Show 549, October 28, 2023: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

“Nestled in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, multiple James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur Chris Bianco’s Pane Bianco DTLA offers NY style pizza, sandwiches, salads, and provisions. And with Pizzeria Bianco DTLA just around the corner, Chef Chris’ full restaurant experience is now available at Row DTLA. Along with their NY Style pizzas, Pane Bianco DTLA features their incredible sandwiches, meticulously prepared on house-made breads, baked daily. Combining premium meats, artisanal cheeses, and farm-fresh vegetables, the sandwiches are handcrafted with love! For a lighter option, explore vibrant salads bursting with freshness. Perfect as a meal or a refreshing side, these salads celebrate the bounty of nature’s offerings.” Chef Chris joins us with pizza peel in hand.

Buono’s Pizzeria, which opened as a family-owned, Italian deli and market in 1965 in San Pedro before eventually transitioning into a full-service pizzeria in 1973, is celebrating its 50th “pizza-versary” in November. The San Pedro landmark, which relocated from its original location at 15th and Gaffey in 2019 to the port town’s Little Italy district at 6th and Centre, invites the community to celebrate on November 13 and 14 with heavily discounted menu items and $50 gift cards giveaways to 50 lucky customers who dine at Buono’s on either day. Winners are selected at random. Both Long Beach locations will be celebrating as well.” Restaurateur Frank Buono joins us with a signature Pizza Buona Lisa at the ready.

Adam Bell is our accomplished, long-time Website and Social Media maven. He’s a foodie in good-standing with a particular affinity for the best in regional pizza, distinctive craft beer, and artisan coffee brewed from freshly roasted and ground, fair-trade coffee beans.

Adam was recently in Atlantic City for a few days. He avoided the heavily-hyped restaurants in the big Hotel Casino Resorts and, instead, renewed his acquaintance with the smaller establishments (representing better value) oozing with local character that the residents frequent.

Along the way Adam will profile the Mancuso Family’s Angelo’s Fairmount Tavern a locals’ hang since 1935 with a ton of history. It’s an iconic red sauce Italian spot with meatballs that still truly amaze.

“This year, the New Orleans culinary icon Commander’s Palace celebrates 130 years of restaurant history. To mark the occasion, co-proprietors Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan—alongside Executive Chef Meg Bickford and the entire Commander’s Palace family—are rolling out a yearlong calendar of anniversary programming. The legendary New Orleans dining destination, Commander’s Palace, first debuted in 1893 as a small Garden District saloon and restaurant. In 1969, pioneering female restaurateur Ella Brennan and four of her siblings took its helm, changing the landscape not only for women in hospitality, but also for what Creole cuisine and hospitality could be.” Ti Martin is our guest with a flute of celebratory Commander’s Palace Cuvee in hand.

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) and also the founder and pizzaiola of the fast-casual Big Parm (New Jersey-style pizza) located in the Mess Hall in Tustin provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. Farm-raised fish produced domestically contributes to sustainability and the American economy. There are plenty of misnomers out there regarding quality and best practices. Chef Andrew shares the real facts of what you need to know.

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

Show 549, October 28, 2023: Chef Chris Bianco, Restaurateur, Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco, ROW DTLA Part One

Chris Bianco

“Nestled in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, multiple James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur Chris Bianco’s Pane Bianco DTLA offers NY style pizza, sandwiches, salads, and provisions. And with Pizzeria Bianco DTLA just around the corner, Chef Chris’ full restaurant experience is now available at Row DTLA.” Chef Chris joins us with pizza peel in hand.

“Along with their NY Style pizzas, Pane Bianco DTLA features their incredible sandwiches, meticulously prepared on house-made breads, baked daily. Combining premium meats, artisanal cheeses, and farm-fresh vegetables, the sandwiches are handcrafted with love! For a lighter option, explore vibrant salads bursting with freshness. Perfect as a meal or a refreshing side, these salads celebrate the bounty of nature’s offerings.”

“Pane Bianco also features select provisions, including their own lineup of Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes, Bianco swag, and our Bianco extra virgin olive oil.”

Hours at the Row DTLA are Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

“When Chris Bianco started Pizzeria Bianco in the back corner of a Phoenix grocery store in 1988, he had no idea that he would become a driving force in the artisanal pizza movement. All he knew was that his food would reflect the respect and sincere intention that he brings to each of his recipes, as the result of his relationships with farmers, local producers, customers, and staff.”

“Now the chef-owner of Pizzeria Bianco, with multiple locations in Phoenix, Arizona and Los Angeles, California, Bianco has come a long way from the back corner of that grocery store.”

“Bianco first won the James Beard Award for Best Chef (Southwest) in 2003 —the first pizzaiolo to receive the honor— and helped spawn a generation of independent and artisanal pizzerias, lending his advice, wisdom, and food philosophies to dozens of fellow chefs and restaurateurs. In 2022, Chris again won a second James Beard Award for Outstanding Restauranteur.

