Show 342, September 28, 2019: Lucky Callender – Babe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewery, Rancho Mirage

Lucky Callendar pf Babe's BBW in Palm SpringsBabe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewery is centrally located in the Greater Palm Springs area at The River in Rancho Mirage. It launched to instant acclaim in 2002, the dream project come true of Founder Don Callender (of Marie Callender’s Restaurants fame.) Today Babe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewery is under the stewardship of Don’s son, Lucky, who carries on the founder’s vision.

There are bar-b-que styles represented at Babe’s from every part of the United States and abroad, from the great state of Texas to Korea. The secret is perhaps Babe’s smoking process. It differs from the conventional barbecue restaurants that typically rely on heavy sauces or rubs to flavor the meat. All the sauces and rubs are house-made.

New at Babe’s is the release of 3 styles of their award-winning craft beers (Honey Blonde, Palm Springs IPA & Blackfin Lager) in 16 – ounce cans with eye-catching watercolor artwork labels by Lynn Knowles (who had a long history with founder Don Callender.)

Second generation proprietor Lucky Callender taps the keg for us.

 

Show 326, June 1, 2019: Cole Miller, Head Distiller, The Underground at The Mob Museum, Las Vegas

Mixologist Cole MillerThe Underground at Downtown Las Vegas’ The Mob Museum, is an extensive, interactive Prohibition history exhibition featuring a working distillery, brewery and speakeasy. Entirely re-envisioning the typical museum exhibition experience, The Underground takes visitors on an uncommonly vivid journey back in time. Situated discreetly in the basement of the Museum, The Underground encompasses 2,814 square feet appointed with luxurious, Art Deco design motifs.

Guests of The Underground are encouraged to ponder the time when consuming alcohol was not only a criminal act, but also bred secret watering holes–some of which became the most glamorous places to be.

Numerous exhibits and artifacts found in the distillery and speakeasy add depth and context to the experience. Exhibits and artifacts on display bring to life the essence of a time that saw organized crime syndicates grow richer and more powerful than ever before, while giving rise to great cultural and societal change.

A Distillery Tour and Tastings are also available at The Underground. (A ticket is required.) Sampling a variety of distilled spirits is part of the experience. Participants will have the opportunity to explore The Underground, learn about Prohibition and its impact on a variety of liquor. As part of the experience guests w are educated on the historical origins of Prohibition and gain insights into the drinking culture that existed before the 1920s era.

The Tasting Experience includes moonshine, vodka and The Underground’s ginger infusion. The tour encourages visitors to develop an appreciation for the flavor of genuine, corn-mash moonshine.

As a great souvenir of The Mob Museum you can buy premium moonshine in various sizes (and flavors) distilled in the working copper still at The Underground.

Our spirited guide is The Underground’s Head Distiller, Cole Miller.

Show 129, July 4, 2015: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

Happy 4th to all and thanks for sharing your Holiday Weekend with us.

We’re here for you…We can’t promise fireworks but we’ll do our level best to entertain you.

Now a mouthwatering preview of Saturday’s red-hot show. Our fireworks are always safe & sane. Bring on the apple pie…With any luck we will always leave you hungry and thirsty. In our case, that’s a good thing…

TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Brea and Corona) has an impressive new location in Irvine at The Market Place. All the TAPS locations differ in design so you never have the feeling you’re dining in an impersonal, corporate restaurant. The environment offers fine dining and a more casual bar-lounge area. There is a comfortable patio, too. They are famous for their Sunday brunch and serve lunch, dinner and happy hour. Chef Andrew Monterrosa joins us with all the 411 on TAPS Irvine.

Downtown Las Vegas is not an easy market for independent restaurants.

You’re competing with all the dining options available in the large Hotels and must appeal to visitors, conventioneers, and the discriminating locals. Not an easy task. Shift Hospitality has overcome the obstacles with their highly successful MTO Café serving breakfast and lunch. They have recently opened a second branch in the Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin. It’s also open for dinner. Chef-Partner Johnny Church is our guest.

Think you’re heard everything you could possibly need to know about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet? Think again…We’re diving into The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook – Harness the Power of the World’s Healthiest Diet to Live Better, Longer written by international cooking expert Amy Riolo.

