Let’s talk food…Chef Jet and Producer Andy share some of their recent dining adventures.
Jet has experienced the much talked-about Republique with Walter Manzke and Chef Margarita Manzke behind the stoves at the former Campanile space. Andy has dined at Downtown’s Orsa & Winston, the new fine-dining spot from Josef Centeno (Bar Ama & Baco Mercat.)
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Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Anais Tangie, Marketing Coordinator, SoCo and The Mix
Segment Three: Chef Carla Hall, ABC’s “The Chew,” “Bravo’s “Top Chef ,” and Carla Hall Petit Cookies
Segment Four: Roger Hayot, Executive Chef, J. Nichols Kitchen Part One
Segment Five: Roger Hayot, Executive Chef, J. Nichols Kitchen Part Two
Segment Six: Sanford D’Amato, founder and former Executive Chef of the award-winning Sanford restaurant, Milwaukee, WI
Segment Seven: Al Mancini, Las Vegas-based food journalist and co-author of Eating Las Vegas guidebook for 2011, 2012, and 2013
Segment Eight: Chef Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris of “SoCal Restaurant Show”
Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.
Food 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.
On Friday morning, January 31st catch Chef Jet on NBC’s “Today Show” in the 9:00 a.m. hour PST. He’s sharing his recipe for Peking Duck Sliders for Chinese New Year and The Big Game!
ABC’s “The Chew’s,” Carla Hall, is back with us talking about the very special Culinary Concert she is doing at Zov’s Bistro in Tustin on Sunday, February 9th to benefit the scholarship fund of The James Beard Foundation. “Hootie Hoo”…You’ll meet Sandy D’Amato, a kid from Milwaukee, who grew up to become one of the most outstanding chefs in America. Chef Roger Hayot joins us. You may not know his name but you really should. In the 90s Chef Roger had one of the most acclaimed restaurants in L.A. Now he’s quietly making waves again at a hidden gem of a neighborhood place in Marina del Rey.
All of that and lots more incredible deliciousness on the “SoCal Restaurant Show.”
The first Saturday of last October we were live at South Coast Collection (SoCo) and The Mix in Costa Mesa for the first Patchwork Show: Edible Edition.
We showcased the growing collection of outstanding boutique food businesses and restaurants there. The SoCo and Mix’s Marketing Coordinator, Anais Tangie, joins us to talk about the new additions and what’s soon on the way. Think handcrafted artisanal chocolates and also a one-of-kind cocktail education and tools-of-the-trade store owned by a master bartender…
Food fans know Chef Carla Hall as the “Hootie Hoo” lady and fan favorite from multiple seasons of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” She is now the co-host of ABC’s daytime lifestyle series, “The Chew.” Last month “The Chew” celebrated their 500th episode and the show continues to gain in popularity. Carla also is the author of Cooking with Love: Comfort Food That Hugs You, newly available in paperback.
Carla is being honored by Zov Karamardian of Zov’s Bistro in Tustin at her Culinary Concert to benefit the James Beard Foundation on Sunday, February 9th.
That Sunday Carla and Zov will conduct a highly entertaining, interactive cooking class for the guests followed by a lavish lunch. Carla will be available to sign copies of her book and interact with the guests. It all starts at Noon.
Pastry Chef to the Stars and a multiple James Beard Award-winner, Sherry Yard, is the celebrity MC.
For more info and to make reservations please call 714.838.8855 ext. 21
Carla is represented in Saveur’s 100 which is the current January/February issue. Item 13 on the list is Carla’s suggestion of Lemon Olive Oil.
In 1987 the Authentic Café opened on Beverly Blvd. near CBS’s Television City in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles. It was the inspiration of Chef Roger Hayot who was mentored by his prior employer, David Overton, the creator of The Cheesecake Factory. It was initially a small place and from Day 1 they had lines of patient guests out the door…Eventually they expanded into the space next-door to accommodate the strong demand.
Roger’s always intriguing menu was inspired by the cuisines of the American Southwest, Latin America, Asia, and the Mediterranean. He used authentic global ingredients which was unusual at the time. Thai fish sauce was one of his regular ingredients. The exotic appeal of his cooking was always balanced by its hominess.
He had the honor of cooking at The James Beard Foundation in New York.
There is a new chapter to Chef Roger Hayot’s inspirational cooking story in Los Angeles so we continue.
