Show 634, July 5, 2025: Show Introduction with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

Posted on July 7, 2025 by Adam Bell

“Terranea Resort’s (Palos Verdes Peninsula) signature Summer oceanfront culinary event, Terranea Food and Wine, returns to The Meadows and Palos Verdes Terrace for guests 21 and over On Sunday, July 27th from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The festival features seasonal bites from the resort’s award-winning restaurants alongside selections from local chefs, breweries and wineries. Live entertainment from the Astro Yachts and Upstream adds to the ambiance. Participating vendors include DAOU Vineyards, MacRostie Winery, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Tanteo Tequila, Kuleana Rum Works, Ketel One, Stella Artois, Burnin Daylight Brewing Company, and Three Weavers Brewing Company. A portion of proceeds benefits the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.” Terranea Resort’s Executive Chef, Andrew Vaughan, joins us with the salivating details of what’s on the menu.

“Like so many other adventures, New Zealand Wine Navigator began with friends, family, and a few excellent bottles of wine. Graham Painter, Founder and CEO, was visiting family in the States and was sent out to select a nice wine for dinner. Wanting to show off some of the outstanding wines New Zealand has to offer, he went from one wine store to the next searching for something special; beyond the big-name Sauvignon Blancs. A deep, rich Pinot Noir or Syrah perhaps. How about a superb Riesling…? Surely, with the breadth of fine wines being produced in New Zealand, there was something special to be found. That fruitless search inspired a mission. Today, New Zealand Wine Navigator is America’s #1 New Zealand wine specialist, satisfying wine lovers across the United States with special, hard-to-find New Zealand wines from small, family estate producers. They ship the wine to a temperature-controlled warehouse in California ready for quick and cost-effective delivery to your home or office.” David Harlow, West Regional Manager for NZ Wine Navigator, joins us to uncork all that is NZ Wine Navigator.

“Mushrooms are nature’s hidden treasure: always in season and grown year-round. Long celebrated as a superfood source of powerful nutrients, fresh mushrooms are a healthy addition to your plate. Mushrooms provide many of the same nutritional benefits as vegetables, as well as attributes commonly found in meat, beans and grains. Mushrooms can help fulfill some of the leading recommendations for a healthy diet from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.. The most popular mushroom variety grown in the U.S. is white button, followed by crimini (brown or baby bellas), portabellas, enoki, oyster, maitake and shiitake. Today, mushrooms are commercially produced in virtually every state. The Mushroom Council^® plays an important role in the national promotion of those fresh mushrooms.” Cristie Mather of The Mushroom Council® is our well-informed guide to all the goodness of mushrooms.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!

Show 634, July 5, 2025: New Zealand Wine Navigator with David Harlow, West Regional Manager

Posted on July 7, 2025 by Adam Bell

“Today, New Zealand Wine Navigator is America’s #1 New Zealand wine specialist, satisfying wine lovers across the United States with special, hard-to-find New Zealand wines from small, family estate producers. They ship the wine to a temperature-controlled warehouse in California ready for quick and cost-effective delivery to your home or office.”

“Graham set out to source the finest small-producer wines New Zealand has to offer. Small production, premium, family estate wines were the benchmarks. NZ Wine Navigator works in partnership with New Zealand wineries to help them get their wines out to the world because small, local production is the backbone of New Zealand’s economy.”

“To achieve the perfect selection of wines in their portfolio, NZ Wine Navigator enlisted the help of Cameron Douglas, their Master Sommelier. His carefully curated selection of premium labels from New Zealand is ready for you to drink now or cellar. If you are after exceptional wines from small out-of-the-way winemakers from a small, out-of-the-way country, you’re in the right place! Welcome.”

David Harlow, West Regional Manager for NZ Wine Navigator, joins us to uncork all that is NZ Wine Navigator.

