LA’s Weekend Planner: Taste of Venice, BBQ at The Oinkster

LA is ending the summer with a bang, starting this weekend with the Craft Beer Crawl Downtown andLos Angeles Food & Wine. And once you’ve hit those, there’s even more fun stuff to do just in case you’re still hungry.

Signature Series Dinners for LAFW: If you’re up for something more sit-down than walk-around for the LAFW weekend, there are a couple of special events at Milk Studios in Hollywood, including a dinner with Carlo Mirarchi from Brooklyn’s famed Blanca and Roberta’s, hosted by Spring Street Social Society, on Thursday night, and a special supper with Michael Chiarello on Friday. Tickets for both are $175 per person and include all food and beverages, of which there will be plenty.

Dark Nights at L.A. Live: Should the high price of the bigger food events be getting you down, most of the restaurants and bars at L.A. Live have $5 bites and sips during Dark Nights on Friday, Aug. 28. The entire complex turns into a party — the lights are kept on, although there’s nothing scheduled at Staples or Nokia Theater — with live musicians, vendors selling wares and other forms of entertainment all night. Look for specials at Katsuya, Smashburger, Tom’s Urban, Rosa Mexicano and more.

Taste of Venice: Indulge on dishes from some of the best Venice restaurants and chefs and support P.S. Arts on Sunday, Aug. 30. The main event includes Baby Blues BBQ, Komodo, Larry’s and many more, with Joe’s, Venice Whaler, Superba Food & Bread and more in the VIP area. There will be DJs and live music, as well. Tickets are $100 per person or $150 for VIP. Get them here.

Big Barbecue at The Oinkster: There’s an end-of-summer BBQ Blowout at the Hollywood outpost on Sunday, Aug. 30. There will be brisket, pork spare ribs, chicken, greens, potato salad, mac ‘n’ cheese and more from noon to 5 PM. No tickets or reservations necessary, but they will sell out, so go early.

Source: Zagat