Show 287, August 25, 2018: FOODBEAST’s SPAM Restaurant Month

Geoff KutnickFor the entire month of August, FOODBEAST is bringing you SPAM® Restaurant Month! This month-long event showcases the versatility of SPAM® and its place on the restaurant scene nationwide, from fast-casual to fine dining concepts. Think $100 Gold SPAM® Musubis in San Francisco to SPAM® Tamales in Orlando.

FOODBEAST has curated an impressive lineup of concepts across the United States to share their SPAM® creations. Each item is what FOODBEAST likes to call ‘FOODBEAST Approved’ for taste, creativity and newsworthiness, pushing restaurants to unprecedented lengths of SPAM® innovation.

FOODBEAST’s Geoff Kutnick opens the tin for us on these wild chef-driven creations.

Show 246, November 4, 2017: Tyler Malek, Co-Founder & Head Ice Cream Maker, Salt & Straw Ice Cream

Tyler MalekSalt & Straw Ice Cream is a family-run, chef-driven ice cream company with kitchens and scoop shops in Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles (5 locations in the L.A. area) that partners with local artisans, producers and farmers to serve unusually creative and absolutely delicious ice cream. Co-Founder and Head Ice Cream Maker Tyler Malek is our guest.

Each ice cream is handmade in small batches using only all-natural cream from local farms in each city. Flavors showcase the best local, organic and sustainable ingredients from Oregon and Southern California farmers and artisans as well as imported flavors from small hand-picked farms from around the world.

There is a whole menu of inspiring Thanksgiving flavors. Think Buttered Mashed Potatoes & Gravy and Salted Caramel Thanksgiving Turkey.

The company started in Portland, OR serving eight flavors from an ice cream cart in May of 2011. Scoops of handmade, small batch ice creams, sundaes, milkshakes and floats as well as pints to go are available at each shop with an ice cream sommelier of sorts who will gladly take you through a tasting of all the flavors.

 

Show 236, August 12, 2017: Chef D. Brandon Walker, The Mar Vista, Los Angeles

Derek Brandon WalkerThe new The Mar Vista restaurant in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles is a chef-driven, food-first experience with locally sourced farm-to-table ingredients, unusual & rare-label wines and an eclectic lineup of live music. The culinary personalities behind it are Executive Chefs D. Brandon Walker and Jill Davie. It’s dinner nightly and Sunday Brunch.

The Mar Vista’s menu, affectionately dubbed progressive Los Angeles cuisine, features renditions of local favorites enhanced by wide-ranging flavors from L.A.’s diverse communities. Walker, Davie, and Chef de Cuisine Jorge Rivas infuse dishes with flavors from North Africa, Central America, Asia, and the Mediterranean to represent the varied diaspora. Daily specials, a Brazilian churrasco, and Davie’s signature Cranked, a tableside device that uses vintage grinders to make “ugly” fruit into granita, complete the offerings.

Further enriching the community-driven concept, The Mar Vista presents live music performances on Friday and Saturday evenings with a late-night menu accompanying the mellow sounds from a bluegrass or jazz band, among others.

We’ll meet the always energetic “Chef D.”

 

Show 216, March 25, 2017: Chef Staci Miller’s The Miller’s Table, Oceanside, CA

Staci MillerOne of the most distinctive and personal restaurants in the new wave of Oceanside’s chef-driven establishments is Chef Staci Miller’s The Miller’s Table. Her beverage goal is to compliment the vibrant Oceanside craft beer scene with her extensive knowledge of fine wine. It’s very hands-on and intimate with all of 24 seats. Most of the seats are at one, large Family Table.

The Miller’s Table is an intimate community experience, with simple, fresh fare, unique wines, craft beers and beverages all brought to a centerpiece of a family table. With all of the fresh produce available in North County, a large portion of Staci Miller’s menu is dedicated to Inspired Vegetables, balanced with Cheese & Charcuterie, and a creative cadre of Sandwiches, all fresh and made in house.

“Of note; our albacore confit tuna and house-made potato chips. With 24 seats, the service is very personal, with no waiters, but rather a culinary team that delivers the food they just prepared. Wine is presented as flights for exploration, with a wine list that changes weekly.”

We’ll meet the passionate Chef Staci.

Show 78, July 5, 2014: Food GPS’ Josh Lurie and Chef Chris Oh of Seoul Sausage Co. and Escala

Joshua Lurie of Food GPS“The inaugural Food GPS Rib Festival is taking place on Sunday, July 13th, from 4 to 7:00 p.m., at Chinatown’s historic Central Plaza. This chef-driven, all-inclusive event spotlights 12 of L.A.’s best chefs preparing unique rib preparations and sides. Guests will also enjoy desserts, craft beers, cocktails and soda.”

Food GPS Founder Josh Lurie and Chef Chris Oh of Seoul Sausage Co., Escala, and Houston Hospitality preview the Festival. Chef Chris is preparing a Korean style bbq rib along with a Columbian-influenced side.

Show 65, March 15, 2014: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

Heritage breed pigs are the talk of in-the-know chefs these days. We’ll meet the enterprising husband & wife couple behind Cook Pigs Ranch, a noted local producer of “farm to table heritage pigs.” You’ll also learn the intriguing story of a former Bouchon Beverly Hills chef who is soon to open an ambitious artisan butcher shop utilizing Old-World techniques in Santa Ana.

We’re journeying to San Diego where an energetic new executive chef is taking a San Diego seafood classic to a higher level with nightly changing tasting menus that are paired with boutique premium wines. The meals are, surprisingly, served with an incredible view of the bay.

We’re nuts about coffee on the “SoCal Restaurant Show.” So are our friends at the chef-driven Bruxie, the Belgian waffle sandwich guys. After a lot of research they have recently introduced their own “Bold Blend” custom crafted coffee. It’s a proprietary four-bean blend.

Los Angeles has a new food event with celebrity master chefs. It’s the All-Star Chef Classic at L.A. Live. We’ll have a preview.

High-end Tasting Menus at rarified fine-dining establishments are getting a lot of attention. Chef Jet and Producer Andy will be talking about Eater’s14 Most Expensive Tasting Menus in America.”

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

Show 65, March 15, 2014: Chef Kelly Mullarney, Co-Owner, Bruxie

Bruxie Bold Blend CoffeeWe’re fans of Bruxie. These are the premium sandwich folks who use a creative version of an authentic Belgian Waffle (they developed the proprietary recipe) as the bread. The waffle is light, airy, crispy and not sweet. Since they opened their first location in a classic former burger stand in Old Towne Orange within walking distance of Chapman University they have quickly grown to a total of six company-owned restaurants! No short cuts with quality ingredients here.

Bruxie partner and noted chef, Kelly Mullarney, is truly coffee obsessed. As a side project he set out to create a chef-driven coffee experience that would be bold and complex enough to stand up to, and complement, the flavors on the Bruxie menu.

The result is The Bold Blend, a proprietary, four-bean blend of 100 percent fair trade imported coffee beans. It’s now the house blend served at all Bruxies.