Show 518, March 25, 2023: Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres with Executive Sous Chef Mariela Quezada

Mariela Quezada of Bazaar Meat at Sahara Las Vegas

Bazaar Meat® by José Andrés at SAHARA Las Vegas is a groundbreaking culinary experience. Bazaar Meat by José Andrés is the James Beard award-winning chef’s wild and wonderful celebration of everything carnivorous. This restaurant is memorable and made to impress. Enjoy nuanced, playful cuisine and cocktails for which Bazaar Meat by José Andrés has become known on both coasts, in a strikingly seductive setting.”

Since it’s debut in 2014 Bazaar Meat has consistently ranked as one of the very top restaurants in fabulous Las Vegas! All of the four kitchens are visible to guests including the show-stopping Fire Pit.

“I will eat whatever makes me feel like a lion!” – José Andrés.

We nudge Executive Sous Chef Mariela Quezada away from her busy kitchens for a chat.

Show 471, April 23, 2022: Chef / Proprietor Wes Avila of Angry Egret Dinette and Ka’Teen Part One

Chef Wes Avila

Chef Wes Avila with a fine-dining background founded Guerrilla Tacos as a street cart in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles in August 2012. A year later he opened Guerrilla Tacos as a food truck and then as a brick -and -mortar restaurant in 2018, earning a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide to California in 2019.

In 2020 Chef Wes stepped away from Guerrilla Tacos and later that year founded the Angry Egret Dinette in L.A.’s Chinatown at Mandarin Plaza. It’s a James Beard Award nominee this year for “Best New Restaurant.” This fast casual service restaurant boasts a tranquil outdoor atrium patio and you order at the window for Breakfast and Lunch. Dinner (Friday and Saturday only) is full-service with an expanded menu. Reservations are strongly encouraged. “The seasonal Alta California style menu includes favorites such as the wild Mexican shrimp tacos, chilaquiles, mariscos, ceviches, hearty tortas, burritos, and whatever else Chef Wes and his inspired team create.”

This month Eater LA honored Angry Egret Dinette as one of their “38 Essential Restaurants” along with select highly regarded, fine-dining establishments.

KA’TEEN, Chef Wes’ latest and most ambitious restaurant, is an adventure to the lush jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula, nestled in the bustling heart of Hollywood at the Tommie Hotel. This new restaurant and Mezcal bar serves up discovery within every dish. The name KA’TEEN means “afresh” in Mayan, perfectly describing Chef Avila’s vibrant interpretation of the region’s rich and diverse culinary traditions. Immersed in 5,000 square feet of tropical garden space, guests can expand their palettes and broaden their horizons through creative tequila cocktails, bold Latin-American plates, and DJ sets that recall the rhythm of the rainforests.” For the moment it’s Dinner service only.

Show 471, April 23, 2022: Chef / Proprietor Wes Avila of Angry Egret Dinette and Ka’Teen Part Two

Chef Wes Avila

Chef Wes Avila with a fine-dining background founded Guerrilla Tacos as a street cart in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles in August 2012. A year later he opened Guerrilla Tacos as a food truck and then as a brick -and -mortar restaurant in 2018, earning a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide to California in 2019.

In 2020 Chef Wes stepped away from Guerrilla Tacos and later that year founded the Angry Egret Dinette in L.A.’s Chinatown at Mandarin Plaza. It’s a James Beard Award nominee this year for “Best New Restaurant.” This fast casual service restaurant boasts a tranquil outdoor atrium patio and you order at the window for Breakfast and Lunch. Dinner (Friday and Saturday only) is full-service with an expanded menu. Reservations are strongly encouraged. “The seasonal Alta California style menu includes favorites such as the wild Mexican shrimp tacos, chilaquiles, mariscos, ceviches, hearty tortas, burritos, and whatever else Chef Wes and his inspired team create.”

This month Eater LA honored Angry Egret Dinette as one of their “38 Essential Restaurants” along with select highly regarded, fine-dining establishments.

KA’TEEN, Chef Wes’ latest and most ambitious restaurant, is an adventure to the lush jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula, nestled in the bustling heart of Hollywood at the Tommie Hotel. This new restaurant and Mezcal bar serves up discovery within every dish. The name KA’TEEN means “afresh” in Mayan, perfectly describing Chef Avila’s vibrant interpretation of the region’s rich and diverse culinary traditions. Immersed in 5,000 square feet of tropical garden space, guests can expand their palettes and broaden their horizons through creative tequila cocktails, bold Latin-American plates, and DJ sets that recall the rhythm of the rainforests.” For the moment it’s Dinner service only.

