When food festival EEEEEATSCON came to Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar in 2017, the success left people hungry for more. Now, a year later, the orders will be served and EEEEEATSCON will return to Barker Hangar on May 19.
As designed by restaurant review site The Infatuation, EEEEATSCON aims to provide a spirited and diverse environment in which people can unify to appreciate food from across the country. Imagine a spectrum with the local farmer’s market on one end and a Michelin-star dining experience on the other. EEEEEATSCON falls somewhere in the middle, with a sprinkle of music and a dash of oration.
“We want to bring great things to Santa Monica,” said The Infatuation’s CEO Chris Stang. “We wanted it to be comfortable and fun, but we felt like we could scale things up a little bit this year.”
The Infatuation prides itself in using EEEEEATSCON as a means of connecting people with food, music, and people they might not otherwise have an opportunity to appreciate. With the help of sponsors like Caviar, a food delivery service based out of San Francisco, this year’s event will include national favorites like Philadelphia’s Han Dynasty, Chicago’s Parson’s Chicken and Fish, San Francisco’s RT Rotisserie, and New York’s Russ & Daughters.
Katie Dally, Caviar’s Product Communications specialist, said the ever-expanding variety at EEEEEATSCON is what truly sets the event apart from any other festival.
“We’re really excited to introduce residents of Santa Monica to some of the really great restaurants that are Caviar partners,” said Dally. “We have an ongoing partnership with the Infatuation because we are both companies that obsess over great food and love to help people discover new restaurants.
While Dally admits that foodies are not always the easiest people to please, she feels confident that Stang and the rest of those at the Infatuation have the right idea with EEEEEATSCON. Stang, too, expressed confidence in both his curated dining lineup and specifically those eateries from southern California. Some local restaurants that will make an appearance include Loqui, The Rose, and Sweet Rose.
Jason Neroni, owner and chef of The Rose in Venice, is particularly excited to utilize EEEEEATSCON as a chance to express his restaurant’s eclectic approach to food.
“I’m bringing this really awesome pizza oven that I had built,” said Neroni. “We’re going to be cooking pitas to order and stuffing them with lamb shawarma, and doing a mushroom veggie burger. We’re hopefully hitting the gamut of what the Rose represents.”
EEEEEATSCON does not limit itself to food, though. The festival will also provide guests with an impressive lineup of musicians and speakers to entertain and educate throughout the day.
“We really try to use our expertise to find both artists and speakers that you might not otherwise fine,” said Stang. “Let’s give people a discovery opportunity.”
Gavin Turek, Tina Farris, and Missy Robbins are just a few people listed as speakers and entertainers.
Some extra treats that EEEEEATSCON will offer include a voting registration booth, a child-friendly play area, and of course, some unnamed surprises. After having sold out last year, The Infatuation is excited to present Santa Monica with an expanded event for 2018, offering additional tickets to utilize the expansive space of Barker Hangar. Tickets for this event are still available at https://www.theinfatuation.com/EEEEEATSCON.
