Show 220, April 22, 2017: Show Preview with Co-Hosts Andy Harris & Chef Andrew Gruel of Slapfish

Be sure and join us for next week’s show on April 29th. The Halo ticket giveaway returns. We’ll be awarding a Family 4-pack of Angel tickets to one lucky listener!

Now a tempting preview of this Saturday’s ample show. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case that’s probably a pretty good thing…

Sandwiches, made from fresh, premium ingredients, have come into their own as serious eats. In Spring 2014, when Sessions West Coast Deli opened its first location in Newport Beach, its owners had one mission: to serve the “best sandwiches to ever hit the lip.” As a neighborhood-casual concept designed to serve its immediate community, Sessions embraces the area’s surf culture as it presents a menu of gourmet, culinary-focused sandwiches in a relaxed environment. Co-Founder Matt Meddock joins us.

Chia seeds are moving into the mainstream from health food stores. One of the first pioneers of producing high quality, chia-based foods and beverages is Mamma Chia based in Carlsbad. We met Mamma Chia’s founder and CEO, Janie Hoffman, at the recent Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. Janie is our guest “planting the seed” on the healthful benefits of chia. Chia, for example, has 2 times more potassium than bananas.

The 2nd Annual Masters of Taste benefit, an outdoor, luxury food and beverage festival is being held on Sunday, May 7th, 2017 from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on the field of the iconic Pasadena Rose Bowl!

The Benefit will bring over 2,500 food and beverage enthusiasts together from all over Greater Los Angeles for one afternoon to celebrate this exhilarating festival, which will include the finest fare from over 40 Culinary Masters and restaurants, delectable sweets prepared by L.A.’s top Sweet Masters, signature handcrafted cocktails and tastings from over 30 Beverage Masters, including L.A’s top bartenders and cocktail bars, local California wineries, local craft breweries, pressed juices, hand roasted coffee, live entertainment and much more. The Chairman of Masters of Taste, Robert Levy, joins us for a stellar preview along with participating Chef Michael Hung of K-Town’s Mama Lion.

If premium wine wasn’t expensive enough as it is there is also the perplexing matter of what stemware to properly serve the wine in. Some of the fine, imported wine glasses are plenty pricey. Time to separate the practical from the salesmanship. Our resident wine expert, Kyle Meyer of Wine Exchange, joins us with sound advice on what you really should buy without breaking the bank.

Debuting May 1st to 31st is the ambitious L.A. Times Food Bowl (“A New Kind of Food Festival”), a monthlong festival celebrating the city’s dynamic, influential food scene and promoting awareness about food waste and hunger. The Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen Director Noelle Carter joins us with an overview.

One of the participating craft breweries in Masters of Taste is the Indie Brewing Company, based in Los Angeles. It’s the typical craft brewery start-up tale of four partners leaving safe jobs in geology, advertising and law to create limited production beer. Of course… Co-founder, Connor Forbes, is our guest to tap the keg on Indie Brewing Company.

Ever wonder what it takes to get an eagerly anticipated restaurant open? For the last year we’ve been enthusiastically following our own, Chef Andrew Gruel’s, progress in opening Two Birds and Butterleaf in the new Trade Food Hall in Irvine located near John Wayne Orange County Airport. At long last they are about ready (subject to final permitting) to begin service. We’ll hear all about it.

Next Saturday (April 29th) we’re live from the 6th Annual Big Island Chocolate Festival at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. Don’t miss it.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s show!

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