Show 91, October 4, 2014: Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris previews the show

If you missed ABC 7’s “Eye on L.A.” Sunday evening, Oct. 5th at 6:30 p.m. then look for the video on the ABC 7 Website. Chef Jet Tila provides host Tina Malave with his “Ultimate Insiders’ Tour of the Flavors of Thai Town.”

Indian cooking authority, Chef Neela Paniz, grew up in Bombay, India and is fondly remembered by Angelenos as the executive chef and co-owner of the landmark Bombay Café in West Los Angeles which she sold a number of years ago before moving to Napa. Her new cookbook is The New Indian Slow Cooker..

We’re big fans of the talent and generosity of baker Dean Kim of the OC Baking Company. In celebration of World Bread Day on Thursday, October 16th, OC Baking Co. is teaming up with Provisions Market to open a Share Our Selves Dough-nation Center in Old Towne Orange.

Olive oil is now a staple in the American diet. How often have you been in the store looking at bottles of olive oil and not knowing which one to buy ? An authoritative and practical new book has just been published that provides most of the answers. Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil by Mary Platis and Laura Bashar is the new resource.

L.A. meat lovers will again line up as barbecue and grilling expert Adam Perry Lang brings his wildly-popular Serious Barbecue Back Lot BBQ to the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” parking lot for three weeks starting October 7th. The Serious Barbecue Back Lot BBQ will be open to the public for lunch only on Tuesdays through Friday through October 24th.

Best Wines in Santa Ana is pleased to announce that their 11,800 sq. ft. wine paradise is now officially open to the public. The Grand Opening festivities, a charity benefit, are set for Saturday, Oct. 18th. Co-proprietors Kyle Meyer and Tristen Beamon are part of C-CAP’s “Sweet & Savory Spectacular” benefit in Santa Monica on Oct. 19th.

Ned Elliott, chef of the critically acclaimed Austin, Texas restaurant, Foreign & Domestic is also the founder of Indie Chefs Week. The series brings together an array of chefs from across the country to showcase their talents at a pop-up style event. Elliott will host the next installment of the series Thursday, October 16 through Saturday, October 18 at Chef Carlos Salgado’s Taco Maria located at SoCo in Costa Mesa.

The Life is Beautiful Festival, with a serious culinary component, returns to Downtown Las Vegas for its 2nd year from Friday, October 24th through Sunday, October 26th. Kate Neuhaus, the Culinary Programmer, joins us with all the tasty details.

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

Show 91, October 4, 2014: Life Is Beautiful Festival, Las Vegas

Life is Beautiful FestivalThe Life is Beautiful Festival, with a serious culinary component, returns to Downtown Las Vegas for its 2nd year from Friday, October 24th through Sunday, October 26th. It’s been expanded to three days. Kate Neuhaus, the Culinary Programmer, joins us with all the tasty details.

The food highlight is the popular Culinary Village experience. For 2014 it’s multiplied and integrated more seamlessly into the overall festival footprint. The locations will feature the best local restaurants that Las Vegas has to offer as well as curated, handcrafted pairings of beer, wine, and spirits from some of the world’s most distinguished mixologists, wine-makers, and brewers.

Another attraction is the Chefs On Stage cooking demonstrations where guests can get an up-close and personal look at celebrity chefs’ techniques and inspirations. It’s like living Food TV.

Grills & Guitars, the festival’s official kick-off party, will usher in another year of Life is Beautiful on Thursday evening, October 23rd at Gold Spike. Showcasing celebrity chefs at gourmet food stations, live music, beer, wine and cocktail tastings, this walk-around culinary event is eagerly anticipated.

October 4, Neela Paniz, Dean Kim, Olive Oil, Adam Perry Lang, Best Wines, Ned Elliot, Life is Beautiful

Podcasts

Segment One: Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris previews the show
Segment Two: Chef Neela Paniz, Indian regional cooking authority
Segment Three: Baker Dean Kim, OC Baking Co.
Segment Four: Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil
Segment Five: Chef Adam Perry Lang
Segment Six: Kyle Meyer of Best Wines
Segment Seven: Indie Chefs Week at Taco Maria
Segment Eight: Life Is Beautiful Festival, Las Vegas

Executive Producer & Occasional Co-Host Andy Harris previews the show.

Be sure to catch ABC 7’s “Eye on L.A.” this Sunday evening, Oct. 5th at 6:30 p.m. Chef Jet Tila provides host Tina Malave with his “Ultimate Insiders’ Tour of the Flavors of Thai Town.”

Indian cooking authority, Chef Neela Paniz, grew up in Bombay, India and is fondly remembered by Angelenos as the executive chef and co-owner of the landmark Bombay Café in West Los Angeles which she sold a number of years ago before moving to Napa. Her new cookbook is The New Indian Slow Cooker.

We’re big fans of the talent and generosity of baker Dean Kim of the OC Baking Company. In celebration of World Bread Day on Thursday, October 16th, OC Baking Co. is teaming up with Provisions Market to open a Share Our Selves Dough-nation Center in Old Towne Orange.

Olive oil is now a staple in the American diet. How often have you been in the store looking at bottles of olive oil and not knowing which one to buy ? An authoritative and practical new book has just been published that provides most of the answers. Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil by Mary Platis and Laura Bashar is the resource.

