Show 136, August 29, 2015: Russ Parsons, Los Angeles Times, The Taste

Russ Parsons of the Los Angeles TimesRuss Parsons is a veteran food writer and columnist for The Los Angeles Times as well as an award-winning cookbook author. He was previously the Food Section Editor for a number of years. As part of the upcoming Los Angeles Times The Taste, Russ is co-hosting the Saturday morning, September 5th program, “Field to Fork.”

“California’s bounty of fresh produce inspires this homage to seasonal cooking, punctuated with engaging demos from Jessica Koslow (Sqirl), James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef Sherry Yard (Helms Bakery), and Niki Nakayama (n/naka). In addition to offering a glimpse into these locally-inspired perspectives, the event will feature a roundtable moderated by Parsons that examines the rise of the “root-to-stem” philosophy with Gary Menes (Le Comptoir), Bruce Kalman (Union), and Ari Taylor (Alma).”

Russ Parsons is our guest to provide the details.

Show 90, September 27, 2014: Guest Host Chef Steve Samson and Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris preview the show

Guest Host Chef Steve Samson (co-executive chef & co-owner) of Sotto in Los Angeles and Producer Andy Harris preview the show.

Danielle Chang the founder of the series of LUCKYRICE Night Markets staged across the country is back with us to preview the upcoming Las Vegas evening at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas.

Salt & Straw, Portland’s iconic artisan ice cream brand known for its innovative, small batch and handmade flavors, opened the doors to its first Los Angeles scoop shop on Saturday, September 13th in Larchmont Village.” Founder Kim Malek is with us with the scoop.

The incomparable Sherry Yard is a two-time James Beard Award-winner. Her Beard Foundation honors are for both her acclaimed dessert and pastry book as well as for Outstanding Pastry Chef. The Princess of Pastry joins us to chat about the upcoming C-CAP’s Sweet & Savory Spectacular benefit, iPic Theaters, and the soon-to-be Helms Bakery in Los Angeles.

Hidden, in plain sight, just South of Angel Stadium at the corner of State College and West Chapman Ave. in Orange is Chef Daniel Godinez’s Anepalco. Anepalco is a modern Mexican-French restaurant with a refreshing cocktail program.

Kristofor “Kip” Barnes, the author of Beer Lover’s Southern California – Best Breweries, Brewpubs & Beer Bars, is an accomplished gold-medal-winning home brewer and the founder of the brew blog Bierkast.com. He also is the co-founder of Los Angeles Ale Works and is a founding member of the L.A. Beer Bloggers.

Today’s guest host is Executive Chef Steve Samson of Sotto in Los Angeles located just East of Century City. He was previously the high profile executive chef at Piero Selvaggio’s Valentino in Santa Monica. Orange County diners remember him as the opening executive chef at Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa.

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Show 90, September 27, 2014: Sherry Yard, iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part One

Sherry YardThe incomparable Sherry Yard is a two-time James Beard Award-winner. Her Beard Foundation honors are for both her acclaimed dessert and pastry book as well as for Outstanding Pastry Chef. The Princess of Pastry joins us to chat about the upcoming C-CAP’s Sweet & Savory Spectacular benefit, iPic Theaters, and the soon-to-be Helms Bakery in Los Angeles.

Sherry is the honorary co-chair (with Suzanne Goin of Lucques, A.O.C. and Tavern) of C-CAP’s Sweet & Savory Spectacular Benefit set for Sunday Afternoon, Oct.,19th at The Art Institute’s campus in Santa Monica just above the airport. Both of Sherry’s current projects, iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery, will be serving distinctive tastes from their menus. Sherry serves on the Los Angeles Advisory Board of the Careers through Culinary Arts Program as well as on the National Board.

C-CAP provides at-risk high school students with culinary arts training. The best-of-the-best of these students compete for culinary scholarships to the top schools. In Los Angeles alone some $600,000 is scholarships were awarded this year! These promising students are the career hospitality people of tomorrow.

At the “Sweet & Savory Spectacular” Sherry will be serving her signature, from-scratch Naan-chos from iPic and the OMG cookie from Helms Bakery. Yum…

September 27, Steve Samson, LuckyRice, Salt & Straw, Sherry Yard, Anepalco, Kip Barnes,

Podcasts

Segment One: Guest Host Chef Steve Samson and Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris preview the show
Segment Two: LUCKYRICE Night Market at The Cosmopolitan
Segment Three: Salt & Straw Fresh Made Ice Cream
Segment Four: Sherry Yard, iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part One
Segment Five: Sherry Yard, iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part Two
Segment Six: Anepalco in Orange
Segment Seven: Kristofor Barnes’ Beer Lover’s Southern California
Segment Eight: Executive Chef Steve Samson

Guest Host Chef Steve Samson (co-executive chef & co-owner) of Sotto in Los Angeles and Producer Andy Harris preview the show.

