Show 434, July 17, 2021: Co-Host Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group with “Ask the Chef”

Chef Andrew Gruel savoring a New Jersey style Pizza

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where Chef Andrew responds to listeners thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew is continually updating us on the real impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the hospitality field and what we, as diners, can do to support the continued survival of restaurants during the initial, highly fluid stages of the hoped-for recovery. Genuine concerns remain…

Chef Andrew provides more of his insider’s perspective on how the restaurant business is bouncing back from the pandemic. What changes can we expect in full-service dining with a focus on fine dining?

He also reports on the progress of his new ambitious Save the Brave Burger” fundraiser to benefit Veterans with PTS.

Show 429, June 12, 2021: Co-Host Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group with “Ask the Chef”

Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where Chef Andrew responds to listeners thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew is continually updating us on the real impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the hospitality field and what we, as diners, can do to support the very survival of restaurants during the initial, highly fluid stages of the hoped-for recovery.

Now that guests are finally able to return to full-service restaurants in greater numbers maintaining civility between guests and staff is important. There also can be an unfortunate lack of courtesy between guests. How far should it escalate with a problem guest before Management lets a customer know that their over-the-top, bad behavior simply won’t be tolerated? We’ll ask Chef Andrew.

Keep in mind the juicy and delicious Community Burger (more than a mouthful) is available at all Southern California locations of Slapfish. The worthy burger is free with any donation to 86 Restaurant Struggle.” 100 per cent of that money goes to benefit struggling restaurant workers.

Show 424, May 8, 2021: Co-Host Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group with “Ask the Chef”

Andy Harris and Andrew Gruel at Cabana 14 at the Cove at Pechanga Resort and Casino

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where Chef Andrew responds to listeners thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew is continually updating us on the real impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the hospitality field and what we, as diners, can do to support the very survival of restaurants during the initial, highly fluid stages of the hoped-for recovery which remains a genuine concern. Restaurants in Southern California are finally again allowed to operate for outside/patio dining and inside dining at reduced capacities with all the requisite COVID 19 safety precautions.

Shifting the conversation back to food and the hospitality business we also ask Chef Andrew about the increasing practice of full-service restaurants adding a partial or full gratuity to the guest’s check in advance of the payment regardless of the number of guests dining. We’ve observed an extra 4 per cent being added on as a contribution to staff health premiums as well as a full 16 per cent gratuity (pre-tax.)

Next week we’ll talk about the current labor shortage as restaurants are reopening for service. Staff is needed for both front and back of the house.

Remember the juicy and delicious Community Burger (more than a mouthful) is available at all Southern California locations of Slapfish. The worthy burger is free with any donation to 86 Restaurant Struggle.” 100 per cent of that money goes to benefit struggling restaurant workers.

Show 60, February 8, 2013: Andrew Gruel, Executive Chef & Partner, Slapfish

Andrew GruelFood trucks have proven to be a worthwhile testing ground for innovative food concepts. A great example is Slapfish with a limited service, fast-casual restaurant in Huntington Beach located in a strip center. A new Laguna Beach location will launch later this year.

The partners started with one food truck serving the OC in 2009. By 2011 they had three trucks serving both Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Executive Chef Andrew Gruel is with us to fill us in on the Slapfish tale. They have recently signed a lucrative franchise agreement to open 75 full service restaurants in the Middle East over the next 5 to 7 years.

Laguna Beach is next in SoCal.

They like to characterize Slapfish as a modern seafood shack. It’s a real American seafood experience that revolves around fresh, sustainable fish, prepared simply, but delivering big flavors.

February 8: Caroline Styne, San Antonio Winery, Andrew Gruel, Brad A. Johnson, Paul Gstrein, Linda Kissam

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Caroline Styne, Wine Director and Partner, Lucques, A.O.C., The Tavern, and The Larder
Segment Three: Allan Stark, San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles
Segment Four: Andrew Gruel, Executive Chef & Partner, Slapfish
Segment Five: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic, Orange County Register
Segment Six: Paul Gstrein, Executive Chef, Bayside Restaurant
Segment Seven: Linda Kissam, Food, Wine & Travel Journalist, 1st Vice President, IFWTWA
Segment Eight: Jet Tila on Manhattan Dining

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

Valentine’s Day is next week so get moving and don’t panic. It falls on a Friday this year. Friday is an especially tough day for restaurants due to Valentine’s Day anxiety so if you want to be a bit more relaxed make your plans for Saturday or Sunday instead. Still the Valentine’s Day orbit but a bit less crazed for the restaurant. You’ll definitely have better service…

Chef jet Tila and Alton BrownFood Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” with host Alton Brown is back on Sunday nights for Season 2. Our own Chef Jet Tila is the most frequently appearing solo judge on this tough competition show that requires strategy as well as cooking chops. Look for Jet’s new episodes starting in February.