L.A. meat lovers will again line up as barbecue and grilling expert Adam Perry Lang brings his wildly-popular Serious Barbecue Back Lot BBQ to the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” parking lot for three weeks starting October 7th. The Serious Barbecue Back Lot BBQ will be open to the public for lunch only on Tuesdays through Friday through October 24th.

Best Wines in Santa Ana is pleased to announce that their 11,800 sq. ft. wine paradise is now officially open to the public. The Grand Opening festivities, a charity benefit, are set for Saturday, Oct. 18th. Co-proprietors Kyle Meyer and Tristen Beamon are part of C-CAP’s “Sweet & Savory Spectacular” benefit in Santa Monica on Oct. 19th.

Ned Elliott, chef of the critically acclaimed Austin, Texas restaurant, Foreign & Domestic is also the founder of Indie Chefs Week. The series brings together an array of chefs from across the country to showcase their talents at a pop-up style event. Elliott will host the next installment of the series Thursday, October 16 through Saturday, October 18 at Chef Carlos Salgado’s Taco Maria located at SoCo in Costa Mesa.

The Life is Beautiful Festival, with a serious culinary component, returns to Downtown Las Vegas for its 2nd year from Friday, October 24th through Sunday, October 26th. Kate Neuhaus, the Culinary Programmer, joins us with all the tasty details.

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

Neela PanizIndian cooking authority, Chef Neela Paniz, grew up in Bombay, India and is fondly remembered by Angelenos as the executive chef and co-owner of the landmark Bombay Café in West Los Angeles which she sold a number of years ago before moving to Napa. In Napa she oversaw a contemporary Indian restaurant, Neela’s. Her new cookbook is The New Indian Slow Cooker.

On Food TV Paniz has competed on Food Network’s Chopped” and was the winning chef of her episode.

“Beautifully illustrated with forty full-color photographs throughout, The New Indian Slow Cooker makes preparing traditional Indian cuisine at home surprisingly effortless. The results will inspire multitudes of Indian food lovers to savor its delicious slow cooker creations often.”

Dean KimWe’re big fans of the talent and generosity of baker Dean Kim of the OC Baking Company. In celebration of World Bread Day on Thursday, October 16th, OC Baking Co. is teaming up with Provisions Market to open a Share Our Selves Dough-nation Center in Old Towne Orange.

OC Baking Co. Master Baker Dean Kim will offer a variety of fresh-baked breads for a $10 donation from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Provisions Market in Orange. All money raised will benefit Share Our Selves, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing food, clothing and emergency financial aid for housing, transportation, prescriptions and children’s needs to Orange County’s homeless and low-income populations.

Two Extra VirginsOlive oil is now a staple in the American diet. How often have you been in the store looking at bottles of olive oil and not knowing which one to buy ? An authoritative and practical new book has just been published that provides most of the answers. Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil by Mary Platis and Laura Bashar is the new resource.

Olive Oil is known for its dynamic and diverse flavor characteristics. But, surprisingly, most people don’t really know how to cook with olive oil and have no idea what to look for when buying it.

“Our goal in writing this book is to teach people new ways to cook with olive oil and master fundamental skills,” the authors observe. “The techniques in our book will sharpen skills in the kitchen and acquaint cooks at all levels with basic methods of cooking with olive oil.”

Adam Perry Lang BBQ at Jimmy Kimmel Live studios in HollywoodL.A. meat lovers will again line up as barbecue and grilling expert Adam Perry Lang brings his wildly-popular Serious Barbecue Back Lot BBQ to the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” parking lot for three weeks starting October 7th. The Serious Barbecue Back Lot BBQ will be open to the public for lunch only on Tuesdays through Friday through October 24th. The barbecue is prepared and served by Adam himself.

Favorites include APL’s signature sliced beef short rib, prime brisket, rib eye, New York strip steak, and much more. The Serious Barbecue Back Lot BBQ is a community event, serving customers and also making free lunch deliveries daily to the L.A.C.E.R. Afterschool program.

Kyle Meyer and Tristen Beamon of Best Wines OnlineBest Wines in Santa Ana is pleased to announce that their 11,800 sq. ft. wine paradise is now officially open to the public. The Grand Opening festivities, a charity benefit, are set for Saturday, Oct. 18th.

Co-proprietors Kyle Meyer and Tristen Beamon are part of C-CAP’s (Careers through Culinary Arts Program) “Sweet & Savory Spectacular” benefit in Santa Monica on Oct. 19th. Best Wines has a tasting station in the benefit at the Craft Beer, Premium Wine and Spirits Garden. They will be pouring some wonderful wines including a delightful bubbly.

Kyle will also be conducting an interactive class, One-Hour Wine Expert Cabernet Four Ways, where the Cabs will be sampled by the guests.

Ned ElliotNed Elliott, chef of the critically acclaimed Austin, Texas restaurant, Foreign & Domestic is also the founder of Indie Chefs Week. The series brings together an array of chefs from across the country to showcase their talents at a pop-up style event. Elliott will host the next installment of the series Thursday, October 16 through Saturday, October 18 at Chef Carlos Salgado’s Taco Maria located at SoCo in Costa Mesa.