Chef Wes Avila continues as our guest.

Show 460, February 5, 2022: Chef Sherry Yard of Bakery By the Yard, El Segundo Part One

The newly opened Bakery By the Yard in El Segundo is an elevated neighborhood bakery imagined by James Beard Award Winning Chef, cookbook author and Food TV personality (ABC’s “Great American Baking Show”) Sherry Yard. “Chef Sherry brings together farmers market ingredients, along with her award -winning recipes, to inspire the palates of all who visit. Whether it’s large scale events, custom catering, or cooking classes with Sherry + Friends, Bakery By the Yard offers something for everyone.”

VIP classes range from a Galentine’s Day Class to a Chocolate Lovers’ Class.

Look for Chef Sherry in late March on Food Network’s (and Discovery +) upcoming “The Julia Show” (a new competition series) hosted by Chef Antonia Lafaso.

Sherry Yard is our guest to tempt us with the best of both Bakery By the Yard and Pantry By the Yard.

Show 460, February 5, 2022: Chef Sherry Yard of Bakery By the Yard, El Segundo Part Two

The newly opened Bakery By the Yard in El Segundo is an elevated neighborhood bakery imagined by James Beard Award Winning Chef, cookbook author and Food TV personality (ABC’s “Great American Baking Show”) Sherry Yard. “Chef Sherry brings together farmers market ingredients, along with her award -winning recipes, to inspire the palates of all who visit. Whether it’s large scale events, custom catering, or cooking classes with Sherry + Friends, Bakery By the Yard offers something for everyone.”

VIP classes range from a Galentine’s Day Class to a Chocolate Lovers’ Class.

Look for Chef Sherry in late March on Food Network’s (and Discovery +) upcoming “The Julia Show” (a new competition series) hosted by Chef Antonia Lafaso.

Sherry Yard continues to further tempt us with the edible delights of Bakery By the Yard.

Show 444, September 25, 2021: Winemaker Steve Matthiasson, Matthiasson Wines, Napa Part One

Steve Matthiasson of Matthiasson WInes

“Winemaking at Matthiasson Wines (Steve and Jill) is a natural extension of farming. The Matthiasson’s have both worked for many years in the sustainable agriculture and local food movement, and in 2003 they started Matthiasson Wines based on those values. The wines are classical expressions of different grape varieties, some well-known like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, and some rare like Ribolla Gialla and Refosco. The wines are refreshing, complement food, and are moderate in alcohol.” Matthiasson Wines is a 6-time James Beard Award nominee.

“Matthiasson fervently believe the old maxim that “wine is made in the vineyard,” and consider themselves farmers first. They carefully tailor organic viticultural practices to each vineyard — this is how Matthiasson harvests healthy and fully ripe fruit with balanced levels of alcohol and acidity. They do their best to protect and enhance the natural environment in the process.”

“Matthiasson Winery in Napa is open for in-person tastings at the winery and vineyard! They host a limited number of outdoor tastings by appointment 7 days a week. The tastings are approximately 60-75 minutes in length and include a comprehensive lineup of 5 to 6 wines.”

Winemaker Steve Matthiasson is with us to pull the cork on all that is Matthiasson Winery.

Show 444, September 25, 2021: Winemaker Steve Matthiasson, Matthiasson Wines, Napa Part Two

Steve Matthiasson of Matthiasson WInes

“Winemaking at Matthiasson Wines (Steve and Jill) is a natural extension of farming. The Matthiasson’s have both worked for many years in the sustainable agriculture and local food movement, and in 2003 they started Matthiasson Wines based on those values. The wines are classical expressions of different grape varieties, some well-known like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, and some rare like Ribolla Gialla and Refosco. The wines are refreshing, complement food, and are moderate in alcohol.” Matthiasson Wines is a 6-time James Beard Award nominee.

“Matthiasson fervently believe the old maxim that “wine is made in the vineyard,” and consider themselves farmers first. They carefully tailor organic viticultural practices to each vineyard — this is how Matthiasson harvests healthy and fully ripe fruit with balanced levels of alcohol and acidity. They do their best to protect and enhance the natural environment in the process.”

“Matthiasson Winery in Napa is open for in-person tastings at the winery and vineyard! They host a limited number of outdoor tastings by appointment 7 days a week. The tastings are approximately 60-75 minutes in length and include a comprehensive lineup of 5 to 6 wines.”