It’s the Winter Olympics in Sochi and a classic Newport Beach restaurant is serving a special Olympics-themed menu for the duration. We’ll go inside the menu with the creative executive chef. Caroline Styne is the partner and Wine Director (with Chef Suzanne Goin) in Lucques, A.O.C. and Tavern in West Hollywood and Los Angeles. We’ll talk with her and get insight on how you keep a firmly established and growing restaurant group fresh for the dining public. We’ll also hear the story of Slapfish which started as a modest food truck and now is a growing international empire. Did you know there is an emerging wine region in Northern Baja? You’ll learn about a promising winery in the Guadalupe Valley founded by Italians. Brad A. Johnson, the restaurant critic for The Orange County Register, joins us to talk about letter grades for restaurants. We’ll also have a visit with travel journalist Linda Kissam, who was recently in Spain touring the wineries representing the 50 best Cavas produced there.

All of that and lots more incredible deliciousness on the “SoCal Restaurant Show.”

Caroline StyneCaroline Styne had an extensive background in specialty food products, catering, and restaurant management before partnering with Chef Suzanne Goin to open Lucques in 1988. In December of 2002, Goin & Styne opened their second restaurant, A.O.C., where the concept of small plates and fifty wines by the glass was born out of their shared passion for going out and sampling a variety of appetizers and intriguing wines. A.O.C. relocated to the face-lifted former Orso space about a mile West on 3rd Street in late 2012. Styne is the Wine Director for all the restaurants.

Tavern, in Brentwood, followed in May of 2009. It offers fine dining all day along with The Larder which has gourmet prepared foods and packaged goods. There is a new Larder at Burton Way in the luxury 8500 Burton Way Apartments on the border of L.A. and Beverly Hills as well as at LAX.

Styne contributed the helpful wine notes to Suzanne’s The A.O.C. Cookbook.

“And because wine and cheese are at the heart of A.O.C. there are two exciting additions. Caroline Styne presents a specific wine pairing for each dish. Styne explains why each varietal works well with the ingredients and which flavors she’s trying to highlight, and she gives you room to experiment as well – showing how to shape the wine to your own palate. Whether you’re just grabbing a glass to go with dinner or planning an entire menu, her expert notes are a real education in wine.”

LA Cetto WinesDid you know there is a burgeoning wine industry in Mexico? Finally some of these affordable wines are finding their way into the United States. Shouldn’t a fine Mexican restaurant also offer premium Mexican wines?

One of the premier grape growing areas of Mexico is in the Guadalupe Valley (and adjacent valleys) located in Northern Baja California. It has the rural feel of the flat areas of Sonoma County from 40 years ago.

The predecessor wine interests of L.A. Cetto were established in Baja by Italians in the late 1920s. In 1960 L.A. Cetto acquired their first vineyards in the Guadalupe Valley. Today they have some 2,500 acres in the Valley under the stewardship of the 3rd generation of the Baja-based Cetto Family. They are the largest producer of table wines in Mexico.

L.A’s own San Antonio Winery (dating to 1917) is the distributor of L.A. Cetto wines in Southern California. Allan Stark, a 25-year veteran of San Antonio Winery joins us to tell the L.A. Cetto story and discuss some of their premium reserve wines including Nebbiolo, Chardonnay, and a Brut Sparkling wine.

Andrew GruelFood trucks have proven to be a worthwhile testing ground for innovative food concepts. A great example is Slapfish with a limited service, fast-casual restaurant in Huntington Beach located in a strip center. A new Laguna Beach location will launch later this year.