Danielle Chang the founder of the series of LUCKYRICE Night Markets staged across the country is back with us to preview the upcoming Las Vegas evening at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas.

“Salt & Straw, Portland’s iconic artisan ice cream brand known for its innovative, small batch and handmade flavors, opened the doors to its first Los Angeles scoop shop on Saturday, September 13th in Larchmont Village.” Founder Kim Malek is with us with the scoop.

The incomparable Sherry Yard is a two-time James Beard Award-winner. Her Beard Foundation honors are for both her acclaimed dessert and pastry book as well as for Outstanding Pastry Chef. The Princess of Pastry joins us to chat about the upcoming C-CAP’s Sweet & Savory Spectacular benefit, iPic Theaters, and the soon-to-be Helms Bakery in Los Angeles.

Hidden, in plain sight, just South of Angel Stadium at the corner of State College and West Chapman Ave. in Orange is Chef Daniel Godinez’s Anepalco. Anepalco is a modern Mexican-French restaurant with a refreshing cocktail program.

Kristofor “Kip” Barnes, the author of Beer Lover’s Southern California – Best Breweries, Brewpubs & Beer Bars, is an accomplished gold-medal-winning home brewer and the founder of the brew blog Bierkast.com. He also is the co-founder of Los Angeles Ale Works and is a founding member of the L.A. Beer Bloggers.

Today’s guest host is Executive Chef Steve Samson of Sotto in Los Angeles located just East of Century City. He was previously the high profile executive chef at Piero Selvaggio’s Valentino in Santa Monica. Orange County diners remember him as the opening executive chef at Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa.

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Luckyrice Night MarketDanielle Chang, the founder of the series of LUCKYRICE Night Markets staged across the country, is back with us to preview the upcoming Las Vegas evening at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas set for Saturday, October 4th.

In 2014 LUCKYRICE has already visited New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

“The LUCKYRICE Night Market at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas brings the flavors and sensations of Asian markets from Taiwan to Thailand to the Boulevard Pool. Join celebrity chefs from across the U.S. and Las Vegas as we recreate the celebratory chaos and delicious energy of the quintessential Asian night market experience with a distinctly cosmopolitan flavor.”

Kim Malek of Salt and StrawSalt & Straw, Portland’s iconic artisan ice cream brand known for its innovative, small batch and handmade flavors, opened the doors to its first Los Angeles scoop shop on Saturday, September 13th in Larchmont Village.” Founder Kim Malek is with us with the scoop.

Salt & Straw partners with local artisans, producers and farmers to create one-of-a-kind, gourmet flavors. Their ice cream is handmade using only all natural and local cream.

The company, which began in 2011, has three scoop shops in Portland and now one in Los Angeles. Each shop serves scoops, sundaes, milkshakes and floats as well as pints to go.

The “Early Autumn Harvest Series,” available now through October, is a cheat sheet for Southern California’s best seasonal ingredients. Highlights include sweet almonds from Kern County, last of the season peaches from Burkart Organic Farms in Dinuba, CA, Butter & Salt doughnuts from Sidecar Doughnuts and Grand Poppy liqueur from Greenbar Distillery in Downtown L.A.

Sherry YardThe incomparable Sherry Yard is a two-time James Beard Award-winner. Her Beard Foundation honors are for both her acclaimed dessert and pastry book as well as for Outstanding Pastry Chef. The Princess of Pastry joins us to chat about the upcoming C-CAP’s Sweet & Savory Spectacular benefit, iPic Theaters, and the soon-to-be Helms Bakery in Los Angeles.

Sherry is the honorary co-chair (with Suzanne Goin of Lucques, A.O.C. and Tavern) of C-CAP’s Sweet & Savory Spectacular Benefit set for Sunday Afternoon, Oct.,19th at The Art Institute’s campus in Santa Monica just above the airport. Both of Sherry’s current projects, iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery, will be serving distinctive tastes from their menus.

Sherry serves on the Los Angeles Advisory Board of the Careers through Culinary Arts Program as well as on the National Board.

Sherry will talk about how she is changing movie theater food for the better in her special culinary role at iPic Theaters. In Southern California iPic has luxury theater complexes in Old Pasadena and Westwood Village. Sherry will also have an update on the ambitious Helms Bakery project.

