Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: ADYA Fine Indian Flavors at Anaheim Packing House – 10th Anniversary with Chef Shachi Mehra
Segment Three: 2nd Annual Long Beach BBQ Festival with Organizer Qiana Mafnas of Axiom Kitchen
Segment Four and Five: Restaurateur Bob Spivak with Saved by a Blonde & a Chicken Pot Pie – A Restaurateur’s Memoir
Segment Six and Seven: Knoll Vineyards and Tomaselli’s Pastry Mill & Café, Umpqua Valley, Oregon
Segment Eight: “Ask the Chef” with Co-Host Executive Chef Andrew Gruel of Calico Fish House, Sunset Beach

Andy Harris, Executive Producer and Co-host previews the show.

ADYA Fine Indian Flavors is celebrating their 10th Anniversary at the Anaheim Packing House with a special dinner of creative dishes and definitive ADYA classics! This Anniversary Dinner on Thursday, May 30 features a fun mix of new surprises and favorites, all of which pay homage to Chefs Shachi Mehra’s and Sandeep Basur’s experiences over the past decade. Over that time, ADYA has worked hard to increase the popularity and awareness of Indian cuisine and culture through cooking classes, press coverage, television appearances, farmers markets, and food festivals, nonprofit gala events, and so much more!” The Anniversary Dinner from 6 to 8:00 p.m. is four courses with appropriate beverage pairings. Chef Shachi Mehra takes a break from the tandoor to join us.

“Calling all BBQ lovers! The 2nd Annual Long Beach BBQ Fest will take place on Saturday, May 25. May is National BBQ Month. Organized by Ian and Qiana Mafnas, proprietors of the wildly popular Axiom Kitchen Smoked Meats & BBQ, sponsored by non-profit NoahS’s Arc Foundation and in collaboration with Long Beach Living, dozens of BBQ and other vendors will gather at Shoreline Aquatic Park on Saturday, May 25, from Noon to 9 p.m. to offer their smoked, sauced and rubbed specialties to BBQ lovers.” Organizer Qiana Mafnas joins us with tongs in hand.

“In Saved by A Blonde & A Chicken Pot Pie – A Restaurateur’s Memoir, restaurateur Bob Spivak (The Grill on the Alley in Beverly Hills, The Daily Grills and Public School Restaurant + Bar recounts growing up in the restaurant business, how athletics and ingenuity helped him succeed despite living with dyslexia, and the lunch meeting that changed the course of his life, personally and professionally. A lifelong veteran of the food and beverage industry, Bob’s passion for hospitality, love of people and keen business savvy have made him both a respected and beloved figure to generations of restaurant workers and guests.” Bob Spivak (retired) joins us with a chicken pot pie at the ready.

“Nestled in the coastal hills of Oregon, Knoll Vineyards benefits from the maritime-influenced climate of the Umpqua River Valley. Thirty-six miles inland from the Pacific, the cool climate contributes to the ideal terroir for outstanding Pinot Noir and other varietals. Knoll Vineyards is the venture of a fifth-generation Oregon family with a long tradition in ranching and forestry. The 30-acre vineyard uses regenerative and organic practices to nurture a sustainable agriculture environment. Proprietors Leslie (Winemaker) and Steve Beckley began planting grapevines on their Elkton property in 2018. All the wines are made on-site from estate-grown grapes. Their 30-year-old barn houses the winery. Tomaselli’s Pastry Mill & Café has been an institution in Elkton, Oregon since 1981. Known for crafting great food and homemade bakery goods along with from-scratch pizza from their wood-burning oven.” In November of 2023 the Beckley’s assumed ownership of Tomaselli’s to preserve their proud tradition of serving the local community. Winemaker and Restaurateur Leslie Beckley is our guest to pull the cork on all that is Elkton’s Knoll Vineyards and Tomaselli’s Café.

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. We’re returning to the conversation about Virtual / Ghost Kitchens. What started as an incubator for entrepreneurial restaurateurs to test a food concept on a budget has morphed into something altogether different and, seemingly, on the decline. Major restaurant chains are now creating virtual brands (that only exist online) to be prepared in their underutilized kitchens for pickup and delivery. Chef Andrew will talk about “Ballpark Bites” for delivery.

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

“ADYA Fine Indian Flavors is celebrating their 10th Anniversary at the Anaheim Packing House with a special dinner of creative dishes and definitive ADYA classics! This Anniversary Dinner on Thursday, May 30 features a fun mix of new surprises and favorites, all of which pay homage to Chefs Shachi Mehra’s and Sandeep Basur’s experiences over the past decade. Over that time, ADYA has worked hard to increase the popularity and awareness of Indian cuisine and culture through cooking classes, press coverage, television appearances, farmers markets, and food festivals, nonprofit gala events, and so much more! The Anniversary Dinner from 6 to 8:00 p.m. is four courses with appropriate beverage pairings.”

“The dinner will be served family style – the meal is designed to feel as if guests are dining at the Chefs’ home, with a communal table where people share and enjoy together. It is evocative of the sense of community that the Team at ADYA has been fostering since the very beginning. The meal reflects their passion for creating innovative and thoughtful dishes that tastefully balance a variety of flavors as they put their unique twists on Indian cuisine. ADYA’s use of local produce and sustainable ingredients will shine through as the Anniversary Dinner blends Western and Indian cultures to create artful dishes that successfully marry tradition with modernity.”

