November 10: Blinking Owl Distillery, Jim Kempton, Ocean at Main, Anthony King, West Coast Prime Meats, Salt & Straw, Ruby Princess

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Robin & Brian Christenson, Proprietors, Blinking Owl Distillery, Santa Ana
Segment Three: Surfing Authority, Chef & World Traveler Jim Kempton, First We Surf Then We Eat
Segment Four:Chef / Proprietor Craig Strong, Ocean at Main, Laguna Beach
Segment Five: Winemaker Anthony King, General Manager, The Carlton Winemakers Studio, Willamette Valley
Segment Six: The Meatheads from West Coast Prime Meats, Terry Hanks & Jay Henderson
Segment Seven: Kim Malek, Co-Founder, Salt & Straw Ice Cream
Segment Eight: Giorgio Pisano, Maitre d’Hotel, Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess

Now a decadent preview of this Saturday’s tantalizing show. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case, and upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing…

It’s time for an encore visit with the husband-and-wife proprietors of Blinking Owl Distillery in Santa Ana, Orange County’s first craft distillery. Blinking Owl Cocktails are now available at LA Rams home games at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

San Clemente resident Jim Kempton has spent his life traveling and surfing the world. Along the way he learned to cook the globe’s best beach-loving dishes. This is all captured in Jim’s first cookbook, First We Surf Then We Eat – Recipes from a Lifetime of Surf Travel. We’ll ride the wave with Jim.

In early October Chef Craig Strong (ex-Studio at Montage Laguna Beach) debuted Ocean at Main, fulfilling a long-time career dream to open his own restaurant. The location is exceptional – 222 Ocean Avenue near Main Beach in Laguna Beach, steps from the oceanfront. The 126-seat, 4,500-square-foot establishment with a spectacular shaded patio, is open daily for lunch and dinner. Chef Craig escapes his busy kitchen for a chat.

Located in the heart of the Willamette Valley, the Carlton Winemakers Studio is a cooperative winery where numerous winemakers (currently 15) craft premium Oregon wines in one shared space. Guests can visit their state-of-the-art tasting room where you can taste (and buy) a representative sampling of the Carlton Winemakers Studio wines and learn about the unique and charming stories behind each label. Winemaker Anthony King (Ratio:Wines) is also the General Manager for Carlton. He pulls the cork for us.

The Holidays are fast approaching and it’s time for the return of our Meatheads (Terry and Jay) from West Coast Prime Meats with more practical advice on stress-free Holiday entertaining. The Meatheads are

Both serious home cooks so they really know the territory.

Last month Portland-based boutique ice cream maker Salt & Straw opened their first location in Downtown Disney in Anaheim. In May 2001 Kim Malek and her cousin and head ice cream maker Tyler Malek started their own small business, Salt & Straw Ice Cream serving eight flavors from a humble cart in NE Portland. Today the company is the largest small batch ice cream company in the world numbering scoop shops in Portland, greater Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and San Diego. Co-Founder Kim Malek is our guest.

Aboard a luxury cruise ship dining is a paramount guest experience. The person responsible for overseeing the guest dining experience in the front-of-the house is the Maitre d’Hotel. On Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess that is the charming Giorgio Pisano, a 42-year veteran of Princess. It’s a tough assignment with 3,000 guests to pamper in all the dining areas for every voyage. There are many very special occasions to oversee. Giorgio takes a break from turnaround on the Ruby Princess at the Port of Los Angeles to join us.

Program Note:
For next Saturday only, November 17th, were graciously moving aside in our usual morning slot for Notre Dame Football. No cause for alarm…We’re still with you that Saturday afternoon with a full show at the special time of 4 to 6:00 p.m. Please join us!

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!

It’s time for an encore visit with the husband-and-wife proprietors of Blinking Owl Distillery in Santa Ana, Orange County’s first craft distillery. Blinking Owl Craft Cocktails are now available at LA Rams home games served at a dedicated bar at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

Selections include OC Orange Mule, Tailgate Tonics, The Cocktail Kicker and Tropical Touchdown (Blinking Owl Vodka, Lime Juice, Passion Fruit Liqueur and Soda.)

