Show 241, September 16, 2017: Show Preview with Co-Hosts Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel

Now a mouthwatering preview of this Saturday’s delectable 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…

Program Note: We’re unusually preempted by a just rescheduled Angel game in Houston on Saturday morning, September 23rd. Go Halos…We’ll see you thereafter on Saturday morning, September 30th at 10:00 a.m. as usual!

Andrew Gruel at the AM830 KLAA StudiosCongrats to our own, Chef Andrew Gruel. Regular contributor to the OC Weekly, Anne Marie Panoringan, published a piece on Sept. 13th entitled Sexy Mothercluckers: Here’s the Best Fried Chicken at OC Food Halls.” Among her top five praiseworthy clucks is Chef Andrew’s Mac & Cheese Fried Chicken Burrito at Two Birds at Trade in Irvine. It’s an off-menu item. Just ask for it…

Chris Bianco is the chef-owner of the award-winning Pizzeria Bianco, as well as Pane Bianco and Tratto, all located in Phoenix, Arizona. He also produces a lineup of organic tomatoes, Bianco DiNapoli, and early next year will open an eagerly anticipated restaurant (Tartine Manufactory) in Downtown Los Angeles in ROW DTLA, a collaboration with his friend and founder of San Francisco’s Tartine Bakery, Chad Robertson. His impressive new cookbook is Bianco : Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like. We’ll meet him.

Pier del Sol on Sunday, Oct. 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is an exciting and unique day of fun on the historic Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park. At the only culinary festival fused with a backyard private Amusement Park experience, attendees can enjoy an exclusive VIP brunch featuring mouthwatering tastings from over 35 of L.A.’s top Chefs and restaurants, entertainment, music, arts & crafts, games, and unlimited rides at Pacific Park. All proceeds from this annual event benefit the athletes of Special Olympic Southern California. Special Olympics Southern California’s Maureen Barclift and supporting restaurateur Peter Garland of Beverly Hills’ Porta Via are our guests.

Forty years ago, Catalina Offshore Products owner Dave Rudie spent most of his days diving for sea urchins and seaweed in the kelp beds of Catalina Island, selling his harvest right off his boat. Eventually he opened a small processing facility in San Diego, making local deliveries throughout the region and later exporting to Japan. Catalina Offshore Products has since grown steadily into one of the region’s premier seafood purveyors and one of the largest seafood buyers in San Diego. Tirelessly passionate about seafood, Catalina Offshore Products fishmonger, Tommy Gomes, is our guest.

One of the most visually stunning demonstrations of talent and creativity within the architectural and engineering communities will provide a much-needed source of food for Food Finders to help eliminate hunger in the Long Beach community. The fourth annual CANstruction® Long Beach competition benefiting Food Finders will be held in the Landmark Square Building lobby on September 21st starting at 8am. CANstruction® participants will design and build unique structures made entirely out of canned goods. This year’s theme is “Rock-CAN-Roll”, and participating teams may depict music in any way they want. Chandra Johnston representing participant Kamus + Keller Interiors / Architecture provides the 411.

The Corkage Fee in restaurants is always a subject of spirited conversation. What is really reasonable? There is a real cost to the restaurant (and lost revenue) when a guest brings in their own wine. Hospitality comes into play, too. Should a guest even be allowed to bring in a wine already on the restaurant’s wine list? One of our resident wine experts, Kyle Meyer of Wine Exchange, beings his practical thoughts to the subject.

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

Show 241, September 16, 2017: Special Olympics Southern California’s Pier del Sol Benefit

Peter GarlandPier del Sol on Sunday, Oct. 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is an exciting and unique day of fun on the historic Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park. At the only culinary festival fused with a backyard private Amusement Park experience, attendees can enjoy an exclusive VIP brunch featuring mouthwatering tastings from over 35 of L.A.’s top Chefs and restaurants, entertainment, music, arts & crafts, games, and unlimited rides at Pacific Park. All proceeds from this annual event benefit the athletes of Special Olympic Southern California.

This year’s theme is “Oktoberfest,” where a beach top VIP Beer & Wine Garden will enhance your culinary palette!

Love the food at Pier del Sol? To celebrate 20 years of food, fun, and sun on the pier, SOSC published Cuisine del Sol in 2016, a souvenir cookbook featuring 28 chefs with recipes and stories who have supported the event. Think Michael Cimarusti, Neal Fraser and David LeFevre for starters…This is your chance to create the recipes of these culinary masterminds!

Special Olympics Southern California’s Maureen Barclift and participating restaurateur Peter Garland of Beverly Hills’ Porta Via are our guests. Peter is also included in the Cuisine del Sol Cookbook with Porta Via’s signature recipe for Organic Kale and Quinoa Salad.

September 16: Chris Bianco, Pier del Sol, Catalina Offshore Products, CANstruction Long Beach, Wine Exchange

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Hosts Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel
Segment Two: Chef Chris Bianco, Pizzeria Bianco, Bianco: Pizza, Pasta, and Other Food I Like.
Segment Three: Special Olympics Southern California’s Pier del Sol Benefit
Segment Four: Catalina Offshore Products 40th Anniversary
Segment Five: 4th Annual CANstruction Long Beach, Landmark Square Building Lobby
Segment Six: Corkage in Restaurants, Kyle Meyer, Wine Exchange

Now a mouthwatering preview of this Saturday’s delectable 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…

Program Note: We’re unusually preempted by a just rescheduled Angel game in Houston on Saturday morning, September 23rd. Go Halos…We’ll see you thereafter on Saturday morning, September 30th at 10:00 a.m. as usual!

Chris Bianco is the chef-owner of the award-winning Pizzeria Bianco, as well as Pane Bianco and Tratto, all located in Phoenix, Arizona. He also produces a lineup of organic tomatoes, Bianco DiNapoli, and early next year will open an eagerly anticipated restaurant (Tartine Manufactory) in Downtown Los Angeles in ROW DTLA, a collaboration with his friend and founder of San Francisco’s Tartine Bakery, Chad Robertson. His impressive new cookbook is Bianco : Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like. We’ll meet him.

Pier del Sol on Sunday, Oct. 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is an exciting and unique day of fun on the historic Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park. At the only culinary festival fused with a backyard private Amusement Park experience, attendees can enjoy an exclusive VIP brunch featuring mouthwatering tastings from over 35 of L.A.’s top Chefs and restaurants, entertainment, music, arts & crafts, games, and unlimited rides at Pacific Park. All proceeds from this annual event benefit the athletes of Special Olympic Southern California. Special Olympics Southern California’s Maureen Barclift and restaurateur Peter Garland of Beverly Hills’ Porta Via are our guests.

Forty years ago, Catalina Offshore Products owner Dave Rudie spent most of his days diving for sea urchins and seaweed in the kelp beds of Catalina Island, selling his harvest right off his boat. Eventually he opened a small processing facility in San Diego, making local deliveries throughout the region and later exporting to Japan. Catalina Offshore Products has since grown steadily into one of the region’s premier seafood purveyors and one of the largest seafood buyers in San Diego. Tirelessly passionate about seafood, Catalina Offshore Products fishmonger, Tommy Gomes, is our guest.

One of the most visually stunning demonstrations of talent and creativity within the architectural and engineering communities will provide a much-needed source of food for Food Finders to help eliminate hunger in the Long Beach community. The fourth annual CANstruction® Long Beach competition benefiting Food Finders will be held in the Landmark Square Building lobby on September 21st starting at 8am. CANstruction® participants will design and build unique structures made entirely out of canned goods. This year’s theme is “Rock-CAN-Roll”, and participating teams may depict music in any way they want. Chandra Johnston representing participant Kamus + Keller Interiors / Architecture provides the 411.

The Corkage Fee in restaurants is always a subject of spirited conversation. What is really reasonable? There is a cost to the restaurant (and lost revenue) when a guest brings in their own wine. Should a guest even be allowed to bring in a wine already on the restaurant’s wine list? One of our resident wine experts, Kyle Meyer of Wine Exchange, beings his practical thoughts to the subject.

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

Chris BiancoChris Bianco is the chef-owner of the award-winning Pizzeria Bianco, as well as Pane Bianco and Tratto, all located in Phoenix, Arizona. He also produces a lineup of organic tomatoes, Bianco DiNapoli, and early next year will open an eagerly anticipated restaurant (Tartine Manufactory) project with many components in Downtown Los Angeles in ROW DTLA, a collaboration with his friend and founder of San Francisco’s Tartine Bakery, Chad Robertson.

Bianco won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2003 and helped spawn a generation of independent and artisanal pizzerias, lending his advice, wisdom, and food philosophies to dozens of fellow chefs and restaurateurs.

His new cookbook is Bianco: Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like. “The book features recipes for his signature pizzas as well as strategies and techniques for translating chef’s methods to the home kitchen. Bianco celebrates both the simple and the nuanced, revealing the methods that lead to the perfect crust, the sweetest tomato sauce, the creamiest mozzarella, and the most expertly balanced flavor combinations. It also features recipes for salads, antipasti, and dessert options, as well as family meals that are cooked behind-the-scenes. Also, a new array of big plates showcased at Chef Chris’ highly regarded restaurants.”

We’ll meet him.

