Show 180, July 16, 2016: Dan Minjares, Restaurant Manager and Mixologist, The Ranch Restaurant

Dan MinjaresThe Ranch Restaurant in Anaheim has a tremendous commitment to using fresh fruit and vegetables in all their preparations. They incredibly have their own farm (The Farm) in Orange on over two acres of land where they grow many of the fruits and vegetables used at the bar and on the dinner menu. Executive Chef Michael Rossi actually checks the farm daily to see what can be used fresh from the field on that day’s menu.

Restaurant Manager & Mixologist Dan Minjares has recently introduced their new Summer Cocktails. Included is a selection of appealing “Farm Inspired Summer Cocktails” that use citrus, watermelon and strawberries from the farm.

Their Watermelon Mint Mule is watermelon infused Purity Vodka, fresh lime juice, mint leaves and Fever Tree Ginger Beer. It’s served in a properly chilled copper mug.

Dan is with us to explain all the refreshing specifics. Cheers.

Show 40, September 14, 2013: Amar Santana, Executive Chef / Owner, Broadway by Amar Santana

Amar SantanaChef Amar Santana is very familiar to Orange County foodies. His mentor, Chef Charlie Palmer (Aureole), brought him out here from Manhattan in 2008 to open Charlie Palmer’s at Bloomingdales at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Talk about a plum assignment for a young chef…Amar was with Chef Palmer for ten years.

With the backing of one of his very loyal guests he later departed to open a venture of his own, Broadway by Amar Santana in Laguna Beach. Talented chefs dream of having a place of their own but the reality is that few ever realize the dream.

Since opening in 2011 it’s been a hit with both the food critics and guests. The bar has also created its own loyal following for unusual libations and a welcoming atmosphere. Their superior Moscow Mule (not listed on the bar menu) is a thoughtful homage to the original version created in the late 30s in Hollywood and now using all fresh ingredients and from scratch ginger beer.

September 14: Azunia Tequila, Vegas Food Trucks, Elizabeth Huettinger, Lena Kwak, Amar Santana, Eric Klein, Michael Passmore

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Jim Riley, founder of Azunia Tequila
Segment Three: Brock Radke, Food and Web Editor, Las Vegas Weekly
Segment Four: Elizabeth Huettinger, Wine Director, Addison Del Mar
Segment Five: Lena Kwak, Research and Development Chef, Thomas Keller Restaurant Group
Segment Six: Amar Santana, Executive Chef / Owner, Broadway by Amar Santana
Segment Seven: Eric Klein, Executive Chef & Partner, Spago Las Vegas
Segment Eight: Michael Passmore, Passmore Ranch, Sustainable Aqua Farming

Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris preview the show.

Thai 2013 Food FestivalMark Sunday afternoon, September 29th on your calendar. Our very own Jet Tila is hosting the Thai 2013 Food Festival at Paramount Pictures Studios in the heart of Hollywood. It starts at 3:00 p.m.

Celebrity chefs from around the country and outstanding local Thai chefs will be there presenting their signature dishes for the guests to sample and enjoy. Entertainment will include music, Thai dancers and fruit carving.

VIP and Regular Tickets are now on sale!

Azunia TequilaJim Riley, the founder of Azunia Tequila joins us. In his spare time Jim is a professional off-road racer of some note.

This is a case study of how a boutique tequila company grows a brand in an environment dominated by cash-rich giants. Riley has built his brand with clever grass-roots marketing and being seen in the right places.

Azunia Tequila is organic and 100 per cent Weber Blue Agave. It is available in the styles of Platinum Blanco (great for cocktails,) Reposado, and Anejo.

Brock Radke of Las Vegas WeeklyOur man in Las Vegas, Brock Radke, is back with us. Brock is the respected Web and Food Editor for The Las Vegas Weekly.

Last month Brock had a great piece in The Weekly entitled. “Where are they now? Checking up on the first wave of Vegas food truckers.”

Fukuburger has probably been the most successful and is still on the streets. A brick and mortar location for Las Vegas is in the plans. Sloppi Jo’s was a big success with the food critics but, ultimately, not a viable business model. Proprietress Jolene Mannina has parlayed this into other food projects for herself. In fact she’s the head of Culinary Arts for the upcoming “Life is Beautiful” Festival in Downtown Las Vegas. The originator of Slidin’ Thru has moved on but the truck still does events and catering and there is a bricks and mortar drive-through.