Show 549, October 28, 2023: Chef Chris Bianco, Restaurateur, Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco, ROW DTLA Part Two

Chris Bianco

“Nestled in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, multiple James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur Chris Bianco’s Pane Bianco DTLA offers NY style pizza, sandwiches, salads, and provisions. And with Pizzeria Bianco DTLA just around the corner, Chef Chris’ full restaurant experience is now available at Row DTLA.” Chef Chris continues with us with pizza peel in hand.

“Along with their NY Style pizzas, Pane Bianco DTLA features their incredible sandwiches, meticulously prepared on house-made breads, baked daily. Combining premium meats, artisanal cheeses, and farm-fresh vegetables, the sandwiches are handcrafted with love! For a lighter option, explore vibrant salads bursting with freshness. Perfect as a meal or a refreshing side, these salads celebrate the bounty of nature’s offerings.”

“Pane Bianco also features select provisions, including their own lineup of Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes, Bianco swag, and our Bianco extra virgin olive oil.”

Hours at the Row DTLA are Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

“When Chris Bianco started Pizzeria Bianco in the back corner of a Phoenix grocery store in 1988, he had no idea that he would become a driving force in the artisanal pizza movement. All he knew was that his food would reflect the respect and sincere intention that he brings to each of his recipes, as the result of his relationships with farmers, local producers, customers, and staff.”

“Now the chef-owner of Pizzeria Bianco, with multiple locations in Phoenix, Arizona and Los Angeles, California, Bianco has come a long way from the back corner of that grocery store.”

“Bianco first won the James Beard Award for Best Chef (Southwest) in 2003 —the first pizzaiolo to receive the honor— and helped spawn a generation of independent and artisanal pizzerias, lending his advice, wisdom, and food philosophies to dozens of fellow chefs and restaurateurs. In 2022, Chris again won a second James Beard Award for Outstanding Restauranteur.

October 28: Chris Bianco, Buono’s Pizzeria, Adam Bell on the Jersey Shore, Commander’s Palace

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Chef Chris Bianco, Restaurateur, Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco, ROW DTLA Part One
Segment Three: Chef Chris Bianco, Restaurateur, Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco, ROW DTLA Part Two
Segment Four: Buono’s Pizzeria’s 50th Anniversary, San Pedro and Long Beach
Segment Five: Atlantic City, NJ Dining Gems with Adam Bell, Creative Guru for “SoCal Restaurant Show”
Segment Six: Ti Adelaide Martin, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans Part One
Segment Seven: Ti Adelaide Martin, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans Part Two
Segment Eight: Co-Host and Chef Andrew Gruel with “Ask the Chef”

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

“Nestled in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, multiple James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur Chris Bianco’s Pane Bianco DTLA offers NY style pizza, sandwiches, salads, and provisions. And with Pizzeria Bianco DTLA just around the corner, Chef Chris’ full restaurant experience is now available at Row DTLA. Along with their NY Style pizzas, Pane Bianco DTLA features their incredible sandwiches, meticulously prepared on house-made breads, baked daily. Combining premium meats, artisanal cheeses, and farm-fresh vegetables, the sandwiches are handcrafted with love! For a lighter option, explore vibrant salads bursting with freshness. Perfect as a meal or a refreshing side, these salads celebrate the bounty of nature’s offerings.” Chef Chris joins us with pizza peel in hand.

“Buono’s Pizzeria, which opened as a family-owned, Italian deli and market in 1965 in San Pedro before eventually transitioning into a full-service pizzeria in 1973, is celebrating its 50th “pizza-versary” in November. The San Pedro landmark, which relocated from its original location at 15th and Gaffey in 2019 to the port town’s Little Italy district at 6th and Centre, invites the community to celebrate on November 13 and 14 with heavily discounted menu items and $50 gift cards giveaways to 50 lucky customers who dine at Buono’s on either day. Winners are selected at random. Both Long Beach locations will be celebrating as well.” Restaurateur Frank Buono joins us with a signature Pizza Buona Lisa at the ready.

Adam Bell is our accomplished, long-time Website and Social Media maven. He’s a foodie in good-standing with a particular affinity for the best in regional pizza, distinctive craft beer, and artisan coffee brewed from freshly roasted and ground, fair-trade coffee beans.

Adam was recently in Atlantic City for a few days. He avoided the heavily-hyped restaurants in the big Hotel Casino Resorts and, instead, renewed his acquaintance with the smaller establishments (representing better value) oozing with local character that the residents frequent.

Along the way Adam will profile the Mancuso Family’s Angelo’s Fairmount Tavern a locals’ hang since 1935 with a ton of history. It’s an iconic red sauce Italian spot with meatballs that still truly amaze.