The partners started with one food truck serving the OC in 2009. By 2011 they had three trucks serving both Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Executive Chef Andrew Gruel is with us to fill us in on the Slapfish tale. They have just signed a franchise agreement to open 75 full service restaurants in the Middle East over the next 5 to 7 years.

They like to characterize Slapfish as a modern seafood shack. It’s a real American seafood experience that revolves around fresh, sustainable fish, prepared simply, but delivering big flavors.

Letter Grades at RestaurantsLast month The Orange County Register’s James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic, Brad A. Johnson, was looking to review a Newport Beach restaurant. Instead all of the members of his dining group came down with severe cases of food poisoning. When Brad checked the Health Department records of this restaurant he was surprised to learn that they had received a serious violation on each of their previous inspections since they opened two years ago.

Brad is with us to discuss his campaign for Orange County restaurants to receive Letter Grades as a result of their Health Department inspections as is practice in Los Angeles County and other areas of California.

The Winter Olympics in Sochi is underway. Russia is on peoples’ minds.

Paul Gstrein of Bayside RestaurantPaul Gstrein, the long-time (Austria-born) executive chef at Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach has been inspired by Russia, too. For the duration of the Games Paul will be featuring Russian dishes as appetizers, entrees, and even desserts. How about Beef Short Rib Borscht and Berkshire Pork Tenderloin Stroganoff?

Please note that not every appetizer or entrée on the special Russian menu will be available each night.

Linda KissamThe very well-traveled Linda Kissam is a respected food, wine, and travel writer who is on the go most of the time. She serves as the 1st Vice President of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association. She is also an author and the Global Wine & Travel Editor-at-Large for Luxe Beat Magazine.

Late last year Linda was invited to Spain to tour the Penedes wine region, the heart of cava sparkling wine production. Her mission was to taste and evaluate 50 fine cavas over an intensive five day period. Linda shares the highlights of this very special experience with us.

Le BernardinChef Jet has been in New York twice over the last two weeks and has enjoyed some standout dining adventures along the way. Jet shares the details of his truly exquisite meal at the classic Le Bernardin. It’s expertly prepared French seafood from Chef Eric Ripert at a very high level.

Jet also visited Ippudo, a well-known Japanese ramen shop.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Caroline Styne, Wine Director and Partner, Lucques, A.O.C., The Tavern, and The Larder
Segment Three: Allan Stark, San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles
Segment Four: Andrew Gruel, Executive Chef & Partner, Slapfish
Segment Five: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic, Orange County Register
Segment Six: Paul Gstrein, Executive Chef, Bayside Restaurant
Segment Seven: Linda Kissam, Food, Wine & Travel Journalist, 1st Vice President, IFWTWA
Segment Eight: Jet Tila on Manhattan Dining

Show 56, January 11, 2013: Jimmy Shaw, Founder and Executive Chef, Loteria! Grill

Jimmy Shaw of Loteria Grill and Torta CompanyWhen it comes to authentic regional Mexican cuisine few are as knowledgeable as Jimmy Shaw, the founder and executive chef of the popular Loteria! Grill Restaurants. He was born and raised in Mexico City

He started modestly with a graphically-interesting stand in a great location at The Original Farmers Market at Third & Fairfax. The locals were wowed. Since then full-service restaurants in Hollywood, Studio City, Santa Monica and Westlake Village have been added. Any moment now Downtown Los Angeles will launch at FIGat7th.

Next to Loteria! Downtown will be a new gourmet sandwich shop Jimmy is doing with his brother, Andrew. It’s the Torta Company.

October 5: Live from Patchwork Show: Edible Editon

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Jet Tila, host of the “SoCal Restaurant Show”
Segment Three: Carlos Salgago, Executive Chef and Proprietor of Taco Maria
Segment Four: Nicole Stevenson, co-producer of Patchwork Show – Edible Edition
Segment Five: Bill Esparza, the Mexican Food Maestro
Segment Six: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic for The Orange County Register Part One
Segment Seven: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic for The Orange County Register Part Two
Segment Eight: Marin Howarth, co-owner and Executive Chef Noah Blom of ARC restautant at SoCo

Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris preview the show.

Patchwork Show Edible EditionToday we’re broadcasting live from the Patchwork Show – Edible Edition at South Coast Collection in Costa Mesa from 10 to Noon.

