Show 177, June 25, 2016: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel

Andrew Gruel at the AM830 KLAA StudiosExecutive 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. Last month in Chicago he received Nation’s Restaurant News’ Trendsetter MenuMaster Award for Slapfish.

Now a provocatively tempting preview of Saturday’s abundant 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…

Journalist Brock Radke is, fortunately, no stranger to the SoCal Restaurant Show. He’s a genuine Las Vegas insider. Brock is Managing Editor of Las Vegas Weekly and has been covering Las Vegas for more than 15 years. He joins us for a long overdue update on the Las Vegas dining scene. First up is a report on The Strip.

We hear the word “artisanal” all the time—attached to cheese, chocolate, coffee, even Subway sandwiches—but what does it actually mean? Now, from Los Angeles Magazine restaurant critic and multiple James Beard Award winner Patric Kuh comes FINDING THE FLAVORS WE LOST: From Bread to Bourbon, How Artisans Reclaimed American Food. It’s an insightful exploration of the cultural demand for “artisanal” foods in a world where corporate agribusiness has co-opted the very concept. Patric is our guest.

Chicago’s Steve Dolinsky is a serious food journalist with impressive credentials. He’s the recipient of an unprecedented 13 James Beard Awards for his outstanding work on TV and in radio. He’s ABC 7 TV’s (Chicago) “The Hungry Hound.” We’ll meet him.

It’s just about time for the 29th Annual Hoag Summer Classicc featuring great food and live musical performances at Newport Dunes in Newport Beach. More than 30 of Orange County’s most crave-worthy restaurants will be serving incredible tastes from their menus. Joining us with all the edible details are Jonathan Blackford from A Restaurant (a returning participating restaurant) and the Hoag Hospital Foundations Deb McCune.

Chef Andrew Gruel recently returned from a week in New York. He has some further observations on the New York dining scene. He partook of a New York classic in SoHo, Keith McNally’s Balthazar, and something relatively new in breakfast, OatMeals, the world’s first oatmeal bar and using whole grain steel-cut oats. He also shares his impressions of the New York dining scene as compared to the Los Angeles dining scene and the influences of social media in both market areas.

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

Show 177, June 25, 2016: Steve Dolinsky, ABC 7’s (Chicago) “The Hungry Hound” Part One

Steve Dolinsky and Andreew GruelChicago’s Steve Dolinsky is a serious food journalist with impressive credentials. He’s the recipient of an unprecedented 13 James Beard Awards for his outstanding work on TV and in radio. He’s ABC7 Chicago’s TV’s “The Hungry Hound.” We’ll meet him.

“Growing up in a kosher home in St. Cloud, Minnesota isn’t exactly the ideal foundation for a professional food reporter, but it wasn’t until I was a teenager, introduced to the “Australian Women’s Home Weekly” series of illustrated Thai and Chinese cookbooks by my Tasmanian sister-in-law, that I realized how wonderful the pleasures of the table could be. In college, at the University of Wisconsin, I continued seeking out everything I couldn’t (or simply wasn’t able to) have as a kid: Turkish kebabs; Thai noodles; falafel, and yes, even pork.”

“But when I graduated in 1990, yearning to find new flavors and taste new things, there was no such thing as a TV food reporter. All of the food professionals I looked up to – Reichl, Richman, Apple – were in print. So I took my broadcast degree to towns like Escanaba, Michigan and Davenport, Iowa, and learned how to become a general assignment news reporter, always stoking that love of food by cooking out of magazines and making hour-long trips to track down a little Thai joint or Mexican taqueria.”

“The Tribune’s 24-hour newschannel – CLTV – brought me to Chicago in 1992. I logged a few more years of news reporting, then caught a break in ‘95, when our station launched “Good Eating,” a weekly, 30- minute program mirroring the Tribune’s food section. As Producer and Host, I churned out 52 shows a year for eight years, garnering six James Beard Awards along the way for Best TV Cooking Show.”

“Freelance radio work followed – first with WBEZ, our local NPR affiliate, then with Public Radio International’s “The World,” and six more Beard Awards followed. I’ve also written food features and reviews for publications like The Chicago Reader, CS Magazine and the Chicago Tribune.”