The Indie Chefs Week series in Costa Mesa at SoCo will consist of three distinct events. Both Thursday, October 16 and Friday, October 17 will introduce a unique lineup of more than a dozen chefs, allowing guests to socialize with the visiting cooks and enjoy a 12-course menu, specially prepared for the event, along with a selection of beverages. The series will culminate with a final event on Saturday, October 18th that will present the entire lineup of over 25 chefs showcasing an elaborate 20-course tasting menu. There are two dining options that include counter and table seating.

Life is Beautiful FestivalThe Life is Beautiful Festival, with a serious culinary component, returns to Downtown Las Vegas for its 2nd year from Friday, October 24th through Sunday, October 26th. It’s been expanded to three days. Kate Neuhaus, the Culinary Programmer, joins us with all the tasty details.

The food highlight is the popular Culinary Village experience. For 2014 it’s multiplied and integrated more seamlessly into the overall festival footprint. The locations will feature the best local restaurants that Las Vegas has to offer as well as curated, handcrafted pairings of beer, wine, and spirits from some of the world’s most distinguished mixologists, wine-makers, and brewers.

Another attraction is the Chefs On Stage cooking demonstrations where guests can get an up-close and personal look at celebrity chefs’ techniques and inspirations. It’s like living Food TV.

Grills & Guitars, the festival’s official kick-off party, will usher in another year of Life is Beautiful on Thursday evening, October 23rd at Gold Spike. Showcasing celebrity chefs at gourmet food stations, live music, beer, wine and cocktail tastings, this walk-around culinary event is eagerly anticipated.

Podcasts

Segment One: Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris previews the show
Segment Two: Chef Neela Paniz, Indian regional cooking authority
Segment Three: Baker Dean Kim, OC Baking Co.
Segment Four: Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil
Segment Five: Chef Adam Perry Lang
Segment Six: Kyle Meyer of Best Wines
Segment Seven: Indie Chefs Week at Taco Maria
Segment Eight: Life Is Beautiful Festival, Las Vegas

Show 45, October 26, 2013: Jonathan Waxman, owner/chef of Barbuto in New York City

Jonathan WaxmanHe’s affectionately known as the Obi-Wan Kenobi of chefs because of his practical, no-nonsense approach to cooking and we’re talking about the Manhattan-based Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto in the West Village. You’ve seen him competing on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” His most recent cookbook is Italian, My Way: More Than 150 Simple and Inspired Recipes That Breathe New Life into Italian Classics by Jonathan Waxman and Tom Colicchio (Apr 5, 2011.) The roasted chicken recipe as served at Barbuto is a classic.

We have great affection for him in California for his early years with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse and as a recognized pioneer of California cuisine.

He’s in Las Vegas for “Life is Beautiful” Festival and was honored Friday night at the kick-off dinner, “Grill and Guitars,” with a menu prepared by celebrity chefs including Aaron Sanchez, Michael Symon and Nancy Silverton.

Show 45, October 26, 2013: Rick Moonen, owner/chef of Rx Boiler Room and rm seafood at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas

Rick Moonen of rm seafood in Las VegasAn acclaimed former New York chef, known as a seafood master, has really taken to living in Las Vegas. We’re talking about Chef Rick Moonen.

His latest creation is Rx Boiler Room in the Shoppes at Mandalay Place (on the upper level.) The decor is over the top but our Las Vegas food expert, Brock Radke, Food Editor of Las Vegas Weekly, recommends the menu. Highlights include bacon-wrapped pork belly and “fish tacos” which are actually kampachi tartare presented in crunchy/crisp taro root shells. There is a serious cocktail program at Rx.

Chef Rick also revealed what he’s doing on both Saturday and Sunday at “Life is Beautiful.” His famous Moon’N Doggie (shrimp hot dog) was a big hit in the Culinary Village.

September 14: Azunia Tequila, Vegas Food Trucks, Elizabeth Huettinger, Lena Kwak, Amar Santana, Eric Klein, Michael Passmore

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Jim Riley, founder of Azunia Tequila
Segment Three: Brock Radke, Food and Web Editor, Las Vegas Weekly
Segment Four: Elizabeth Huettinger, Wine Director, Addison Del Mar
Segment Five: Lena Kwak, Research and Development Chef, Thomas Keller Restaurant Group
Segment Six: Amar Santana, Executive Chef / Owner, Broadway by Amar Santana
Segment Seven: Eric Klein, Executive Chef & Partner, Spago Las Vegas
Segment Eight: Michael Passmore, Passmore Ranch, Sustainable Aqua Farming

Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris preview the show.

Thai 2013 Food FestivalMark Sunday afternoon, September 29th on your calendar. Our very own Jet Tila is hosting the Thai 2013 Food Festival at Paramount Pictures Studios in the heart of Hollywood. It starts at 3:00 p.m.

Celebrity chefs from around the country and outstanding local Thai chefs will be there presenting their signature dishes for the guests to sample and enjoy. Entertainment will include music, Thai dancers and fruit carving.

VIP and Regular Tickets are now on sale!

Azunia TequilaJim Riley, the founder of Azunia Tequila joins us. In his spare time Jim is a professional off-road racer of some note.