Brock also talked about the just launched Heritage Steak at The Mirage on The Strip. The proprietor is Tom Colicchio of Bravo’s “Top Chef” fame and a James Beard Award recipient.

Elizabeth Huettinger of the Addison in Del MarSommelier Elizabeth Huettinger is the new Wine Director at Addison restaurant and The Grand Del Mar Resort in Del Mar. She was previously part of the wine team at Spago Beverly Hills.

Elizabeth just took the incredibly difficult “Advanced” certification test from the Court of Master Sommeliers. She shares that humbling experience with us.

Earlier in the Summer the Grand hosted a special screening of the documentary, “SOMM”. It’s the first effort by filmmaker Jason Wise.
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“SOMM” tells the fascinating story of four sommeliers attempting to pass the rigorous and prestigious Master Sommelier exam. This test has one of the lowest pass rates imaginable. Elizabeth’s head sommelier at Spago (her previous post) is a Master Sommelier. She talks about hosting the screening (there was wine and abundant food stations) and her reaction to the highly acclaimed documentary.

Lena KwakChef Lena Kwak is the highly acclaimed research development chef for The French Laundry and The Thomas Keller Restaurant Group in Yountville, CA. She created the position.

With the backing of Keller she developed Cup4Cup, a healthy wheat flour-substitute which has gone national over the last two years. It’s carried in Williams-Sonoma stores and also available at the Bouchon Bakeries in Yountville, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, and New York.

Last year Kwak was named as one of Forbes Magazine’s “Top 30 Under 30” for her work with Cup4Cup.

In addition to bread mixes the proprietary line also includes a brownie mix, pizza dough, and pancake/waffle mix.

Amar SantanaChef Amar Santana is very familiar to Orange County foodies. His mentor, Chef Charlie Palmer (Aureole,) brought him out here from Manhattan in 2008 to open Charlie Palmer’s at Bloomingdales at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Talk about a plum assignment for a young chef…

With the backing of one of his very loyal guests he later departed to open a venture of his own, Broadway by Amar Santana in Laguna Beach. Since opening in 2011 it’s been a hit with both the food critics and guests. The bar has also created its own loyal following for unusual libations and a welcoming atmosphere. Their superior Moscow Mule (not listed on the bar menu) is a thoughtful homage to the original version created in the late 30s in Hollywood and now using all fresh ingredients and from scratch ginger beer.

Eric KleinIn 2007 Executive Chef Eric Klein (now a partner) was handed the keys to Spago Las Vegas by Wolfgang Puck and charged with freshening up the concept. This was quite a formidable assignment given that Spago is Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant in Las Vegas! They celebrated their 20th Anniversary last year.

The restaurant is a busy café (with exhibition pizza oven) in the front and an elegant fine-dining restaurant in the back. The front patio opens onto the busy main Forum Shops walkway.

As with the Beverly Hills original Spago Las Vegas attracts the celebrity clientele in addition to sophisticated foodies. Chef Eric is the visible personality of the establishment.

Chef Eric’s first assignment in Las Vegas (after relocating from Beverly Hills) was SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas.

Michael Passmore of Passmore RanchMichael Passmore is an elite class freshwater fish farmer in the Sacramento area. His Passmore Ranch is sustainable aqua farming and his clientele are discriminating celebrity chefs all across the country who he, unusually, supplies directly.

They started modestly by selling live fish at Northern California farmers’ markets, and their quality and service quickly established them as premium purveyors for top restaurants and Michelin-starred chefs around the country.

Passmore Ranch offers premium freshwater white sturgeon, black bass, striped bass, catfish, silver carp and trout, plus prized domestic caviar.

Today Passmore Ranch is 86 acres and they raise fish in 80 million gallons of fresh water pumped up from the pristine Cosumnes aquifer. The ranch has a variety of open lakes and massive tanks used to increase the variety of sustainable fish they grow.