Winemaker Steve Matthiasson pours a glass of his 2019 Napa Valley Ribolla Gialla, Matthiasson Vineyards, and continues with us.

Show 379, June 27, 2020: “Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy” with Producer & Director Elizabeth Carroll

Filmmaker Elizabeth CarrollDiana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy (documentary feature film) is an intimate, candid perspective into the curious world of cookbook author and British ex-pat Diana Kennedy – widely regarded as the world’s expert on Mexican cuisine. At five feet tall and 97 years old, Diana is larger than life: a foul-mouthed fireball far more feisty and energetic than her age and petite frame let on. Author of nine Mexican cookbooks, she has spent over 60 years researching and documenting the regional cuisines of Mexico.

“Kennedy has lived ‘off-the-grid’ on an eight-acre ranch outside Zitácuaro, Michoacán since the 1970’s: composting, growing her own crops, and using solar power to run her home. Aware of her own mortality, she is working tirelessly to solidify the legacy of her life’s efforts, with the hope of turning her home into a foundation for culinary education in Mexico.”

“A two-time James Beard Award winner, Diana was decorated with an Order of the Aztec Eagle from the Mexican government and became a Member of the Order of the British Empire from the UK in 2002. Despite her notable achievements, Diana is difficult to categorize. Often referred to as the “Julia Child of Mexico,” but Diana prefers a different title: “The Mick Jagger of Mexican Cuisine.”

“Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy explores Diana’s vibrant, unconventional life, blending vérité with archival footage, photographs and interviews. Viewers accompany her in intimate settings at home – cooking, gardening, and traveling to accept awards and speak to audiences. The film features interviews with notable chefs and friends including Alice Waters, José Andrés, Rick Bayless, and Gabriela Cámara, along with footage from Diana’s TLC cooking show, “The Art of Mexican Cooking.” Whether she is instructing chefs at her infamous “Boot Camp” cooking school, blazing her truck over the cobblestone roads of Zitácuaro or sunbathing with a scotch on her balcony, Diana is captivatingly bold, spirited, and unapologetically herself.”

“Diana Kennedy : Nothing Fancy” has just been released on various streaming platforms.

Show 374, May 23, 2020: Chef & Restaurateur Suzanne Goin, The Lucques Group Part Two

Suzanne Goin of the Lucques GroupJames Beard Award-winning Chef & Author Suzanne Goin is the Co-Proprietor of The Lucques Group with Caroline Styne.

LUCQUES CATERING, the full-service catering arm of The Lucques Group, has started take-out and delivery of Suzanne Goin’s signature dishes and menus for enjoying at home. The menus continue with a weekly changing Lucques Supper Series menu created by Suzanne Goin in addition to a complete brunch kit, pantry items and other selections.

An inspired list of sparkling, white, rosé and red wines, and all favorites of Caroline Styne, are available by the bottle or boxed sets. Bar man, Christiaan Röllich, completes the menu with two of his ready-mixed batched cocktails to-go.

Ordering is exclusively through TOCK for safety-compliant curbside pick-up at The Larder Maple Drive from Thursday through Sunday from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Delivery is also available within a five-mile radius for $15.

“My whole team and I have missed the restaurant and cooking for our guests so terribly for these past weeks, states Suzanne Goin. “We are thrilled to be back with our new version of Sunday Suppers for our guests to enjoy at home—and not just on Sundays! In our new Supper Series, our latest weekly seasonal menus from the market will be available Thursday to Sunday each week.”

Chef Suzanne Goin continues the conversation about the return of Lucques To-Go.

Show 371, May 2, 2020: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

It’s a time of great concern for all of us and our “SoCal Restaurant Show” mission, until the Covid-19 crisis is fully abated, is to provide reliable and genuinely useful information on how the restaurant business is coping with the rapidly evolving events. With an emphasis on the health, safety and well-being of our listeners we’ll be detailing what the range of services restaurants can now provide to their guests. Creativity and adaptability are at the forefront. We’re doing our level best to keep it upbeat…

Chefs and restaurateurs are honestly the most generous people we know. In times of need they are always the very first in generously giving back and meaningfully supporting their communities. Truly remarkable…Right now restaurants urgently need our support to stay afloat. Kindly keep this in mind and please do what you possibly can (as you can afford) to support a community-focused, local restaurant….

As always, we greatly appreciate you being a part of our loyal listening audience. Truly couldn’t do it without the supportive encouragement of the foodie community.