When we last chatted with Chef Ben Ford he was just about to open the relocated Ford’s Filling Station at L.A. Live in the JW Marriott Los Angeles. It’s breakfast, lunch and dinner with Sunday Brunch, too. We’ll get caught up with Chef Ben and hear about his newly initiated Whole Hog Dinner. It’s a feast for 6 to 8 people! Chef Ben suggests that you “fill up on all the good things in life.”

Our own resident Guest Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, is at it again doing the seemingly impossible. He just opened a new Slapfish at LAX on a super compressed timetable that required a lot of ingenuity (and long hours) to pull-off. Chef Andrew is in Palm Springs on a menu development retreat. We’ll catch-up with him.

Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure produced by Garagiste Events, returns to Los Angeles on July 11th, with 50+ artisan ‘garagiste’ winemakers pouring over 200 wines in a new, and appropriately rock and roll, venue : the stunning art deco landmark, The Wiltern in Koreatown. A new element of the Festival is a first-time alliance with Artisanal LA that will see a mini pop-up of a sampling of their best artisan food producers offering tastes of their healthy, local, sustainable and delicious edibles.

Andrew Gruel and Anthony Dispensa of Slapfish Restaurants and FYI Say It To My FaceDon’t miss Guest Host Chef Andrew Gruel’s (he’ll be joining us a bit later in the show) new restaurant makeover series, “Say It To My Face” on FYI. An original episode is aired every Thursday evening with an encore episode thereafter. Check your local listings. On-line food reviewers confront restaurateurs with the shortcomings of their establishments. It’s then up to Chef Andrew and his colleague, Chef Anthony Dispensa, to coach the chef and restaurateur to achieve a much higher level of guest satisfaction when the on-line reviews return for another look! Sometimes it’s tough-love…

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

July 4: Taps Fish House Irvine, Johnny Church, Amy Riolo, Ben Ford, Andrew Gruel, Garagiste Festival

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Executive Chef Andrew Monterrosa, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Irvine
Segment Three: Chef Johnny Church, MTO Cafes, Las Vegas
Segment Four: Amy Riolo, The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook
Segment Five: Chef Ben Ford, Ford’s Filling Station at L.A. Live
Segment Six: Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group
Segment Seven: Doug Minnick, Co-Founder & Co-Producer – Garagiste Festival Part One
Segment Eight: Doug Minnick, Co-Founder & Co-Producer – Garagiste Festival Part Two

Happy 4th to all and thanks for sharing your Holiday Weekend with us.

We’re here for you…

Now, a mouthwatering preview of Saturday’s red-hot show. Our fireworks are always safe & sane. Bring on the apple pie…With any luck we will always leave you hungry and thirsty. In our case, that’s a good thing…

TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Brea and Corona) has an impressive new location in Irvine at The Market Place. All the TAPS locations differ in design so you never have the feeling you’re dining in an impersonal, corporate restaurant. The environment offers fine dining and a more casual bar-lounge area. There is a comfortable patio, too. They are famous for their Sunday brunch and serve lunch, dinner and happy hour. Chef Andrew Monterrosa joins us with all the 411 on TAPS Irvine.

Downtown Las Vegas is not an easy market for independent restaurants.

You’re competing with all the dining options available in the large Hotels and must appeal to visitors, conventioneers, and the discriminating locals. Not an easy task. Shift Hospitality has overcome the obstacles with their highly successful MTO Café serving breakfast and lunch. They have recently opened a second branch in the Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin. It’s also open for dinner. Chef-Partner Johnny Church is our guest.

Think you’re heard everything you could possibly need to know about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet ? Think again…We’re diving into The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook – Harness the Power of the World’s Healthiest Diet to Live Better, Longer written by international cooking expert Amy Riolo.

When we last chatted with Chef Ben Ford he was just about to open the relocated Ford’s Filling Station at L.A. Live in the JW Marriott Los Angeles. It’s breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant with Sunday Brunch, too. We’ll get caught up with Chef Ben and hear about his newly initiated Whole Hog Dinner. It’s a feast for 6 to 8 people! Chef Ben suggests that you “fill up on all the good things in life.”