“This year, the New Orleans culinary icon Commander’s Palace celebrates 130 years of restaurant history. To mark the occasion, co-proprietors Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan—alongside Executive Chef Meg Bickford and the entire Commander’s Palace family—are rolling out a yearlong calendar of anniversary programming. The legendary New Orleans dining destination, Commander’s Palace, first debuted in 1893 as a small Garden District saloon and restaurant. In 1969, pioneering female restaurateur Ella Brennan and four of her siblings took its helm, changing the landscape not only for women in hospitality, but also for what Creole cuisine and hospitality could be.” Ti Martin is our guest with a flute of celebratory Commander’s Palace Cuvee in hand.

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) and also the founder and pizzaiola of Big Parm (New Jersey-style pizza) located in the Mess Hall in Tustin provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. Farm-raised fish produced domestically contributes to sustainability and the American economy. There are plenty of misnomers out there regarding quality and best practices. Chef Andrew shares the real facts of what you need to know.

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

Chris Bianco

“Nestled in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, multiple James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur Chris Bianco’s Pane Bianco DTLA offers NY style pizza, sandwiches, salads, and provisions. And with Pizzeria Bianco DTLA just around the corner, Chef Chris’ full restaurant experience is now available at Row DTLA.” Chef Chris joins us with pizza peel in hand.

“Along with their NY Style pizzas, Pane Bianco DTLA features their incredible sandwiches, meticulously prepared on house-made breads, baked daily. Combining premium meats, artisanal cheeses, and farm-fresh vegetables, the sandwiches are handcrafted with love! For a lighter option, explore vibrant salads bursting with freshness. Perfect as a meal or a refreshing side, these salads celebrate the bounty of nature’s offerings.”

“Pane Bianco also features select provisions, including their own lineup of Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes, Bianco swag, and our Bianco extra virgin olive oil.”

Hours at the Row DTLA are Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

“When Chris Bianco started Pizzeria Bianco in the back corner of a Phoenix grocery store in 1988, he had no idea that he would become a driving force in the artisanal pizza movement. All he knew was that his food would reflect the respect and sincere intention that he brings to each of his recipes, as the result of his relationships with farmers, local producers, customers, and staff.”

“Now the chef-owner of Pizzeria Bianco, with multiple locations in Phoenix, Arizona and Los Angeles, California, Bianco has come a long way from the back corner of that grocery store.”

“Bianco first won the James Beard Award for Best Chef (Southwest) in 2003 —the first pizzaiolo to receive the honor— and helped spawn a generation of independent and artisanal pizzerias, lending his advice, wisdom, and food philosophies to dozens of fellow chefs and restaurateurs. In 2022, Chris again won a second James Beard Award for Outstanding Restauranteur.

Frank Buono of Buono''s P{izzeria in Long Beach

Buono’s Pizzeria, which opened as a family-owned, Italian deli and market in 1965 in San Pedro before eventually transitioning into a full-service pizzeria in 1973, is celebrating its 50th “pizza-versary” in November. The San Pedro landmark, which relocated from its original location at 15th and Gaffey in 2019 to the port town’s Little Italy district at 6th and Centre, invites the community to celebrate on November 13 and 14 with heavily discounted menu items and $50 gift cards giveaways to 50 lucky customers who dine at Buono’s on either day. Winners are selected at random. Both Long Beach locations will be celebrating as well.”

“Turning 50 has never tasted so good,” said Frank Buono, who now heads operations for his family’s three locations, including downtown Long Beach and West Long Beach. “As one of the few legacy restaurants still around, this is our way of saying thank you to our many loyal guests. This milestone is as much their celebration as it is ours. We wouldn’t be here without their continued support throughout the decades.” Frank Buono joins us with a signature Pizza Buona Lisa at the ready.

“The Little Italy location spans nearly 3,000 square-feet and boasts alfresco dining available with an expansive wraparound patio. The exhibition kitchen reveals a display of culinary excellence with a gas-fired brick oven. Both Long Beach locations offer patio dining, too, with an inviting 3,000-square-foot outdoor dining space at the downtown Long Beach locale.”

Adam Bell of dataTV

Adam Bell is our accomplished, long-time Website and Social Media maven. He’s a foodie in good-standing with a particular affinity for the best in regional pizza, distinctive craft beer, and artisan coffee brewed from freshly roasted and ground, fair-trade coffee beans.

Adam was recently in Atlantic City for a few days. He avoided the heavily-hyped restaurants in the big Hotel Casino Resorts and, instead, renewed his acquaintance with the smaller establishments (representing better value) oozing with local character that the residents frequent.

Along the way Adam will profile the Mancuso Family’s Angelo’s Fairmount Tavern a locals’ hang since 1935 with a ton of history. It’s an iconic red sauce Italian spot with meatballs that still truly amaze.

