Show 394, October 10, 2020: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Caroline Styne is the Co-Proprietor (with Chef Suzanne Goin) of The Lucques Group. Caroline is an active member of the nationwide Independent Restaurant Coalition. Their main objective is to get the Federal Restaurants Act passed. a.o.c. in Los Angeles is back with dine-in. The wholesale Larder Baking Co. now has a variety of bread and pastry packages available To-Go at retail. Cassoulet Night by Lucques Catering returns on Saturday evening, October 24th for socially distanced sit-down dining in The Courtyard at Maple Drive in Beverly Hills and for takeout / delivery orders via TOCK. Caroline joins us to talk about the efforts of the Independent Restaurant Coalition and what is available for guests from the Lucques Group establishments at present.

Halleck Vineyard, known for their award-winning Pinot Noirs, is a family journey of business partners Jennifer and Ross Halleck. They planted the Halleck Vineyard in 1993, the very first in the hills of Sebastopol, in western Sonoma County. Intended as a college fund for their infant son, two more sons and six years later until their first harvest, this seemed a flight of fancy. “A one- acre site, Halleck Vineyard is perched above the Russian River watershed and flanked on the west by the slopes to the Pacific Ocean. It commands an expansive view of the rolling Sonoma County hills to the northeast. A passion for Pinot leads the charge of the Halleck wines.” Proprietor & Vintner Ross Halleck pulls the cork on Halleck Vineyard for us.

Descanso Restaurant in Costa Mesa delivers a unique Mexican dining experience as a modern taqueria that celebrates authentic Mexican flavors and recipes executed on a traditional Plancha and prepared a la minute in front of the guest. With new Executive Chef Fonzy de Zuniga at the helm, the full-service restaurant is committed to providing only fresh, high-quality ingredients sourced from local farms and does not believe in cooking with lard or using can openers. Drawing guests into the cooking experience as classic Central Mexican street-inspired cuisine is made to order, the restaurant’s lively setting celebrates tradition while bringing in the music, smells, and energy of a busy Mexican town.” Managing Partner & Concept Creator Rob Arellano joins us with all the enticing details of what Descanso has available for the dining public right now.

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 regularly 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. We hear the term “sustainable” used quite often. It’s a lofty goal. What does it actually entail for a restaurant to be sustainable? Sustainable equals quality. Takeout and delivery are burgeoning right now. Disposable containers and packaging are in high use. What can a restaurant do so their food arrives intact and at the right temperature but uses packaging that is more environmentally friendly, too. We’ll “Ask the Chef.”

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

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