This is a case study of how a boutique tequila company grows a brand in an environment dominated by cash-rich giants. Riley has built his brand with clever grass-roots marketing and being seen in the right places.

Azunia Tequila is organic and 100 per cent Weber Blue Agave. It is available in the styles of Platinum Blanco (great for cocktails,) Reposado, and Anejo.

Brock Radke of Las Vegas WeeklyOur man in Las Vegas, Brock Radke, is back with us. Brock is the respected Web and Food Editor for The Las Vegas Weekly.

Last month Brock had a great piece in The Weekly entitled. “Where are they now? Checking up on the first wave of Vegas food truckers.”

Fukuburger has probably been the most successful and is still on the streets. A brick and mortar location for Las Vegas is in the plans. Sloppi Jo’s was a big success with the food critics but, ultimately, not a viable business model. Proprietress Jolene Mannina has parlayed this into other food projects for herself. In fact she’s the head of Culinary Arts for the upcoming “Life is Beautiful” Festival in Downtown Las Vegas. The originator of Slidin’ Thru has moved on but the truck still does events and catering and there is a bricks and mortar drive-through.

Brock also talked about the just launched Heritage Steak at The Mirage on The Strip. The proprietor is Tom Colicchio of Bravo’s “Top Chef” fame and a James Beard Award recipient.

Elizabeth Huettinger of the Addison in Del MarSommelier Elizabeth Huettinger is the new Wine Director at Addison restaurant and The Grand Del Mar Resort in Del Mar. She was previously part of the wine team at Spago Beverly Hills.

Elizabeth just took the incredibly difficult “Advanced” certification test from the Court of Master Sommeliers. She shares that humbling experience with us.

Earlier in the Summer the Grand hosted a special screening of the documentary, “SOMM”. It’s the first effort by filmmaker Jason Wise.
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“SOMM” tells the fascinating story of four sommeliers attempting to pass the rigorous and prestigious Master Sommelier exam. This test has one of the lowest pass rates imaginable. Elizabeth’s head sommelier at Spago (her previous post) is a Master Sommelier. She talks about hosting the screening (there was wine and abundant food stations) and her reaction to the highly acclaimed documentary.

Lena KwakChef Lena Kwak is the highly acclaimed research development chef for The French Laundry and The Thomas Keller Restaurant Group in Yountville, CA. She created the position.

With the backing of Keller she developed Cup4Cup, a healthy wheat flour-substitute which has gone national over the last two years. It’s carried in Williams-Sonoma stores and also available at the Bouchon Bakeries in Yountville, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, and New York.

Last year Kwak was named as one of Forbes Magazine’s “Top 30 Under 30” for her work with Cup4Cup.

In addition to bread mixes the proprietary line also includes a brownie mix, pizza dough, and pancake/waffle mix.

Amar SantanaChef Amar Santana is very familiar to Orange County foodies. His mentor, Chef Charlie Palmer (Aureole,) brought him out here from Manhattan in 2008 to open Charlie Palmer’s at Bloomingdales at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Talk about a plum assignment for a young chef…

With the backing of one of his very loyal guests he later departed to open a venture of his own, Broadway by Amar Santana in Laguna Beach. Since opening in 2011 it’s been a hit with both the food critics and guests. The bar has also created its own loyal following for unusual libations and a welcoming atmosphere. Their superior Moscow Mule (not listed on the bar menu) is a thoughtful homage to the original version created in the late 30s in Hollywood and now using all fresh ingredients and from scratch ginger beer.

Eric KleinIn 2007 Executive Chef Eric Klein (now a partner) was handed the keys to Spago Las Vegas by Wolfgang Puck and charged with freshening up the concept. This was quite a formidable assignment given that Spago is Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant in Las Vegas! They celebrated their 20th Anniversary last year.

The restaurant is a busy café (with exhibition pizza oven) in the front and an elegant fine-dining restaurant in the back. The front patio opens onto the busy main Forum Shops walkway.

As with the Beverly Hills original Spago Las Vegas attracts the celebrity clientele in addition to sophisticated foodies. Chef Eric is the visible personality of the establishment.

Chef Eric’s first assignment in Las Vegas (after relocating from Beverly Hills) was SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas.

Michael Passmore of Passmore RanchMichael Passmore is an elite class freshwater fish farmer in the Sacramento area. His Passmore Ranch is sustainable aqua farming and his clientele are discriminating celebrity chefs all across the country who he, unusually, supplies directly.

They started modestly by selling live fish at Northern California farmers’ markets, and their quality and service quickly established them as premium purveyors for top restaurants and Michelin-starred chefs around the country.

Passmore Ranch offers premium freshwater white sturgeon, black bass, striped bass, catfish, silver carp and trout, plus prized domestic caviar.

Today Passmore Ranch is 86 acres and they raise fish in 80 million gallons of fresh water pumped up from the pristine Cosumnes aquifer. The ranch has a variety of open lakes and massive tanks used to increase the variety of sustainable fish they grow.

