Tag Archives: Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens

Show 691, August 8, 2026: Show Introduction with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

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“Pasta Sisters, the popular Italian restaurant celebrated for its scratch-made pasta and generational family recipes, is teaming up with Helms Design District to bring the Italian summer tradition of Ferragosto to Southern California. The free, street fair-style event is open to all ages and takes place Saturday, Aug. 15, from 1 to 6:00 p.m. For one day only, the historic Helms campus will transform into an Italian-inspired piazza filled with a vibrant array of local food and beverage vendors, entertainment, and family activities.” Pasta Sisters’ Giorgia Sinatra joins us with the preview.

“For the past decade, Chef Rich Mead’s Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens has become one of Southern California’s defining farm-to-table dining destinations by honoring the people behind every plate. This month, Farmhouse will commemorate its 10th anniversary with an extraordinary one-night-only culinary experience, followed by additional events and special programming throughout September. On Thursday, August 20, Farmhouse Owner and Executive Chef Rich Mead will host the Friends of Farmhouse 10th Anniversary Dinner, an elevated, intimate dining experience celebrating the farmers, artisans, ingredients and community that have shaped the restaurant since opening in 2016.” Chef Rich Mead takes a break from shopping at the ever- popular Santa Monica Farmers Market to join us. He’s joined by Farmhouse’s lead bartender, Alan Gutierrez.

“Tony Abou-Ganim, The Modern Mixologist, is a world-renowned bar professional and beverage consultant, known for his pioneering contributions to mixology. He has appeared on national TV shows like TODAY and Iron Chef America, where he is a three-time champion. Tony is the author of The Modern Mixologist and Vodka Distilled and has hosted both virtual and in-person cocktail-making demonstrations, as well as the Fine Living series Raising the Bar.” His latest venture (a true labor of love) is the restoration of The Brass Rail, a classic neighborhood bar, in Port Huron, Michigan established in 1937.” Tony moves from behind the bar to join us.

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (located in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) now joins us with his timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew (as a Father of four) is a long-time proponent of cooking healthy (and delicious,) keeping it simple while cooking and stretching the food shopping dollars. He was the first chef contributing to a new online cooking series from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., “The Real Food Show,” available on You Tube. He prepares crispy wild Alaskan salmon cakes with an apple, white bean and greens salad. The budget is a respectable $5 per serving. Chef Andrew provides us with the overview.

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

Show 558, December 30, 2023: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

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Happy New Year and all good wishes for 2024 from all your food obsessed friends at “SoCal Restaurant Show” on AM 830 KLAA radio!

Anne Marie Panoringan is now Culture OC’s well-informed food columnist. She reports industry news, current events and trends. Anne Marie also contributes regularly to Eater Los Angeles, LAist and a host of other well-respected publications. Anne Marie joins us in-studio to discuss her new outlet as Food Columnist for Culture OC and review highlights of her current column. Along the way Anne Marie will discuss her recent dining adventures in Las Vegas including a meal at Peter Luger Steak House (of Brooklyn) at Caesars Palace and the opening of the first mainland location of Zippy’s (revered in Hawaii) in Las Vegas. Also an overview of the ambitious Mercado Gonzalez (a Mexican Food Wonderland) in Costa Mesa.

Chef Rich Mead is the proprietor of the ever-popular Farmhouse at Rogers Garden in Corona del Mar. Chef Rich’s seasonal menus feature ingredients sourced from local and sustainably focused farmers and purveyors. Chef Rich’s special New Year’s Eve menu at Farmhouse can be enjoyed a la carte or as a Tasting Menu. Think Roast Stuffed Lobster Tail and Spaghetti Squash “Fra Diavolo.” Dessert is a festive Champagne Citrus Cake. Rich is a longtime supporter of The Ecology Center (non-profit) in San Juan Capistrano. He was one of the first chefs to gladly volunteer his culinary services to cook an al fresco repast there. When he prepares a meal there as part of their (fundraising) monthly Community Table Dinner Series it’s an evening not to be missed. Chef Rich Mead takes a break from his regular Saturday morning sourcing trip at the Santa Monica Farmers Market for his New Year’s Eve menu to be with us.