July 5: Terranea Food and Wine, New Zealand Wine Navigator, Mushroom Council

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Adam Bell

Podcasts

Hour One: Terranea Food and Wine, NZ Wine Navigator
Hour Two: NZ Wine Navigator, The Mushroom Council

Segment One: Show Introduction and Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segments Two and Three: Terranea Resort, Palos Verdes with Executive Chef Andrew Vaughan
Segments Four and Five: New Zealand Wine Navigator with David Harlow, West Regional Manager
Segment Six: The Mushroom Council® with Cristie Mather, Vice President of Marketing

Andy Harris, Executive Producer and Co-Host previews the show.

Happy 4^th of July Weekend to all. Be safe…

“Terranea Resort’s (Palos Verdes Peninsula) signature oceanfront culinary event, Terranea Food and Wine, returns to The Meadows and Palos Verdes Terrace for guests 21 and over On Sunday, July 27^th from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The festival features seasonal bites from the resort’s award-winning restaurants alongside selections from local chefs, breweries and wineries. Live entertainment from the Astro Yachts and Upstream adds to the ambiance. Participating vendors include DAOU Vineyards, MacRostie Winery, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Tanteo Tequila, Kuleana Rum Works, Ketel One, Stella Artois, Burnin Daylight Brewing Company, and Three Weavers Brewing Company. A portion of proceeds benefits the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.” Terranea Resort’s Executive Chef, Andrew Vaughan, joins us with the salivating details of what’s on the menu.

“Mushrooms are nature’s hidden treasure: always in season and grown year-round. Long celebrated as a superfood source of powerful nutrients, fresh mushrooms are a healthy addition to your plate. Mushrooms provide many of the same nutritional benefits as vegetables, as well as attributes commonly found in meat, beans and grains. Mushrooms can help fulfill some of the leading recommendations for a healthy diet from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The most popular mushroom variety grown in the U.S. is white button, followed by crimini (brown or baby bellas), portabellas, enoki, oyster, maitake and shiitake. Today, mushrooms are commercially produced in virtually every state. The Mushroom Council^® plays an important role in the national promotion of those fresh mushrooms.” Cristie Mather of The Mushroom Council^® is our well-informed guide to all the goodness of mushrooms.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!

Andrew Vaughan of the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes

“The festival features seasonal bites from the resort’s award-winning restaurants alongside selections from local chefs, breweries and wineries. Live entertainment from the Astro Yachts and Upstream adds to the ambiance.”

“Participating vendors include DAOU Vineyards, MacRostie Winery, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Tanteo Tequila, Kuleana Rum Works, Ketel One, Stella Artois, Burnin Daylight Brewing Company, and Three Weavers Brewing Company. A portion of proceeds benefits the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.”

Located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Terranea Resort is the premier luxury oceanfront resort in Southern California with 102 acres of unparalleled Pacific Ocean views. Terranea opened in 2009 and proudly celebrates more than 15 years of service and memorable guest experiences in this scenic Southern California enclave. The resort offers world-class accommodations that range from hotel suites to bungalows, oceanfront casitas and luxurious villas.

“Also look for Crabby Sundays this Summer at Nelson’s at Terranea on Sundays from 3 to 7 p.m. Located on the Sunset Bluff, Terranea’s popular cliffside restaurant Nelson’s introduces a seafood-centric Sunday tradition. New England Clam Chowder will be offered in a bread bowl ($24) or in a cup ($20). The “Build Your Boil” option allows diners to customize a feast for one or two, with entrée options such as peel-and-eat shrimp ($50), snow crab clusters ($65), whole lobster ($70), and Dungeness crab clusters ($75). The indulgent “Crabby Special” ($200) features a full seafood spread of shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels and clams – served with mixed green salad and clam chowder. Guests can also choose from a variety of sides such as cornbread, andouille sausage and Cajun fries. Adding to the coastal experience, live music performances will accompany the Sunday festivities, creating a lively and relaxing ambiance by the sea.”

Terranea Resort’s Executive Chef, Andrew Vaughan, joins us with the salivating details of what’s on the menu.

David Harlow, West Regional Manager for NZ Wine Navigator, joins us to uncork all that is NZ Wine Navigator.

