Show 254, December 30, 2017: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris

Now a festive preview of Saturday’s properly decadent eve of New Year’s Eve 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, upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing… Keep in mind we’re here with you live every Saturday morning throughout The Holidays and beyond.

In the holiday spirit we’re journeying back to sunny Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. The area is the home of the potent, distilled Racilla from the green agave plant, a distant cousin of the better-known Tequila. Raicilla expert and festival producer Edgar Cisneros is our well-informed guide.

Year anniversaries in the turbulent, fine-dining restaurant business are an occasion to be celebrated. A salute to owner/Chef Ross Pangilinan (ex-Leatherby’s Café Rouge in the Segerstrom Center for The Arts in Costa Mesa) who just celebrated the 1st Anniversary of downtown Santa Ana’s Mix Mix Kitchen Bar. Chef Ross pops out of his open kitchen for a welcome chat.

Fruits and vegetables are delightfully moving to the center of the plate in more and more restaurants. Chefs are intrigued with the possibilities. What produce items were hot in 2017 based on actual sales? What’s now trending for 2018? Did you know Jackfruit is one of the most visible fruits on the internet? Our resident Prince of Produce, the esteemed Robert Schueller of Melissa’s World Variety Produce, joins us with all the delicious and farm-fresh intel.

Husband-and-wife team, Chef Noah and Marín von Blöm, have introduced ARC PIZZA HOUSE, featuring a menu of unique wood-fired pizzas, at Costa Mesa’s South Coast Collection (3321 Hyland Avenue, Suite G). This new concept is an extension of acclaimed restaurant, ARC, and is located in the space formerly occupied by Restaurant Marin, which will be relocating to a new home on the Newport Beach Peninsula in early 2018, when the von Blöms’ DirtySexyHappiness Hospitality Group will debut a new culinary concept including a bakery and butcher shop. Chef Noah and Marin are our guests.

What’s new or on the horizon in the world of wine for the New Year? What impact will the tragic fires in the Northern California wine regions of Napa and Sonoma have on the California Wine Industry? Oddly the USA has a much lower per capita consumption of wine than the European Countries. Where is that trend going? Are there still wine bargains available on premium imported wines? Our resident wine authority, Kyle Meyer of Santa Ana’s Wine Exchange, joins us with the needed insight.

Our dynamic Co-Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, connects from Park City, Utah where he has just debuted the third Slapfish in Utah. Chef Andrew will share (and explain) some important hospitality business trends he sees for 2018. Where is fine-dining headed? What impact will the increase in minimum wage have on California eateries? This is Part 2 of his conversation continued from last week.

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

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