Porto’s Bakery & Café started modestly in the greater L.A. area in the 1960s and has grown steadily since then becoming a popular, local and revered institution. Founder Rosa Porto’s life took an unexpected turn back at the beginning when she and her family made the difficult decision to leave their beloved Cuba and emigrate to the United States. Out of a job, Rosa relied on her love of baking and began selling cakes out of her house for her neighbors and friends to support her family. Porto’s has gradually grown into five high volume locations in Glendale, Burbank, Downey, Buena Park, and the newly opened West Covina. Porto’s is now open for contactless ordering, payment and curbside pick-up. Porto’s Bake-At-Home, too. Betty Porto, Vice President of Community and Guest Relations for Porto’s, is our guest.

Food journalist Steve Dolinsky, ABC 7 TV’s “Hungry Hound” in Chicago, is the recipient of an impressive 13 James Beard Foundation Awards for journalistic excellence. He’s also accomplished in reporting on food and travel in print, radio and podcasting. The James Beard Foundation Awards Gala was scheduled for Chicago at the Lyric Opera on Monday evening, May 4th. It’s now been rescheduled for a to-be-announced date for later in the year. Usually Steve would be sharing his insightful Beard Awards preview with us. Instead he talks about his informed thoughts on the dining scene in Chicagoland during the health crisis.

“Like all restaurants in LA County, Zapien’s Salsa Grill in Pico Rivera is limited to takeout and curbside pick-up options to share its regional Mexican Cuisine with the community. With dine-in service unavailable, Chef Marco Zapien and team are keeping it fun and giving back to the community, while offering some of their classic favorites available for takeout, curbside pick-up and delivery. For over 25 years, The Salsa Grill has been a favorite spot in the Pico Rivera community and beyond and wants to give back. “We want to give back to the community that’s been supporting us for almost 26 years,” said co-owner and Executive Chef, Zapien. We gently pull Chef Marco out of his busy kitchen to talk about all his specials for Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day.”

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 updating us on the impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the hospitality field and what we, as diners, can do to support the very survival of restaurants. Take-out/delivery when you can surely helps…Of course, the safety of restaurant employees and guests comes first. What about “Code Dates” on fresh & packaged food products? What do they really mean? You certainly don’t want to potentially waste anything or take an unwise chance either. We’ll “Ask the Chef.”

The Blinking Owl Distillery in Santa Ana is the very first craft distillery in Orange County. They also are one of the first distilleries in the state of California to hold the Type 74 Craft Distillers License allowing them to operate their tasting room and sell a few bottles of spirits. Blinking Owl crafts Vodka, Gin, several types of Whiskey, and the Scandinavian spirit, Aquavit. “Stay Safely at Home” provisions have necessitated the temporary closing of The Tasting Room. Wanting to continue serving the community and keep their employees on the job Blinking Owl has thoughtfully shifted production to hand sanitizer under the label of Blinking Owl Dirty Bird Hand Sanitizer. So far a generous $50,000 in hand sanitizer has been donated to hospitals, First Responders and restaurants! Joining us from the packaging line for Dirty Bird Hand Sanitizer is Blinking Owl’s Co-founder and Chief Financial Owl, Robin Christenson.

Chef Michael Hung began his culinary career in New York City, where he dropped out of culinary school to do extended stages at acclaimed restaurants Daniel and Aquavit. Michael then followed his heart to San Francisco in 2005 and joined Traci Des Jardins’s James Beard Award-winning team at Jardiniere.  His career continued for nearly a decade in San Francisco, culminating with his appointment as Chef de Cuisine at Roland Passot’s Michelin-starred La Folie. In late-2013, Michael left San Francisco for Los Angeles to open Faith & Flower where he has returned as Executive Chef. Community service in times of need is part of Chef Michael’s makeup. His current ambitious feeding program for those in need is under the banner of Donate to Feed L.A.’s Homeless and Underserved. Chef Michael takes a break from preparing meals and joins us with the details.

This is the Weekend we were scheduled to again be broadcasting live from the 9th Annual Big Island Chocolate Festival at The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort on Hawaii Island’s Kohala Coast. With the ongoing health crisis the Festival hopes to be rescheduled for August 14th & 15th if it’s safe to do so. Tom Cross is the welcoming Hotel Manager at The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort and joins us with the good news that the property will again welcome guests at a “To Be Determined” date as the Hawaii Governor allows with all guest safety precautions in place.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness (with proper Social Distancing) on this week’s not-to-miss show!