Christie Mather VP of Marketing for the Mushroom Council

“Mushrooms are nature’s hidden treasure: always in season and grown year-round.”

“Long celebrated as a superfood source of powerful nutrients, fresh mushrooms are a healthy addition to your plate. Mushrooms provide many of the same nutritional benefits as vegetables, as well as attributes commonly found in meat, beans and grains. Mushrooms can help fulfill some of the leading recommendations for a healthy diet from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.”

“The most popular mushroom variety grown in the U.S. is white button, followed by crimini (brown or baby bellas), portabellas, enoki, oyster, maitake and shiitake.”

“Today, mushrooms are commercially produced in virtually every state. The Mushroom Council^® plays an important role in the national promotion of those fresh ;mushrooms.”

“Cristie Mather of The Mushroom Council^® is our well-informed guide to the goodness of mushrooms.”

Podcasts

Hour One: Terranea Food and Wine, NZ Wine Navigator
Hour Two: NZ Wine Navigator, The Mushroom Council

Show 277, June 16, 2018: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Adam Bell

Happy Father’s Day to all our Dads out there (including our Co-Host Chef Andrew Gruel who is expecting another Family member to arrive later in the year.)

Now an attention-grabbing preview of this Saturday’s abundant show. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case, upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing…

The iconic Test Kitchen located at the historic Los Angeles Times building in Downtown Los Angeles is truly a wonder. It was built, state-of-the-art, in 2000 when that floor was extensively remodeled after the paper’s printing presses were moved to a new production facility on Olympic Blvd. It’s an expansive space steeped in local history. With the consolidation in the media over the years very few newspapers or magazines maintain Test Kitchens. They are costly to operate. Fortunately, the Times’ Test Kitchen endures. The Test Kitchen Director, Noelle Carter, is our enthusiastic guide.

Shrub cocktails (both with alcohol and virgin) are now on the menu at better bars everywhere. Enter Solvang’s CT and Jody Williams who have long been in the beverage industry, both working in the wine industry for the last 15 years and owning their own wine bar (Wandering Dog Wine Bar) for the last eleven of those. After enjoying some shrub cocktails at a local restaurant they started thinking about how fun it would be to start making their own for home consumption. It grew dramatically from there and Broken Clock Vinegar Works Founder CT Williams has all the quaffable 411 for us.

At NZ Wine Navigator (virtual store,) you’ll find the finest selection of artisanal New Zealand wines available in the US delivered right to your door. Personally selected by Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas (the first MS in New Zealand and the official global ambassador of New Zealand wines), these wines prove that New Zealand is much more than Sauvignon Blanc. Westwood’s Napa Valley Grille is hosting a special NZ Wine Navigator Dinner there on Thursday evening, June 28^th. Napa Valley Grille’s General Manager, Brian Cousins, and Executive Chef Kenny Spost pull the cork for us with the tempting specifics.

Nicolas-Jay is a pinot noir venture located in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Celebrated Burgundian winemaker, Jean-Nicolas Meo of Domaine Meo-Camuzet, and music and media entrepreneur, Jay Boberg, lend their individual talents and shared dedication to the winery, where traditional French winemaking meets quintessential Oregon terroir. Jay Boberg is our guest.

Los Olivos’ The Bear and Star under the culinary direction of Executive Chef John Cox, serves “Refined Ranch Cuisine” with flair inspired by the Parker family at the eponymous Fess Parker Wine Country Inn. The restaurant utilizes proteins and vegetables sourced from the nearby Parker Ranch, an incredible resource. The Bear and Star serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and is both a destination and a favorite of the locals. Chef John (The Cowboy Chef) is our guest.

Chef Andrew Gruel, the founder of The Slapfish Restaurant Group, joins us with another installment of “Ask the Chef.” Swordfish is on a lot of restaurant menus. It’s a big one…When harvested it typically weighs some 200 to 600 pounds but can grow much larger. It’s mild flavor and firm texture makes it a very popular fish. Chef Andrew provides more insight.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!