Ti Adelaide Martin

“This year, the New Orleans culinary icon Commander’s Palace celebrates 130 years of restaurant history. To mark the occasion, co-proprietors Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan — alongside Executive Chef Meg Bickford and the entire Commander’s Palace family — are rolling out a yearlong calendar of anniversary programming.”

“What our guests love about Commander’s Palace is our approach to service; we are striving to be both warm and meticulous,” says Co-Proprietor Lally Brennan. “I think it’s this blend of approachability and playfulness with uncompromising hospitality that keeps generation after generation joining us. It’s incredible to not only see our longtime regulars, but to also see new faces begin to join us weekly; it’s why we do what we do.”

“The legendary New Orleans dining destination, Commander’s Palace, first debuted in 1893 as a small Garden District saloon and restaurant. In 1969, pioneering female restaurateur Ella Brennan and four of her siblings took its helm, changing the landscape not only for women in hospitality, but also for what Creole cuisine and hospitality could be.”

“An impressive “who’s who” of culinary talent cut their teeth at Commander’s — from the late great chefs Paul Prudhomme and Jamie Shannon to famed chef / TV personality Emeril Lagasse and the multi-award-winning Chef Tory McPhail. Today, Executive Chef Meg Bickford — the restaurant’s first female executive chef and a longtime veteran of the Commander’s Palace kitchen (she started in 2008 as a hot appetizer cook) — continues the restaurant’s penchant for honoring and providing access to a rich, storied history, while continually exploring new frontiers in cuisine and cultural evolution.”

“At Commander’s Palace, we don’t stand still,” says Ti Martin, speaking to Chef Bickford’s New Haute Creole direction. “We’ve always pushed the boundaries of creole cooking. And right now feels like an especially exciting time in the New Orleans culinary community. Meg, alongside many of our friends in the industry, are challenging themselves to deliver new interpretations of what our food can be.”

Ti Martin is our guest with a flute of celebratory Commander’s Palace Cuvee in hand. Martin is in Los Angeles to participate in the People <Sustainability> panel at the LA Chef Conference 2023 at LA Trade Tech College.

Andy Harris and Andrew Gruel at Cabana 14 at the Cove at Pechanga Resort and Casino

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) and also the founder and pizzaiola of the fast-casual Big Parm (New Jersey-style pizza) located in the Mess Hall in Tustin provides another timely and informative Ask the Chef segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries.

Farm-raised fish produced domestically contributes to sustainability and the American economy. There are plenty of misnomers out there regarding quality and best practices. Chef Andrew shares the real facts of what you need to know.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Chef Chris Bianco, Restaurateur, Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco, ROW DTLA Part One
Segment Three: Chef Chris Bianco, Restaurateur, Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco, ROW DTLA Part Two
Segment Four: Buono’s Pizzeria’s 50th Anniversary, San Pedro and Long Beach
Segment Five: Atlantic City, NJ Dining Gems with Adam Bell, Creative Guru for “SoCal Restaurant Show”
Segment Six: Ti Adelaide Martin, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans Part One
Segment Seven: Ti Adelaide Martin, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans Part Two
Segment Eight: Co-Host and Chef Andrew Gruel with “Ask the Chef”

Show 536, July 29, 2023: Restaurateur Caroline Styne, The Lucques Group. L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade Culinary Cookout

Caroline Styne of Lucques Restaurant Group

“After a three-year hiatus, L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade Culinary Cookout, hosted by James Beard Foundation award-winners Chef Suzanne Goin and partner Caroline Styne (The Lucques Group) along with Chef David Lentz (ex-The Hungry Cat,) returns on Saturday, September 23, 2023, from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. on UCLA’s Royce Quad. Goin, Styne and Lentz have again enlisted the support and generosity of their culinary-superstar friends around the country who will donate their time and services to raise funds and awareness for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) and its mission to find better treatments and cures for all kids with cancer.”

“Featuring fabulous food, wine and cocktails prepared by the nation’s best chefs, winemakers and mixologists, L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade is an afternoon of fantastic fare, cocktails for a cause, children’s activities, extravagant silent and exhilarating live auctions, and much more.”

“The 2023 event (the 11th in L.A.) is guaranteed to surpass the aspirations of previous years with returning chefs Michael Cimarusti, Chris Bianco, Adam Perry Lang, Donald Link, Nancy Oakes, Nancy Silverton, Suzanne Tracht, Jon Shook, Vinny Dotolo, Rocco Whalen and Marc Vetri coming together to cook for childhood cancer cures.”

“I’m unbelievably happy that we are finally bringing L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade back. Suzanne, David and I have missed being able to support this amazing Foundation and bring all of our food and wine friends together again,” said co-founder Caroline Styne. “I always say this, but this is literally my favorite day of the year.”

The early advance ticket pricing is currently $225 per guest but will increase to $255 on August 1st. Please make your plans now because Alex’s reaches their limited guest capacity way before the day of the event.