Peter GarlandPier del Sol on Sunday, Oct. 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is an exciting and unique day of fun on the historic Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park. At the only culinary festival fused with a backyard private Amusement Park experience, attendees can enjoy an exclusive VIP brunch featuring mouthwatering tastings from over 35 of L.A.’s top Chefs and restaurants, entertainment, music, arts & crafts, games, and unlimited rides at Pacific Park. All proceeds from this annual event benefit the athletes of Special Olympic Southern California.

This year’s theme is “Oktoberfest,” where a beach top VIP Beer & Wine Garden will enhance your culinary palette!

Love the food at Pier del Sol? To celebrate 20 years of food, fun, and sun on the pier, SOSC published Cuisine del Sol in 2016, a souvenir cookbook featuring 28 chefs with recipes and stories who have supported the event. Think Michael Cimarusti, Neal Fraser and David LeFevre for starters…This is your chance to create the recipes of these culinary masterminds!

Special Olympics Southern California’s Maureen Barclift and restaurateur Peter Garland of Beverly Hills’ Porta Via are our guests.

Tommy GomesForty years ago, Catalina Offshore Products owner Dave Rudie spent most of his days diving for sea urchins and seaweed in the kelp beds of Catalina Island, selling his harvest right off his boat. Eventually he opened a small processing facility in San Diego, making local deliveries throughout the region and later exporting to Japan. Catalina Offshore Products has since grown steadily into one of the region’s premier seafood purveyors and one of the largest seafood buyers in San Diego.

Catalina’s Choice Solid Pack Tuna in Olive Oil (new product) features U.S. hook-and-line bigeye and yellowfin, both also referred to as “ahi”.

This premium, responsibly harvested tuna is wild caught in the Eastern Pacific by U.S. fishing vessels, landed in San Diego and processed and packed in the USA. Hand-cut and cooked once, it is all natural, with no additives or preservatives.

Though Catalina Offshore Products fresh, local, sustainably sourced tuna has always been a big seller, canning any unsold product enables them to ensure the precious resource is even more well-managed. Additionally, it celebrates San Diego’s beloved history. The city was once known as the “Tuna Capital of the World”!

Tirelessly passionate about seafood, Catalina Offshore Products resident fishmonger, Tommy Gomes, is our guest.

Canstruction Long BeachOne of the most visually stunning demonstrations of talent and creativity within the architectural and engineering communities will provide a much-needed source of food for Food Finders to help eliminate hunger in the Long Beach community. The fourth annual CANstruction® Long Beach competition benefiting Food Finders will be held in the Landmark Square Building lobby on September 21st starting at 8am. CANstruction® participants will design and build unique structures made entirely out of canned goods. This year’s theme is “Rock-CAN-Roll”, and participating teams may depict music in any way they want.

The completed structures will be on display to the public from September 21st through October 1st. Visitors are encouraged to bring canned goods to the Landmark Square Building lobby to be used as “votes” for their favorite structure by placing the cans in Food Finders supplied bins next to each structure resulting in a “People’s Choice” award. Additional awards including “Structural Ingenuity”, “Best Use of Labels”, “Most Cans”, “Best Meal” and “Juror’s Favorite”, will be chosen by a panel of local judges following the exhibition.

“Food Finders is excited to be the beneficiary of the fourth annual Long Beach CANstruction”, said Patti Larson, Executive Director of Food Finders. “Last year’s event generated a 28,000 pound donation of canned goods, and this unique event will continue to heighten awareness of food insecurity in our community and will play an important role in helping to feed those in need in our own backyard.”

“Our five talented teams have spent months designing their entries and are allowed only 12 hours to meticulously stack and color-coordinate their cans into ingenious feats of design”, added Terri Henry of terri henry marketing LLC, who organizes the event. “The ultimate donation of thousands of cans of food to feed the hungry in our community makes it all worthwhile to the teams.”

Chandra Johnston, representing 2nd time Long Beach CANstruction® participant Kamus + Keller Interiors / Architecture, provides the 411.

Kyle Meyer of Wine ExchangeThe Corkage Fee charged in restaurants is always a subject of spirited conversation. What is really reasonable that’s equitable to both the guest and restaurant? There is a real cost to the restaurant (and lost revenue) when a guest brings in their own wine. Should a guest even be allowed to bring in a wine already on the restaurant’s wine list regardless of the corkage fee? What’s proper etiquette ?

One of our worldly resident wine experts, Kyle Meyer of Wine Exchange, beings his practical thoughts to the weighty subject.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Hosts Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel
Segment Two: Chef Chris Bianco, Pizzeria Bianco, Bianco: Pizza, Pasta, and Other Food I Like.
Segment Three: Special Olympics Southern California’s Pier del Sol Benefit
Segment Four: Catalina Offshore Products 40th Anniversary
Segment Five: 4th Annual CANstruction Long Beach, Landmark Square Building Lobby
Segment Six: Corkage in Restaurants, Kyle Meyer, Wine Exchange