Show 277, June 16, 2018: NZ Wine Navigator Dinner at Napa Valley Grille, Westwood

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Adam Bell

At NZ Wine Navigator (virtual store,) you’ll discover the finest selection of artisanal New Zealand wines available in the US delivered right to your door. Personally selected by Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas (the first MS in New Zealand and the official global ambassador of New Zealand wines), these wines prove that New Zealand is much more than Sauvignon Blanc.

Westwood’s Napa Valley Grille is hosting a special NZ Wine Navigator Dinner there on Thursday evening, June 28^th. Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas (direct from New Zealand) will be attending to present the wines and interact with the guests.

Expect, as one of the courses, an exceptional lamb dish matched with both a Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Napa Valley Grille’s General Manager, Brian Cousins, and Executive Chef Kenny Spost pull the cork for us on the specifics.

June 16: Noelle Carter, Broken Clock Vinegar Works, Napa Valley Grille, Nicolas-Jay, The Bear and Star

Posted on June 14, 2018 by Adam Bell

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Noelle Carter, Test Kitchen Director, Los Angeles Times Part One
Segment Three: Noelle Carter, Test Kitchen Director, Los Angeles Times Part Two
Segment Four: Charles T. Williams, Master Shrubber, Broken Clock Vinegar Works, Solvang, CA
Segment Five: NZ Wine Navigator Dinner at Napa Valley Grille, Westwood
Segment Six: Jay Boberg, Co-Founder, Nicolas-Jay, Dundee, Oregon
Segment Seven: Executive Chef John Cox, The Bear and Star, Los Olivos, CA
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group

Oops…Sorry to have missed you last Saturday afternoon following the Angels game. The Angels were unusually in rain delay in Minnesota for four hours from 11:00 a.m. on. At 2:20 p.m. MLB finally determined that the game would start at 3:10 p.m. As we were previously set to go from 3 to 5:00 p.m. (if the Game started @ 11:00 a.m. as planned) that meant we were then preempted. The good news is that all those guests will be on the show in the coming weeks.

The iconic Test Kitchen located at the Los Angeles Times building in Downtown Los Angeles is truly a wonder. It was built, state-of-the-art, in 2000 when that floor was extensively remodeled after the paper’s printing presses were moved to a new production facility on Olympic Blvd. It’s an expansive space steeped in local history. With the consolidation in the media over the years very few newspapers or magazines maintain Test Kitchens. They are costly to operate. Fortunately, the Times’ Test Kitchen endures. The Test Kitchen Director, Noelle Carter, is our enthusiastic guide.

Shrub cocktails (both with alcohol and virgin) are now on the menu at better bars everywhere. Enter Solvang’s CT and Jody Williams who have long been in the beverage industry, both working in the wine industry for the last 15 years and owning their own wine bar for the last eleven of those. After enjoying some shrub cocktails at a local restaurant they started thinking about how fun it would be to start making their own for home consumption. It grew dramatically from there and Broken Clock Vinegar Works (Shrubs and Culinary Vinegars) was born. Founder CT Williams has all the quaffable 411 for us.

At NZ Wine Navigator (virtual store,) you’ll find the finest selection of artisanal New Zealand wines available in the US delivered right to your door. Personally selected by Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas (the first MS in New Zealand and the official global ambassador of New Zealand wines), these wines prove that New Zealand is much more than Sauvignon Blanc. Westwood’s Napa Valley Grille is hosting a special NZ Wine Navigator Dinner there on Thursday evening, June 28^th. Napa Valley Grille’s General Manager, Brian Cousins, and Executive Chef Kenny Spost pull the cork for us with the specifics.

Nicolas-Jay is a pinot noir venture located in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Celebrated Burgundian winemaker, Jean-Nicolas Meo of Domaine Meo-Camuzet, and music and media entrepreneur, Jay Boberg, lend their individual talents and shared dedication to the winery, where traditional French winemaking meets quintessential Oregon terroir. Jay Boberg is our guest.