In the works is a plan to begin a thoughtful rollout of limited direct sales to serious home cooks. The info will be posted on their website.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Jim Riley, founder of Azunia Tequila
Segment Three: Brock Radke, Food and Web Editor, Las Vegas Weekly
Segment Four: Elizabeth Huettinger, Wine Director, Addison Del Mar
Segment Five: Lena Kwak, Research and Development Chef, Thomas Keller Restaurant Group
Segment Six: Amar Santana, Executive Chef / Owner, Broadway by Amar Santana
Segment Seven: Eric Klein, Executive Chef & Partner, Spago Las Vegas
Segment Eight: Michael Passmore, Passmore Ranch, Sustainable Aqua Farming

Show 37, August 3, 2013: Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas

Life is Beautiful FestivalLas Vegas, a spot known for excess on a grand scale, has never seen anything quite like this before and it’s a really big one!

It’s the Life is Beautiful festival set for some 18 blocks of Downtown Las Vegas (including the grounds of a large casino hotel) from October 25th through Sunday, October 27th. It’s an impressive line-up of world class music, food, art and learning. Tickets are already on sale.

With more than 60 prominent chefs and restaurants, 24 wineries and 24 breweries participating in the culinary part of the festival alone, L.I.B presents the attendees with a full-scale food festival experience. The elite Culinary Advisory Board is headed by Chef Bruce Bromberg of the Blue Ribbon restaurants in New York. (His Las Vegas flagship is Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill at The Cosmopolitan.)

“The food experiences of L.I.B. were carefully designed to be interactive, innovative and unexpected,” says Jolene Mannina, Head of Culinary Arts for the festival. “Working with the vision of our Culinary Advisory Board of 12 world-renowned chefs, we’ve created an approach that we feel will set us apart from other food festivals, giving both our patrons and chefs a chance to enjoy something new, fresh and, of course, delicious.”

Jolene is a local celebrity in her own right in the Las Vegas culinary community. Food critic and former ABC Radio correspondent Al Mancini (creator of the popular Eating Las Vegas guidebook series) calls her the “Queen of The Scene”. She originated a much-talked-about late night chefs’ completion series, the Back of the House Brawl.

August 3: Chaya Brasserie, Kedric Francis, Nancy Zavlasky, Cooks County, Life is Beautiful Festival, Kevin West

Podcasts

Segment One: Thoughts on Breakfast
Segment Two: CHAYA Brasserie Beverly Hills Part One
Segment Three: CHAYA Brasserie Beverly Hills Part Two
Segment Four: Kedric Francis, Executive Editor of Coast Magazine and the Orange County Register Magazine
Segment Five: Nancy Zaslavsky, food journalist, author, food tour guide specializing in the foods of Mexico, cooking instructor, and culinary historian
Segment Six: Daniel Mattern, Chef / Proprietor of Cook’s County
Segment Seven: Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas
Segment Eight: Kevin West, food blogger and journalist

Please join us at our new starting time of 10:00 a.m. “The SoCal Restaurant Show” expands to 2-hours on August 3rd. We’re now with you from 10:00 a.m. to 12 Noon every Saturday morning for the most appetizing food talk..

It seems appropriate to be talking about breakfast this morning. We’re chronicling some recent breakfast dining experiences from Orange County to Las Vegas.

CHAYA Brasserie Beverly HillsCHAYA Brasserie Beverly Hills (located adjacent to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center) is a pioneer in brining innovative Japanese cuisine served in a stylish environment to greater Los Angeles. Amazingly they are celebrating their 30th anniversary in Los Angeles this year. Their celebration kicked-off last Sunday with a “Summer Festival” tasting and celebratory activities continue through October.

Chaya owner Yuta Tsunoda and long-time CHAYA Executive Corporate Chef Shigefumi Tachibe are with us to give us the rich history.

The culinary roots of the founding Tsunoda Family stretch back 400 years when the first CHAYA opened in Japan. It is still in operation today as a restaurant.

CHAYA has four popular restaurants in California including the Flagship in Beverly Hills, Venice, Downtown Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Each location embraces the distinct neighborhood that surrounds it. For instance, CHAYA Brasserie San Francisco, located on the Embarcadero, features sweeping views of the Bay Bridge.

CHAYA also operates two Los Angeles-based locations of M Café, a casual macrobiotic eatery.

Kedric Francis of Coast Magazine and the Orange County Register MagazineMan about Orange County, the always debonair Kedric Francis, is with us in-studio. Kedric is the distinguished Executive Editor of the monthly Coast Orange County Magazine. Kedric is also the co-founder and Executive Editor of the OC Register Magazine.

Kedric will preview a couple of unusual staycation ideas for the OC as well as an exciting food & wine festival set for the Central Coast in late September.

It’s Margarita time! Food journalist and Mexican cuisine-authority, Nancy Zaslavsky, is with us to share the “World’s Best Margaritas Recipe.”

Zaslavsky is an author, cooking teacher, and culinary tour leader specializing in the foods of Mexico. She penned the James Beard Award-nominated, A Cook’s Tour of Mexico.

Daniel Mattern of Cooks CountyRegulars to the show know that Chef Jet is a huge fan of Cook’s County in Los Angeles and dines there often. Starting this month (every Tuesday) it’s their inaugural California Craft Beer and Food Festival.

