC 12-13: CHEERS! at Environment Furniture, Free Holiday Event

Here is a message from the fine folks at EcoStiletto, an organization that specializes in eco-aware events in LA:

If you're in Los Angeles this weekend, take a break from shopping and join Anna Getty & eco-designer Heather Heron on Saturday, December 12th and Sunday, December 13th for a family weekend event with cookies and hot chocolate at Environment Furniture, inspired by Anna's new book I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations and Recipes That Use Less and Mean More. Environment Furniture is located at 8126 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA 90048. The event is free and no rsvp is necessary.

NOV 2009: From German-World Magazine: 20 Years Since Fall of Berlin Wall - News/Events in LA (Wall on Wilshire) & Beyond

Posted by Don Rose

November 9, 2009, marks 20 Years since the Fall of the Wall in Berlin. See below for more info about the anniversary, and to find out where celebrations and commemorations are taking place, in LA and beyond. The information is from a recent email sent out by German-World Magazine, an excellent source for info related to Germany and German news/events around the world. (You can read the full German-World Magazine email by going to the online version.)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Address at the US Congress On November 3, 2009, Angela Merkel became the first chancellor in 50 years to address the US Congress. Merkel followed a rare invitation by Nancy Pelosi to speak before the House of Representatives and the US Senate on November 3, 2009. Prior to her appearance in Congress, she met with US President Obama for talks about the upcoming United Nations summit in Copenhagen and various other topics concerning both nations. German journalist Lars Halter who witnessed Merkel's appearance in the US Congress told German World that she was greeted with a very warm welcome and that her address received much applause and standing ovations from the members of Congress. Please click here for the full speech of Chancellor Angela Merkel. More information provided by Deutsche Welle / DW-TV
Happy 20! Fall of the Wall Events Across North America The German Embassy in Washington reached out to students at 30 universities across the United States in 2009 with the Freedom Without Walls program. Sponsored by the Embassy's German Information Center USA, this initiative prompted numerous events and projects across North America. Click here for more information and a list of locations and events.
What’s Happening in Berlin this Weekend? Berlin will celebrate the day of the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Wall with the 'Festival of Freedom' which will begin at 7 pm (1pm EST) on November 9th, 2009, with an open-air concert at Pariser Platz by the Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by Daniel Barenboim. After the concert, the fall of the Berlin Wall will be symbolised by knocking over of 1000 oversized dominos, which have been put in place since November 7 and cover a route of around 1.5 kilometres from the Reichstagsufer via the Brandenburg Gate to Potsdamer Platz. They create unique images and impressions close to where the Berlin Wall once stood. These dominos have been designed by students from Berlin schools. On international level, the co-operation partner Goethe-Institut has sent several dominos into the world which are designed by students as well as artists and intellectuals. This 'Mauerreise – the wall in the world project' aims to raise awareness of walls around the world that continue to exist. The Festival of Freedom will be broadcast live on ZDF on November 9, 2009 from 7.25 (1.25 PM EST) until ca. 8.15 pm (2.15 PM EST). Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend this extraordinary event, among them the former German Foreign Minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, and the Nobel Peace Laureates Kofi Annan, Muhammad Yunus and Mikhail Gorbachev will be among the guests. We suggest you to watch Deutsche Welle or visit www.dw-world.de or tagesschau.de in order to catch a few memorable moments of the event. For more information, please visit www.mauerfall09.de More information about the Fall of the Wall The events that led to communist Europe – presented by DW-World.de
