Show 127, June 20, 2015: L.A. Beer Week Preview

Thomas Kelley of El Segundo BrewingL.A Beer Week, produced by the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild, is set for L.A. and environs from June 20th to 28th, 2015. For one thirst-quenching week local breweries, bars, restaurants and other hospitable venues host a wide variety of events celebrating the culture of craft beer in the greater L.A. area.

The festival kickoff is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, June 20th in Exposition Park. It’s the flagship event for a week’s worth of great events staged all throughout the City of Angels.

L.A. Beer Week was founded in 2009 by a group of dedicated beer enthusiasts and community members. L.A. Beer Week is organized by the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild; a 25+ brewery strong, non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the culture of #LAbeer.

L.A. Brewers Kickoff on Saturday, June 20th in Exposition Park will feature 75+ breweries, live music and entertainment, a wide selection of food trucks, educational panel discussions, a VIP private area and more. General Admission includes a commemorative tasting glass and samples of over 200 different types of beer, cider and home-brewed sodas. A portion of the proceeds will benefit L.A. Kitchen.

Beer journalist Tomm Carroll of Celebrator Beer News and Beer Paper L.A. along with Thomas Kelley of El Segundo Brewing Co. join us with a preview.

Mr. Carroll will be moderating three panel discussions featuring craft beer notables over the course of L.A. Beer Week. On Wednesday evening, June 24th at Golden Road his panel is the ever popular, “So, You Think You Want To Open A Brewery.”

Show 90, September 27, 2014: Kristofor Barnes’ Beer Lover’s Southern California

Kip Barnes of Los Angeles Ale WorksKristofor “Kip” Barnes, the author of Beer Lover’s Southern California – Best Breweries, Brewpubs & Beer Bars, is an accomplished gold-medal-winning home brewer and the founder of the brew blog Bierkast.com. He also is the co-founder of Los Angeles Ale Works and is a founding member of the L.A. Beer Bloggers.

“With quality beer producers popping up all over the nation, you don’t have to travel very far to taste great beer ; some of the best stuff is brewing right in your home state. Beer Lover’s Southern California (the complete regional guide to craft beer) features breweries, brewpubs, and beer bars geared toward brew enthusiasts looking to seek out the best beers SoCal has to offer, from bitter seasonal IPAs to rich, dark stouts.”

Show 37, August 3, 2013: Daniel Mattern, Chef / Proprietor of Cook’s County

Daniel Mattern of Cooks CountyRegulars to the show know that Chef Jet is a huge fan of Cook’s County in Los Angeles and dines there often. Starting this month (every Tuesday) it’s their inaugural California Craft Beer and Food Festival.

Chef/Proprietor Daniel Mattern has invited seven of his favorite breweries to come pour their beer selection at the “California Craft Beer and Food Festival” at Cook’s County. The series of beer-centric dinners will take place on Tuesday evenings from August 6th to September 24th. Menus will be tailored around the different craft beers and many dishes will be prepared using beer as a significant ingredient. Each evening’s menu consists of five courses, and all courses, including dessert, will be thoughtfully paired with beer.

Daniel’s talented wife, Roxana, is the pastry chef. They shop at three local Farmers Markets during the course of each week to bring the freshest, local produce of the season to their menu.

Show 37, August 3, 2013: Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas

Life is Beautiful FestivalLas Vegas, a spot known for excess on a grand scale, has never seen anything quite like this before and it’s a really big one!

It’s the Life is Beautiful festival set for some 18 blocks of Downtown Las Vegas (including the grounds of a large casino hotel) from October 25th through Sunday, October 27th. It’s an impressive line-up of world class music, food, art and learning. Tickets are already on sale.

With more than 60 prominent chefs and restaurants, 24 wineries and 24 breweries participating in the culinary part of the festival alone, L.I.B presents the attendees with a full-scale food festival experience. The elite Culinary Advisory Board is headed by Chef Bruce Bromberg of the Blue Ribbon restaurants in New York. (His Las Vegas flagship is Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill at The Cosmopolitan.)

“The food experiences of L.I.B. were carefully designed to be interactive, innovative and unexpected,” says Jolene Mannina, Head of Culinary Arts for the festival. “Working with the vision of our Culinary Advisory Board of 12 world-renowned chefs, we’ve created an approach that we feel will set us apart from other food festivals, giving both our patrons and chefs a chance to enjoy something new, fresh and, of course, delicious.”

Jolene is a local celebrity in her own right in the Las Vegas culinary community. Food critic and former ABC Radio correspondent Al Mancini (creator of the popular Eating Las Vegas guidebook series) calls her the “Queen of The Scene”. She originated a much-talked-about late night chefs’ completion series, the Back of the House Brawl.

August 3: Chaya Brasserie, Kedric Francis, Nancy Zavlasky, Cooks County, Life is Beautiful Festival, Kevin West

Podcasts

Segment One: Thoughts on Breakfast
Segment Two: CHAYA Brasserie Beverly Hills Part One
Segment Three: CHAYA Brasserie Beverly Hills Part Two
Segment Four: Kedric Francis, Executive Editor of Coast Magazine and the Orange County Register Magazine
Segment Five: Nancy Zaslavsky, food journalist, author, food tour guide specializing in the foods of Mexico, cooking instructor, and culinary historian
Segment Six: Daniel Mattern, Chef / Proprietor of Cook’s County
Segment Seven: Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas
Segment Eight: Kevin West, food blogger and journalist

Please join us at our new starting time of 10:00 a.m. “The SoCal Restaurant Show” expands to 2-hours on August 3rd. We’re now with you from 10:00 a.m. to 12 Noon every Saturday morning for the most appetizing food talk..

It seems appropriate to be talking about breakfast this morning. We’re chronicling some recent breakfast dining experiences from Orange County to Las Vegas.

CHAYA Brasserie Beverly HillsCHAYA Brasserie Beverly Hills (located adjacent to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center) is a pioneer in brining innovative Japanese cuisine served in a stylish environment to greater Los Angeles. Amazingly they are celebrating their 30th anniversary in Los Angeles this year. Their celebration kicked-off last Sunday with a “Summer Festival” tasting and celebratory activities continue through October.

Chaya owner Yuta Tsunoda and long-time CHAYA Executive Corporate Chef Shigefumi Tachibe are with us to give us the rich history.

The culinary roots of the founding Tsunoda Family stretch back 400 years when the first CHAYA opened in Japan. It is still in operation today as a restaurant.

CHAYA has four popular restaurants in California including the Flagship in Beverly Hills, Venice, Downtown Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Each location embraces the distinct neighborhood that surrounds it. For instance, CHAYA Brasserie San Francisco, located on the Embarcadero, features sweeping views of the Bay Bridge.

CHAYA also operates two Los Angeles-based locations of M Café, a casual macrobiotic eatery.

Kedric Francis of Coast Magazine and the Orange County Register MagazineMan about Orange County, the always debonair Kedric Francis, is with us in-studio. Kedric is the distinguished Executive Editor of the monthly Coast Orange County Magazine. Kedric is also the co-founder and Executive Editor of the OC Register Magazine.

Kedric will preview a couple of unusual staycation ideas for the OC as well as an exciting food & wine festival set for the Central Coast in late September.

It’s Margarita time! Food journalist and Mexican cuisine-authority, Nancy Zaslavsky, is with us to share the “World’s Best Margaritas Recipe.”

Zaslavsky is an author, cooking teacher, and culinary tour leader specializing in the foods of Mexico. She penned the James Beard Award-nominated, A Cook’s Tour of Mexico.

Daniel Mattern of Cooks CountyRegulars to the show know that Chef Jet is a huge fan of Cook’s County in Los Angeles and dines there often. Starting this month (every Tuesday) it’s their inaugural California Craft Beer and Food Festival.

Chef/Proprietor Daniel Mattern has invited seven of his favorite breweries to come pour their beer selection at the “California Craft Beer and Food Festival” at Cook’s County. The series of beer-centric dinners will take place on Tuesday evenings from August 6th to September 24th. Menus will be tailored around the different craft beers and many dishes will be prepared using beer as a significant ingredient. Each evening’s menu consists of five courses, and all courses, including dessert, will be thoughtfully paired with beer.

Las Vegas has never seen anything quite like this before and it’s a big one !

life-is-beautifulIt’s the Life is Beautiful festival set for many blocks of Downtown Las Vegas from October 25th through Sunday, October 27th. It’s an impressive line-up of world class music, food, art and learning. Tickets are on sale.

With more than 60 prominent chefs and restaurants, 24 wineries and 24 breweries participating in the culinary part of the festival alone, L.I.B presents the attendees with a full-scale food festival experience.

“The food experiences of L.I.B. were carefully designed to be interactive, innovative and unexpected,” says Jolene Mannina, Head of Culinary Arts for the festival. “Working with the vision of our Culinary Advisory Board of 12 world-renowned chefs, we’ve created an approach that we feel will set us apart from other food festivals, giving both our patrons and chefs a chance to enjoy something new, fresh and, of course, delicious.”

Kevin WestCanning, pickling, and preserving has really taken off in local home kitchens. Food journalist Kevin West, a certified food preserver, has just launched Saving the Season: A cook’s guide to home canning, pickling, and preserving from Knopf. In addition to the expected recipes West has mini profiles of his favorite farmers and farm adventures as part of the book.

Kevin is at The Beverly Hills Farmers Market on Sunday, August 4th as part of Pickle Fest. He’ll be signing the book there from 9 to 10:45 a.m.

