Tell you more? It’s halfway over already. Each Saturday this August, there’s a party going on in Los Angeles Chinatown. And it’s free to attend.

If you’ve ever been to a trade show in Taichung, Hong Kong, or Guangzhou, you know nobody parties harder than the Chinese. The LAPD might put the kibosh on epic partying, but still…

There will be food trucks (not free), KCRW DJ’s spinning tunes on the iPods, and my pal Eddie Lin from Deep End Dining leading us into who=knows-what sort of exotic Chinese food with chefs from local restaurant Golden Dragon (5pm – 6pm) and Hop Woo BBQ (8pm-9pm).

I’ll be there for the earlier Eddie show. Come out and rediscover Chinatown.

My friends David Vindiola from Smokalicious BBQ and Ryan Chester of The Rub Company are teaming up again this Saturday for their monthly residence at Irvine’s Tanaka Farms. I stopped by last month to check in on my boys, and they’re turning Tanaka’s farm into a delicious place to get schooled on summer cooking. With better attendance, this might happen more than once a month.

David is a cooking instructor from San Diego, and this week’s topic is a kids’ cooking class. See details on his site. Last month’s class was gazpacho and grilling. Check his site for a rotating schedule of topics.

Ryan and his family make BBQ seasonings in Buena Park, and I’m all for supporting local BBQ guys that make a good product. At Tanaka Farms, they set up a Santa Maria style grill and sell tri tip smoked over  oak, just like they do it up in California’s Central Valley. Stop by and get a lunch plate, and take home some of Tanaka’s great produce, grown right there.

The Chesters use their Santa Maria Style rub, a kicked up garlic salt blend with lots of black pepper. While you’re at Tanaka Farms, pick up a bottle of that Santa Maria rub and also their brand new, Competition rub. It’s so new it’s not on their website yet, but I used it last weekend on pork ribs to great effect, and recommend it wholeheartedly…

Tanaka Farms
5380 3/4 University Dr. (corner of Michelson Drive)
Irvine, CA 92612
949-653-2100

Season 2 of TLC’s BBQ Pitmasters show premiers this Thursday August 12 at 10pm / 9pm in CST. I’ll be on the Rib Throwdown episode cooking with Bigmista’s BBQ.

The schedule on TLC’s website is a little confusing – it looks like the Pork Shoulder episode is leading off, so “my” episode may not be first, even though it was shot first. Tune in anyway readers, because lots of familiar face are featured this season.

UPDATE: Danielle Dimovski of DivaQ.ca informs me that our Rib Throwdown episode will air on September 2, 2010.