Chef Shachi takes a break from the tandoor to join us.

“Calling all BBQ lovers! The 2nd Annual Long Beach BBQ Fest will take place on Saturday, May 25. May is National BBQ Month.”

“Organized by Ian and Qiana Mafnas, proprietors of the wildly popular Axiom Kitchen Smoked Meats & BBQ, sponsored by non-profit NoahS’s Arc Foundation and in collaboration with Long Beach Living, dozens of BBQ and other vendors will gather at Shoreline Aquatic Park on Saturday, May 25, from Noon to 9 p.m. to offer their smoked, sauced and rubbed specialties to BBQ lovers.”

Adding to the fun will be other food and craft vendors, craft beers, whiskey tasting, music, dancing and games. Tickets are $15 – $150 and can be purchased here.

“We are excited for year two of this very unique event”, said Ian and Qiana Mafnas in a joint statement. “We hope to give our fellow smokers and BBQ joints some great exposure and to all those attending a delicious and memorable afternoon and evening.”

Qiana Mafnas joins us with tongs in hand.

“In Saved by A Blonde & A Chicken Pot Pie – A Restaurateur’s Memoir, restaurateur Bob Spivak (The Grill on the Alley in Beverly Hills, The Daily Grill‘s and Public School Restaurant + Bar recounts growing up in the restaurant business, how athletics and ingenuity helped him succeed despite living with dyslexia, and the lunch meeting that changed the course of his life, personally and professionally.”

“A lifelong veteran of the food and beverage industry, Bob’s passion for hospitality, love of people and keen business savvy have made him both a respected and beloved figure to generations of restaurant workers and guests.”

“Bob Spivak is the past chairman of the California Restaurant Association, a Director for the California Culinary Academy, and the recipient of many awards, including Restaurateur of The Year from the California Restaurant Association.”

On Thursday evening, May 30^th as part of The Milky Way restaurant’s ongoing Book Series, Bob Spivak will be in residence with “An Evening with Bob Spivak.” Count on Bob sharing entertaining hospitality stories and a special 3-course menu from Executive Chef Phil Kastel (an alum of Bob Spivak’s Grill Concepts, Inc.)

Bob Spivak joins us with a chicken pot pie at the ready.

“Nestled in the coastal hills of Oregon, Knoll Vineyards benefits from the maritime-influenced climate of the Umpqua River Valley. Thirty-six miles inland from the Pacific, the cool climate contributes to the ideal terroir for outstanding Pinot Noir and other varietals. Knoll Vineyards is the venture of a fifth-generation Oregon family with a long tradition in ranching and forestry. The 30-acre vineyard uses regenerative and organic practices to nurture a sustainable agriculture environment.”

“Proprietors Leslie (Winemaker) and Steve Beckley began planting grapevines on their Elkton property in 2018. All the wines are made on-site from estate-grown grapes. Their 30-year-old barn houses the winery.”

“The Beckley family has been in the Elkton area since the 1840s. Elkton is a bucolic town on the banks of the Umpqua River with a population of less than 200 people. It has survived and maintained its agricultural profile over the decades. Grapes were introduced to the area in the early 1980s. The local industry has grown to include several vineyards and wineries, bringing young families, jobs, and economic growth. The 74,900-acre Elkton AVA (American Viticultural Area) was established in 2013. It resides within the greater Umpqua Valley AVA.”

Tomaselli’s Pastry Mill & Café has been an institution in Elkton, Oregon since 1981. Known for crafting great food and homemade bakery goods along with from-scratch pizza from their wood-burning oven. In November of 2023 the Beckley’s assumed ownership of Tomaselli’s to perpetuate their proud tradition of serving the local community.

Winemaker & Restaurateur Leslie Beckley is our guest to pull the cork on all that is Elkton’s Knoll Vineyards and Tomaselli’s Café.

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries.

We’re returning to the (postponned) conversation about Virtual / Ghost Kitchens. What started as an incubator for entrepreneurial restaurateurs to test a food concept on a budget has morphed into something altogether different and, seemingly, on the decline. Major restaurant chains are now creating virtual brands (that only exist online) to be prepared in their underutilized kitchens for pickup and delivery. Chef Andrew will talk about “Ballpark Bites” for delivery.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: ADYA Fine Indian Flavors at Anaheim Packing House – 10th Anniversary with Chef Shachi Mehra
Segment Three: 2nd Annual Long Beach BBQ Festival with Organizer Qiana Mafnas of Axiom Kitchen
Segment Four and Five: Restaurateur Bob Spivak with Saved by a Blonde & a Chicken Pot Pie – A Restaurateur’s Memoir
Segment Six and Seven: Knoll Vineyards and Tomaselli’s Pastry Mill & Café, Umpqua Valley, Oregon
Segment Eight: “Ask the Chef” with Co-Host Executive Chef Andrew Gruel of Calico Fish House, Sunset Beach