In 2012 Roger moved into the Executive Chef position at J Nichols Kitchen in Marina del Rey. This originally opened as Nichols Family Restaurant in 1974 as a friendly, neighborhood coffee shop with reasonable prices and big portions. When the founders’ son and daughter took over the operation they faced a dilemma. The retail center they were in was about to undergo a major renovation (and upscaling) and their clientele was aging and the younger crowd wasn’t patronizing them. The Nichols made the tough decision to remodel and reposition themselves as a destination neighborhood restaurant with more serious food and no snootiness. That’s a major transition…
The first 6 months of the new concept was a bit rocky. The seniors didn’t like the new menu or pricing and the Millennials thought it was still a coffee shop. A lot of guest confusion…Chef Roger joined the team in progress with the mission of improving the food and consistency. Over the last 18 months that has happened and the successful transition accomplished! A great turnaround story…
Virtually everything is now made from scratch from the pizza dough (3-day process) to the fruit preserves served at breakfast. Chef Roger takes the time to make his own biscuits (very popular) as well as flavorful premium sausages. He has his own smoker. All the desserts are house-prepared. The novel Greek Yogurt Cheesecake is perhaps Chef Roger’s tribute to The Cheesecake Factory. It’s light, has a graham cracker crust, crushed pistachios, and a honey drizzle. Yum…
Good Stock: Life on Low Simmer was written by Sanford “Sandy” D’Amato, one of America’s most respected chefs and restaurateurs. It is a special memoir of a life in cooking that weaves more than 80 recipes and both personal and food photos in a beautiful and engaging way.
Chef D’Amato tells his life story in brief episodes that are keyed to more than 80 of this James Beard Award-winning chef’s favorite recipes.
Sanford, the restaurant D’Amato opened in his native Milwaukee in 1989 (in the space that once housed his grandfather’s grocery store,) has long been one of the highest rated restaurants in America.
D’Amato and his wife, Angie, currently split their time between Milwaukee and their mini-farm in Hatfield, MA, where they are preparing to open a cooking school (also called Good Stock.)
If you really want to understand what it takes to be a successful, career executive chef this is the book for you. It’s also highly entertaining and a fascinating read. Chef Sandy’s encounters with the legendary Julia Child over the years are priceless.
Max Jacobson is a serious food journalist who relocated to Las Vegas from Southern California in 1999 to cover the burgeoning dining scene there. Southern Californians remember his coverage of the Orange County dining scene for The Los Angeles Times. He is currently Vegas Seven’s restaurant critic. His colleagues have great respect for him.
Two days before Christmas 2013, Jacobson was struck by a hit-and-run driver while he was in a crosswalk. He sustained severe brain trauma from the accident. He remains hospitalized in serious condition and his prognosis is uncertain.
In true hospitality industry fashion a group of prominent, celebrity chefs have joined together to launch the Chefs to the Max fundraising series to assist with Max Jacobson’s horrendous medical expenses.
The first dinner was January 19th at Chef Rick Moonen’s Rx Boiler Room at Mandalay Place on the Las Vegas Strip. The evening raised an impressive $275,799.
Fellow Las Vegas-based food journalist, Al Mancini, joins us to talk about the Chefs to the Max benefits and working with Max. Al and Max collaborated (with a third Las Vegas-based restaurant writer) on the three editions of the very popular Las Vegas dining guidebook series, Eating Las Vegas.
Let’s talk food…Chef Jet and Producer Andy share some of their recent dining adventures.
Jet has experienced the much talked-about Republique with Walter Manzke and Chef Margarita Manzke behind the stoves at the former Campanile space. Andy has dined at Downtown’s Orsa & Winston, the new fine-dining spot from Josef Centeno (Bar Ama & Baco Mercat.)
Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Anais Tangie, Marketing Coordinator, SoCo and The Mix
Segment Three: Chef Carla Hall, ABC’s “The Chew,” “Bravo’s “Top Chef ,” and Carla Hall Petit Cookies
Segment Four: Roger Hayot, Executive Chef, J. Nichols Kitchen Part One
Segment Five: Roger Hayot, Executive Chef, J. Nichols Kitchen Part Two
Segment Six: Sanford D’Amato, founder and former Executive Chef of the award-winning Sanford restaurant, Milwaukee, WI
Segment Seven: Al Mancini, Las Vegas-based food journalist and co-author of Eating Las Vegas guidebook for 2011, 2012, and 2013
Segment Eight: Chef Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris of “SoCal Restaurant Show”
Josef Centeno is a classic example of the independent young breed of pioneering chef who wants to do his own thing with total control and then makes it happen!
