Masters of Taste 2026 Introduces Event Hosts Chef Thomas & Chef Vanessa Tilaka Kalb
And This Year’s Master Line-Up as L.A.’s Top Tastemakers Sip, Savor & Celebrate
On The Field of the Pasadena Rose Bowl Stadium Sunday, April 19th, 2026!
(Los Angeles, CA), Monday, March 30, 2026: Masters of Taste, Los Angeles’ premier outdoor luxury food and beverage festival, proudly announces the return of its highly anticipated eighth annual event, taking place on Sunday, April 19, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, once again on the field of the iconic Pasadena Rose Bowl Stadium. 100% of the proceeds will directly benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a non-profit organization providing over 50 years of homeless services and housing for thousands of neighbors.
Masters of Taste proudly introduces its 2026 Host Chefs, acclaimed husband-and-wife team Chef Thomas and Chef Vanessa Tilaka Kalb of Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery, widely recognized for their refined, ingredient-driven approach and their impact on Pasadena’s modern dining scene. As the founders of the celebrated Old Pasadena restaurant and cheese shop, the Tilaka Kalbs have earned critical praise and a devoted following for their elevated Californian comfort food rooted in classic American regional cooking, guided by a seasonal, farm-to-table philosophy and a deep commitment to sourcing from the region’s best farmers, makers, and producers. Celebrated for their mastery of cheese, polished technique, and exceptional hospitality, Chef Thomas and Chef Vanessa Tilaka Kalb bring a level of culinary excellence and leadership that makes them a natural and exciting choice to host the eighth annual Masters of Taste.
Following the success of Masters of Taste 2024, which sold out and garnered widespread media attention across Southern California and beyond, Masters of Taste 2026 is expected to be equally spectacular. The eighth annual Masters of Taste is expected to bring over 3,000 food and beverage enthusiasts together for one afternoon to celebrate this exhilarating festival, which will include the tastings from over100 top Culinary Masters and restaurants, delectable desserts prepared by L.A.’s top Sweet Masters, top Beverage Masters who will be featuring signature handcrafted cocktail tastings from over 25 spirit brands and top cocktail bars, select wineries, local craft breweries, cold-pressed juices, cold brew coffee, live entertainment and much, much more.
Some of this year’s Masters of Taste 2026 participating Culinary Masters and Restaurants include:
Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery 2026 Event Hosts Chef Vanessa Tilaka Kalb & Chef Thomas Tilaka Kalb – Pasadena
Alexander’s Steakhouse Chef Edgar Reyna – Pasadena, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Cupertino
Angelenos’ Wood Fired Pizza Chef Carmen Samaniego – Highland Park
Arth Bar + Kitchen Chef Mihir Lad – Culver City
Ayara Thai Chef Vanda Asapahu & Chef Cathy Asapahu – Westchester
Bianca Sicilian Trattoria Chef Michele Galifi – Downtown Los Angeles
BOA Steakhouse Chef Brendan Collins – West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Austin, more
Bone Kettle Chef Erwin Tjahadi – Pasadena
Casa Cordoba Chef Eric Zeda – Montrose
Celestino Ristorante Chef Calogero Drago – Pasadena
Chaaste Family Market Chef Christian Esteban – Pasadena
City Club Los Angeles Chef Armando Quiroz – Downtown Los Angeles
Descanso Restaurant Chef Rob Arellano – Los Angeles, Costa Mesa
Dorasti Caviar – Los Angeles
Emporium Thai & Emporium Thai Market Chef Jane Sungkamee & Chef Gina Sungkamee – Westwood, Los Angeles
Fat Boys Chef Michael Gray – Pasadena, Los Angeles
Fitoor Santa Monica Chef Imran Khan – Santa Monica, San Jose
Granville Pasadena Chef Marc Dix – Pasadena, Burbank, Studio City, West Hollywood, North Hollywood
Harold & Belle’s Chef Ryan Legaux – Los Angeles
Le Shrimp Noodle Bar Chef Eddie (Boon Chun) Foo – Glendale, Costa Mesa, Irvine
Love & Salt Chef Chris Feldmeier – Manhattan Beach
Lunasia Dimsum House Chef Han Fu Lee – Pasadena, Alhambra, Cerritos, Torrance
MAMA M SUSHI Chef Supachai Paengkariya – Pasadena
Maple Block Meat Co. Chef Rodolfo Suazo – Culver City
Marina Chef Sandro Hernandez – Pasadena
Mercado Chef Jose Acevedo – Pasadena, Hollywood, Manhattan Beach
Paloma Chef John Parker – Santa Barbara
Paradise Dynasty Chef Joe Chan & Chef Hoi Kin Li – Glendale
Panda Inn Chef Aiguo Yang – Pasadena
Pez Cantina & Pez Coastal Kitchen Chef Bret Thompson – Downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena
Poppy + Rose Chef Michael Reed – Downtown Los Angeles
Porto’s Bakery & Café – Pasadena, Northridge, Buena Park, Burbank, Downey, Glendale, West Covina
Ramen Tatsunoya Chef Ryuta Kajiwara – Pasadena, Costa Mesa
Rice Balls of Fire Chef Jorman Herrera – Arieta
STK Steakhouse Chef Dennis Cruz – Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Topanga, more
StopBye Café – Lynwood
Sushi Roku Chef Tetsu Terashima – Pasadena, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Palo Alto, more
Thai Mex Cocina – Los Angeles
The Exchange Restaurant Chef Narita Santos – Downtown Los Angeles
The Italian Deli Co. Chef Lalo – Pasadena
The Second Wind Chef Theo Shio – El Segundo
Truffle Brothers Michael Pietroiacovo & Marco Pietroiacovo – Los Angeles
Ubatuba Acai Chef Daniela Demetrio – Pasadena, Melrose, Santa Monica, Koreatown, Silverlake, Studio City, more
UCHI West Hollywood Chef Joel Hammond – West Hollywood
Union Station Homeless Services Chef Marisa Gamboa – Pasadena
Wife and the Somm Chef Frank Ryan Saporito – Glassell Park
Yakiya Chef Hualing Zhang – Pasadena
Zira Uzbek Kitchen Chef Azim Rahmatov – West Hollywood
Sweet Masters: A select group of Los Angeles Top Sweet Masters will showcase an assortment of delectable desserts such as All About the Cinnamon, Bertha Mae’s Brownies, deliciously scrumptious scratch baked custom cakes from Cakes By Chanté, Delight Pastry, Hello You’re Welcome, ID-Éclair, Läderach Switzerland, cupcakes from Lark Cake Shop, Magpies Softserve, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Pazzo Gelato, Perlas Ice Cream, Porto’s Bakery & Café, Rico Rico Snack Carts, and The Pink Cookie by The Pink Everything.