Our own resident Guest Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, is at it again doing the seemingly impossible. He just opened a new Slapfish at LAX on a super compressed timetable that required a lot of ingenuity (and long hours) to pull-off. Chef Andrew is in Palm Springs on a menu development retreat. We’ll catch-up with him.

Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure produced by Garagiste Events, returns to Los Angeles on July 11th, with 50+ artisan ‘garagiste’ winemakers pouring over 200 wines in a new, and appropriately rock and roll, venue : the stunning art deco landmark, The Wiltern in Koreatown. A new element of the Festival is a first-time alliance with Artisnal LA that will see a mini pop-up of a sampling of their best artisan food producers offering tastes of their healthy, local, sustainable and delicious edibles.

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Andrew MonterrosaTAPS Fish House & Brewery (Brea and Corona) has an impressive new location in Irvine at The Market Place. All the TAPS locations differ in design so you never have the feeling you’re dining in an impersonal, corporate restaurant.

The stylish environment offers fine dining and a more casual bar-lounge area. There is a comfortable patio, too. They are famous for their Sunday brunch and serve lunch, dinner and happy hour.

The private dining room at the news TAPS Irvine accommodates 125 guests and features a handsome stone fireplace and large barn doors that slide open across an arched entry. A 1,800-square-foot, cigar-friendly patio with a full-service menu and cocktails seats 100.

TAPS is as well known for its quality cuisine served in generous portions as it is for award-winning, handcrafted ales and lagers. There is a critically acclaimed wine list, which includes 150 California-centric selections by the bottle and 20 wines by the glass.

The Irvine location has an impressive 24 taps – 14 of them for TAPS seasonal and signature ales and lagers. There are an additional four guest beers on draft selected by Brewmaster David Huls.

This is the first TAPS to showcase select meats and fish cooked on a J & R “Little Red Smokehouse” smoker. This Rolls Royce of smokers from Mesquite, TX is fueled by apple wood and cherry wood. It’s inspired by the smoker at sister restaurant, Lillie’s Q in Brea. A smoked prime rib is offered nightly. Rotating smoked fish offerings include trout, albacore, salmon, mussels and oysters.

Chef Andrew Monterrosa joins us with all the 411 on TAPS Irvine.

Downtown Las Vegas is not an easy market for independent restaurants.

You’re competing with all the dining options available in the large Hotels and must appeal to visitors, conventioneers, and the discriminating locals. Not an easy task.

Johnny ChurchShift Hospitality has overcome the obstacles with their highly successful MTO Café serving breakfast and lunch. They have recently opened a second branch in the Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin. It’s also open for dinner.

The MTO Cafes serve fresh comfort food in a highly personal, everyday atmosphere. The goal is to position the MTO Cafes as the locals’ neighborhood go-to.

Chef Johnny Church is the culinary talent behind MTO. Named 2014 Culinarian of the Year by the Nevada Restaurant Association, Chef Johnny is an up and coming star on the dynamic Vegas food scene.

His career path has taken him through Rick Moonen’s rm Seafood & Rx Boiler Room, Charlie Palmer’s Aureole at Mandalay Bay, Andre’s at the Monte Carlo, Alize at the Top of the Palms, Paris Las Vegas’ Eiffel Tower Restaurant and the former AJ’s Steakhouse at the Hard Rock Hotel. He was part of Bradley Ogden’s opening team at Root 246 in Solvang, CA. Earlier in his career he was chef for Gordon Ramsey’s “Kitchen Nightmares.”

MTO’s Chef-Partner Johnny Church is our guest.

Amy RioloThink you’re heard everything you could possibly need to know about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet? Think again…

We’re diving into The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook – Harness the Power of the World’s Healthiest Diet to Live Better, Longer written by international cooking expert Amy Riolo. It’s based on the science of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

She gets right to the core of the Mediterranean lifestyle explaining what should be eaten, when it should be eaten, and why. Each recipe is complemented by “Mediterranean Tradition” – information on the history, culture, lore, and nutritional value of the dish and its ingredients.

Recent studies show that people who follow a Mediterranean diet were 47 percent less likely to develop heart disease – and the news gets even better. A Mediterranean diet works for all genders, all age groups, and regardless of overall condition.

Combined with the fact that the foods most common to the Mediterranean diet are easily available in the U.S. and Canada – and already number among our most popular dishes – make this diet plan perhaps one of the most effective, easiest to follow, and delicious. Rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, and even wine, The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet allows you to enjoy appealing food and good health.

Chef Ben Ford at the KLAA StudiosWhen we last chatted with Chef Ben Ford he was just about to open the relocated Ford’s Filling Station at L.A. Live in the JW Marriott Los Angeles. It’s breakfast, lunch and dinner with Sunday Brunch, too. We’ll get caught up with Chef Ben and hear about his newly initiated Whole Hog Dinner. It’s a feast for 6 to 8 people!

Chef Ben suggests that you “fill up on all the good things in life.”

Situated in the lobby of the JW Marriott Los Angeles, the new Ford’s Filling Station L.A. LIVE is an evolution of chef and restaurateur Ben Ford’s original ‘gastropub’ concept, showcasing sustainable, regional cuisine. Drawing inspiration from the abundance of fresh produce and artisanal meats available through California farms, as well as his travels through the south and southwest, Chef Ford has created a menu that is a unique blend of west coast flavors and southwest influence.

An onsite smoker fired with a blend of apple, pecan and cherry wood lends exceptional tenderness and flavor to meats; while fruits and vegetables culled from regional farms enhance a carefully curated menu.

The cocktail program from innovative mixologist Dushan Zarin of New York’s famed Employees Only bar, is food-friendly and filled with classic libations, craft beers and farm-fresh savory cocktails.

His impressive cookbook, Taming the Feast: Ben Ford’s Field Guide to Adventurous Cooking, focuses not only on bringing people together to eat good, sustainable organic food, but gathering lots, and lots, of people together to enjoy sumptuous feasts.

Andrew GruelOur own resident Guest Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, is at it again doing the seemingly impossible. He just opened a new Slapfish at LAX on a super compressed timetable that required a lot of ingenuity (and long hours) to pull-off. The Irvine Slapfish debuts mid-month.

Chef Andrew is in Palm Springs on a menu development retreat. He’s testing recipes with a crew of colleagues. We’ll catch-up with him and, yes, find out what’s cooking…

Garagiste FestivalGaragiste Festival: Urban Exposure produced by Garagiste Events, returns to Los Angeles on July 11th, from 2 to 6:00 p.m. with 50+ artisan ‘garagiste’ winemakers pouring over 200 wines in a new, and appropriately rock and roll, venue: the stunning art deco landmark, The Wiltern in Koreatown. Proceeds from the non-profit festival will benefit Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture program. Tickets are available here.

A new element of the Festival is a first-time alliance with Artisnal LA that will see a mini pop-up of a sampling of their best artisan food producers offering tastes of their healthy, local, sustainable and delicious edibles.

“We have always felt that finding undiscovered winemakers is like discovering a new band in a club before they have a hit record, so The Wiltern’s rock and roll history is a perfect fit for these renegade, under-the-radar wine makers. Plus, it is a stunning place,” said Doug Minnick Co-founder of The Garagiste Festivals. “And, as our fans know, a really cool venue is an integral part of the garagiste experience. As always, we will have one-on-one interaction with the winemakers, an unmatched tasting range of amazing hard-to-find wines, a no-snobs-allowed atmosphere, and just plain fun.”

The Garagiste Wine Festivals, which first exposed the American garagiste movement, are among the most unique and influential wine events in the world. They are the only wine events that exclusively showcase ultra-premium, cutting-edge, micro-production commercial wineries that produce fewer than 1,500 cases (and many under 800) a year.

“Garagistes” is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Executive Chef Andrew Monterrosa, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Irvine
Segment Three: Chef Johnny Church, MTO Cafes, Las Vegas
Segment Four: Amy Riolo, The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook
Segment Five: Chef Ben Ford, Ford’s Filling Station at L.A. Live
Segment Six: Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group
Segment Seven: Doug Minnick, Co-Founder & Co-Producer – Garagiste Festival Part One
Segment Eight: Doug Minnick, Co-Founder & Co-Producer – Garagiste Festival Part Two

Show 118, April 18, 2015: Left Coast Brewing Co.

Shawn HadjisShawn Hadjis of Left Coast Brewing Co. (Director of Sales and Marketing) continues.