Co-Founder of L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade Culinary Cookout Caroline Styne, joins us with all the craveable details.

Show 328, June 15, 2019: The Manufactory at ROW DTLA, Building 3

Camden Hershberger of Tartine Bianco and the ManufactoryThe Manufactory, in Downtown Los Angeles at ROW DTLA, is a collaboration between acclaimed chefs Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson of San Francisco’s iconic Tartine Bakery, and Chris Bianco of Phoenix’s legendary Pizzeria Bianco. The project occupies nearly 40,000 square feet and includes a bakery, a market, Tartine Bianco (an all-day cafe and bar), Alameda Supper Club (a dinner-only restaurant), and a coffee roastery. It launched in February 2019.

The three chefs, all James Beard Foundation Award-winners and noted experts in their respective disciplines, are collaborating on all aspects of the project and together creating something truly unique and original.

“Tartine Bianco is predicated on the idea that every ingredient and product has a story, and the chefs endeavor to understand and respect that story. They’ve carefully cultivated relationships with purveyors and farmers like Cairnspring Mills, which sources from local grain farmers, Cream Co. Meats which provides meat grown sustainably and with superior flavor in mind, and Bianco DiNapoli’s California vine ripened and organically grown, canned tomatoes.”

Providing the verbal grand tour are Camden Hershberger, Chef de Cuisine for Tartine Bianco (the all-day restaurant) and Scott Boggs, Vice President of Operations for Tartine.

Show 241, September 16, 2017: Show Preview with Co-Hosts Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel

Now a mouthwatering preview of this Saturday’s delectable 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, upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing…

Program Note: We’re unusually preempted by a just rescheduled Angel game in Houston on Saturday morning, September 23rd. Go Halos…We’ll see you thereafter on Saturday morning, September 30th at 10:00 a.m. as usual!

Andrew Gruel at the AM830 KLAA StudiosCongrats to our own, Chef Andrew Gruel. Regular contributor to the OC Weekly, Anne Marie Panoringan, published a piece on Sept. 13th entitled Sexy Mothercluckers: Here’s the Best Fried Chicken at OC Food Halls.” Among her top five praiseworthy clucks is Chef Andrew’s Mac & Cheese Fried Chicken Burrito at Two Birds at Trade in Irvine. It’s an off-menu item. Just ask for it…

Chris Bianco is the chef-owner of the award-winning Pizzeria Bianco, as well as Pane Bianco and Tratto, all located in Phoenix, Arizona. He also produces a lineup of organic tomatoes, Bianco DiNapoli, and early next year will open an eagerly anticipated restaurant (Tartine Manufactory) in Downtown Los Angeles in ROW DTLA, a collaboration with his friend and founder of San Francisco’s Tartine Bakery, Chad Robertson. His impressive new cookbook is Bianco : Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like. We’ll meet him.

Pier del Sol on Sunday, Oct. 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is an exciting and unique day of fun on the historic Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park. At the only culinary festival fused with a backyard private Amusement Park experience, attendees can enjoy an exclusive VIP brunch featuring mouthwatering tastings from over 35 of L.A.’s top Chefs and restaurants, entertainment, music, arts & crafts, games, and unlimited rides at Pacific Park. All proceeds from this annual event benefit the athletes of Special Olympic Southern California. Special Olympics Southern California’s Maureen Barclift and supporting restaurateur Peter Garland of Beverly Hills’ Porta Via are our guests.

Forty years ago, Catalina Offshore Products owner Dave Rudie spent most of his days diving for sea urchins and seaweed in the kelp beds of Catalina Island, selling his harvest right off his boat. Eventually he opened a small processing facility in San Diego, making local deliveries throughout the region and later exporting to Japan. Catalina Offshore Products has since grown steadily into one of the region’s premier seafood purveyors and one of the largest seafood buyers in San Diego. Tirelessly passionate about seafood, Catalina Offshore Products fishmonger, Tommy Gomes, is our guest.

One of the most visually stunning demonstrations of talent and creativity within the architectural and engineering communities will provide a much-needed source of food for Food Finders to help eliminate hunger in the Long Beach community. The fourth annual CANstruction® Long Beach competition benefiting Food Finders will be held in the Landmark Square Building lobby on September 21st starting at 8am. CANstruction® participants will design and build unique structures made entirely out of canned goods. This year’s theme is “Rock-CAN-Roll”, and participating teams may depict music in any way they want. Chandra Johnston representing participant Kamus + Keller Interiors / Architecture provides the 411.

The Corkage Fee in restaurants is always a subject of spirited conversation. What is really reasonable? There is a real cost to the restaurant (and lost revenue) when a guest brings in their own wine. Hospitality comes into play, too. Should a guest even be allowed to bring in a wine already on the restaurant’s wine list? One of our resident wine experts, Kyle Meyer of Wine Exchange, beings his practical thoughts to the subject.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s show!