He now has two busy restaurants in the Old Bank District of Downtown Los Angeles making him something of an urban pioneer, too, because he also lives there.
His latest is Bar Ama which is his tribute to the maternal side of his Family and their San Antonio-style of Tex-Mex cooking. All tortillas and salsas are made in-house and are fresh daily.
He’s particularly proud of the Puffy Tacos and his Wood Grill. This is one of the few spots locally where you can get young goat properly prepared.
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Segment One: Robert Wemischner, cookbook author, pastry chef, and culinary instructor Part One
Segment Two: Robert Wemischner, cookbook author, pastry chef, and culinary instructor Part Two
Segment Three: Josef Centeno, owner/executive chef of baco mercat and Bar Ama in Downtown Los Angeles
Segment Four: Deborah Schneider, executive chef and partner, SOL Mexican Cocina, Newport Beach
Segment Five: Chef Javier Plascencia of Mision 19, Tijuana’s superstar celebrity chef and culinary goodwill ambassador for the food and wines of Northern Baja
Segment Six: Chef Javier Plascencia of Mision 19, Tijuana’s superstar celebrity chef and culinary goodwill ambassador for the food and wines of Northern Baja (Continued…)
We’re cooking and baking with tea and then talking about a promising new Tex-Mex establishment in Downtown LA, with some flair from a young chef who does it his way. We’re then on to Newport Beach Restaurant Week and finally a taste of Northern Baja!
Acclaimed pastry chef and culinary educator Robert Wemischner has always been intrigued by the flavor potential of ingredients, from turmeric to tea and from cumin to coffee.
He is the author of four well-received cookbooks, including his most recent effort, The Dessert Architect. For the last 18 years he has headed the respected baking and pastry program for Los Angeles Trade-Tech College in Downtown Los Angeles.
Chef Bob joins us to present Tea 101 and guidance on cooking and baking with tea.
He also shares his delectable recipe for Chocolate Assam Tea Torte which he served at the “Getting Our Just Desserts” Benefit for C-CAP last November.
Josef Centeno is part of a group of risk-taking, young chefs who are going out on their own and making names for themselves. He created quite a splash when he designed the original menu and concept for Lazy Ox Canteen in Little Tokyo in Downtown LA.
After that was up and running he ventured out on his own in a more urban area of Downtown and launched baco Mercat at the corner of 4th & Main. He even makes his own soft drinks there from quality ingredients.
In December he debuted his 2nd Downtown spot, Bar Ama, which is a tribute to his Grandmother’s style of Tex-Mex food.
Newport Beach Restaurant Week is January 18th to 27th. Participating restaurants have special pricing for lunch and/or dinner. It’s a chance to experience the best in Newport Beach dining at very affordable prices.
Deborah Schneider, the executive chef & partner of SOL Mexican Cucina joins us to tell us about what SOL is doing for Restaurant Week.
One of the most prominent and distinguished chefs cooking in Mexico today is Javier Plascencia who makes his home in Tijuana. He’s cooked for Mexico’s president, Felipe Calderon. His family also has a fine restaurant on the US side of the Border in Bonita.
Chef Javier is also an unabashed cheerleader for the foods and premium wines of Baja. The finest wines in Mexico come from the region and are just now finding their way into US distribution channels.
Last year when Anthony Bourdain of Travel Channel’s “No Reservations” visited Northern Baja, Javier was a prominent part of this at his latest venture, Mision 19.
On Monday evening, January 14th Chef Javier has recruited the best chefs and winemakers in Northern Baja to join him in preparing a 7-course, wine-paired meal at Romesco as a benefit for the San Diego Chapter of The American Institute of Wine and Food.
It’s sold out with a waiting list but this is a chef you should really know.
Segment One: Robert Wemischner, cookbook author, pastry chef, and culinary instructor Part One
Segment Two: Robert Wemischner, cookbook author, pastry chef, and culinary instructor Part Two
Segment Three: Josef Centeno, owner/executive chef of baco mercat and Bar Ama in Downtown Los Angeles
Segment Four: Deborah Schneider, executive chef and partner, SOL Mexican Cocina, Newport Beach
Segment Five: Chef Javier Plascencia of Mision 19, Tijuana’s superstar celebrity chef and culinary goodwill ambassador for the food and wines of Northern Baja
Segment Six: Chef Javier Plascencia of Mision 19, Tijuana’s superstar celebrity chef and culinary goodwill ambassador for the food and wines of Northern Baja (Continued…)