Los Olivos’ The Bear and Star under the culinary direction of Executive Chef John Cox, serves “Refined Ranch Cuisine” with flair inspired by the Parker family at the eponymous Fess Parker Wine Country Inn. The restaurant utilizes proteins and vegetables sourced from the nearby Parker Ranch, an incredible resource. The Bear and Star serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and is both a destination and a favorite of the locals. Chef John (The Cowboy Chef) is our guest.

Chef Andrew Gruel, the founder of The Slapfish Restaurant Group, joins us with another installment of “Ask the Chef.” Swordfish is on a lot of restaurant menus. It’s a big one…When harvested it typically weighs some 200 to 600 pounds but can grow much larger. It’s mild flavor and firm texture makes it a very popular fish. Chef Andrew provides more insight.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!

With the consolidation in the media over the years very few newspapers or magazines maintain Test Kitchens. They are costly to operate. Fortunately the Times’ Test Kitchen endures.

The Test Kitchen Director, Noelle Carter, is our enthusiastic guide.

Every recipe appearing in The Los Angeles Times is thoroughly tested on home equipment in the Test Kitchen. Famous chefs ranging from Thomas Keller to Nancy Silverton have spent time in there. You’ve also seen the Test Kitchen on the KTLA 5 Morning News during the time Russ Parsons (the previous, long-serving Food Editor) did weekly segments from the facility.

Shrub cocktails (both with alcohol and virgin) are now on the menu at better bars everywhere. Enter Solvang’s CT and Jody Williams who have long been in the beverage industry, both working in the wine industry for the last 15 years and owning their own wine bar for the last eleven of those. In that time, a love of organic gardening has quite literally taken over their backyard and with that a fascination for all things that can be produced from the plethora of fruits, veggies and roots coming out of their soil.

After enjoying some shrub cocktails at a local restaurant they started thinking how fun it would be to start making their own for home consumption. Naturally, that led to the idea to be able to share these fun flavors with other farm-minded people who love the science of infusing and fermentation.

From there Broken Clock Vinegar Works was born, as these drinking vinegars can be enjoyed anytime of day, either with a dash of your favorite spirit or with a glass of sparkling water. The Williams’ daughter, Audrey, enjoys sipping Shrub sodas when she’s feeling fancy! She’s also very helpful at the winery doing punch downs and taste testing new flavors.

The Broken Clock Vinegar Works will debut their Tasting Room on June 23rd. It’s the only certified Winery in Solvang.

Founder CT Williams (and Master Shrubber) has all the quaffable 411 for us.

Napa Valley Grille’s General Manager, Brian Cousins, and Executive Chef Kenny Spost pull the cork for us on the specifics.

Fruit for the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is sourced from almost every AVA in the Willamette Valley, ensuring optimal blending potential and representation of the diversity of pinot noir in the appellation. Unique sites include vineyards located in the high-elevation Eola-Amity Hills, the foothills of the cool coastal range in the McMinnville AVA, the warm red-soiled vineyards of the Dundee Hills and our expressive Bishop Creek Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. This wine is sourced almost exclusively from biodynamic, organic and LIVE certified vineyards.

“Pinot Noir is my desert island wine,” says Jay Boberg, “and I love the Pinots from Oregon. I’ve been drinking wines from Willamette Valley since 1983. People used to talk about their potential, but now you can taste what that potential has become—earth and elegance.”

In 2012, as Jay was winding down his fulltime role in the music industry, he approached his friend, Jean-Nicolas, with the idea of starting a winery together in Willamette Valley. “Jean-Nicolas and I have been friends since 1988. We share very similar philosophies about life, business, wine and friendship. Nicolas-Jay is about making the very best Pinot Noir we can possibly make.

It is also about building something together that one day we hope our kids will be a part of. When you look at the great domaines of the world, these two ideas go hand in hand.

Jay Boberg is our guest.

Los Olivos’ The Bear and Star under the spirited culinary direction of Executive Chef John Cox, serves “Refined Ranch Cuisine” with flair inspired by the Parker family at the eponymous Fess Parker Wine Country Inn. The restaurant utilizes proteins (think Wagyu beef and lamb) and vegetables sourced from the nearby Parker Ranch, an incredible resource. The Bear and Star serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and is both a destination and a favorite of the wine-loving locals. Chef John (The Cowboy Chef) is our guest.