Left Coast Brewing Co. primarily distributes beer to bars and restaurants in kegs and bottles. The brewery also produces 8 full-time beers for the Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Co. restaurants. They project to produce 15,000 barrels of beer in 2015.

They also operate a Taproom at The Brewery in San Clemente that is open at night on Weekdays and extended hours on Weekends. All of the year-round styles and the current seasonal beers are available to sample in 5 oz., 10 oz. and 16 oz. pours. All beers are available in half-gallon growlers to go.

Left Coast produces six beers year-round with the flagship beer being Hop Juice Double IPA. The other year-round beers are the Asylum Belgian Style Tripel Ale, Trestles IPA, Voo Doo American Stout, Del Mar St. Dortmunder Style Export Lager and Una Mas Amber Lager. The seasonal beer for Spring is Red Tide Belgian-Style Red Ale.

Show 77, June 21, 2014: Guest Host Linda Kissam and Producer Andy preview the show

How do you conduct a serious educational wine tasting (that’s also fun) with a group? Wine, food and travel writer Linda Kissam is with us to explain.

Quality Italian beef, pasta, and sustainable seafood are on the menu at the new Chianina Steakhouse in the Naples area of Long Beach. This is from the hospitality team known for Michael’s on Naples. Linda Kissam recently experienced a dinner there.

The craft beer movement, surprisingly, is vibrant and thriving in Alabama. Back Forty Beer Co. is the largest, and oldest, packaging brewery in the State.

The 36th Annual Greek Festival brings a “Taste of Greece” to Orange County at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church from June 27th to 29th. More than 11,000 guests are expected to attend the three-day festival which will feature traditional Greek cuisine, wine tasting, live music, and authentic Greek dancing with lessons. It’s a family-friendly affair!

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

June 21: Linda Kissam, Chianina Steakhouse, Back Forty Beer Co, Irvine Greek Fest

Podcasts

Segment One: Guest Host Linda Kissam and Producer Andy preview the show
Segment Two: Linda Kissam, food, wine and travel writer, 1st Vice President, IFWTWA Part One
Segment Three: Linda Kissam, food, wine and travel writer, 1st Vice President, IFWTWA Part Two
Segment Four: Alejandro Duran, General Manager, Chianina Steakhouse, Naples Island, Long Beach Part One
Segment Five: EAlejandro Duran, General Manager, Chianina Steakhouse, Naples Island, Long Beach Part Two
Segment Six: Jason Wilson, Founder, Back Forty Beer Co., Gadsden, AL Part One
Segment Seven: Jason Wilson, Founder, Back Forty Beer Co., Gadsden, AL Part Two
Segment Eight: Restaurateur George Kookootsedes, 36th Annual Greek Festival, St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church, Irvine

Guest Host Linda Kissam and Producer Andy preview the show.

How do you conduct a serious educational wine tasting (that’s also fun) with a group? Wine, food and travel writer Linda Kissam is with us to explain.

Quality Italian beef, pasta, and sustainable seafood are on the menu at the new Chianina Steakhouse in the Naples area of Long Beach. This is from the hospitality team known for Michael’s on Naples. Linda Kissam recently experienced a dinner there.

The craft beer movement, surprisingly, is vibrant and thriving in Alabama. Back Forty Beer Co. is the largest, and oldest, packaging brewery in the State.

The 36th Annual Greek Festival brings a “Taste of Greece” to Orange County at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church from June 27th to 29th. More than 11,000 guests are expected to attend the three-day festival which will feature traditional Greek cuisine, wine tasting, live music, and authentic Greek dancing with lessons. It’s a family-friendly affair!

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Linda KissamHow do you conduct a serious, educational wine tasting with a group that’s also entertaining and fun? Wine, food and travel writer Linda Kissam is with us to explain. She organizes tastings all the time…

She expertly demonstrated this recently for a group of professional food, wine, and travel journalists at the annual conference of the International, Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association in Montgomery, AL.

It was an organized tasting of five Italian Sparking Wines.

It’s fun but there is a proper way of doing this.

She also explains what the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association does and what their mission is. Linda serves as their First Vice President.

Chianina SteakhouseHigh-end steakhouses with a serious bar and deep wine lists are very much in fashion these days.