Show 241, September 16, 2017: Chef Chris Bianco, Pizzeria Bianco, Bianco: Pizza, Pasta, and Other Food I Like.

Chris BiancoChris Bianco is the chef-owner of the award-winning Pizzeria Bianco, as well as Pane Bianco and Tratto, all located in Phoenix, Arizona. He also produces a lineup of organic tomatoes, Bianco DiNapoli, and early next year will open an eagerly anticipated restaurant (Tartine Manufactory) project with many components in Downtown Los Angeles in ROW DTLA, a collaboration with his friend and founder of San Francisco’s Tartine Bakery, Chad Robertson.

Bianco won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2003 and helped spawn a generation of independent and artisanal pizzerias, lending his advice, wisdom, and food philosophies to dozens of fellow chefs and restaurateurs.

His new cookbook is Bianco: Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like. “The book features recipes for his signature pizzas as well as strategies and techniques for translating chef’s methods to the home kitchen. Bianco celebrates both the simple and the nuanced, revealing the methods that lead to the perfect crust, the sweetest tomato sauce, the creamiest mozzarella, and the most expertly balanced flavor combinations. It also features recipes for salads, antipasti, and dessert options, as well as family meals that are cooked behind-the-scenes. Also, a new array of big plates showcased at Chef Chris’ highly regarded restaurants.”

We’ll meet him as he’s on his way to the Phoenix Farmers Market.

September 16: Chris Bianco, Pier del Sol, Catalina Offshore Products, CANstruction Long Beach, Wine Exchange

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Hosts Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel
Segment Two: Chef Chris Bianco, Pizzeria Bianco, Bianco: Pizza, Pasta, and Other Food I Like.
Segment Three: Special Olympics Southern California’s Pier del Sol Benefit
Segment Four: Catalina Offshore Products 40th Anniversary
Segment Five: 4th Annual CANstruction Long Beach, Landmark Square Building Lobby
Segment Six: Corkage in Restaurants, Kyle Meyer, Wine Exchange

Now a mouthwatering preview of this Saturday’s delectable 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, upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing…

Program Note: We’re unusually preempted by a just rescheduled Angel game in Houston on Saturday morning, September 23rd. Go Halos…We’ll see you thereafter on Saturday morning, September 30th at 10:00 a.m. as usual!

Chris Bianco is the chef-owner of the award-winning Pizzeria Bianco, as well as Pane Bianco and Tratto, all located in Phoenix, Arizona. He also produces a lineup of organic tomatoes, Bianco DiNapoli, and early next year will open an eagerly anticipated restaurant (Tartine Manufactory) in Downtown Los Angeles in ROW DTLA, a collaboration with his friend and founder of San Francisco’s Tartine Bakery, Chad Robertson. His impressive new cookbook is Bianco : Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like. We’ll meet him.

Pier del Sol on Sunday, Oct. 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is an exciting and unique day of fun on the historic Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park. At the only culinary festival fused with a backyard private Amusement Park experience, attendees can enjoy an exclusive VIP brunch featuring mouthwatering tastings from over 35 of L.A.’s top Chefs and restaurants, entertainment, music, arts & crafts, games, and unlimited rides at Pacific Park. All proceeds from this annual event benefit the athletes of Special Olympic Southern California. Special Olympics Southern California’s Maureen Barclift and restaurateur Peter Garland of Beverly Hills’ Porta Via are our guests.

Forty years ago, Catalina Offshore Products owner Dave Rudie spent most of his days diving for sea urchins and seaweed in the kelp beds of Catalina Island, selling his harvest right off his boat. Eventually he opened a small processing facility in San Diego, making local deliveries throughout the region and later exporting to Japan. Catalina Offshore Products has since grown steadily into one of the region’s premier seafood purveyors and one of the largest seafood buyers in San Diego. Tirelessly passionate about seafood, Catalina Offshore Products fishmonger, Tommy Gomes, is our guest.

One of the most visually stunning demonstrations of talent and creativity within the architectural and engineering communities will provide a much-needed source of food for Food Finders to help eliminate hunger in the Long Beach community. The fourth annual CANstruction® Long Beach competition benefiting Food Finders will be held in the Landmark Square Building lobby on September 21st starting at 8am. CANstruction® participants will design and build unique structures made entirely out of canned goods. This year’s theme is “Rock-CAN-Roll”, and participating teams may depict music in any way they want. Chandra Johnston representing participant Kamus + Keller Interiors / Architecture provides the 411.

The Corkage Fee in restaurants is always a subject of spirited conversation. What is really reasonable? There is a cost to the restaurant (and lost revenue) when a guest brings in their own wine. Should a guest even be allowed to bring in a wine already on the restaurant’s wine list? One of our resident wine experts, Kyle Meyer of Wine Exchange, beings his practical thoughts to the subject.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s show!