GW EVENT TIP: Nov 8 at 11 PM – 12.30 AM 20 Years of the Fall of the Wall Celebration in L.A.: Wall Across Wilshire Street Festival On August 13, 2009, Councilmember Tom LaBonge of L.A.’s 4th District, held a press conference announcing The Wall Project, presumably the largest and most ambitious celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany. L.A. has always enjoyed a special relationship with Berlin since 1967, when L.A. became Berlin's first Sister City. The project, conceived by The Wende Museum, in cooperation with the City of L.A. and supported by the German Consulate General in L.A., the GIC in Washington, D.C. and the Los Angeles Berlin Sister City Committee, will combine one mega street festival on November 8 at 11 PM and two art initiatives: The ''Wall Across Wilshire“ and the ''Wall Along Wilshire.“ Local artists and a Berlin-based French muralist will create a wall, symbolic of the one that once separated East and West Berlin, that will be erected across Wilshire Boulevard in front of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). A public ceremony will feature an reenactment of actual events, with invited dignitaries breaking down segments of the wall, a live-feed of events between Los Angeles and Berlin, a video-montage presentation, speeches and live music. The second part of the art project, the ''Wall Along Wilshire“ features ten wall segments installed in front of 5900 Wilshire as an outdoor gallery exhibition on view from October 17 through November 14. Participating artists including Los Angeles' muralist Kent Twitchell, ' 'Obama Hope'' graphic artist Shepard Fairey and Berlin-based muralist Thierry Noir. www.wallproject.org OTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS THIS MONTH ARIZONA November 7, 2009 Ambassador Ball Honoring Germany & The Fall of the Wall. The Arizona Center for Germanic Cultures (AC4GC, Inc.) is proud to invite you to join the Ambassadors' Ball 2009. Location: Hyatt Regency Resort at Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale Information: www.consularcorpsfoundation.org or (480) 948 8348 CALIFORNIA November 9, 2009 – 7 PM 71ST ANNIVERSARY OF KRISTALLNACHT COMMEMORATION Author Daniel Jonah Goldhagen will discuss his latest book - Worse than War: Genocide, Eliminationism, and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity . A screening of excerpts from the new PBS documentary, based on his book, will also be shown. Goldhagen, a former Associate Professor at Harvard University, is also the author of the #1 international bestseller. Hitler's Willing Executioners. Book signing to follow program. Location: Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance, 9786 West Pico Boulevard Information: 310-772-2527. D.C. October 5 – November 30, 2009 Wende Flicks: Last Films from East Germany ”Wende Flicks” showcases six feature and two documentary films made by East German filmmakers from 1988-1994. Most of these films were made by the last generation of East German filmmakers, many of whom had not been allowed to make their own films before, and all of whom trained at DEFA (Deutsche Film Aktiengesellschaft), the state-run film production studio. All films are in German with English subtitles. Location: Goethe Instiut Washington DC www.goethe.de/washingtondc October 15 – November 10, 2009 Kids Euro Festival This fall Washington once again hosts one of the country's largest performing arts festivals for children, with more than 150 free events around the city. A project of the 27 Washington-based European Union embassies and more than a dozen major local cultural institutions. For more information, click here Link setzen zu: http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/was/ver/en5027582v.htm Tuesday, November 10, 12 – 1:15 PM Deutsch am Mittag (German at noon) Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Join us for monthly lunchtime gatherings of those interested in hearing and speaking German. Each month, a special guest will speak on a topic. Participants can bring their lunch and join in the ensuing conversation. Led by Irmgard Wagner, professor emeritus of German at George Mason University. Sebastian Graefe (Heinrich Böll Foundation) will speak in German on Leipzig Wendestadt: Before and After the Fall of the Wall. Beverages and sweets are provided. Tickets: $6/$4 RSVP to Irmgard Wagner at iwagner@gmu.edu Location: Goethe Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW, Washington, DC