How about an elegant steakhouse that serves limited availability, high-quality Italian beef, prime steaks, and sustainable seafood? There is also a well-regarded executive chef (David Coleman) overseeing things. We’ll be meeting the General Manager of Chianina Steakhouse in the Naples neighborhood of Long Beach, part of the ever expanding Michael’s Restaurant Group. We’re joined by Alejandro Duran of Chianina.

Chianina beef will soon be on their menu.

Jason WilsonFounded in 2009 by Jason Wilson, Back Forty Beer Co. is one of the oldest Alabama breweries and the first to distribute outside of the state. Back Forty beers are available statewide in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. The brewery is located in Historic Downtown Gadsden, Alabama.

“In 2008, after several years in the corporate world and with over 150 brewery tours under his belt, founder Jason Wilson reached out to renowned Brewmaster Jamie Ray and asked for his help in developing recipes for Back Forty Beer Co.

The goal for the liquid was simple – to expose Southerners to the same craft beer culture that Wilson had been part of for the last ten years. This meant starting out with classic beer styles and evolving with customers along the way. Jamie agreed and in January of 2009 he became Back Forty’s first employee.

In June of 2009, Back Forty released its first offering, Naked Pig Pale Ale. The beer was only available in the North-Central Alabama home market, but the response was overwhelming. In March of 2010 the second Back Forty offering hit the shelves, Truck Stop Honey Brown Ale. Later that year Truck Stop Honey was awarded a Silver Medal at the Great American Beer Festival, and in the weeks following, distribution offers poured in that allowed Back Forty to expand its coverage throughout Alabama.

Jason revealed the great news that it looks like Back Forty Beer Co.’s styles will be available in Southern California by year’s end. We’ll keep you posted…

irvine-greek-festThe 36th Annual Greek Festival brings a “Taste of Greece” to Orange County at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church from June 27th to 29th. More than 11,000 guests are expected to attend the three-day festival which will feature traditional Greek cuisine, wine tasting, live music, and authentic Greek dancing with lessons. It’s a family-friendly affair!

Legendary OC Restaurateur Mr. K (George Kookootsedes)
(John Dominis) is our guest…As a dedicated volunteer he puts the incredible food program together each year.

As guest host Linda Kissam notes , “It’s the next best thing to flying to Greece.”

Podcasts

Segment One: Guest Host Linda Kissam and Producer Andy preview the show
Segment Two: Linda Kissam, food, wine and travel writer, 1st Vice President, IFWTWA Part One
Segment Three: Linda Kissam, food, wine and travel writer, 1st Vice President, IFWTWA Part Two
Segment Four: Alejandro Duran, General Manager, Chianina Steakhouse, Naples Island, Long Beach Part One
Segment Five: EAlejandro Duran, General Manager, Chianina Steakhouse, Naples Island, Long Beach Part Two
Segment Six: Jason Wilson, Founder, Back Forty Beer Co., Gadsden, AL Part One
Segment Seven: Jason Wilson, Founder, Back Forty Beer Co., Gadsden, AL Part Two
Segment Eight: Restaurateur George Kookootsedes, 36th Annual Greek Festival, St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church, Irvine

Show 31, June 15, 2013: David Walker, co-founder of Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

David Walker of Firestone Walker Brewing CompanyBack in 1996 David and Adam Firestone had this crazy idea to ferment ale in 60 gallon oak barrels reviving a style of brewing ales in England from some 150 years ago. Their first effort was the now popular Double Barrel Ale, the signature of the brewery. The brewery is now located in Paso Robles.

In making the reference to wine David suggests Ales compare to the red varietals. They are bolder in character and full bodied. Lagers are lighter in character and compare to the while varietals.

On Father’s Day, Firestone-Walker Brewing in concert with Food GPS is hosting a Father’s Day Collabrewtive Brunch at Lot 613 in Downtown Los Angeles from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. In addition to the craft beer sampling six food stations will be there featuring the creations of top local chefs including Daniel Mattern and Roxanna Jullapat of Cooks County.

Coffee-infused beers will be on the menu, too, specially created for the event by the brewmasters working with master coffee roasters. Firestone-Walker is matched with Intelligentsia Coffee.