“In 2003, I moved to ABC 7, Chicago’s #1 news station, where I now file two original reports each week, under the moniker “The Hungry Hound.” I still continue to file stories for PRI’s The World and have become a part-time travel writer, filing stories for the Travel sections in both The Chicago Tribune and The Globe and Mail (Canada’s national paper).”

Show 177, June 25, 2016: Steve Dolinsky, ABC 7’s (Chicago) “The Hungry Hound” Part Two

Steve Dolinsky and Andreew GruelFood journalist Steve Dolinsky is ABC 7 TV’s (Chicago) “The Hungry Hound. He continues…

Steve provides his Chicagoland recommendations for upscale steakhouse, Italian Beef sandwich, Chicago Dog, Deep Dish Pizza and more…

“In 2014, Chicago chef/restaurateur Rick Bayless and I launched The Feed Podcast, covering the world of food from our professional perspectives. Every show is full of different segments, some from Chicago and others from far-flung places around the world we both travel to. In its first year, the show won a Beard Award for Best Podcast (that’s #13 if you’re keeping score).”

“More recently, I’ve begun curating and leading highly specialized culinary experiences, including international tours, and am also now consulting on the food and beverage program for The Hotel San Felipe in Panama City, Panama.”

“I show up as an occasional judge or contributor on “Iron Chef America” (now out of production) and “Unique Eats,” and serve as one of the 27 Regional Academy Chairs for “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.” I even do some media training outside of Chicago for chefs, sommeliers and mixologists. Best part of the job? Getting paid to eat. Toughest part? Keeping it off. See you at the gym.”

June 25: Brock Radke, Patric Kuh, Steve Dolinsky, A Restaurant, Andrew Gruel

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel
Segment Two: Brock Radke, Managing Editor, Las Vegas Weekly
Segment Three: Patric Kuh, Restaurant Critic, Los Angeles Magazine & Author of Finding the Flavors We Lost Part One
Segment Four: Patric Kuh, Restaurant Critic, Los Angeles Magazine & Author of Finding the Flavors We Lost Part Two
Segment Five: Steve Dolinsky, ABC 7’s (Chicago) “The Hungry Hound” Part One
Segment Six: Steve Dolinsky, ABC 7’s (Chicago) “The Hungry Hound” Part Two
Segment Seven: Executive Chef Jonathan Blackford, A Restaurant, Newport Beach
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group, Huntington Beach

Andrew Gruel at the AM830 KLAA StudiosExecutive 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. Last month in Chicago he received Nation’s Restaurant News’ Trendsetter MenuMaster Award for Slapfish.

Now a provocatively tempting preview of Saturday’s abundant 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…

Journalist Brock Radke is no stranger to the SoCal Restaurant Show. He’s a genuine Las Vegas insider. Brock is Managing Editor of Las Vegas Weekly and has been covering Las Vegas for more than 15 years. He joins us for a long overdue update on the Las Vegas dining scene.

We hear the word “artisanal” all the time—attached to cheese, chocolate, coffee, even Subway sandwiches—but what does it actually mean? Now, from Los Angeles Magazine restaurant critic and multiple James Beard Award winner Patric Kuh comes FINDING THE FLAVORS WE LOST: From Bread to Bourbon, How Artisans Reclaimed American Food. It’s a provocative exploration of the cultural demand for “artisanal” foods in a world where corporate agribusiness has co-opted the very concept. Patric is our guest.

Chicago’s Steve Dolinsky is a serious food journalist with impressive credentials. He’s the recipient of an unprecedented 13 James Beard Awards for his outstanding work on TV and in radio. He’s ABC 7 TV’s “The Hungry Hound.” We’ll meet him.

It’s just about time for the 29th Annual Hoag Summer Classic featuring great food and live musical performances at Newport Dunes in Newport Beach. More than 30 of Orange County’s most crave-worthy restaurants will be serving incredible tastes from their menus. Joining us with all the edible details are Jonathan Blackford from A Restaurant (a returning participating restaurant) and the Hoag Hospital FoundationsDeb McCune.

