Show 552, November 18, 2023: “Solvang Julefest” with Susan Lee, Solvang Visitor Center Part One

Susan Lee of the Solvang Visitors Center

Solvang, California has added new features for this year’s Solvang Julefest (pronounced ‘Yule-Fest’), the Santa Ynez Valley wine country town’s annual celebration of all things “holidays.” The season’s event stretch will begin Friday, November 24, 2023, and run through Saturday, January 6, 2024. Solvang Julefest 2023 will include multiple holiday-themed happenings all located within the walkable California Central Coast travel destination, frequently described as one of the nation’s “most Christmassy towns.”

“The Month-Long Holiday Event includes Daily Light & Music Shows, Ongoing “Nisser Adventure” Scavenger Hunt, Nighttime Makers Market, and Newly-Added Candlelight Tours. Solvang, also known as “The Danish Capital of America,” presents an ideal getaway opportunity for travelers looking for a European-style holiday atmosphere without the transatlantic travel, whether a midweek or weekend escape.” Susan Lee of the Solvang Visitor Center joins us to provide the Holiday Cheer.

“The popular Solvang Julefest Candlelight Tours will be offered December 8, 9, 15, and 16, and as schools traditionally pause for the holiday season, the Candlelight Tours will run weeklong, Monday, December 18, through Saturday, December 23. Starting at 5:00 PM, the Solvang Julefest Candlelight Tours will provide special holiday experiences for locals and visitors as they traverse the streets of Solvang, accompanied by Christmas carols and an entertaining education about some Danish traditions and Solvang history. Guided by a costumed host, all tour participants will receive an LED candle to hold during the tour. Advance purchase is required.”

Show 552, November 18, 2023: “Solvang Julefest” with Susan Lee, Solvang Visitor Center Part Two

Susan Lee of the Solvang Visitors Center

Solvang, California has added new features for this year’s Solvang Julefest (pronounced ‘Yule-Fest’), the Santa Ynez Valley wine country town’s annual celebration of all things “holidays.” The season’s event stretch will begin Friday, November 24, 2023, and run through Saturday, January 6, 2024. Solvang Julefest 2023 will include multiple holiday-themed happenings all located within the walkable California Central Coast travel destination, frequently described as one of the nation’s “most Christmassy towns.”

“The Month-Long Holiday Event includes Daily Light & Music Shows, Ongoing “Nisser Adventure” Scavenger Hunt, Nighttime Makers Market, and Newly-Added Candlelight Tours. Solvang, also known as “The Danish Capital of America,” presents an ideal getaway opportunity for travelers looking for a European-style holiday atmosphere without the transatlantic travel, whether a midweek or weekend escape.” Susan Lee of the Solvang Visitor Center joins us to provide the Holiday Cheer.

“Solvang, known for its Danish-American vibe, architecture and design details, pastries and bakeries, and array of wine tasting options, also boasts dozens of unique boutiques, restaurants and gourmet food purveyors. Carefully-curated indie booksellers and high-end home goods suppliers mingle with fairy tale-like children’s stores and museum gift shops. Solvang’s foodie destinations offer everything from elevated street cuisine – like locally-sourced fish tacos on hand-made tortillas, and comforting ramen noodles – to European-style pretzels and sausages, to Italian standbys or iconic Danish dishes, to elevated new-Californian fare in the form of Michelin-honored menus.”

Keep in mind you’ll never find a parking meter or pay parking lot in Solvang. Parking is always free.

Show 430, June 19, 2021: Legends Hospitality at Angel Stadium with GM Eric Ursua and Chef Omar Almaraz Part One

Eric Ursua and Omar Almaraz in the KLAA AM 830 Studios

Omar Almaraz is the Chef for Legends Hospitality here at Angel Stadium. Chef Omar is with us in-studio along with his General Manager, Eric Ursua, to highlight what’s new in Angel Stadium food and beverage for the 2021 season. We’ll also talk about collectible Halo merchandise highlights. Chef Omar is particularly proud of the Big A Burger which is a luxe burger creation as well as a destination food outlet. A second location was added for this season as a result of its popularity. There is also a new top dog at Angel Stadium and it’s a premium Hoffy hot dog.

Beer on tap is back at Angel Stadium. A great destination is the Saint Archer Brewery. They test limited production craft beers at Angel Stadium for stadium guests. Also known for the Saint Archer Pretzel.

Melissa’s is the Official Produce Supplier at Angel Stadium. The Melissa’s Street Cart Fresh Fruit Cups with Tajin are available In-Seat as well as at the Corner Markets. A stellar use of Melissa’s signature Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes is at Spuds. Look for the Loaded Dutch Potatoes with 16-hour Smoked Pork Butt, Barbecue Sauce. Nacho Cheese, Sour Cream, Green Onions and topped with Crispy Fried Onions and served in a souvenir Halo Baseball Helmet.

A tempting variety of sweet goodies are a signature at Angel Stadium. The treats are unusually freshly baked in-house.