Chris BiancoChris Bianco is the chef-owner of the award-winning Pizzeria Bianco, as well as Pane Bianco and Tratto, all located in Phoenix, Arizona. He also produces a lineup of organic tomatoes, Bianco DiNapoli, and early next year will open an eagerly anticipated restaurant (Tartine Manufactory) project with many components in Downtown Los Angeles in ROW DTLA, a collaboration with his friend and founder of San Francisco’s Tartine Bakery, Chad Robertson.

Bianco won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2003 and helped spawn a generation of independent and artisanal pizzerias, lending his advice, wisdom, and food philosophies to dozens of fellow chefs and restaurateurs.

His new cookbook is Bianco: Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like. “The book features recipes for his signature pizzas as well as strategies and techniques for translating chef’s methods to the home kitchen. Bianco celebrates both the simple and the nuanced, revealing the methods that lead to the perfect crust, the sweetest tomato sauce, the creamiest mozzarella, and the most expertly balanced flavor combinations. It also features recipes for salads, antipasti, and dessert options, as well as family meals that are cooked behind-the-scenes. Also, a new array of big plates showcased at Chef Chris’ highly regarded restaurants.”

We’ll meet him.

Peter GarlandPier del Sol on Sunday, Oct. 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is an exciting and unique day of fun on the historic Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park. At the only culinary festival fused with a backyard private Amusement Park experience, attendees can enjoy an exclusive VIP brunch featuring mouthwatering tastings from over 35 of L.A.’s top Chefs and restaurants, entertainment, music, arts & crafts, games, and unlimited rides at Pacific Park. All proceeds from this annual event benefit the athletes of Special Olympic Southern California.

This year’s theme is “Oktoberfest,” where a beach top VIP Beer & Wine Garden will enhance your culinary palette!

Love the food at Pier del Sol? To celebrate 20 years of food, fun, and sun on the pier, SOSC published Cuisine del Sol in 2016, a souvenir cookbook featuring 28 chefs with recipes and stories who have supported the event. Think Michael Cimarusti, Neal Fraser and David LeFevre for starters…This is your chance to create the recipes of these culinary masterminds!

Special Olympics Southern California’s Maureen Barclift and restaurateur Peter Garland of Beverly Hills’ Porta Via are our guests.

Tommy GomesForty years ago, Catalina Offshore Products owner Dave Rudie spent most of his days diving for sea urchins and seaweed in the kelp beds of Catalina Island, selling his harvest right off his boat. Eventually he opened a small processing facility in San Diego, making local deliveries throughout the region and later exporting to Japan. Catalina Offshore Products has since grown steadily into one of the region’s premier seafood purveyors and one of the largest seafood buyers in San Diego.

Catalina’s Choice Solid Pack Tuna in Olive Oil (new product) features U.S. hook-and-line bigeye and yellowfin, both also referred to as “ahi”.

This premium, responsibly harvested tuna is wild caught in the Eastern Pacific by U.S. fishing vessels, landed in San Diego and processed and packed in the USA. Hand-cut and cooked once, it is all natural, with no additives or preservatives.

Though Catalina Offshore Products fresh, local, sustainably sourced tuna has always been a big seller, canning any unsold product enables them to ensure the precious resource is even more well-managed. Additionally, it celebrates San Diego’s beloved history. The city was once known as the “Tuna Capital of the World”!

Tirelessly passionate about seafood, Catalina Offshore Products resident fishmonger, Tommy Gomes, is our guest.

Canstruction Long BeachOne of the most visually stunning demonstrations of talent and creativity within the architectural and engineering communities will provide a much-needed source of food for Food Finders to help eliminate hunger in the Long Beach community. The fourth annual CANstruction® Long Beach competition benefiting Food Finders will be held in the Landmark Square Building lobby on September 21st starting at 8am. CANstruction® participants will design and build unique structures made entirely out of canned goods. This year’s theme is “Rock-CAN-Roll”, and participating teams may depict music in any way they want.

The completed structures will be on display to the public from September 21st through October 1st. Visitors are encouraged to bring canned goods to the Landmark Square Building lobby to be used as “votes” for their favorite structure by placing the cans in Food Finders supplied bins next to each structure resulting in a “People’s Choice” award. Additional awards including “Structural Ingenuity”, “Best Use of Labels”, “Most Cans”, “Best Meal” and “Juror’s Favorite”, will be chosen by a panel of local judges following the exhibition.

“Food Finders is excited to be the beneficiary of the fourth annual Long Beach CANstruction”, said Patti Larson, Executive Director of Food Finders. “Last year’s event generated a 28,000 pound donation of canned goods, and this unique event will continue to heighten awareness of food insecurity in our community and will play an important role in helping to feed those in need in our own backyard.”