Chef/Proprietor Daniel Mattern has invited seven of his favorite breweries to come pour their beer selection at the “California Craft Beer and Food Festival” at Cook’s County. The series of beer-centric dinners will take place on Tuesday evenings from August 6th to September 24th. Menus will be tailored around the different craft beers and many dishes will be prepared using beer as a significant ingredient. Each evening’s menu consists of five courses, and all courses, including dessert, will be thoughtfully paired with beer.

Las Vegas has never seen anything quite like this before and it’s a big one !

life-is-beautifulIt’s the Life is Beautiful festival set for many blocks of Downtown Las Vegas from October 25th through Sunday, October 27th. It’s an impressive line-up of world class music, food, art and learning. Tickets are on sale.

With more than 60 prominent chefs and restaurants, 24 wineries and 24 breweries participating in the culinary part of the festival alone, L.I.B presents the attendees with a full-scale food festival experience.

“The food experiences of L.I.B. were carefully designed to be interactive, innovative and unexpected,” says Jolene Mannina, Head of Culinary Arts for the festival. “Working with the vision of our Culinary Advisory Board of 12 world-renowned chefs, we’ve created an approach that we feel will set us apart from other food festivals, giving both our patrons and chefs a chance to enjoy something new, fresh and, of course, delicious.”

Kevin WestCanning, pickling, and preserving has really taken off in local home kitchens. Food journalist Kevin West, a certified food preserver, has just launched Saving the Season: A cook’s guide to home canning, pickling, and preserving from Knopf. In addition to the expected recipes West has mini profiles of his favorite farmers and farm adventures as part of the book.

Kevin is at The Beverly Hills Farmers Market on Sunday, August 4th as part of Pickle Fest. He’ll be signing the book there from 9 to 10:45 a.m.

The block-wide ethnic food court at the historic Grand Central Market (dating back to 1896) in Downtown Los Angeles is undergoing a renaissance. Kevin West is consulting on that effort to bring exciting, one-of-a-kind distinctive food businesses to the Market. It’s already happening…

Podcasts

Segment One: Thoughts on Breakfast
Segment Two: CHAYA Brasserie Beverly Hills Part One
Segment Three: CHAYA Brasserie Beverly Hills Part Two
Segment Four: Kedric Francis, Executive Editor of Coast Magazine and the Orange County Register Magazine
Segment Five: Nancy Zaslavsky, food journalist, author, food tour guide specializing in the foods of Mexico, cooking instructor, and culinary historian
Segment Six: Daniel Mattern, Chef / Proprietor of Cook’s County
Segment Seven: Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas
Segment Eight: Kevin West, food blogger and journalist

Life is Beautiful Festival

life-is-beautifulBig news for everyone in the Vegas Tila Army! I’m part of the Culinary Advisory Board for the upcoming Life is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas from Saturday, October 27th to Sunday the 27th. You’ve probably seen the full page ads in LA Weekly emphasizing the incredible music lineup featuring bands like Vegas’ own the Killers along with Kings of Leon. But there’s also an amazing lineup of celebrity chefs as well! Not just me but pretty much everyone associated with the restaurant scene in America. As for as I’m concerned, the food is the main event and the music? That’s kind of dessert. Here’s the press release about the festival and I hope to see my Army in Vegas right before Halloween for this blowout of a party!

Life is Beautiful Festival Announces Culinary Experiences & New Chefs

Two-Day Festival of World Class Music, Food, Art & Learning in Downtown Las Vegas includes “Grills & Guitars” by Blue Ribbon Restaurants, “The Culinary Village”, and “The Alchemy Garden”

New Chef Additions include Nancy Silverton; Headlining Chefs include: Bruce & Eric Bromberg, Jonathan Waxman, Hubert Keller, Aaron Sanchez, Cat Cora, Rick Moonen, Scott Conant, Tom Colicchio, Michael Symon.

Friday, October 25th – Sunday, October 27th, 2013

Las Vegas, NV (July 16, 2013) – Life is Beautiful (L.I.B.) Festival announces the lineup of culinary programming and experiences for the inaugural festival taking place Saturday, October 26th and Sunday, October 27th, 2013, with a kickoff event the evening of Friday, October 25th . With more than 60 chefs and restaurants, 24 wineries and 24 breweries participating in the culinary part of the festival alone, L.I.B. presents its attendees with a full-scale food festival experience and expects to draw tens of thousands of people to Downtown Las Vegas. The culinary programming includes experiences that are included in the price of a general-admission festival ticket, such as The Culinary Village, The Alchemy Garden & Chefs on Stage, as well as unique ticketed events that do not require a festival ticket like the Grills & Guitars kick-off party hosted by Blue Ribbon Restaurants and the Take a Stand charity soiree; an eight-course dinner hosted by Elizabeth Blau & Hubert Keller benefitting Three Square Food Bank and Communities in Schools.

The creative direction of the food festival portion of Life is Beautiful Festival was shaped by a culinary advisory board of 12 top chefs chaired by Bruce Bromberg of Blue Ribbon Restaurants. The food festival will be anchored by The Culinary Village a Moroccan-style bazaar featuring stations manned by more than 60 well-known chefs. Within The Village, guests can enjoy an entertaining and informative series of chef demonstrations (Chefs on Stage), culinary affairs, intimate meals and a beer, wine and spirits garden (The Alchemy Garden). All experiences within the food and wine program will allow attendees the opportunity to engage with these talented chefs up-close and gain insight into their creative process in the kitchen and beyond.

