Offering contemporary Spanish cuisine Silver Lake, Chef Juvenal Rodriguez of El Cid will join AltaMed Health Services, a community safety net health care provider, for its 11^th annual “East LA Meets Napa-World Tour,” an exclusive food and wine pairing tasting that celebrates the richness of Mexican cuisine and success of Latino-owned restaurants and vineyards from the famed Napa Valley and beyond. The event takes place on a warm summer evening on Friday, July 15, 2016, from 6-9 p.m. at the Two California Plaza at 350 S. Grand Ave. in Los Angeles and benefits access to healthcare services for underserved Southern Californians.          

Born and raised in Venezuela and having worked as a chef in Barcelona, Peru and Los Angeles, Chef Rodriguez brings vibrant Latin flavors and a local and sustainable ethos to El Cid’s California contemporary Spanish cuisine. Chef Rodriguez provides locally and internationally inspired cuisines such as family-style Paella and sharable tapas to El Cid; combined with its world renowned, traditional Flamenco entertainment, El Cid is able to keep its traditional Spaniard elements close to home.

Chef Rodriguez will be joined by celebrity international Chefs such as Bravo’s Ana Quincoces, Food Network’s Ingrid Hoffmann, Author and creator of the Kitchen Doesn’t Bite, Doreen Colondres; Top Chef alumni, Katsuji Tanabe will participate alongCide local, family-owned favorites as part of the “World Tour” theme, creating a one-of-a-kind tasting journey. Featuring 35 food and 35 wine stations, guests will have the opportunity to combine their favorite foods and wines to discover their own perfect blend.

Guests will enjoy samplings Katsuji Tanabe’s MexiKosher, James Beard award-winning Socorro Herrera’s beloved Los Feliz taco stand, Yuca’s; Gilberto Cetina’s Chichen Itza, the award-winning, family-owned eatery specializing in authentic Yucatecan food traditional to Southeast Mexico. Returning popular local favorites include: Casa Oaxaca, Rocio’s Mexican Kitchen, and Portos Bakery & Café and many more.

Complementing the flavorful bites will be sips from members of the Mexican American Vintner Association (MAVA) in Napa along with Baja-based Latino vintners. Visiting winemakers include Rolando Herrera, who worked in construction at various vineyards before pursuing a college degree in viticulture and opening Mi Sueno Winery; Lupe Maldonado, who spent years working the area’s vineyards before opening Maldonado Vineyards. Guests will have the opportunity to sample up-and-coming Baja wineries such as: Alximia Vino Elemental, Baron Balche, and Bodegas de Santo Tomas and more.

Live entertainment will include Grammy award-winning music director Jose Rizo and his 15-piece ensemble, Jazz on the Latin Cide All Stars, as well as Mexican-American conguero Poncho Sanchez.

All proceeds from the wine tasting benefit AltaMed’s programs that provide access to health and dental care, senior services, HIV care, teen mentoring programs and more to underserved families in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

VIP ticket with celebrity lounge access: $300 and general admission: $225. To purchase tickets for AltaMed’s “East LA Meets Napa-World Tour” and view the full list of restaurants and vintners visit: www.altamed.org/eastlameetsnapa.