In the works is a plan to begin a thoughtful rollout of limited direct sales to serious home cooks. The info will be posted on their website.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Jim Riley, founder of Azunia Tequila
Segment Three: Brock Radke, Food and Web Editor, Las Vegas Weekly
Segment Four: Elizabeth Huettinger, Wine Director, Addison Del Mar
Segment Five: Lena Kwak, Research and Development Chef, Thomas Keller Restaurant Group
Segment Six: Amar Santana, Executive Chef / Owner, Broadway by Amar Santana
Segment Seven: Eric Klein, Executive Chef & Partner, Spago Las Vegas
Segment Eight: Michael Passmore, Passmore Ranch, Sustainable Aqua Farming

Show 39, August 17, 2013: Gabriel Dion, Bar Manager at Broadway by Amar Santana, Laguna Beach

Moscow MuleThe rich history of the classic Moscow Mule Cocktail.

The Moscow Mule is a classic cocktail created in the Golden Age of Hollywood at the fabled Cock ‘n Bull restaurant on The Sunset Strip. Every Hollywood star of the period frequented the place because nobody was bothered. They were known for good food, potent libations, and a festive atmosphere.

The Mule is vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice and served in a chilled copper mug. It’s particularly refreshing. The secret is to use a premium quality, spicy ginger beer.

An excellent contemporary version is proudly served locally at Broadway by Amar Santana in Laguna Beach. Bar Manager Gabriel Dion was with us to
profile their distinctive Moscow Mule.

It’s so popular with the regulars at Broadway that it’s not even listed on the cocktail menu. The restaurant is modest in size and on a busy night they will serve some 50 Moscow Mules in the proper, chilled copper mug.

The twist is that they concoct their own ginger beer on-site for the cocktail using fresh ginger. The from-scratch base is brewed in small batches, carbonated overnight, and then dispensed from a keg using a draft beer tap.

August 17: Adam Perry Lang, Lawry’s The Prime Rib, Lemonade, Moscow Mules, Angels / Ducks Catering

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila & Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Executive Chef Gretchen Beaumarchais, Angel Stadium for ARAMARK
Segment Three: Alan Jackson, Chef/Proprietor of Lemonade Part One
Segment Four: Alan Jackson, Chef/Proprietor of Lemonade Part Two
Segment Five: Gina Doyle, General Manager of Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills
Segment Six: Chef Adam Perry Lang
Segment Seven: Gabriel Dion, Bar Manager at Broadway by Amar Santana, Laguna Beach
Segment Eight: Kedric Francis, Executive Editor of Coast Magazine and Orange County Register Magazine

Please join us each week at our new starting time of 10:00 a.m.

Jet and Producer Andy previewed the show now in it’s 11th month on AM 830 KLAA. Thanks to all of our loyal listeners for your support! We love your positive feedback.

On August 24th we’ll be broadcasting from the new Bristol Farms store at 3105 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica from 10:00 a.m. until 12 Noon. Melissa’s will be there roasting Hatch Chiles. They will also be sampling the best creations from the Melissa’s Hatch Chile Cookbook.

Bristol Farms will also be sampling their propriety Hatch Chile creations from Bristol Kitchens in the store.

Gretchen BeaumarchaisGretchen Beaumarchais, the executive chef for ARAMARK at Angel Stadium, is with us. Chef Gretchen is well-known in Anaheim from her long tenure at Honda Center. Fortunately for the Angels and their loyal fans she moved across the street to Angel Stadium this season.

She is responsible for all foodservice at the facility including the Knothole and Diamond Clubs. Chef Gretchen also feeds the media. One of her first assignments this season was revamping the menu at the Knothole Club which is available to stadium guests with a ticket.

A little known fact is that the facilities are available for meetings and conferences when the Angels are on the road. Chef Gretchen also has created the well-received reception meals for weddings at The Stadium.

Chef Gretchen characterizes her food as “clean, seasonal, straightforward, tasty, and delicious.”

Alan Jackson of LemonadeChef Alan Jackson has an extensive background in fine dining and high profile event catering. In 2008 he opened his first Lemonade in West Hollywood. Downtown Los Angeles followed within days. He characterizes it as a modern cafeteria serving Southern California comfort food.

The concept has caught on quickly. The 11th location, the first in Orange County, will launch next week in Fashion Island in Newport Beach. Fashion Island will have a wood burning oven for roasting vegetables and flatbreads and a rotisserie for preparing whole roast rib-eye, leg of lamb and chicken. It will be a destination for dinner.