Some of this year’s participating Beverage Masters include:
Bars & Spirits: Some of L.A.’s top bartenders and cocktail bars will be creating first-rate craft cocktails and top brands showcasing their finest spirits at Masters of Taste will include Above Board Liqueurs, Broda Vodka, Broken Shaker at Freehand Los Angeles, Burden of Proof (Non-Alcoholic Bottle Shop & Market), Dulce Vida Tequila, Empress 1908 Gin, Knox & Dobson, La Bay Gin Distillerie Californienne, Lyre’s (Crafted Non-Alcoholic Spirits), Mario’s Hard Espresso, Nosotros Tequila & Mezcal, Old Hillside Bourbon Company, Savage Rabbit Distribution, Shelter Distilling, Shinju Japanese Whisky, Smoke Lab Vodka, Subourbon Life, The Raymond 1886, Ventura Spirits and Xoloitzcuintle Tequila.
Brewmasters: Beverage Masters who specialize in barley and hops will be presenting top-notch ales, lagers, pilsners and more for guests to sample, sip and savor all throughout the event, including Southern California favorites L.A.’s All Season Brewing, Arts District Brewing Company, Boomtown Brewery, Bücha Whole Fruit Hard Kombucha, Pasadena’s Cerveceria Del Pueblo, HOP WTR (Non-Alcoholic, Zero-Calorie, and Carbonated Beverage), Arcadia’s first Microbrewery Mt. Lowe Brewing Co., PAPERBACK Brewing Co., and San Fernando Brewing Co.
Wineries: A specially curated collection of Wine and Sake Masters will be showcasing their finest varietals including Akagisan Sake premium boutique winery Ascension Cellars, Clif Family Winery & Farm, CRŪ Winery, LMA Wines, Meadows Estate Vineyard & Winery, Anderson Valley’s Navarro Vineyards, Sake High!, San Simeon Wines, and Warson Wine Company.
Non-Alcoholic Beverages: A variety of premium non-alcoholic Beverage Masters will also be on hand for those who wish to hydrate, caffeinate or regenerate featuring 2026 Exclusive Water Master PepsiCo, refreshing Bawi Agua Fresca, Fever-Tree, Pucker Up Lemonade Company, boba milk tea from Sunright Tea Studio, and Good Intentions Coffee.
Every dollar raised at the 2026 Masters of Taste event will benefit the work of Union Station Homeless Services (Union Station), a local organization successfully fighting to end homelessness. Over the last seven years, Masters of Taste has impressively raised over $3.5 Million, helping countless families and individuals find a secure and welcoming place to call home. What is more impressive is that Union Station has seen a 97% Success Rate in permanently housing people. Their mission transcends just providing temporary shelters; they are committed to creating lasting solutions for homelessness through housing, supportive services, and connection to the community. Over the past 52 years, Union Station has grown to be one of the best homeless services agencies in Los Angeles and is the lead County agency for Service Planning Area 3 (SPA 3), coordinating homeless services in 38 communities spanning from Pasadena to Pomona.
Get ready to celebrate the return of one of Los Angeles’ most meaningful and mouthwatering events of the year—Masters of Taste 2026!
Ticket Information: Masters of Taste 2026 will take place on Sunday, April 19, 2026, and this is a 21+ event. A VIP Hour will be held from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm and General Admission will be from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now and for more information on Masters of Taste 2026, please download the official Masters of Taste App on the AppStore or Google Play or visit https://mastersoftastela.com/tickets.
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ABOUT UNION STATION HOMELESS SERVICES:
For over 52 years, Union Station Homeless Services (USHS) has been serving communities in the San Gabriel Valley, leading the fight to end homelessness. As the region’s lead agency for coordinating homeless services, we serve a vast and diverse community of 2 million people across 36 cities, from Pasadena to Pomona. Our work is rooted in four key areas—Outreach, Interim Housing, Permanent Housing, and Community Integration—all driven by an approach that prioritizes stable, long-term solutions. Because at USHS, we believe in a simple truth: Homes end homelessness.
Masters of Taste 2026 Media Sponsors:
