Podcasts
Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris & Chef Andrew Gruel
Segment Two: Bill Esparza, Street Gourmet, Tacolandia
Segment Three: The Hungry Cat, Santa Barbara
Segment Four: Proprietor / Executive Chef Arthur Gonzalez, Panxa Cocina, Long Beach
Segment Five: Oak Grill’s Executive Chef, Marc Johnson, Island Hotel, Newport Beach
Segment Six: Guittard Chocolate Company’s Executive Chef, Donald Wressell
Segment Seven: Hollywood Farmers Market – 25th Anniversary
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel and Sushi 411
Executive Chef Andrew Gruel of the rapidly growing Slapfish empire with restaurants in Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, LAX, Irvine at UCI and, most recently, Brea, is back as today’s special Guest Host.
Now a sneak peak of Saturday’s appetizing show and not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re doing it right we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case that’s actually a pretty good thing…
LA Weekly presents Tacolandia 2016 on Saturday afternoon, June 11th from 3 to 7:00 p.m. at El Pueblo de Los Angeles in DTLA. The fourth annual gourmet taco festival will feature more than 100 top taco vendors curated by the World’s First Tacorazzo, Bill Esparza, our guest.
The Hungry Cat in Downtown Santa Barbara is the newest restaurant in Chef David Lentz’s Hungry Cat empire which started in 2005 in a somewhat hidden location in Hollywood and eventually expanded to a highly visible, across the street from the beach location in Santa Monica. Santa Barbara’s General Manager, Bob Van Der Veer, joins us. He started in Hollywood as a relief bartender.
Panxa Cocina in Long Beach recently celebrated its year anniversary. It’s located in the former Christy’s space on E. Broadway. Chef Arthur Gonzalez (ex-ROE Restaurant) is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner. It’s Santa Fe, New Mexico-style cuisine with rich, bold flavors and a lot of imagination. Chef Art is with us for the distinctive menu highlights.
Executive Chef Marc Johnson at Oak Grill at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach just launched Slow Smoked Sundaze. It’s a relaxed, family-style, smoked BBQ Sunday. Chef Marc is here with all the succulent details.
The 5th Annual Big Island Chocolate Festival gala is May 14th at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel on the Kohala Coast. Indulge in both savory and sweet temptations prepared by top chefs and chocolatiers while watching award-winning Chef Donald Wressell of Guittard Chocolate Company, sculpt one of the largest volcanoes ever created in fine chocolate. Chef Donald is our guest.
The Hollywood Farmers Market and the parent non-profit, SEE-LA, is celebrating 25 successful years of providing the Los Angeles community with sustainable and fresh produce with special market events each Sunday in May. The Sunday event series features cookbook signings and demonstrations by a few of Los Angeles’ most celebrated chefs and cookbook authors. Executive Director James Haydu has all the celebratory 411.
Sushi has become mainstream in California. It’s even sold in neighborhood convenience stores. Our own resident seafood expect, Chef Andrew Gruel, has everything you need to know about practical sushi basics. He’ll have tips for ordering as well as proper sushi etiquette.
All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!
A preview of Tacolandia with Bill Esparza.
Congrats to Bill on his prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for best “Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication” which he shares with his L.A. Magazine Editor, Lesley Bargar Suter. This was for their 14-page “Taco City” spread in L.A. Magazine last year.
LA Weekly presents Tacolandia 2016 on Saturday afternoon, June 11th from 3 to 7:00 p.m. at El Pueblo de Los Angeles in DTLA. The fourth annual gourmet taco festival will feature more than 100 top taco vendors curated by the World’s First Tacorazzo, Bill Esparza. Taquerias from as far away as London, England participate. All restaurants have tasty samples of their signature gourmet tacos for all to enjoy.
Complete with live mariachi music, cash bars with beer, wine and cocktails as well as awards for best tacos in various categories presented by The Vendys, Tacolandia 2016 will be LA Weekly’s largest event of the year and one not to be missed. This event is for guests 21 years of age and older.
Some VIP tickets are still available. This event usually sells out so buy your tickets now.
The Hungry Cat in Downtown Santa Barbara is the youngest restaurant in Chef David Lentz’s Hungry Cat empire (2007 launch) which started in a hidden location in Hollywood and eventually expanded to a highly visible, across the street from the beach location in Santa Monica and then North to Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara’s General Manager, Bob Van Der Veer, joins us. He started in Hollywood as a relief bartender.
“Since 2005, The Hungry Cat (Hollywood) has offered the highest quality fish and meats matched with Southern California’s abundant seasonal produce.”
“The result is not simply a seafood house, but a continuously evolving restaurant, following the seasons, but always remaining true to the product.”
“With a focus on the artisan, The Hungry Cat produces its own in-house smoked meats and seafood, curing and pickling, as well as featuring a unique farmers market driven cocktail program, esoteric wine list and rotating local beers.”
“Our rotating raw bar (Santa Barbara) showcases Pacific and Atlantic oysters, clams, Santa Barbara sea urchin, raw and marinated fish dishes, crab and lobster.”
Panxa Cocina in Long Beach recently celebrated its year anniversary. It’s located in the former Christy’s space on E. Broadway. Chef Arthur Gonzalez (ex-ROE Restaurant) is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner. It’s Santa Fe, New Mexico-style cuisine with rich, bold flavors and a lot of imagination. Chef Art is with us for the menu highlights.
Panxa Cocina was born out of a lifetime of love for Latin cuisine and a desire to support locally sourced foods. Growing up in Cerritos, California, Chef Arthur Gonzalez helped his German mother and his Oaxacan grandmother prepare meals growing up.
Chef Gonzalez wanted to be a firefighter and started as a paid call firefighter at age 26, but due to a back injury, he discovered his passion for cooking in the firehouse kitchen. He then went on to Seal Beach restaurant, Spaghettini, as a dishwasher. This humble beginning for Chef gave him the opportunity to train in the kitchen. Two years after starting at Spaghettini, Chef Gonzalez was the pastry/sous chef at local legend Mahé before moving to New Mexico.
After working in several restaurants in New Mexico, Chef Gonzalez was introduced to James Beard award-winning Chef Eric Distefano of Coyote Café and Geronimo, who became his mentor. While working at Señor Lucky’s in Santa Fé, Chef Gonzalez met Vanessa Auclair, his current business partner here in California.
Vanessa and Chef came back to Southern California to work at McKenna’s On The Bay in Long Beach as Manager and Head Chef, respectively, with the goal of creating delicious, clean and simple food. Their success at McKenna’s led to the opening of seafood focused Roe on Second Street in Belmont Shore.
Deciding to try something new, Vanessa and Chef opened Panxa, inspired by their Southwestern roots, together creating a menu authentic to New Mexico and influenced by his family’s cooking throughout his childhood.
At Panxa, pronounced pan-zah (the Catalan word for belly), Chef Gonzalez has created a place for flavorful unique dishes, craft cocktails, wine, and an extensive tequila menu.
Executive Chef Marc Johnson at Oak Grill at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach just launched Slow Smoked Sundaze. It’s a relaxed, family-style, smoked BBQ Sunday. Chef Marc is here with all the succulent details.
“All summer long you’ll find us smoking up Southern goodness at Oak Grill. Join us for Slow Smoked Sundaze and devour authentic BBQ smoked on property with a mixture of cherry and oak wood.”
“Choose from baby back ribs, brisket, cedar-plank salmon, fried chicken and whole roasted catch of the day. The mains are accompanied by deliciously authentic sides and down-home desserts.”
“Wash it down with our backyard lemonade, spiked with Tito’s Vodka if that’s your thing.”
The 5th Annual Big Island Chocolate Festival gala is May 14th at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel on the Kohala Coast. Indulge in both savory and sweet temptations prepared by top chefs and chocolatiers while watching award-winning Chef Donald Wressell of Guittard Chocolate Company, sculpt one of the largest volcanoes ever created in fine chocolate. Chef Donald is our guest.
This year’s event theme is “Lavalicious-A Chocolate Salute to the 100th Birthday of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park” and culinary stations will be judged on their depiction of the popular park, plus a host of “best” culinary categories: savory, plated dessert, bon bon, bean-to-bar, Hawaiian cacao and People’s Choice.
More chocolatey fun includes a tasty mole and salad bar, chocolate body painting, live music and dancing, a silent auction, wines, cocktails and handcrafted beer using cacao nibs from Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory.
Presented by the Kona Cacao Association (KCA), event proceeds benefit the ACF Kona Kohala Chefs Assn./University of Hawai‘i endowment fund for the culinary program at Hawai‘i Community College-Palamanui and programs at Kona Pacific Public Charter School in Kealakekua.
The Hollywood Farmers Market and the parent non-profit, SEE-LA, is celebrating 25 successful years of providing the Los Angeles community with sustainable and fresh produce with special market events each Sunday in May. The Sunday event series features cookbook signings and demonstrations by a few of Los Angeles’ most celebrated chefs and cookbook authors. Executive Director James Haydu has all the celebratory 411.
“We are so excited to be celebrating a quarter century in Hollywood,” said James Haydu, Executive Director, SEE-LA. “What began as a dream has become one of the oldest and best-loved institutions in Los Angeles, and we’re thrilled to be paying homage to all those who helped make it a success…from the city leaders to the farmers who have been with us for all these years. It’s a truly special community and we can’t wait to fete everyone involved.”
Sushi has become mainstream in California. It’s even now sold in neighborhood convenience stores. Our own resident seafood expect, Chef Andrew Gruel, has just about everything you need to know about practical sushi basics. He’ll have useful tips for ordering as well as proper sushi etiquette.
Break out the chopsticks but go easy with the soy sauce…
Podcasts
Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris & Chef Andrew Gruel
Segment Two: Bill Esparza, Street Gourmet, Tacolandia
Segment Three: The Hungry Cat, Santa Barbara
Segment Four: Proprietor / Executive Chef Arthur Gonzalez, Panxa Cocina, Long Beach
Segment Five: Oak Grill’s Executive Chef, Marc Johnson, Island Hotel, Newport Beach
Segment Six: Guittard Chocolate Company’s Executive Chef, Donald Wressell
Segment Seven: Hollywood Farmers Market – 25th Anniversary
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel and Sushi 411
Tom Cross is the Hotel Manager for our host, The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, which recently completed a $50 million dollar renovation. It’s part of the Mauna Kea Resort on the Island of Hawaii. The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort is also the host property for The Big Island Chocolate Festival.