“Our five talented teams have spent months designing their entries and are allowed only 12 hours to meticulously stack and color-coordinate their cans into ingenious feats of design”, added Terri Henry of terri henry marketing LLC, who organizes the event. “The ultimate donation of thousands of cans of food to feed the hungry in our community makes it all worthwhile to the teams.”

Chandra Johnston, representing 2nd time Long Beach CANstruction® participant Kamus + Keller Interiors / Architecture, provides the 411.

Kyle Meyer of Wine ExchangeThe Corkage Fee charged in restaurants is always a subject of spirited conversation. What is really reasonable that’s equitable to both the guest and restaurant? There is a real cost to the restaurant (and lost revenue) when a guest brings in their own wine. Should a guest even be allowed to bring in a wine already on the restaurant’s wine list regardless of the corkage fee? What’s proper etiquette ?

One of our worldly resident wine experts, Kyle Meyer of Wine Exchange, beings his practical thoughts to the weighty subject.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Hosts Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel
Segment Two: Chef Chris Bianco, Pizzeria Bianco, Bianco: Pizza, Pasta, and Other Food I Like.
Segment Three: Special Olympics Southern California’s Pier del Sol Benefit
Segment Four: Catalina Offshore Products 40th Anniversary
Segment Five: 4th Annual CANstruction Long Beach, Landmark Square Building Lobby
Segment Six: Corkage in Restaurants, Kyle Meyer, Wine Exchange

Show 238, August 26, 2017: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris

Chef Alan Greeley of The Golden Truffle in Costa Mesa is an Orange County original. The destination restaurant is in a bit of an odd location for an establishment with its reputation. After 37 years Chef Alan has closed The Golden Truffle. He’s off to Florida for the next chapter. We’ll share some memories with Chef Alan and chat about the state of the restaurant business. Along the way he’s graciously mentored many young chefs who now have successful Orange County restaurants of their own.

The California Restaurant Association Foundation is part of the annual Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo (for the restaurant trade) starting this Weekend (Sunday, Monday & Tuesday) at the Los Angeles Convention Cente. They will have a fundraising booth there but their big event is The 6th Annual Culinary Cocktail Clash on the Main Stage on Sunday afternoon. Alycia Harshfield, the Executive Director of the California Restaurant Association Foundation, joins us with a preview.

L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade, hosted by Chef Suzanne Goin, business partner Caroline Styne (LucquesA.O.C.,Tavern) along with Chef David Lentz (The Hungry Cat), returns to UCLA’s Royce Quad on Saturday, September 9, 2017 from 12:30 – 4:30 pm for its eighth highly-anticipated event. Goin, Styne and Lentz have again enlisted the support and generosity of their culinary friends around the country who graciously donate their time and services to raise funds and awareness for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) in their quest to find better treatments and cures for all kids with cancer. L.A. Benefit Co-Founder Caroline Styne and returning participating chef, Chris Bianco (Phoenix’s Pizzeria Bianco) are our guests.

The Los Angeles Times The Taste is an annual festival celebrating the flavors of the world in Southern California style. Hosted by The Times’ editorial staff and acclaimed L.A. chefs and bartenders, The Taste will transform Hollywood’s Paramount Pictures Studios into the ultimate epicurean pop-up and block party over Labor Day weekend (Sept. 1-3). Admission to each of the five events includes unlimited tastings from the city’s best kitchens and a variety of wine, beer and seasonal cocktails.  Chef highlights from the 3-day event include Sherry Yard, Jet Tila and Antonia Lofaso. Noelle Carter, Times Test Kitchen Director and Sherry Yard of Westwood’s Tuck Room Tavern join us in separate segments with all the sweet and savory details.

For the 3rd time The Olympics is returning to Los Angeles in 2028. Did Los Angeles get a good deal for 2028, or just a deal? The person to ask is our resident Olympic Games expert, Richard B. Perelman. Mr. Perelman was the youngest Vice President of The Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee (LAOOC) from 1980 to 1984. Thereafter he was the Editor of The Final Report, a massive 2-volume tome officially documenting the Games of the 23rd Olympiad (the 1984 Summer Olympics).

Our always on-the-go show Co-Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, has been traveling extensively since he was last in-studio. The ambitious itinerary was production for Food Network, New Jersey, New York, London, Hawaii, Orlando, Washington, D.C. and now a new Slapfish opening in Sandy, Utah. He’s also appearing at the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival this weekend. We’ll reel him in from the kitchen for a visit. He’s actually back in studio on September 2nd.

Special thanks to the OC Register’s Feature Reporter, Jackie Moe. This week she recognized the “SoCal Restaurant Show” on her list of the 25 top podcasts produced in Southern California that are “some of the most interesting, educational and entertaining recordings available.” We’re with some very impressive company and are deeply honored. We’re especially proud to be the only food, restaurant and libation show originating on local radio so recognized.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s show!