Show 430, June 19, 2021: Legends Hospitality at Angel Stadium with GM Eric Ursua and Chef Omar Almaraz Part Two

Eric Ursua and Omar Almaraz in the KLAA AM 830 Studios

Omar Almaraz is the Chef for Legends Hospitality here at Angel Stadium. Chef Omar continues with us in-studio along with his General Manager, Eric Ursua, to highlight what’s new in Angel Stadium food and beverage for the 2021 season. We’ll also talk about collectible Halo merchandise highlights. Chef Omar is particularly proud of the Big A Burger which is a luxe burger creation as well as a destination food outlet. A second location was added for this season as a result of its popularity. There is also a new top dog at Angel Stadium and it’s a premium Hoffy hot dog.

Beer on tap is back at Angel Stadium. A great destination is the Saint Archer Brewery. They test limited production craft beers at Angel Stadium for stadium guests. Also known for the Saint Archer Pretzel.

Melissa’s is the Official Produce Supplier at Angel Stadium. The Melissa’s Street Cart Fresh Fruit Cups with Tajin are available In-Seat as well as at the Corner Markets. A stellar use of Melissa’s signature Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes is at Spuds. Look for the Loaded Dutch Potatoes with 16-hour Smoked Pork Butt, Barbecue Sauce. Nacho Cheese, Sour Cream, Green Onions and topped with Crispy Fried Onions and served in a souvenir Halo Baseball Helmet.

A tempting variety of sweet goodies are a signature at Angel Stadium. The treats are unusually freshly baked in-house.

Show 413, February 20, 2021: Restaurateur Bjoern Risse, Rasselbock Kitchen & Beer Garden, Long Beach & Mar Vista

Bjoern Risse of Rasslebock Kitchen and Beer Garden

Rasselbock Kitchen and Beer Garden with locations in Long Beach (2018) and the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles is a German restaurant and pub specializing in contemporary German fare with a modern twist. They also specialize in freshly tapped German and Belgian beers. Rasselbock features 35 German and Belgian beers, homemade sangrias and a selection of German and California wines.

The Rasselbock menu includes multiple versions of schnitzel, sausages, Bavarian pretzels and their signature apple strudel for dessert. The offerings also include multiple vegetarian and vegan options plus kid-friendly dishes.

Both Rasselbocks have reopened for outside, patio dining nightly with proper distancing between tables. On weekends the restaurants open at 12 Noon. Takeout is available, too.

Is Rasselbock on the menu? Proprietor Bjoern Risse joins us with the explanation.

Show 59, February 1, 2013: Chef Hans Rockenwagner, Rockenwagner Bakery and Café Rockenwagner. Continues…

Cafe RockenwagerIn addition to the growing wholesale bakery Hans Rockenwagner has a network of busy bakery cafes in Santa Monica, Venice, and Mar Vista. The most ambitious café to date just launched in Brentwood. This Café Rockenwagner is in the bw (a high-rise luxury apartment building) at the corner of Barrington Ave. and Wilshire Blvd.

Besides a full food menu with breakfast, lunch, and dinner there is an on-site pastry chef here so there is an impressive selection of fresh breakfast pastries, desserts, breads and pretzels available. All the bakery items can be secured grab-and-go, too. Hans likes to think of it as a modern day bistro.

February 1: Curtis Stone, Cookies for a Koz, Hans Rockenwagner, Puck’s Tavern, Pacific Coast Wine Festival

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Curtis Stone, Owner/Chef of Maude, Beverly Hills Part One
Segment Three: Curtis Stone, Owner/Chef of Maude, Beverly Hills Part Two
Segment Four: Roberta Koz Wilson, Cookies for a Koz
Segment Five: Chef Hans Rockenwagner, Rockenwagner Bakery and Café Rockenwagner Part One
Segment Six: Chef Hans Rockenwagner, Rockenwagner Bakery and Café Rockenwagner Part Two
Segment Seven: Matt Bencivenga, Wolfgang Puck Catering and Puck’s Tavern at Honda Center
Segment Eight: Tristen Beamon and Kyle Meyer, BestWinesOnline.com and Pacific Coast Wine Festival

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching so plan ahead 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.

Congrats to Chef Chris Oh of Seoul Sausage Co. in West Los Angeles. Last Sunday (Jan. 26th.) he competed against three other chefs on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen.” He won big and took home the most cash of any winner to date!

Everyone’s favorite sexy Aussie Chef is Curtis Stone. He’s opening an intimate new restaurant on Feb. 1st and we’ll get all the 411 right from the source. Fine dining chef Hans Rockenwagner, in recent years, has become known for his line of artisan breads. He’s just opened his most ambitious bakery café to date in Brentwood and joins us to provide the details. Wolfgang Puck is back in Orange County with the newly launched Puck’s Tavern at Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks. The executive chef of Wolfgang Puck Catering is with us to preview what’s on the menu.