“The Bear and Star takes its name from the two states our founder called home – Texas and California – celebrating refined ranch cuisine paired with California’s bounty. The restaurant is intrinsically intertwined with the 714-acre Fess Parker Home Ranch seven miles away where the Wagyu cattle herd are raised and finished with the spent grains and pomace from the family brewery and winery. Also raised on the ranch are chickens, quail, rabbits, pigs and bees along with a number of heirloom fruits and organic vegetables for use at the restaurant.”

The Bear and Star’s Chef/Partner John Cox joins us with the enticing preview.

Chef Andrew Gruel, the founder of The Slapfish Restaurant Group, joins us with another installment of “Ask the Chef.”

Swordfish is on a lot of restaurant menus. It’s a big one…When harvested it typically weighs some 200 to 600 pounds but can grow much larger. It’s mild flavor and firm texture makes it a very popular fish. Chef Andrew provides more insight into the possibilities with swordfish.

Podcasts

Show 257, January 20, 2018: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Adam Bell

Now a tempting preview of this Saturday’s mouthwatering show. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case, upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing… Keep in mind we’re always here with you live every Saturday morning with a fresh show.

First a quick overview of the Forks, Corks & Pork Dinner at 4^th & Olive Bistro and Wine Bar with Proprietor Dan Tapia. 4^th & Olive Bistro & Wine Bar Executive Chef Alex McGroarty has partnered with Long Beach Chef Paul Buchanan, proprietor of Primal Alchemy Caterers, to design a multi-course dinner menu featuring pork in every course. The upcoming Forks, Corks & Pork dinner menu is available one night only, January 21^st from 5-10pm at 4th & Olive Bistro & Wine Bar. The four- course plus amuse bouche and dessert menu is priced at $65 per guest and an optional beer/wine pairing is available.

Every home-brewers’ dream is to create a craft beer that is appealing enough to go into commercial production. Viceland’s “Beerland” with host Meg Gill of Golden Road Brewing makes that dream a reality. For Season 2 Meg traveled to four US cities/regions and sought out the best home-brewers. Each finalist in those cities then competed at Los Angeles’ Golden Road Brewery in the Finale to decide the winner of “Beerland” Season 2. That style, Man-Go-War, was then brewed on Golden Road’s 50-barrel system and is now available at retail in cans. The winning team are professional lifeguards from Sebastian, Florida. Michael Flinn and Jonathan Billings, join us.

Chef Pascal Olhats of Pascal San Juan Capistrano is recognized as the Dean of French Chefs in Orange County. 2018 marks his 30^th year of being an independent restaurateur in Orange County. There will be special celebrations and menus to commemorate this worthy occasion. On Sunday, February 25^th Pacal is hosting the 2^nd year of The Gray Event benefit at Sherman Gardens to raise needed funds for the Save Elephant Foundation to rescue at-risk elephants in Thailand. We’ll chat with Chef Pascal.

Cameron Douglas enjoys the distinction of being New Zealand’s first certified Master Sommelier. He serves on the Board for the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas. He takes his position as unofficial Ambassador for New Zealand wine very seriously. Cameron is an experienced wine writer, commentator, judge, reviewer, presenter and consultant. Cameron also serves as the curator for NZ Wine Navigator.

There is lots more to know about premium New Zealand wines than simply the big name grassy, Sauvignon Blancs. We’ll meet him.

Our resident Meatheads from West Coast Prime Meats, Terry Hanks and Jay Henderson are back with a meaty discussion of Kobe and Wagu Beef. We’ll get the honest 411 on Japanese Wagyu (the real deal) and American and Australian Wagyu. We’ll also find out what the coveted A5 is. Do the pampered cattle really get daily massages and drink beer?