On National Lemonade Day, Tuesday, August 20th, Lemonade will donate all proceeds of lemonade sold at all of their locations to The Painted Turtle. The Painted Turtle is a non-profit dedicated to providing life-changing camp experiences for children with serious medical conditions.

In late October The Lemonade Cookbook will be released It was written by Alan Jackson and award-winning cookbook author JoAnn Cianciulli.

Gina Doyle of Lawty's The Prime RibLawry’s The Prime Rib is celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the original restaurant on Restaurant Row in Beverly Hills this year. Gina Doyle, the General Manager, is with us to talk about this memorable landmark operation that is still proudly family-owned.

Gina has the honor of being the first female GM in the company at The Tam O’Shanter Inn and now at the flagship Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. All of the employees at the restaurants are known as co-workers but Gina started as a server at Lawry’s.

Change at Lawry’s doesn’t come easily, or taken lightly, but a new menu item was introduced this month. It’s the first new entrée in some two decades! It’s a grilled Lawry’s Ribeye Steak! Every Ribeye is grilled to order. The steak is served with Scallop Potatoes and Crispy Fried Onions.

Adam Perry Lang BBQ at Jimmy Kimmel Live studios in HollywoodAdam Perry Lang is a well-known fine-dining chef from New York. Along the way he developed a fascination with grilling meats and serious BBQ. Until Sept. 5th on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Chef Lang is in back of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Theater in Hollywood serving his award-winning grilled meats at his Back Lot BBQ.

He’s working off a 45-foot trailer housing his custom BBQ, a chimney, and smoker.

His best-selling BBQ cookbook, Serious Barbecue, is finally back in print. It’s also for sale at the Back Lot BBQ. If you buy it there Chef Lang will autograph it for you.

Moscow MuleThe Moscow Mule is a classic cocktail created in the Golden Age of Hollywood at the fabled Cock ‘n Bull restaurant on The Sunset Strip. Every Hollywood star of the period frequented the place because nobody was bothered. They were known for good food, potent libations, and a festive atmosphere.

The Mule is vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice and served in a chilled copper mug. It’s particularly refreshing. The secret is to use a premium quality, spicy ginger beer.

An excellent contemporary version is proudly served locally at Broadway by Amar Santana in Laguna Beach. Bar Manager Gabriel Dion is with us to
profile their distinctive Moscow Mule.

It’s so popular with the regulars at Broadway that it’s not even listed on the cocktail menu. The restaurant is modest in size and on a busy night they will serve some 50 Moscow Mules in the proper, chilled copper mug.

The twist is that they concoct their own ginger beer on-site for the cocktail using fresh ginger. The from-scratch base is brewed in small batches, carbonated overnight, and then dispensed from a keg using a draft beer tap.

Kedric Francis of Coast Magazine and the Orange County Register MagazineOur regular roving travel correspondent, Kedric Francis, joins us. Kedric is the debonair Executive Editor of both Coast Magazine and The Orange County Register Magazine.

A hot button issue in dining is the advisability of kids in fine-dining restaurants. Is it ever appropriate to restrict guests in a restaurant to adults? Is it even right for the restaurateur to make this call? Kedric and Chef Jet get into a roundtable discussion on this. How do you feel ?

Are special Children’s menus in restaurants a good thing? That’s discussed, too.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila & Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Executive Chef Gretchen Beaumarchais, Angel Stadium for ARAMARK
Segment Three: Alan Jackson, Chef/Proprietor of Lemonade Part One
Segment Four: Alan Jackson, Chef/Proprietor of Lemonade Part Two
Segment Five: Gina Doyle, General Manager of Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills
Segment Six: Chef Adam Perry Lang
Segment Seven: Gabriel Dion, Bar Manager at Broadway by Amar Santana, Laguna Beach
Segment Eight: Kedric Francis, Executive Editor of Coast Magazine and Orange County Register Magazine

Show 24, April 6, 2013: Chef Jet Tila

K-Zo in Culver CityIt’s the “Best Bite of the Week”.

For Jet it’s the omakase (“trust the chef”) sushi experience at K-Zo in Culver City.

For Andy it’s the fresh, from scratch Moscow Mule as served at Broadway by Amar Santana in Laguna Beach. The classic libation (ginger beer, fresh lime juice, and vodka) is served from a carbonated keg at the bar dispensed by a beer tap handle. The ginger beer is house-brewed.