Last month at the Peninsula Beverly Hills, the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West and Italy’s Regione Campania hosted “Campania Unveiled – A Gastronomic Exploration Through Tastings and Education” for the trade and media. Sommelier and wine educator Diego Meraviglia presented an informative Master Class on the wines of Campania including a guided tasting of 6 wines as well as an overview of the area. Diego Meraviglia is our guest pulling the cork on the wines of Campania.

James Park, food writer and chili crisp devotee, has created Chili Crisp, the cookbook, – 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings. Between the covers are “50 approachable and adaptable recipes to fill your whole day with chili crisp. Packed with Chili Crisp inspiration to take your love of this spicy ingredient to the next level, Park provides dozens of no-recipe recipes (potato chips + chili crisp, a match made in snack heaven) and a handy formula to inspire the reader to create your very own house version of Chili Crisp.”

For the uninitiated “Chili Crisp (a Chinese condiment) is a magical sauce that tingles with heat, crunches with fried garlic and onions, and pleasantly coats any food with oily goodness.” James Park takes a pause from enjoying a bowl of his Spicy Tomato and Egg Soup to join us.

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. It should be Dungeness Crab Season in all of California right now but it’s been delayed again in a lot of areas. Chef Andrew explains. Beverages are now getting more attention from fast casual restaurants. We’ll take a closer look at what’s happening McDonald’s (CosMc’s) and In-N-Out as examples.

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

Show 558, December 30, 2023: Chef Rich Mead, Farmhouse at Roger’s Garden, Corona del Mar Part One

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Rich Mead of Farmhouse at Rogers Gardens

Chef Rich Mead is the proprietor of the ever-popular Farmhouse at Rogers Garden in Corona del Mar. Chef Rich’s seasonal menus feature ingredients sourced from local and sustainably focused farmers and purveyors. Sunday Brunch in the Gardens is a celebratory Orange County tradition.

Chef Rich’s special New Year’s Eve menu at Farmhouse can be enjoyed ala carte or as a Tasting Menu. Think Roast Stuffed Lobster Tail and Spaghetti Squash “Fra Diavolo.” Dessert is an elegant Champagne Citrus Cake.

Rich is a longtime supporter of The Ecology Center (non-profit) in San Juan Capistrano. He was one of the first chefs to gladly volunteer his services to cook an al fresco repast there. When he prepares a meal there as part of their (fundraising) Community Table Dinner Series it’s an evening not to be missed. In 2024 Chef Rich is scheduled to be at The Ecology Center on Friday evening, May 24th for a Community Table Dinner. Make your plans accordingly. These anticipated evenings reach capacity very quickly.

Chef Rich Mead takes a break from his regular Saturday morning sourcing trip at the Santa Monica Farmers Market for his New Year’s Eve menu to join us.

Show 508, January 21, 2023: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

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Chef Rich Mead is the proprietor of Farmhouse at Rogers Gardens in Corona del Mar. Chef Rich’s seasonal menus feature ingredients sourced from local and sustainably focused farmers and purveyors. Sunday Brunch in the Gardens is a celebratory Orange County tradition. Farmhouse will also be a participating restaurant in the upcoming Orange County Restaurant Week set for March 5th to 11th. Chef Rich Mead takes a break from his regular Saturday morning sourcing trip at the Santa Monica Farmers Market to join us.

“The Santa Ynez Valley’s creative culinary culture has long been at the heart of its wine country experience, but its wide range of flavors are never more accessible than during Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks. Restaurant Weeks has returned for the 13th consecutive year, January 16 to 31, once again showcasing the region’s culinary bounty — and the perfect Santa Ynez Valley wines to pair with it — with a variety of special three-course prix fixe price menus.” Shelby Sim (President and CEO of Visit Santa Ynez Valley) is our guest highlighting Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks.

“The city-wide 2nd annual Long Beach Black Restaurant Week will take place January 22-29, 2023. Long Beach Black Restaurant Week will be an avenue to bring everyone to the table, from all walks of life, to showcase the city’s diverse Black food scene. Organized by Long Beach Food & Beverage, a California registered 501(c)3 non-profit, Long Black Restaurant Week is an eight day, city-wide event devoted to celebrating African, African American, and Caribbean fare in and around Long Beach. The event also seeks to highlight Black-owned food businesses as well as Black chefs and bartenders.” One of the participating restaurant pop-ups is Miller Butler known for their fresh pasta and wood-fire oven cooked pizzas. We’ll meet Co-Founder and pizzaiolo Ahmed Jamal Butler.