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

Curtis StoneYou know Aussie celebrity chef, Curtis Stone, from Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” which he hosts. He’s now a resident of Los Angeles.

What you may not know is that he has a serious culinary background. He trained with the legendary English Chef, Marco Pierre White. Chef Curtis worked his way up Marco Pierre White’s tall culinary ladder and eventually became the Head Chef of Quo Vadis in London.

On February 1st Curtis Stone opens Maude in Beverly Hills. Maude is named after his grandmother. It’s an intimate 25 seats and Chef Curtis will actually be there cooking. The menu will change monthly and all of the nine tasting plates served each night will contain a featured ingredient.

His most recent cookbook, What’s for Dinner?: Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life was published last year by Ballantine Books Hardcover. The concept is getting dinner on the table without a hassle. The book features 130 effortless and inspired recipes that carry Chef Curtis’ promise of working.

Roberta Koz WilsonIt’s almost Valentine’s Day and what more thoughtful edible gift than absolutely delicious chocolate chip cookies baked in small batches! The big plus is that each sale benefits The Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Roberta Koz Wilson (jazz saxophone great Dave Koz’s sister) of Cookies for a Koz joins us to share the inspirational story. The cookies are a tribute to their late mother, Audrey, who created the original cookie recipe. The truth is that these famous cookies opened a lot of doors for Dave in his early days as a struggling musician!

The Red Velvet Cookie was originally created as a Valentine’s Day special. It became so popular that it was added to the year-round line. It’s their take on a moist and delicious Red Velvet Cupcake.

Hans RockenwagnerChef Hans Rockenwagner burst on the local Venice dining scene in 1985 when he opened the original (40 seat) Rockenwagner on Abbot Kinney Blvd. where Joe’s is now.

In 1991 Rockenwagner moved to a much larger space in the Frank Gehry-designed Edgemar Complex in Santa Monica.

White asparagus, in season, became a signature menu item.

Hans eventually discovered there was more money in artisan bread and eventually closed Rockenwagner to concentrate on his growing wholesale bread baking business. He now has 60 bakers working around the clock seven days a week! Rockenwagner Bakery is a fixture at area Farmers Markets including the Sunday Beverly Hills Farmers Market.

Cafe RockenwagnerIn addition to the growing wholesale bakery Hans Rockenwagner has a network of busy bakery cafes in Santa Monica, Venice, and Mar Vista. The most ambitious café to date just launched in Brentwood. This Café Rockenwagner is in the bw (a high-rise luxury apartment building) at the corner of Barrington Ave. and Wilshire Blvd.

Besides a full food menu there is on an on-site pastry chef here so there is an impressive selection of fresh breakfast pastries, desserts, breads and pretzels available.

Pucks Tavern at Honda CenterCelebrated chef Wolfgang Puck and Wolfgang Puck Catering have just launched two new dining destinations at Honda Center, the home of the Anaheim Ducks. They are Puck’s Tavern, an approachable fine-dining restaurant serving modern comfort food and The Window at Puck’s Tavern, a made-to-order pizza concession stand. Both operations are located on the South Side of the arena’s main level.

Open during Honda Center’s events, Puck’s Tavern (230 seats) caters to both the general public and ticketholders alike. The 7,000 square-foot, indoor-outdoor restaurant features a direct entrance to the arena allowing a seamless transition from a sit-down meal or private event to the evening’s entertainment.

Matt Bencivenga, Executive Chef and Partner of Wolfgang Puck Catering joins us to chat about the opening of Puck’s Tavern and Wolfgang’s high-profile return to Orange County.

Tristen Beamon and Kyle MeyerIf you’re a wine lover then the upcoming Pacific Coast Wine Festival evening on March 1st at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach to benefit the Pacific Symphony is definitely for you.

The evening starts off with tastings from highly touted wineries including Domaine Faively and Nickel & Nickel. The live and silent auction will feature renowned selections such as Margaux, Mouton, Paul Hobbs, and Screaming Eagle. The sumptuous dinner will be followed by a select chocolate and port tasting.

All the impressive wine selections for the benefit and auctions have been meticulously curated by Tristen Beamon and Kyle Meyer of Orange County’s Bestwinesonline.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Curtis Stone, Owner/Chef of Maude, Beverly Hills Part One
Segment Three: Curtis Stone, Owner/Chef of Maude, Beverly Hills Part Two
Segment Four: Roberta Koz Wilson, Cookies for a Koz
Segment Five: Chef Hans Rockenwagner, Rockenwagner Bakery and Café Rockenwagner Part One
Segment Six: Chef Hans Rockenwagner, Rockenwagner Bakery and Café Rockenwagner Part Two
Segment Seven: Matt Bencivenga, Wolfgang Puck Catering and Puck’s Tavern at Honda Center
Segment Eight: Tristen Beamon and Kyle Meyer, BestWinesOnline.com and Pacific Coast Wine Festival