Brian’s Single Barrel, First Batch Birthday Bourbon has just been released in a 150 bottle batch. We’ll find out about it. It’s been aging in barrel for 2 years!

A straight Rye Whiskey is also currently aging. It could be released anytime between now and the end of 2019. We’ll get a progress report.

Also a kitchen is soon on the menu at Blinking Owl. Art long last – food and libations. We’ll get the tempting food report from Robin.

Jim KemptonSan Clemente resident Jim Kempton has spent his life traveling and surfing the world. Along the way he learned to cook the globe’s best beach-loving dishes. This is all captured in Jim’s first cookbook, First We Surf Then We Eat – Recipes from a Lifetime of Surf Travel.

Now Jim is sharing his vibrantly colorful, flavorful, and healthful collection of recipes, along with stories of the best waves, markets, restaurants, adventures, and misadventures that he’s experienced – from Tahiti to Hawaii, the Basque Country to Indonesia, California to Mexico, Peru to Morocco, and beyond.

Jim Kempton is a lifelong surfer, cook, and writer. He has been the editor and publisher of Surfer magazine; the director of Quiksilver’s Crossing Project, a boat that searched the world for the best surf breaks; the director of media for Billabong; and the owner of the former Margarita’s Village, an award-winning regional Mexican restaurant in San Clemente, California. The San Clemente resident is currently president of the California Surf Museum, as well as a surf-industry consultant.

We’ll ride the wave with Jim.

Craig StrongIn early October Chef Craig Strong (ex-Studio at Montage Laguna Beach) debuted Ocean at Main, fulfilling a long-time career dream to open his own restaurant. The location in a classic 40s Spanish revival building is exceptional – 222 Ocean Avenue near Main Beach in Laguna Beach, steps from the oceanfront. The 126-seat, 4,500-square-foot eatery with a spectacular shaded patio, is open daily for lunch and dinner.

After nearly 25 years of working at luxury hotels and resorts around the globe, Strong has come full circle to his native Southern California roots with the opening of Ocean at Main. From growing up in San Diego and cooking with produce from the family garden, this chef/owner is now sharing his Coastal California cuisine with the Laguna Beach community he has embraced for the last 10 years.

“Everything from its name, Ocean at Main, to the last drop of a favorite California wine is designed to provide guests with the quintessential Southern California dining experience. Here, Chef Craig Strong continues his devotion to sourcing the finest products available from local purveyors and suppliers as he creates approachable contemporary Coastal California cuisine and a convivial ambiance to please the nearby community and beyond.”

“I want to cook for our guests the way I cook for my family and friends at home. At Ocean at Main, I will celebrate the diversity, freshness and healthy lifestyle of Southern California. We will procure our ingredients from the local farmers and meat, seafood and specialty vendors whom I have been working and collaborating with for years. Coaxing the true flavors from exceptional products is always my goal.” Chef Craig Strong

Chef Craig escapes his busy kitchen for a chat.

Anthony KingLocated in the heart of the Willamette Valley in the charming wine-village of Carlton, the Carlton Winemakers Studio is a cooperative winery where numerous winemakers (currently 15) craft premium Oregon wines in one shared space. Guests can visit their state-of-the-art tasting room where you can taste (and buy) a representative sampling of the Carlton Winemakers Studio wines and learn about the unique and charming stories behind each label.

GM Anthony King came to the Carlton Winemakers Studio in 2015, after eight years as winemaker at Lemelson Vineyards, with the express intent to continue to learn his craft. “The Studio offers a rare opportunity to continue to challenge your own assumptions, see fruit from across the Valley and beyond, and work alongside some of the best winemakers in the world.” he explains.

“Ratio is not intended for growth. It is small and will continue to remain so. It is a conduit for King’s ongoing attempt to understand and hone his ability to express the place and make wines that are both individual and worthy of praise within the context of wines from anywhere in the world.”

Winemaker Anthony King (Ratio:Wines) is also the General Manager for Carlton. He pulls the cork for us.

