Tag Archives: Fire Relief Aid

Show 624, April 19, 2025: California Restaurant Foundation’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund Grants

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Alycia Harshfield of the California Restaaurant Association

“Since 2021, the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund has awarded $7.3 million in grants to 1,603 independent restaurants across California—supporting burger joints, taquerias, bakeries, and more that are the heart of our communities. In 2025, Restaurants Care Resilience Fund is offering two grant opportunities to help restaurants thrive: $10,000 grants for LA County restaurants and food trucks impacted by the 2025 LA Fires and $5,000 grants for restaurants and commercial caterers in select CA counties to build resilience.” The current application window concludes on April 26th.

Alycia Harshfield, President, California Restaurant Foundation, joins us with the specifics.

Show 612, January 18, 2025: “Ask the Chef” with Co-Host Chef Andrew Gruel

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

When it comes to offering vitally needed assistance when a disaster strikes chefs and restaurateurs are aways in the forefront of providing meaningful assistance. The devastating fires (now finally heading toward control) in Pacific Palisades and Pasadena / Altadena are the most recent examples. Chef Andrew explains what’s being done within his sphere. Personally he’s functioning as an OC hub for product donations going up to L.A. for the L.A. Dream Center Foundation. Providing meals for those needing assistance and volunteers at Dream Center are also part of his efforts.

Andrew Gruel’s Family Cookbook (newly published) is also available with signed copies at his Calico Fish House on Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach.

Show 538, August 12, 2023: Chef and Co-Host Andrew Gruel with “Ask the Chef”

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Chef Andrew Gruel of Big Parm and the Calico Fish House

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.

We planned to chat with Chef Andrew this morning about the cancellation of the annual commercial fishing season for Chinook salmon in coastal California waters but Chef Andrew experienced some unexpected flight delays and was in the air during his scheduled segment. We’ll reel in the tasty Chinook salmon for next week.

Instead, Producer Andy highlighted what some generous restaurants in Las Vegas (with roots in Hawaii) are already doing to meaningfully support vitally needed fire relief aid in West Maui. Las Vegas is unofficially known as the “Ninth Island” as Vegas is an ever-popular destination for Hawaiians when they are on vacation to the Mainland.