Anepalco's CafeHidden, in plain sight, just South of Angel Stadium at the corner of State College and West Chapman Ave. in Orange is Chef Daniel Godinez’s Anepalco. Anepalco is best characterized as a modern Mexican-French restaurant with a refreshing cocktail program. It also has a shaded patio.

Anepalco takes authentic Mexican ingredients with their bold flavors and infuses them creatively with traditional French techniques. The result is a fusion of creams and chiles with the cuisine served in a gourmet manner. Chef Godinez’s kitchen only uses the freshest of ingredients.

In addition to the lunch menu available daily, Anepalco serves brunch seven days from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Kip Barnes of Los Angeles Ale WorksKristofor “Kip” Barnes, the author of Beer Lover’s Southern California – Best Breweries, Brewpubs & Beer Bars, is an accomplished gold-medal-winning home brewer and the founder of the brew blog Bierkast.com. He also is the co-founder of Los Angeles Ale Works and is a founding member of the L.A. Beer Bloggers.

“With quality beer producers popping up all over the nation, you don’t have to travel very far to taste great beer ; some of the best stuff is brewing right in your home state. Beer Lover’s Southern California (the complete regional guide to craft beer) features breweries, brewpubs, and beer bars geared toward brew enthusiasts looking to seek out the best beers SoCal has to offer, from bitter seasonal IPAs to rich, dark stouts.”

Steve Samson of SottoToday’s guest host is Executive Chef Steve Samson of Sotto in Los Angeles located just East of Century City. He was previously the high profile executive chef at Piero Selvaggio’s Valentino in Santa Monica. Orange County diners remember him as the opening executive chef at the popular Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa.

Chef Steve was just in Italy for a Family occasion.

Last Saturday afternoon at UCLA Chef Steve was one of the participating celebrity chefs at L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade culinary benefit. Samson was paired with one of the young cheftestantants from Fox’s MasterChef Jr. series.

Sotto delivers an honest, market-driven menu of regionally-inspired Southern Italian dishes, including fresh housemade pastas and Neapolitan pizza cooked in an artisan wood burning oven. This wood burning oven was built onsite by Neapolitan craftsmen using traditional Old World techniques.

Podcasts

Segment One: Guest Host Chef Steve Samson and Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris preview the show
Segment Two: LUCKYRICE Night Market at The Cosmopolitan
Segment Three: Salt & Straw Fresh Made Ice Cream

Segment Five: Sherry Yard, iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part Two
Segment Six: Anepalco in Orange
Segment Seven: Kristofor Barnes’ Beer Lover’s Southern California
Segment Eight: Executive Chef Steve Samson

Show 71, May 3, 2014: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

Multiple James Beard Award-winning Pastry Chef Sherry Yard is familiar to the listening audience of the “SoCal Restaurant Show.” Her work-in-progress is the ambitious revival of the Helms Bakery in Los Angeles on the border with Culver City.

She will tell us all about her exciting new position as Corporate Vice President of the Culinary Division of iPic Theaters. Watching a movie on the big screen should be a deluxe experience with food to match!

There is a relatively new hidden gem of a very personal farm-to-table restaurant in Venice. That’s Barnyard Venice. Come hungry and prepare to be pleasantly surprised and also well-taken care of.

Nan Kohler, the Managing Partner of Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, is back for an encore. This time she’ll also be speaking about gluten-free and the milling process for flour.

Barbara Fairchild, the well-traveled Restaurant & Travel Editor for grapecollective.com is back with us to share some inspired restaurant finds from her recent travels both in Europe and in The States.

The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar in Tustin has a new location on the Bay in Newport Beach. It’s a “wow” of a spot!

All of this and lots more incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Show 71, May 3, 2014: Sherry Yard of iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery

Sherry YardRenowned pastry chef and best-selling cookbook author Sherry Yard spent close to 20 years with Wolfgang Puck. She also has been awarded two prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards! On May 5th in New York City Sherry is being inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America. It’s an elite group…

In late 2012 she left Spago to realize a dream project with Sang Yoon. That’s the reopening (and revamping) of the fondly remembered Helms Bakery in Los Angeles on the border of Culver City.

She has just stepped into the newly created position of Corporate Vice President of Culinary Direction for iPic Theaters. Their new state-of-the-art Westwood complex has just opened. Gourmet, restaurant quality food from locally-sourced ingredients is now on the menu for the luxury movie viewing experience.

She also somehow finds the time to actively serve on both the National and L.A. Boards of the Careers through Culinary Arts Program. (C-CAP.)

