Fest comes of age

The Food Wine & Micro-Brew Fest is set to hit legal drinking age

today.

The annual event is on tap for its 21st year today at South Coast

Plaza. The epicurean festival is planned as a benefit for the Second

Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and the KTLA Charities Fund.

“It’s an unbelievable event,” South Coast Plaza partner Anton

Segerstrom said. He anticipated that 1,400 to 1,500 people will show

up to eat and drink their way through the shopping center.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County has been connected with

the event for its entire 21-year history. Second Harvest serves the

hungry by distributing donated and surplus food.

Last year, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County garnered

about $63,000 from the occasion, said Joe Schoeningh, the group’s

executive director.

“It’s awesome. This year, we hope to net $70,000 at the event,” he

said.

South Coast Plaza is paying for all of the event’s expenses,

Segerstrom said. All of the money raised at the festival will be

donated to charity.

Schoeningh said this year’s lineup features more than 90

restaurants, wineries and breweries -- the largest roster in the

event’s history.

Dining establishments expected to make an appearance include

Bangkok Four, Hottie’s Pizza and Nello Cucina Ristorante. Local brews

on the list include samplings from the Newport Beach Brewing Company

and the Karl Strauss Brewing Company.

People attending the event pay a flat rate and are able to wander

through South Coast Plaza on a quest to eat, drink and be merry.

“It’s always a sense of discovery,” Segerstrom said. “It’s always

fun to see what’s new.”

The Food, Wine and Micro-Brew Fest is scheduled for 5:30 to 8:30

p.m. in the Crate & Barrel/Macy’s Home Store Wing of South Coast

Plaza in Costa Mesa. Tickets will cost $55 per person at the door.

For more information, call (714) 771-1343.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be

reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at

o7andrew.edwards@latimes.comf7.