Chef Andrew Gruel recently returned from a week in New York. He has some further observations on the New York dining scene. He partook of a New York classic in SoHo, Keith McNally’s Balthazar, and something relatively new in breakfast, OatMeals, the world’s first oatmeal bar and using whole grain steel-cut oats. Chef Andrew will also talk about the Vendy Award winners as part of Tacolandia on June 11th.

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

Brock Radke of Las Vegas WeeklyJournalist Brock Radke is no stranger to the SoCal Restaurant Show. He’s a genuine Las Vegas insider.

Brock is Managing Editor of Las Vegas Weekly and has been covering Las Vegas for more than 15 years. He joins us for a long overdue update on the dynamic Las Vegas dining scene.

Finding the Flavors we Lost by Patric KuhWe hear the word “artisanal” all the time—attached to cheese, chocolate, coffee, even Subway sandwiches—but what does it actually mean? Now, from Los Angeles Magazine restaurant critic and multiple James Beard Award winner Patric Kuh comes FINDING THE FLAVORS WE LOST: From Bread to Bourbon, How Artisans Reclaimed American Food. It’s an arresting exploration of the cultural demand for “artisanal” foods in a world where corporate agribusiness has co-opted the very concept. Patric is our guest.

Spanning almost the past hundred years, Kuh begins with the stories of countercultural “radicals” in the 1970s who taught themselves the forgotten crafts of bread, cheese, and beer-making, moving back to the development of mass-produced food and giant corporations that spurred them on, then to the present, hearkening back to how these 1970s trailblazers became the inspiration for today’s crop of young chefs and artisans. From a cheese-making farm in Wisconsin to the Maker’s Mark distillery in Kentucky, Kuh examines how a rediscovery of the value of craft and individual effort has fueled today’s popularity and appreciation for artisanal food—and the transformations this has effected on both the restaurant menu and the dinner table.

Throughout the book, he raises a host of critical questions. How big of an operation is too big for a food company to still call themselves “artisanal”? Does the high cost of hand-crafted goods unintentionally make them unaffordable for many Americans? Does technological progress have to quash flavor?

Patric Kuh, in addition to being a writer, is a Paris-trained chef who has worked in preeminent restaurants in France, New York, and California. He has written for Gourmet, Esquire, and Salon.com and is the author of two previous books, An Available Man and The Last Days of Haute Cuisine: The Coming of Age of American Restaurants.

Kuh is a winner of the James Beard Award for Writing and Literature, and has been nominated for the James Beard MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award and the James Beard Award for Magazine Series. He lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife and two children, where he works as a food critic for LA Magazine.

With a deeply personal emphasis on individual people and restaurants and a keen journalistic approach, FINDING THE FLAVORS WE LOST is a funny, personal exploration of what constitutes artisan food as we know it today—and what its future may be.

Steve Dolinsky and Andreew GruelChicago’s Steve Dolinsky is a serious food journalist with impressive credentials. He’s the recipient of an unprecedented 13 James Beard Awards for his outstanding work on TV and in radio. He’s ABC7 Chicago’s TV’s “The Hungry Hound.” We’ll meet him.

“Growing up in a kosher home in St. Cloud, Minnesota isn’t exactly the ideal foundation for a professional food reporter, but it wasn’t until I was a teenager, introduced to the “Australian Women’s Home Weekly” series of illustrated Thai and Chinese cookbooks by my Tasmanian sister-in-law, that I realized how wonderful the pleasures of the table could be. In college, at the University of Wisconsin, I continued seeking out everything I couldn’t (or simply wasn’t able to) have as a kid: Turkish kebabs; Thai noodles; falafel, and yes, even pork.”

“But when I graduated in 1990, yearning to find new flavors and taste new things, there was no such thing as a TV food reporter. All of the food professionals I looked up to – Reichl, Richman, Apple – were in print. So I took my broadcast degree to towns like Escanaba, Michigan and Davenport, Iowa, and learned how to become a general assignment news reporter, always stoking that love of food by cooking out of magazines and making hour-long trips to track down a little Thai joint or Mexican taqueria.”

