Live From Manhattan Beach Food & Wine
By The Fork Report w Neil Saavedra
September 13, 2025
Neil Saavedra kicks off The Fork Report live from the Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival, catching up with celebrity chef friends of the show during the load-in. He takes a moment to honor the legacy of Cole’s French Dip, where guests can still grab one last cocktail before its delayed but imminent closure, and celebrates the reopening of another Los Angeles classic, The Original Pantry Cafe. Festival founder Shelby Russell joins Neil to talk about last night’s launch and what’s in store for tonight’s lineup. Later, Neil welcomes Lisa Fontanesi of the non-profit Careers Through Culinary Arts Program to share how the organization is supporting the next generation of culinary talent at this year’s festival.
This story originally appeared in The Fork Report w Neil Saavedra