Show 124, May 30, 2015: C-CAP Los Angeles’ Eric Boardman & Bricia Lopez of Guelaguetza

Eric BoardmanEric Boardman continues his coverage of C-CAP’s 2015 Scholarship Awards for L.A. County.

“Hard work, good grades, and a lot of broken eggs paid off for Hannah Chang of Hoover High School and Jose Gordillo of Manual Arts High School, who both received full-tuition scholarships in Culinary Arts. Jose will attend the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY and Hannah Chang will study at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI come fall. Isabel Castro of Carson High School received the Art Institute National Scholarship.

Bricia LopezBricia Lopez, the engaging co-owner (with her brother and sister) of Guelaguetza in Koreatown is back with us. On May 4th she was in Chicago at The James Beard Foundation Awards at the Lyric Opera to receive the America’s Classics Award. This is an especially noteworthy honor as the Award for Guelaguetza was the only Beard Award received by a Southern California chef or restaurant this year.

The America’s Classic Award is an honor given to regional establishments, often family-owned, that are treasured for their quality food, local character, and lasting appeal.

Guelaguetza, founded by Fernando Lopez in 1994, is the center of Oaxacan life in Los Angeles, and the setting for countless quinceaneras, weddings, and anniversaries. A sprawling restaurant located in Koreatown, it features live music on a bandstand every night. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the restaurant attracts both homesick Oaxacans and foodies in search of honest Oaxacan foods.

We’ll hear about her once-in-a-lifetime adventures in Chicago with her Family (including dinner at Paul Kahan’s The Publican) and alongside the true luminaries of the food world. Perhaps a bit of Champagne enjoyed along the way…