May 3: Sherry Yard, Jesse Barber, Nan Kohler, Barbara Fairchild, Yvon Goetz

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Sherry Yard of iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part One
Segment Three: Sherry Yard of iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part Two
Segment Four: Executive Chef Jesse Barber of Barnyard Venice
Segment Five: Nan Kohler, Managing Partner, Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, Pasadena Part One
Segment Six: Nan Kohler, Managing Partner, Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, Pasadena Part Two
Segment Seven: Barbara Fairchild, Restaurant & Travel Editor, grapecollective.com, editor, writer, speaker and consultant
Segment Eight: Chef Yvon Goetz, Chef & Partner, The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, Tustin and Newport Beach

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

Multiple James Beard Award-winning Pastry Chef Sherry Yard is familiar to the listening audience of the “SoCal Restaurant Show.” Her work-in-progress is the ambitious revival of the Helms Bakery in Los Angeles on the border with Culver City.

She will tell us all about her exciting new position as Corporate Vice President of the Culinary Division of iPic Theaters. Watching a movie on the big screen should be a deluxe experience with food to match !

There is a relatively new hidden gem of a very personal farm-to-table restaurant in Venice. That’s Barnyard Venice. Come hungry and prepare to be pleasantly surprised and also well-taken care of.

Nan Kohler, the Managing Partner of Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, is back for an encore. This time she’ll also be speaking about gluten-free.

Barbara Fairchild, the well-traveled Restaurant & Travel Editor for grapecollective.com is back with us to share some inspired restaurant finds from her recent travels both in Europe and in The States.

The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar in Tustin has a new location on the Bay in Newport Beach. It’s a “wow” of a spot!

All of this and lots more incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Sherry YardRenowned pastry chef and best-selling cookbook author Sherry Yard spent close to 20 years with Wolfgang Puck. She also has been awarded two prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards! On May 5th in New York City Sherry is being inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America. It’s an elite group…

In late 2012 she left Spago to realize a dream project with Sang Yoon. That’s the reopening (and revamping) of the fondly remembered Helms Bakery in Los Angeles on the border of Culver City.

She has just stepped into the newly created position of Corporate Vice President of Culinary Direction for iPic Theaters.

Their new state-of-the-art Westwood complex has just opened. Locally-sourced gourmet food is now on the menu for the luxury movie viewing experience.

She also somehow finds the time to actively serve on both the National and L.A. Boards of the Careers through Culinary Arts Program. (C-CAP.)

The iPic Theaters menu for Westwood even includes Helms Treats. There are premium signature cookies and even frozen novelties!

On the ground floor there is an Italian restaurant (Tanzy) open to the public for lunch and dinner.

Sherry Yard was on hand Sunday, April 25th on Rodeo Dr. in Beverly Hills to observe the cutting of Chef Donald Wressell’s breathtaking birthday cake for the 100th Anniversary of the City of Beverly Hills. Chef Donald is the corporate chef for Guittard Chocolate Co. Sherry has created incredible desserts for the Oscars and was truly impressed with the incredible results. 15,000 slices of deliciousness were served!

Adding a needed basement to the Helms Bakery (where there was none before) has delayed the project. Sherry is now looking at a 2015 launch.

Jesse Barber of Barnyard VeniceBarnyard Venice (opened in 2012) is a bit of a find housed in an old cottage on Pacific Avenue. It’s rustic and comfortable.

Chef Jesse Barber, an alum of the kitchen at Tasting Kitchen, is the menu-maker. Earlier in his career he worked with Thomas Keller at both The French Laundry and Bouchon. He’s put together an ever changing menu with an emphasis on local ingredients. He’s a regular at the Santa Monica Farmers Markets and that’s the basis for his menu which changes almost daily.

His grilled octopus is a standout.

Ramen Tuesday is at the bar.

Nan KohlerNan Kohler is the Managing Partner of Grist & Toll – An urban Flour Mill in Pasadena. She has extensive background in baking.

Nan discusses her take on celiac disease and the growing need for gluten-free products.

On Sunday, May 4th Chef Bruce Kalman of Pasadena’s Union is cooking a dinner in conjunction with Grist & Toll. Union uses many of their products including their polenta which is a favorite of Chef Jet’s.

Chef Kalman will incorporate Grist & Toll’s whole-grain milled fresh flours into five courses. The price is $85 per guest.

Nan explains how the flours produced by Grist & Toll differ from the commercial enriched flour that goes into plain white bread. A lot of the nutritional value is surprisingly lost with the processing of conventional enriched flour.