“The food experiences of Life is Beautiful Festival were carefully designed to be interactive, innovative and unexpected,” says Jolene Mannina, Head of Culinary Arts for the festival. “Working with the vision of our Culinary Advisory Board of 12 world-renowned Chefs, we’ve created an approach that we feel will set us apart from other food festivals, giving both our patrons and chefs a chance to enjoy something new, fresh and, of course, delicious.”

The current chef lineup features: Bruce Bromberg and Eric Bromberg, Scott Conant, Jonathan Waxman, Hubert Keller, Cat Cora, Michael Mina, Chris Cosentino, Rick Moonen, Kim Canteenwalla, Jet Tila, Donald Link, Tom Colicchio, Michael Symon, Aaron Sanchez, David Burke, Charlie Palmer, Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger, Paul Bartolotta, David Myers, Todd English, Kerry Simon, Carla Pellegrino, André Rochat, Sven Mede, Marcel Vigneron, Mike Minor, Megan Romano, Elias Cairo, Josh Graves, Jason Tuley, Rebecca Wilcomb, Ben Hammond, Grant MacPherson, Michael Kornick, Natalie Young, Dan Coughlin, Sean Kinoshita, Massimiliano Campanari, Carlos Buscaglia, Vinod Ahuja, Manuel Hinojosa.

New Chefs / Mixologists Added to the lineup: Nancy Silverton, Akira Back, Richard Camarota, Frank Goriceta, Carlos Guia, Joseph Leibowitz, Hiew Gun Khong, Nina Manchev, Tony Abou-Ganim, Drew Levinson, Andrew Pollard, Eric Swanson, Kent Bearden, Thomas Burke, Michael Shetler, Kevin Vanegas, Jack Kramer and Mike Tadich.

Tickets for the Life is Beautiful Festival Culinary Programs go on sale July 19, 2013 at

www.lifeisbeautifulfestival.com

Link to Culinary Experiences video: http://youtu.be/-SBlmQ6lTx4

Life Is Beautiful Festival – Culinary Experiences Premier Sponsor: Whole Foods Market

– The Culinary Village: Located in the heart of the festival and home to the world’s best chefs and restaurants, The Culinary Village is where the aromas of earth’s four corners collide. Over 50 restaurants will partake in this bazaar of epicurean delight that takes festival food options to a whole new level.

Restaurants: Blue Ribbon Restaurant, Honey Salt, Fleur, Strip Steak, Wolfgang Puck, Nobu Hard Rock, DMK Burger Bar, Due Forni, Yellowtail, Kumi, D.O.C.G., Herbsaint, LAVO, TAO, Bratalian Neapolitan Cantina, EAT, Chocolate & Spice, Origin India, Barbuto, rm Seafood, Kuma Snow Cream, Curbside Cafe, LBS Burger, Smokin Bros BBQ, Sin City Hot Dogs, Forte European Tapas & Bistro and more.

Price: General Admission or VIP festival ticket required, a la carte selection Date: Saturday and Sunday, October 26th & 27th Time: Saturday, 1:00pm – 12:00am Midnight; Sunday, 12:00pm – 11:00pm

– The Alchemy Gardens Presented by Wirtz Beverage: Craft brewers, wine makers and distillers will pour a-la-carte libations at this garden, overflowing with liquid creativity. Enthusiasts can also choose to purchase additional tickets to meet and mingle with master brewers, wine makers and distillers over flight tastings.

Price: General Admission or VIP festival ticket required a la carte Beer, Wine, Spirits and Sake; must be 21 or over. Date: Saturday and Sunday, October 26th & 27th Time: Saturday, 1:00pm – 12:00am Midnight; Sunday, 12:00pm – 11:00pm

– Flights Tastings (In The Alchemy Gardens): For a better understanding of the passion and history poured into each glass, additional tickets may be purchased for tastings with master brewers, wine makers and distillers.

Price: $40 for 9 tastings, General Admission or VIP festival ticket required Date: Saturday and Sunday, October 26th & 27th Time: Saturday, 1:00pm – 12:00am Midnight; Sunday, 12:00pm – 11:00pm

– Chefs on Stage Presented by Sub-Zero Wolf & Whole Foods Market: Over two days, 20 of the most highly regarded chefs in the industry give attendees a chance to get up close and personal as they showcase their skills live on a Sub-Zero Wolf stage located in a climate-controlled tent. These demonstrations will tantalize taste buds and teach viewers how to create the same experience at home.

