Sampler Platter: Mignon coming to downtown L.A., Santa Monica resists food trucks, loads of contests

-- Mignon, from the owners of Bacaro LA Wine Bar, is set to open this winter next to Cole’s/Varnish. Eater LA-- Santa Monica resists nouveau food trucks. California Taco Trucks--Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour makes its Orange County return on Wednesday, opening a new location in Mission Viejo. Fast Food Maven-- The New Yorker profiles Jonathan Gold (and mentions local food blogger Teenage Glutster!).-- With the demise of Gourmet magazine, Jane and Michael Stern will now be e-mailing their Roadfood newsletter once a week. Eating LA-- Mattatouille has some lovely pictures from his recent foodventures in Japan, Indonesia and Korea. -- New York firm recalls ground beef due to possible E. coli contamination. Safe Tables-- Challenge Butter recently launched its ‘Taste of the West’ contest. Prizes include a seven-day / six-night trip to Montana and an $850 kitchen package from Spice Islands and OXO.-- Check out this infomercial, supposedly the first one ever, made in 1949. It’s from Vita-Mix and features founder William G. “Papa” Barnard and a blender. Make your own absurd video and you could win Vita-Mix’s Pitch Me! contest.-- Marly Billings of Newport Beach, Shelly Mayo of Brentwood and David Walter of Los Angeles won Wahoo’s Fish Tacos’ recent naming contest with the three following dishes: Power Chopper Salad, Wafu Bowl and Baja-ladas Platter.