Nan is also starting to offer baking classes.

Barbara FairchildIt’s a pleasure to welcome food journalist Barbara Fairchild back to the show. She is an editor, writer, speaker and consultant. She was the long-time Editor of Bon Appetit Magazine before the publication relocated to New York.

Her newest position is Restaurant & Travel Editor for grapecollective.com.

Based on her recent travels Barbara has restaurant finds for us from both London and Paris.

Yvon Goetz of the Winery Restaurant and BarThe Winery Restaurant & Bar at the District in Tustin has created quite a splash over the last six years. All that was missing was an ocean view.

Newly arrived on the Bay in Newport Beach is the 2nd location for The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar. Partner/ Executive Chef Yvon Goetz is overseeing the kitchen here, too. It’s dinner only at present. Lunch will be coming on the weekends. Chef Yvon is our guest.

The new Winery brings the same distinctive experience as its flagship location in The District in Tustin. This one strives to make the guest feel like they have been transported to a relaxing getaway in Napa or Sonoma. This escape features ocean views from the second-story dining room and breathtaking bar.

The menu here is a bit more seafood centric. Some of the fish (Opah, Ono, and Mahi Mahi) +is flown in from Hawaii daily.

“The major difference with this location will be the stunning views of the waterfront and boat access. We anticipate endless possibilities, with something to suit every palate,” said JC Clow, Managing Partner of The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar. Three private docks are available for guests to arrive via the Marina.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Sherry Yard of iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part One
Segment Three: Sherry Yard of iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part Two
Segment Four: Executive Chef Jesse Barber of Barnyard Venice
Segment Five: Nan Kohler, Managing Partner, Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, Pasadena Part One
Segment Six: Nan Kohler, Managing Partner, Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, Pasadena Part Two
Segment Seven: Barbara Fairchild, Restaurant & Travel Editor, grapecollective.com, editor, writer, speaker and consultant
Segment Eight: Chef Yvon Goetz, Chef & Partner, The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, Tustin and Newport Beach

Show 52, December 14, 2013: Sherry Yard, the acclaimed executive pastry chef for Wolfgang Puck for 20 years

Sherry YardL.A.’s acclaimed pastry princess, Sherry Yard, is with us for the last segment. Sherry was Wolfgang Puck’s (Spago) executive pastry chef for twenty years. She is a multiple James Beard Award-winner. Her first cookbook, The Secrets of Baking: Simple Techniques for Sophisticated Desserts won a Beard Award for “Best Baking Cookbook.” She serves on the national Board of Directors for the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) and also is a part of Los Angeles’ Advisory Board.

Her current project (with Lukshon’s and Father’s Office’s Sang Yoon) is the revival of the fondly remembered Helms Bakery located on the site of the former Helms Bakery, an iconic home delivery commercial bakery that left the scene years ago. It looks like Summer of 2014 for the opening. It’s an ambitious project in a large space which previously served as part of Helms’ loading dock.

The exciting all-day concept keeps evolving but it’s going to be a bakery and cafe with a lot more. All the bread will be prepared and baked right there. They will roast the beans for the coffee on site. You’ll be able to get sandwiches and full meals packaged to take home.

You can sign-up for their monthly newsletter to keep current on the opening for Helms Bakery.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday afternoons look for the restored yellow Helms Bakery delivery truck in front of their future restaurant space across from Father’s Office. Sherry is selling her soon to be famous chocolate chip cookies and various hand-crafted ice cream novelties. Everything is deliciously scratch-made. Call it a tasty preview of coming edible attractions…

Show 34, July 6, 2013: Chef Evan Funke, executive chef & proprietor, Bucato Restaurant

Evan Funke of Bucato RestaurantChef Evan Funke generated a lot of interest at Rustic Canyon as the opening chef when it opened a few years back in Santa Monica. Now Evan is about to debut the 3,400 square foot Bucato Restaurant on Washington Blvd. in Culver City in the former iconic Beacon Laundry Building which is part of the larger Helms Bakery complex. It will have two dining patios. With Bucato he is Executive Chef and Proprietor.

During construction Chef Evan has been operating a food truck. The rave item is his porchetta sandwich. Bucato (“laundry” in Italian) will be modern Italian.

Having spent a lot of time in Italy Evan is a proud traditionalist. He will be making highly labor-intensive fresh pasta from scratch using a wood table. The Old World process will be visible (behind a glass wall) to guests.

He’s also excited about his wood-fired grill.

On Facebook he’s “Bucato.”