Chefs: Bruce and Eric Bromberg, Scott Conant, Jet Tila, Jonathan Waxman, Cat Cora, Chris Cosentino, Rick Moonen, Aaron Sanchez, Hubert Keller, Kerry Simon, Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger, Mike Minor, Donald Link, Grant MacPherson, Carla Pellegrino, Jason Tuley, David Myers, Elias Caro, Josh Graves,Todd English

Location: The Culinary Village Price: Free Event with Festival General Admission or VIP ticket Date: Saturday and Sunday, October 26th & 27th Time: Saturday, 1:45pm – 9:00pm; Sunday, 12:45pm – 8:00pm

– Take A Stand: Elizabeth Blau and Hubert Keller will host the Life is Beautiful grand opening soiree to benefit Three Square Food Bank and Communities in Schools. Showcasing the mystery and wonderment of Old Vegas at its finest, this charity dinner will feature eight award-winning chefs serving eight courses

in various styles throughout the night paired with priceless wines and crafted cocktails by Wirtz Beverage mixologists and sommeliers.

Chefs: Hubert Keller, Michael Mina, Todd English, Akira Back, Paul Bartolotta, Grant MacPherson, Charlie Palmer, Megan Romano Location: Secret Downtown Location to be revealed upon purchase confirmation Price: $5,000

(1) VIP two-day festival ticket included

(1) Grills & Guitars ticket included Seats: 40 (must be 21 or over)

Date: Friday, October 25th Time: 7pm – 10pm

– Grills & Guitars: Start the festival weekend with 15 well-known chefs, gourmet comfort food and live music. A twist on the traditional backyard barbecue, the festival kick-off party will pair beer, wine and cocktails with flamed-kissed fare that will satisfy all the senses.

Chefs: Bruce & Eric Bromberg, Jonathan Waxman, Cat Cora, Tom Colicchio, Michael Symon, Nancy Silverton, Jet Tila, Scott Conant, Kim Canteenwalla, Aaron Sanchez, Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger, Rick Moonen & David Myers Price: $175, VIP $225 *Does not require purchase of a festival ticket. Must be 21 or over.

Date: Friday, October 25th Time: 8pm VIP, 9pm – Midnight

– Culinary Crawl: This three-hour dining tour is designed to introduce palates to a variety of tastes. Guests will be escorted to three different venues, each with a different chef host who has customized a unique experience that pairs their creative dishes with specially selected drinks provided by Wirtz Beverage Group.

Saturday Chefs & Locations:

“Pig & Whiskey” hosted by Kim Canteenwalla and Sven Mede at The Flame Steakhouse “From Korea to Japan”, hosted by Akira Back at Park on Fremont “Amaro & Amare”, hosted by Richard Camarota & Megan Romano at EAT

Price:

$130 – Single pass to the Culinary Crawl, GA or VIP festival ticket required for purchase

$290 – Includes a two (2) day General Admission festival ticket Date: Saturday, October 26th

Time: 5pm – 8pm Sunday

Chefs & Locations:

 “Rare & Rosso” Jonathan Waxman & Nancy Silverton at EAT  “Tongue & Cheek” Rick Moonen at Le Thai  “Bones & Brews” Iron chef Cat Cora & Jason Tuley at Park on Fremont

Price: Date: Sunday, October 27th

$130 – Single pass to the Culinary Crawl, GA or VIP festival ticket required for purchase $290 – Includes a two (2) day General Admission festival ticket

Time: 5pm – 8pm ***Chef and event details subject to change.

Regular Two-Day General Admission & VIP Tickets for the 2013 Life is Beautiful Festival are available for purchase at www.lifeisbeautifulfestival.com

General Admission Tickets:

 Regular Two-Day GA: $159.50 VIP Tickets:

 TWO-DAY VIP Ticket: $349.50

o VIP tickets include: Exclusive VIP lounge with shade, lounge seating, activities and more; Viewing Areas at Main Stages; VIP restroom facilities; Access to special VIP food concessions; Access to special VIP beer, wine and spirits concessions; Commemorative Poster and more!

Life is Beautiful Sponsors

Sponsors of the inaugural Life is Beautiful Festival include Wirtz Beverage Group, Heineken, Zappos, Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas Review Journal, Red Bull, Esquire, Whole Foods Market, Caesars Entertainment, and many more. *Sponsors listed are current as of release date.

L.I.B. is being developed by Aurelian Marketing Group in partnership with Another Planet Entertainment, MAKTUB Marketing and Downtown Project. Visit www.lifeisbeautifulfestival.com and sign up to receive information updates via email. Connect with the Life is Beautiful team socially at Facebook.com/LIBFestival and Twitter.com/LifeIsBeautiful.

 

Show 31, June 15, 2013: Brock Radke, Food & Web Editor for Las Vegas Weekly

Brock Radke of Las Vegas WeeklyBrock was back with us to provide insight on what’s new on the always dynamic Las Vegas dining scene.

Gourmet burger spots fronted by celebrity chefs are continuing to proliferate on the Strip. It’d just been announced that both Daniel Boulud and Mario Batali are bringing gourmet burger concepts to the Venetian/Palazzo complex. Every Strip hotel has a high-end steak house so the new trend is to have a celebrity chef driven burger restaurant, too. Gordon Ramsay’s burger place arrived on The Strip late last year.

The big noise in Las Vegas right now moves to Downtown. The “Life is Beautiful Festival” has been announced for the Weekend of October 26th and 27th. In addition to big name musical acts on five stages there will be an exciting culinary program on equal footing with the music. The Culinary Advisory board is headed by Bruce and Eric Bromberg of the Blue Ribbon Restaurants in New York and Las Vegas (at the Cosmopolitan).