Diestel Turkey Ranch from West Coast Prime MeatsThe Holidays are fast approaching and it’s time for the return of our Meatheads (Terry and Jay) from West Coast Prime Meats with more practical advice on stress-free Holiday entertaining. The Meatheads are both serious home cooks so they really know the territory.

Terry Hanks and Jay Henderson (The Meatheads) join us.

Kim MalekLast month Portland-based boutique ice cream maker Salt & Straw opened their first location in Downtown Disney in Anaheim. In May 2001 Kim Malek and her cousin and head ice cream maker Tyler Malek started their own small business, Salt & Straw Ice Cream serving eight flavors from a humble cart in NE Portland. Today the company is the largest small batch ice cream company in the world numbering scoop shops in Portland, greater Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and San Diego.

“Our story is part luck, part strategy and part love (for ice cream, family, local foods, and other stuff we can’t mention here). I (Kim) have been wanting to open an ice cream scoop shop since 1996. I thought it would be nice to have a local spot where you could run into your neighbors, celebrate with your family, reward yourself…whatever! And I love exploring fun, interesting new flavors. After toiling away in safe mode working for several amazing Fortune 500 businesses, I moved back to Portland for love and found the window of opportunity and support that I’d been lacking to jump start my idea.”

“In the meantime, my cousin Tyler had been studying in China and traveling in Asia. He completed his business degree and had just announced to the family that he was going to enroll in Culinary School. I actually saw a posting on Facebook that he was considering moving to Portland and phoned him up…not even knowing about his plans! We traded stories and updated each other – coming to realize we are on similar paths by coincidence. Next thing I knew, I was getting reports from Tyler regarding ice cream tests he was running with his friends and family as tasters. He had a million ideas and wanted to join me in this crazy idea. How could I resist? He literally dropped what he was doing, loaded up his car and drove to Portland from Seattle to start work as our head ice cream maker the very next day. I would probably be somewhere rocking back and forth in a corner without him. He’s amazingly talented, super smart, hard-working, and quite possibly the nicest person ever.”

“We’re hoping to create the kind of company that’s fun to support, work for, and partner with. We’re about building strong local community – both in the neighborhoods where we do business and by purchasing as many local products as possible (to keep our money in Oregon and help create stronger local economies).”

Co-Founder Kim Malek is our guest.

Giorgio PisanoAboard a luxury cruise ship dining is a paramount part of the guest experience. The person responsible for overseeing the guest dining experience in all the dining rooms aboard ship is the Maitre d’Hotel.

On Princess CruisesRuby Princess that individual is the charming Giorgio Pisano, a 42-year veteran of Princess. It’s a tough assignment with 3,000 guests to pamper in all the dining areas for every voyage.

Giorgio was born in a beautiful, small village in the South of Italy, Pizzo Calabro. His first posting with Princess was on the Island Princess (original) in 1976 as a Buffet Steward. He spent his vacations working in hotels in and around Italy. His eagerness for learning and achievement helped him move very quickly through the ranks until he was appointed to the position of Maitre d’Hotel in 1992.

Giorgio was elected to launch the largest ship in the world in 1995, the Sun Princess, making him the youngest Maitre d’Hotel on the biggest ship in the world at the time.

Giorgio takes a break from turnaround on the Ruby Princess at the Port of Los Angeles to join us.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Robin & Brian Christenson, Proprietors, Blinking Owl Distillery, Santa Ana
Segment Three: Surfing Authority, Chef & World Traveler Jim Kempton, First We Surf Then We Eat
Segment Four:Chef / Proprietor Craig Strong, Ocean at Main, Laguna Beach
Segment Five: Winemaker Anthony King, General Manager, The Carlton Winemakers Studio, Willamette Valley
Segment Six: The Meatheads from West Coast Prime Meats, Terry Hanks & Jay Henderson
Segment Seven: Kim Malek, Co-Founder, Salt & Straw Ice Cream
Segment Eight: Giorgio Pisano, Maitre d’Hotel, Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess

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