The block-wide ethnic food court at the historic Grand Central Market (dating back to 1896) in Downtown Los Angeles is undergoing a renaissance. Kevin West is consulting on that effort to bring exciting, one-of-a-kind distinctive food businesses to the Market. It’s already happening…

Podcasts

Segment One: Thoughts on Breakfast
Segment Two: CHAYA Brasserie Beverly Hills Part One
Segment Three: CHAYA Brasserie Beverly Hills Part Two
Segment Four: Kedric Francis, Executive Editor of Coast Magazine and the Orange County Register Magazine
Segment Five: Nancy Zaslavsky, food journalist, author, food tour guide specializing in the foods of Mexico, cooking instructor, and culinary historian
Segment Six: Daniel Mattern, Chef / Proprietor of Cook’s County
Segment Seven: Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas
Segment Eight: Kevin West, food blogger and journalist

March 30: Scott Slater, Graham Elliot, Brooke Williamson, Barbara Fairchild

Podcasts

Segment One: Chef Jet Tila
Segment Two: Executive Chef Brad Lyons and Erika DiProfio of Slater’s 50/50
Segment Three: Celebrity Chef Graham Elliot
Segment Four: Chef Brooke Williamson of The Tripel in Playa del Rey and Hudson House in Redondo Beach
Segment Five: Barbara Fairchild, former long-time editor of Bon Appetit magazine. Educator, speaker and hospitality industry consultant Part One
Segment Six: Barbara Fairchild, former long-time editor of Bon Appetit magazine. Educator, speaker and hospitality industry consultant Part Two

Easter and Passover greetings to all.

It’s a tasty buffet this week. We’re going from big juicy burgers and craft beer to dining with one of Chicago’s best celebrity chefs…From there it’s a conversation with our own, delightful, local “Top Chef” cheftestant. Finally it’s a trip to Venice and Rome for a sampling of their culinary delights!

Jet has been in Dallas all week so he’ll graciously share some of his dining adventures. Also, a bit of area restaurant news to report.

Scott Slater of Slater's 50/50We’re all on the quest for a great burger. So was Scott Slater when he teamed up with college buddy and chef Brad Lyons to launch the first Slater’s 50/50 in Anaheim Hills in 2009. Bacon is the key…

An impressive selection of craft beer (always changing) on tap is also a popular attraction. Since the success of Anaheim Hills busy locations have been added in Huntington Beach, San Diego, Pasadena and, most recently, Lake Forest.

On April 6th in Lake Forest Slater’s 50/50 will present the 1st Backyard Brewfest. It’s an outdoor tasting event with 15 different breweries and a sampling of Slater’s 50/50 most popular menu items. It’s a benefit for the Pediatric Children’s Research Foundation.

Graham ElliotCelebrity Chef Graham Elliot hails from Chicagoland where he has graham elliott, a well-known, Two-Star Michelin ranked restaurant. He’s perhaps more familiar to Angelenos as the sympathetic judge on Fox TV’s “MasterChef” series now in production on their 4th season.

On April 8th and 9th Chef Graham will be at W. Third Street’s Son of a Gun in Los Angeles cooking a 5-course tasting menu paired with regional wines selected by graham elliott sommelier, Jamie Kluz. Joining Chef Elliott in the kitchen will be Sous Chef John Slack and Director of Operations/Corporate Chef Merlin Verrier.

Brooke Williamson of Hudson House and TripelBrooke Williamson, the youthful co-owner of Hudson House in Redondo Beach and The Tripel in Playa del Rey represented Southern California masterfully in the just-concluded Season 10 of Bravo’s “Top Chef”. Brooke will talk to us about the two-part Season Finale which was shot in front of a live audience!

Chef Brooke has just been added to “Top Chef: The Cruise” aboard the Celebrity Constellation sailing from Miami with stops in Key West and Cozumel before returning to Miami. Those dates are April 11th to 15th.

Barbara FairchildOur International Travel Correspondent, Barbara Fairchild (former editor of Bon Appetit magazine and current hospitality consultant, teacher, speaker, and journalist), has just returned from Venice and Rome.

Barbara is going to reveal the dining highlights of her culinary journey in Rome and Venice. It’s perhaps the next best thing to actually having been there…

Barbara is on Facebook and Twitter.

Podcasts

Segment One: Chef Jet Tila
Segment Two: Executive Chef Brad Lyons and Erika DiProfio of Slater’s 50/50
Segment Three: Celebrity Chef Graham Elliot
Segment Four: Chef Brooke Williamson of The Tripel in Playa del Rey and Hudson House in Redondo Beach
Segment Five: Barbara Fairchild, former long-time editor of Bon Appetit magazine. Educator, speaker and hospitality industry consultant Part One
Segment Six: Barbara Fairchild, former long-time editor of Bon Appetit magazine. Educator, speaker and hospitality industry consultant Part Two