NOV 8: GREAT CHEFS OF LA Annual Culinary Benefit at CBS Studio Center (Featured Event)

Posted by Don Rose

(from Estarla.com - link below)

On Sunday, November 8 the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California will be holding their 23rd annual Great Chefs of L.A. at CBS Studio Center. The theme this year is “Go Green, Go Organic” and Neal Fraser (BLD, Grace), Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (Border Grill, Ciudad) will be the “chefs of honor” for their culinary contributions to the L.A. scene and for their past work with the Kidney Foundation. Candace Kumai, The Stiletto Chef of TLC’s “Cook Yourself Thin,” will be emcee for this event and will also host the GCLA Webfire Challenge webisode series sponsored by 944 Magazine.

Other “great chefs” at the event include:

Adam Horton, Saddlepeak Lodge

Benjamin Ford, Ford’s Filling Station

Celestino Drago, Drago Restaurant, Enoteca Drago, Il Pastaio, Drago Centro

Govind Armstrong, 8 oz.

Jason Johnston, Dakota

Jorge Chicas, The Bazaar – SLS Hotel

Josie Le Balch, Josie Restaurant

Roberto Maggioni, Lago

Sam Marvin & Christopher Goossen, Bottega Louie Restaurant & Gourmet Market

Simon Dolinky, BLVD 16 at Hotel Palomar

Steven Fretz, XIV

There will be an eco-conscious lounge serving up eco-conscious cocktails with VeeV Açai Spirit and each guest will receive “SWAG bags” with SWAG worth $250 in value courtesy of 944 Mag and Get Hip Get Green.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

12 – 3:30 PM

$150 per person

CBS Studio Center

4024 Radford Dr.

Studio City, CA 91604

(Source: http://www.estarla.com/2009/10/27/great-chefs-of-LA-ticket-giveaway/)

OCT 2-4: AMERICAN WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL Returns With 3-Day Extravaganza (Featured Event)

Posted by Don Rose

The American Wine & Food Festival returns this weekend and promises to be better than ever. Three straight days of the very best in food, fun and festive entertaining enjoyment. As in previous years, the main event is Saturday night, but the days before and after will be stellar as well. AWFF is arguably the best annual wine and food event in Los Angeles, so we heartily recommend you attend... and enjoy! Details on each day follow below. For more information, see the official AWFF website at http://www.awff.org.

Red Hot Friday Kickoff Celebration

Date: Friday, October 2, 2009 - 7 p.m.
Location: Voyeur - "LA's new, exclusive nightlife destination"
7969 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles (valet parking)

Designed to whet the appetites of Festival first-timers and alums alike, this party offers chic eats by Wolfgang Puck Catering paired with terrific wines and innovative libations by Ultimat Vodka and Beam Global Spirits & Wines - all set to the sounds of a DJ playing your favorite music. The intimate lounge setting is perfect for mingling with philanthropists and foodies who are newcomers and well-knowns on the Los Angeles scene. Red Hot Kickoff Celebration tickets are available for $150 per person.

Saturday Evening American Wine & Food Festival

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2009 - 5-11 p.m.
*5:00 PM Wolfgang Puck VIP Cooking Demonstration
*VIP entrance available only with tickets purchased through Festival Patron and MasterCard® promotions. (contact 1-800-964-4742 or offers@octagon.com)
6:00 PM Festival Opens
Location: Universal Studios Backlot
3900 Lankersheim Blvd., Gate 3, Universal City, CA

Staged against the backdrop of movie sets, the signature Saturday night event returns, once again, to Universal Studios Backlot. As dusk falls, a spectacularly lit movie set provides the stage for a culinary scene like none other: An unrivaled epicurean feast prepared by world-renowned chefs, superb libations including fine wines and smooth spirits, and a silent auction filled with luxury items - all set to swinging sounds of live bands. Cap the night off in “The Lounge” – an after-hours retreat featuring sparkling wines from the Loire Valley Region of France and whimsical desserts by Pastry Chefs Francois Payard and Spago's Sherry Yard. Kick back in cozy niches under the stars or dance the night away to live bands. Saturday American Wine & Food Festival tickets are available for $300 per person online or $350 at the door. Table reservations are available from $3,500.

Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner

Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009 - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Spago Beverly Hills
176 N Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, CA

Wolfgang Puck, Lee Hefter & Barbara Lazaroff with Chef de Cuisine Thomas Boyce & Executive Pastry Chef Sherry Yard welcome several of the world’s finest chefs to prepare an elegant six-course dinner at the 10th Annual Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner. This limited-seating event at Spago Beverly Hills is filled with exquisite dishes paired with select wines and a live auction featuring one-of-a-kind items and experiences. Celebrity chefs Gina DePalma of Ristorante Babbo; Dean Fearing of Fearing's at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas; Laurent Gras of L2O; Thomas Keller of Bouchon; Jereme Leung of Jereme Leung Creative Concepts Pte Ltd; and Nobu Matsuhisa of Matsuhisa & Nobu LA pair up, each preparing one course, for the grand gala dinner. Reservations for the Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner are available for $750 per person or $7,000 per table. Please contact Ellen Farentino, Spago, at (310) 385-0880.