We’re delighted to welcome prominent food journalist Farley Elliott back to the show. Farley is the Senior Editor of the widely read Eater LA, covering the daily restaurant news beat in Los Angeles, Orange County and environs. He’s also the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks, a book about the long, winding saga of street food in Los Angeles. Find him all over the internet. We’ll discuss, among other delectable topics, the Michelin California Guide and its importance to recognized restaurants.

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel the Founder of Big Parm (New Jersey-style pizza), Two Birds and the just soft-opened, full-service Calico Fish House (on Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where Chef Andrew responds to listeners thoughtful inquiries. Locally caught California Halibut is now in season. Chef Andrew provides an over view. What’s a Ghost and/or a Virtual Kitchen? Chef Andrew explains the differences between Food Halls, Virtual Kitchens / Ghost Kitchens and the multiple hybrid variations utilizing components of each. They are here to stay in one form or another.

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

Show 441, September 4, 2021: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

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Happy Labor Day Weekend

Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar turned five on September 1, 2021. “To celebrate the occasion, Owner & Executive Chef Rich Mead is highlighting a menu of $5 food and drink specials offered Wednesday, September 1 through Sunday, September 5. Chef Rich Mead’s special menu of five $5 bites highlights the unique local and sustainable ingredients he sources during weekly trips to the Santa Monica Farmers Market.” Chef Rich takes a respite from his busy kitchen to join us.

Winemaker Pietro Buttitta of Prima Materia makes American-Italian wines from his 12-acre vineyard in Lake County, CA. “His is a quest to not just get it right, but simply to get to making good, balanced wines. In his effort, he knows he’s up against perceptions borne 20 years ago about Italian varietals made in California. His is, fortunately, not those wines.” “Prima Materia doesn’t use herbicides or pesticides, and they naturally craft unfined and unfiltered wines using traditional methods that produce ageable bottles that respect classical styles interpreted through their vineyard.” Pietro is our guest to uncork all that is Prima Materia.

Adam Bell, the founder of dataTV established in 1996, is the “SoCal Restaurant Show’s” accomplished, long-time web designer, webmaster and all-around social media guru. He relocated to Los Angeles from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Adam’s wide range of clients includes Chef Jet Tila, Café du Monde and the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association. Adam is also a certified coffee nut. Last weekend was the big, annual Coffee Fest Anaheim at the Anaheim Convention Center. Adam will report on what’s new in coffee and what it’s like experiencing a popular, previously well-attended trade show known for generous sampling coming off the pandemic with the real concerns of the spread of the Delta variant.

“Every September, in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Sgt. Pepperoni’s Pizza Store (3 OC locations) fundraises for Julian’s LEGO® Corner, an Orange County-based charity that donates new LEGO® kits for seriously ill hospitalized children to play with while they undergo medical care at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). Last year, Sgt. Pepperoni’s raised $16,000, and the team has an even bigger goal in 2021.” Our guests, representing the owners of Sgt. Pepperoni’s, are Stan Frazier and Jeff Roberts.

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 continually updating us on the real impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the hospitality field and what we, as diners, can do to support the continued survival of restaurants during the initial, highly fluid stages of the hoped-for recovery. Genuine concerns remain… Bracken’s Kitchen is presenting their annual benefit, The Hungry Games 4.0 on Thursday evening, September 9th to benefit the less fortunate and food insecure in Southern California. Chef Andrew is one of the participating chefs. Bottled hot sauce is everywhere these days and there seems to be more brands entering the marketplace all the time. What goes into creating a quality, shelf-stable hot sauce? We’ll “Ask the Chef.”

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

Show 433, July 10, 2021: Chef Bill Bracken, Bracken’s Kitchen, The Hungry Games 4.0 Preview Part One

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Bill Bracken of Brackens Kitchen

“For the fourth year, Bracken’s Kitchen is hosting its signature culinary event benefiting the less fortunate and food insecure in Southern California. This year’s edition, THE HUNGRY GAMES 4.0 will feature talented, local chefs creating their trademark dishes and competing in the organization’s very own 9,000 square foot kitchen in Garden Grove on Thursday, September 9, 2021, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.”