Our always informed Co-Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, will share (and explain) in his continuing series hospitality business trends he sees for 2018. Here’s a real hot button issue…One of the major credit card companies, in a test, is incentivizing restaurants to use credit cards exclusively for payment. No cash accepted…Is a cashless restaurant good hospitality?

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s show!

Show 257, January 20, 2018: Master Sommelier Cameron J. Douglas, NZ Wine Navigator Part One

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Adam Bell

Cameron also serves as the curator for NZ Wine Navigator. There is lots more to know about premium New Zealand wines than simply the big name grassy, Sauvignon Blancs that have earned the country deserved global acclaim.

We’ll meet him.

Show 257, January 20, 2018: Master Sommelier Cameron J. Douglas, NZ Wine Navigator Part Two

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Adam Bell

Cameron Douglas enjoys the distinction of being New Zealand’s first certified Master Sommelier. Cameron also serves as the curator for NZ Wine Navigator. He continues…

“At NZ Wine Navigator, you’ll find the largest selection of artisanal New Zealand wines available in the US. Selected by Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas, these wines demonstrate the finest our little country has to offer. We work directly with family-estates and small producers to hand pick each wine you see, so you can explore new wines with confidence.”

“New Zealand is blessed with an outstanding array of independent winemakers, all heroically forging their own path, rather than towing the corporate line. Made up of old heads, young guns, and mavericks, not one of them fits the old school model.”

“At NZ Wine Navigator, we believe that attention to detail, knowledge, intuition, and experience show through to the glass. Because of the way we work—a changing selection from small producers with a limited capacity—our list is limited to extraordinary wines. These are the wines we drink. We hope you love them as much as we do.”

Special offer for a limited-time (until January 31^st.) a 15 per cent discount on the NZ Wine Navigator Website for listeners. When you checkout use Coupon Code “wineangels” for the 15 per cent discount. Both of the New Zealand wines Cameron profiled on the show (No. 1 Family Estate Rose Methode Traditionelle & Clearview Estate Winery Hawke’s Bay Syrah) are available there.

January 20: Beerland, Pascal Olhats, Cameron Douglas, West Coast Prime Meats

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Adam Bell

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Home-Brewers Jonathan Billings and Mike Flinn, Winners of Season 2 of Viceland’s “Beerland” Part One
Segment Three: Home-Brewers Jonathan Billings and Mike Flinn, Winners of Season 2 of Viceland’s “Beerland” Part Two
Segment Four: Executive Chef Pascal Olhats, Pascal San Juan Capistrano & The Gray Event
Segment Five: Master Sommelier Cameron J. Douglas, NZ Wine Navigator Part One
Segment Six: Master Sommelier Cameron J. Douglas, NZ Wine Navigator Part Two
Segment Seven: Terry Hanks & Jay Henderson, West Coast Prime Meats’ “Meatheads”
Segment Eight: Co-Host Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group

Every home-brewers dream is to create a craft beer that is appealing enough to go into commercial production. Viceland’s “Beerland” with host Meg Gill of Golden Road Brewing makes that dream a reality. For Season 2 Meg traveled to four US cities/regions and sought out the best home-brewers. Each finalist in those cities then competed at Los Angeles Golden Road Brewery in the Finale to decide the winner of “Beerland” Season 2. That style, Man-Go-War, was then brewed on Golden Road’s 50-barrel system and is now available at retail in cans. The winning team of professional lifeguards from Sebastian, Florida, Michael Flinn and Jonathan Billings, join us.

Chef Pascal Olhats of Pascal San Juan Capistrano is recognized as the Dean of French Chefs in Orange County. 2018 marks his 30^th year of being a restaurateur an independent in Orange County. There will be special celebrations and menus to commemorate this worthy occasion. On Sunday, February 25^th Pacal is hosting the 2^nd year of The Gray Event benefit at Sherman Gardens to raise needed funds for the Save Elephant Foundation to rescue at-risk elephants in Thailand. We’ll chat with Chef Pascal.

There is lots more to know about premium New Zealand wines than simply the big name grassy, Sauvignon Blancs. We’ll meet him.