“The Tribune’s 24-hour newschannel – CLTV – brought me to Chicago in 1992. I logged a few more years of news reporting, then caught a break in ‘95, when our station launched “Good Eating,” a weekly, 30- minute program mirroring the Tribune’s food section. As Producer and Host, I churned out 52 shows a year for eight years, garnering six James Beard Awards along the way for Best TV Cooking Show.”

“Freelance radio work followed – first with WBEZ, our local NPR affiliate, then with Public Radio International’s “The World,” and six more Beard Awards followed. I’ve also written food features and reviews for publications like The Chicago Reader, CS Magazine and the Chicago Tribune.”

“In 2003, I moved to ABC 7, Chicago’s #1 news station, where I now file two original reports each week, under the moniker “The Hungry Hound.” I still continue to file stories for PRI’s The World and have become a part-time travel writer, filing stories for the Travel sections in both The Chicago Tribune and The Globe and Mail (Canada’s national paper).”

“In 2014, Chicago chef/restaurateur Rick Bayless and I launched The Feed Podcast, covering the world of food from our professional perspectives. Every show is full of different segments, some from Chicago and others from far-flung places around the world we both travel to. In its first year, the show won a Beard Award for Best Podcast (that’s #13 if you’re keeping score).”

“More recently, I’ve begun curating and leading highly specialized culinary experiences, including international tours, and am also now consulting on the food and beverage program for The Hotel San Felipe in Panama City, Panama.”

“I show up as an occasional judge or contributor on “Iron Chef America” (now out of production) and “Unique Eats,” and serve as one of the 27 Regional Academy Chairs for “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.” I even do some media training outside of Chicago for chefs, sommeliers and mixologists. Best part of the job? Getting paid to eat. Toughest part? Keeping it off. See you at the gym.”

Jon Blackford of A RestaurantIt’s just about time for the 29th Annual Hoag Summer Classic featuring great food and live musical performances at Newport Dunes in Newport Beach. More than 30 of Orange County’s most crave-worthy restaurants will be serving incredible tastes from their menus. Last year’s event raised a cool $135,000.

Joining us with all the edible details are Jonathan Blackford from A Restaurant (a multi-year returning participating restaurant) and the Hoag Hospital Foundations Deb McCune.

Thanks in large part to philanthropy, Hoag has become one of the nation’s finest health care systems and serves a diverse and growing population. Hoag Hospital Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Hoag (a separate 501(c)(3) corporation), is an integral partner in Hoag’s vision to become a trusted and nationally recognized health care leader.

Under the direction of a volunteer Board of Directors, the Foundation launched Hoag Promise, Our Campaign to Lead, Innovate & Transform with a goal of $627 million by 2020. Comprehensive in the truest sense of the word, the Hoag Promise campaign encompasses every institute, center and specialty area of Hoag and includes programs, innovation opportunities, research, technology, facilities and staff to drive Hoag’s continued clinical leadership, innovative spirit and transformative potential.

Andrew Gruel and his son WilliamChef Andrew Gruel has recently returned from a week in New York. He has some further observations on the New York dining scene. He partook of a New York classic in SoHo, Keith McNally’s Balthazar, and something relatively new in breakfast, OatMeals, the world’s first oatmeal bar and using whole grain steel-cut oats.

Chef Andrew will also talk about the Vendy Award winners as part of Tacolandia on June 11th. He was a first time participant.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel
Segment Two: Brock Radke, Managing Editor, Las Vegas Weekly
Segment Three: Patric Kuh, Restaurant Critic, Los Angeles Magazine & Author of Finding the Flavors We Lost Part One
Segment Four: Patric Kuh, Restaurant Critic, Los Angeles Magazine & Author of Finding the Flavors We Lost Part Two
Segment Five: Steve Dolinsky, ABC 7’s (Chicago) “The Hungry Hound” Part One
Segment Six: Steve Dolinsky, ABC 7’s (Chicago) “The Hungry Hound” Part Two
Segment Seven: Executive Chef Jonathan Blackford, A Restaurant, Newport Beach
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group, Huntington Beach