Patchwork Edible is an annual creative food summit bringing visionary chefs, authors, bloggers, handmade craft vendors and food artisans together with attendees for a comprehensive and entertaining weekend of eating, learning, tasting and shopping.

Admission is free…

The always stylish, Kedric Francis, the Executive Editor of both Coast Magazine and The Orange County Register Magazine joins us as guest co-host.

Luckyrice Night MarketHost Jet Tila is in Las Vegas for the LUCKYRICE Night Market on the pool deck of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas tonight from 7 to 10:00 p.m. Jet will be serving his signature Khao Soi (a Northern Thailand favorite) and seasonal flavors of his refreshing Kuma Snow Cream.

VIP and General Admission tickets are available.

Carlos Salgado of Taco MariaChef Carlos Salgado has a background as a fine-dining pastry chef. He relocated back to Orange County after his tenure at Commis in San Francisco and launched, with his family, the ambitious Taco Maria food truck in Orange County in 2011. He was honored with the distinction of being named the best gourmet food truck in OC by both major newspapers.

On Saturday’s Taco Maria was the featured food truck at The Farmers Market at SoCo. Carlos developed such a loyal and vast following that he was compelled to launch a real, full-service restaurant, including an outside heated patio, at SoCo.

Right now it’s dinner only with lunch and weekend brunch to follow. They hand-make their fresh tortillas on the spot. The meats and seafood are wood grilled and sustainable. The produce comes from local Orange County Farmers Markets.

Nicole StevensonPatchwork Show: Edible Edition co-producer Nicole Stevenson join us to preview the first-ever Patchwork Show: Edible Edition at SoCo in Costa Mesa this Weekend, Oct. 5th (from 11 to 8 p.m.) and Oct. 6th (from 11 to 5 p.m.)

This free, Weekend festival will showcase the flourishing artisan food movement in SoCal through an interactive experience filled with baking programs, food trucks, restaurant pop-ups, book signings, beer and wine gardens, samples and more!

The whole family – not just foodies – will enjoy the hands-on activities from DIY workshops to educational panels hosted by award-winning chefs to handmade products for sale from more than 90 food artisans and modern handmade businesses.

Bill EsparzaBill Esparza, the “Mexican Food Maestro” and authority on the food of Baja California is with us.

Bill leads escorted food tours of Tijuana and Northern Baja for journalists and the public alike. He’s given advice to Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern, among other notables.

Bill is moderating “Justin Timberlake good for Tequila? Gentrification of Mexican Spirits” panel tomorrow afternoon (Sunday) at Patchwork Show: Edible Edition. Mezcal and Tequila will be sampled as part of the discussion.

Photography by Brad A JohnsonIt’s been about a year since Brad A. Johnson joined the Orange County Register as their high profile restaurant critic. Previously The Register’s restaurant reviews tended to accentuate the positive.

Brad is a James Beard Award-winning food and travel journalist who brings a more worldly view to his writing which includes praise and specific criticism.

Johnson will discuss how a restaurant critic approaches reviewing a restaurant and what the process is. He’ll also touch on a year’s worth of observations of the Orange County dining scene.

It’s fair to say the restaurant opening of the year in Orange County is ARC right here at SoCo in Costa Mesa. The reviews have been ethereal. Last Sunday they were the recipient of the Golden Foodie for “Best New Restaurant.”

Marin Howarth and Executive Chef Noah BlomARC owners Marin Howarth and Executive Chef Noah Blom join us to talk about their wild ride.

It’s all from-scratch cooking with locally sourced ingredients. Every menu item is unusually cooked over an open fire. It’s an open kitchen so everything is totally visible to the guest. Great care goes into the preparation of the libations, too, under the supervision of a bar chef. Bitters, infusions, syrups, and sodas are all made in-house.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Jet Tila, host of the “SoCal Restaurant Show”
Segment Three: Carlos Salgago, Executive Chef and Proprietor of Taco Maria
Segment Four: Nicole Stevenson, co-producer of Patchwork Show – Edible Edition
Segment Five: Bill Esparza, the Mexican Food Maestro
Segment Six: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic for The Orange County Register Part One
Segment Seven: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic for The Orange County Register Part Two
Segment Eight: Marin Howarth, co-owner and Executive Chef Noah Blom of ARC restautant at SoCo