“All who attend are encouraged to come HUNGRY as guests will enjoy selections of small bites, appetizers, snacks, sweets, beer, and wine, while experiencing the entire Bracken’s Kitchen facility including three commercial kitchens and a newly renovated outdoor space. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy the culinary competition, participate in silent and live auctions, and learn more about the great work to which Bracken’s Kitchen is devoted.”

“Bracken’s Kitchen welcomes a variety of Southern California’s top chefs including our own Chef Andrew Gruel of Slapfish, Chef Rich Mead at Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens, Chef Peter Petro of Bosscat Kitchen + Libations, Chef Greg Daniels of Harley Laguna Beach, Chefs Michael & David Rossi (ex-The Ranch Restaurant,) Chef Tarit Tanjasiri of Crema Café and and Master Baker Dean Kim of OC Baking Co., to name just a few.”

“This past year has seen an exponential increase in food insecurity and need here and in Southern California and across the nation. Over the past several months we’ve seen the attention on food insecurity wane and move to other hot topics,” said Bill Bracken, founder Bracken’s Kitchen. “Unfortunately, the need is still there and we are committed to help meet it. The Hungry Games 4.0 is a fun and exciting way that you can help us to meet that need. We hope you will join us for an evening of food, fun, and purpose for our friends and neighbors in need.”

Chef Bill Bracken takes a break from his busy kitchens and joins us.

Show 410, January 30, 2021: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

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We’re previewing the show with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris. It’s been an especially eventful week as restaurants in Southern California can again serve guests with full-service outdoor or patio dining with various requirements defined by each County. LA County remains the most restrictive.

“The restaurant world is changing faster than ever before and some of the best chefs are all looking for ways to test out new concepts without a huge financial investment.”  Food entrepreneur Jolene Mannina, President of  SecretBurger.com, has brought Las Vegas its first Test Kitchen (Vegas Test Kitchen.) It’s a brick & mortar location in downtown Las Vegas on E. Fremont St. offering a variety of cuisines five days a week (Wednesday through Sunday) from celebrated chefs testing new concepts. “This is a win-win for these amazing chefs and the food loving community we all know Vegas has.” Jolene Mannina is our enterprising guest.

“Washington State is one of today’s most exciting viticulture regions and L’Ecole No 41 is one of its leading benchmark wineries. More than three decades of winemaking experience, ongoing investments in their Walla Walla Estate Ferguson and Seven Hills Vineyards, and partnerships with some of Washington’s oldest vineyard sites are central to L’Ecole’s well-deserved reputation for excellence across their portfolio of wines.” We’ll meet General Manager Constance Savage and Winemaker (and wine educator) Marcus Rafanelli to uncork all that is L’Ecole.

Rich Mead, Owner and Executive Chef of Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar is once again offering guests patio seating in a lush, garden setting for lunch and early dinner with an all-day menu. With over 4,000 square feet of al fresco dining, guests can relax outdoors while responsibly enjoying an award-winning cocktail or a seasonal, sustainably sourced meal. Also available is a robust menu of takeout offerings in place including a Curbside Market with local ingredients and pantry staples, nourishing Family Meals and weekly Farmers Market Produce Boxes. Classic and signature cocktails are available for dine-in or curbside pickup courtesy of Chef de Swigs, Anthony Laborin and his team. We divert Rich Mead from the Saturday morning Santa Monica Farmers Market for a chat.

“Women restaurateurs from across Los Angeles have created a new charitable organization called RE:Her. Its debut initiative, a food festival called 10 Days RE:Her,  featured 10 days of unique collaborations, thematic menus, and one-on-one conversations between female industry leaders. 10 Days RE:Her kicked off on January 21, the anniversary of the groundbreaking Women’s March of 2017, and ran through Saturday, January 30. Over 100 restaurants and collaborators are involved. Observing local dining restrictions, aspects of the festival took place virtually and remotely. “Restaurateur Sylvie Gabriele (a 2nd generation Restaurateur) of Manhattan Beach’s Love & Salt is one of the organizers of the Festival as well as serves on the active RE:Her board. Sylvie takes a break from her restaurant to recap the variety of “10 Days RE:Her” events that she and her team were part of.

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 which is a genuine (and increasingly growing) concern. This week restaurants in Southern California were finally allowed to reopen for outside/patio dining at reduced capacities with all the requisite COVID 19 safety precautions. Los Angeles County has the most restrictions on what is allowable. It’s a welcome start back. 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!