Our resident Meatheads from West Coast Prime Meats, Terry Hanks and Jay Henderson are back with a meaty discussion of Kobe and Wagu Beef. We’ll get the honest 411 on Japanese Kobe (the real deal) and American and Australian Wagyu. We’ll also find out what the coveted A5 is. Do the cattle really get daily massages and drink beer? Yum…

Our always informed Co-Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, will share (and explain) in his continuing series hospitality business trends he sees for 2018. Here’s a real hot button issue…One of the major credit card companies, in a test, is incentivizing restaurants to use credit cards exclusively for payment. No cash accepted…Is a cashless restaurant good hospitality?

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s show!

Every dedicated home-brewers’ dream is to create a craft beer that is appealing enough to go into commercial production. Viceland’s “Beerland” with host Meg Gill of Golden Road Brewing makes that dream a reality. For Season 2 Meg traveled to four US cities/regions and sought out the best home-brewers. Season 2’s travels included field trips to home-brewers in Portland, Alabama, Detroit and Florida.

Each finalist in those cities then competed at Los Angeles’ Golden Road Brewery in the Finale to decide the winner of “Beerland” Season 2. This was based on a panel of judges’ decision as well as a popular vote of attending craft beer enthusiasts. Meg Gill then made the final call.

The winning creation, Man-Go-War, was then brewed on Golden Road’s 50-barrel system and is now available at retail in cans. The original recipe actually uses a dash of ocean water from the Atlantic Ocean. (It’s a blueberry-flavored Wheat Ale with a hint of Spicy Mango.) The winning team of home-brewers and professional lifeguards from Sebastian, Florida, Michael Flinn and Jonathan Billings, join us.

Chef Pascal Olhats of Pascal San Juan Capistrano is recognized as the Dean of French Chefs in Orange County. He’s mentored numerous rising star chefs now cooking in Orange County. 2018 marks his 30^th year of being a restaurateur in Orange County. There will be special celebrations and menus to commemorate this worthy occasion.

On Sunday, February 25^th Pacal is hosting the 2^nd year of The Gray Event benefit at Sherman Gardens to raise needed funds for the Save Elephant Foundation to rescue at-risk elephants in Thailand.

Pascal Olhats is an extraordinary French born, and trained, Executive Chef, and polished restaurateur. He has won numerous awards, owning and collaborating on a number of restaurants in Newport Beach over the past 30-years.

He currently owns four businesses, including: Café Jardin Restaurant & Pascal’s Tea Garden Creperie (on the lush grounds of Sherman Gardens & Library in Corona del Mar), Pascal’s Café in San Juan Capistrano (a café/ bakery/ fine dining establishment), and Pascal’s Catering (offering full-service catering for 20 years throughout Southern California). Pascal also partners with Manassero Farms in Irvine, and orchestrates breakfasts, dinners, and incredible special events, often showcasing guest chefs.

We’ll chat with Chef Pascal.

Cameron also serves as the curator for NZ Wine Navigator.

There is lots more to know about premium New Zealand wines than simply the big name grassy, Sauvignon Blancs.

We’ll meet him.

Our resident Meatheads from West Coast Prime Meats, Terry Hanks and Jay Henderson are back with a meaty discussion of Kobe and Waygu Beef. We’ll get the honest 411 on Japanese Kobe (the real deal) and American and Australian Wagyu.

We’ll also find out what the coveted A5 is. Do the well attended-to cattle really get daily massages and drink beer?

Japanese Kobe comes from four breeds – Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Shorthorn, Japanese Polled and their crossbreeds. Japanese Kobe is tender, has a juicy texture and has delicate yet rich flavors bursting with umami.

Our always informed Co-Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, will share (and explain) in his continuing series hospitality business trends he sees for 2018.

Here’s a real hot button issue…One of the major credit card companies, in a test, is incentivizing restaurants to use credit cards exclusively for payment. No cash accepted sat all…Is a cashless restaurant really good hospitality? Is there any difference in acceptance of this policy ranging from a quick service spot to a fine dining establishment?