{"id":200431,"date":"2026-03-02T11:50:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/200431\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T11:50:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:50:09","slug":"a-grain-of-salt-the-viral-l-a-reading-and-dining-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/200431\/","title":{"rendered":"A Grain of Salt: The viral L.A. reading and dining series"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 2025, Kari Kolts was new to Los Angeles and looking to connect with like-minded readers. She stumbled upon a viral literary event on TikTok called Grain of Salt \u2014 an all-day reading event that concluded with a four-course meal tailored to complement the novel. Intrigued, Kolts saw that only one ticket remained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said: Well, that\u2019s my sign. I have to get it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Soon, Kolts found herself in a dimly lit loft in Chinatown, reading a novel and debating it among new friends during the eight-hour event. She was elated. \u201cHaving something where you can sit down and be intellectual in a world that is increasingly anti-intellectual is a breath of fresh air,\u201d Kolts said.<\/p>\n

Grain of Salt was founded in August 2025 by Alexis Nguyen and her partner, Kai Nguyen. The couple was inspired to host an event that merges their interests. Alexis is an avid lifelong reader, and Kai works part time as a private chef. The resulting event is an eight-hour immersive literary and culinary experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince their passion is cooking and food, and my passion is reading, we always wanted to do something that would incorporate both of those things,\u201d says Alexis. The couple had previously hosted book clubs in their home, where Kai prepared an elaborate literary-themed dinner.<\/p>\n

1 <\/p>\n

\"Grain <\/p>\n

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\"Small <\/p>\n

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\"A <\/p>\n

1. Grain of salt co-founder Kai Nguyen, a private chef, checks on chocolate mousse. 2. Small plates with buckwheat brioche and whipped herb butter. 3. A red wine reduction sauce. <\/p>\n

Last summer, the couple officially launched the Grain of Salt reading series. The first event \u2014 centered on \u201cIt Lasts Forever and Then It\u2019s Over\u201d by Anne De Marcken \u2014 was an overwhelming success. \u201cIt\u2019s been so successful thus far, and we\u2019ve sold out all of our events. It\u2019s been such a great experience,\u201d says Alexis. \u201cOur last event that we launched a couple of days ago sold out in 30 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The union of literature and food comes organically, Kai explains. Last summer, the first event was held during fruit season. \u201cIt played into that theme with the book really well. We made a plum Tuna crudo,\u201d says Kai. \u201cIt Lasts Forever and Then It\u2019s Over\u201d centers on a wayward traveler in a post-apocalyptic, decaying landscape. \u201cFor all of the meals that I cook, I source all the ingredients from the farmers market and great purveyors who are focused on sustainability and regenerative farming.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the most recent Grain of Salt event, dozens of women gather and discuss Simone de Beauvoir\u2019s \u201cInseparable.\u201d A giant Japanese lantern floats above them like an orb. Some readers sit outside, in the Chinatown alley with novels in their lap. Chinese lanterns hover above their heads like red halos. In the kitchen, Kai rolls out dough for buckwheat brioche bread paired with herb butter.<\/p>\n

The event runs from noon to 8 p.m., with breaks for lunch and discussion. Participants can read aloud with a group or independently. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople come together to read out loud and talk about it. Or you can go off and have your own independent time,\u201d says Kai. \u201cIt\u2019s important that the space feels like you\u2019re moving around, not stuck in one place the whole time.\u201d<\/p>\n

For one participant, Monica Estrada, the full-day commitment is part of the allure. \u201cIf you go to an event that you know is eight hours long, and other people are down for that? I\u2019m going to like those people. They probably love reading.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Grain <\/p>\n

Grain of Salt co-founder Alexis Nguyen reads a selection from \u201cInseparable\u201d by Simone de Beauvoir.<\/p>\n

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\"The <\/p>\n

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\"Each <\/p>\n

1. The event focuses on reading feminist and queer literature. 2. Each Grain of Salt event features a new literary selection. <\/p>\n

Estrada has been pleasantly surprised by how the event naturally lends itself to socializing. \u201cI typically think of a book club as you sit and read. Here, there\u2019s constant movement. They\u2019re reshaping the way I think about reading and how it can be a community,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The discussions are lively and spirited. \u201cEveryone kind of brings their own perspective into the conversation. I\u2019m a huge reader, but I still learned so much by hearing what other people have to say about it,\u201d says Alexis Nguyen.<\/p>\n

In the loft upstairs, the group breaks into convivial chatter about the novel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish we got more of Andr\u00e9e\u2019s perspective,\u201d remarks one reader, Hannah Faust. The group hums in agreement, offering dispatches from their own lives about thorny friendships.<\/p>\n

The group mentions other romantic novels they adore. \u201c \u2018Sunburn\u2019: It\u2019s a really beautiful book,\u201d adds Alyssah Nevarez about another sapphic novel. \u201cBest lesbian book ever!\u201d exclaims Alexis of Chloe Michelle Howarth\u2019s 2023 work.
.<\/p>\n

Geneva Faye, who has attended past events, says the discussions keep her returning.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, I really made a commitment to myself to find more community,\u201d says Faye. \u201cWe all very much align, even though a lot of us are so different. We bring different things to the table. It has been so fun to dissect a book. I don\u2019t get to do that very often.\u201d<\/p>\n

Novels selected for Grain of Salt events are carefully curated by Alexis, who focuses on female protagonists and queer literature. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to find other people who are reading niche kind of books. That\u2019s also been really great: to engage in literature about things that I personally enjoy, and finding other people who enjoy that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"Nguyen <\/p>\n

For Kai Nguyen, left, Grain of Salt is a creative outlet that merges a passion for cooking with their partner\/co-founder\u2019s love for reading.<\/p>\n

Geneva Faye appreciates the literary curation and is delighted by today\u2019s choice of Simone de Beauvoir. \u201cSimone is classic feminist literature. She\u2019s an icon for many reasons,\u201d says Faye. \u201cThe book so far is about female friendship, but also very much how we compare ourselves to the females around us through our friendships.\u201d<\/p>\n

For dinner, Kai has prepared a dry-brined duck breast with a red wine reduction, a meal that is mentioned in the novel. (\u201cDuck breast cooked in wine sauce\u2026you had to taste it all and compliment everything so you didn\u2019t offend anyone.\u201d) The candle-lit meal is followed by a decadent salted chocolate mousse, espresso and Luxardo cherry.<\/p>\n

Preparing the dinner is intensive but gratifying. \u201cIt\u2019s been an amazing way to exercise my creativity,\u201d Kai explains.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Kai hopes Grain of Salt will help members forge new friendships. The reading event has spurred new bonds from literary discussions \u2014 members exchange Instagram handles and invitations to parties. \u201cYou can kind of feel people\u2019s anxiety dissipating throughout the day,\u201d Kai says, \u201cso that by the time it\u2019s dinner, everyone\u2019s super comfortable with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connors is a writer living in Los Angeles. She hosts the literary reading event Unreliable Narrators<\/a> at Nico\u2019s Wines in Atwater Village every month.<\/p>\n