April 6: Gustavo Arellano, Musso and Frank Grill, Scott Leibfried

Podcasts

Segment One: Chef Jet Tila
Segment Two: Gustavo Arellano, Editor of The OC Weekly & author of Taco USA – How Mexican Food Conquered America Part One
Segment Three: Gustavo Arellano, Editor of The OC Weekly & author of Taco USA – How Mexican Food Conquered America Part Two
Segment Four: Mark Echeverria, the General Manager & Proprietor of the Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood
Segment Five: Chef Scott Leibfried, Gordon Ramsay’s sous chef on Fox TV’s “Hell’s Kitchen” for the past 10 years. Executive Chef of Arch Rock Fish is Santa Barbara Part One
Segment Six: Chef Scott Leibfried, Gordon Ramsay’s sous chef on Fox TV’s “Hell’s Kitchen” for the past 10 years. Executive Chef of Arch Rock Fish is Santa Barbara Part Two

Lots of tasty delights to share this week. We have an unusual take on Mexican food that will leave you thinking. From there it’s a bit of celebrity dining history in old Hollywood. We wrap it up with a prominent chef who is an accomplished expert in seafood preparation.

First it’s the “best bite of the week” with Chef Jet and Producer Andy. Thereafter it’s the cream of significant restaurant news of the week.

Gustavo Arellano of Ask a MexicanIf you think you know everything there is to know about the rich history of Mexican food in America think again. Gustavo Arellano joins us to talk about his latest book, Taco USA – How Mexican Food Conquered America. Gustavo is the accomplished and well-known editor of OC Weekly as well as one of their restaurant reviewers. He also pens the provocative, nationally syndicated column, “Ask a Mexican!

Since 1919 the venerable Musso and Frank Grill on Hollywood Blvd. has ably stood the test of time and endured. More than a handful of the career waiters there have been serving guests for 30 years or more. Every one of them is a character! There are more stories there than there is time to do them justice in the telling! That also applies to the proficient bar staff. They perfected the classic craft cocktails way before they became trendy again!

Talk about consistency. They have had three executive chefs in their entire history.

Mark Echeverria, the managing partner, and a direct descendent of one of the two founding families joins us with a salute to the ultimate in Hollywood dining history that is far from being a museum piece.

Scott Leibfried of Hells Kitchen and Arch Rock GrillYou know Chef Scott Leibfried as Gordon Ramsay’s sous chef on Fox TV’s popular “Hell’s Kitchen” series for the past 10 seasons. He’s also the Lead Chef Advisor for Fox TV’s “Kitchen Nightmares” series also starring Chef Ramsay.

He’s a real working chef. Chef Scott is Executive Chef and part owner of Arch Rock Fish in Santa Barbara.

Podcasts

Segment One: Chef Jet Tila
Segment Two: Gustavo Arellano, Editor of The OC Weekly & author of Taco USA – How Mexican Food Conquered America Part One
Segment Three: Gustavo Arellano, Editor of The OC Weekly & author of Taco USA – How Mexican Food Conquered America Part Two
Segment Four: Mark Echeverria, the General Manager & Proprietor of the Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood
Segment Five: Chef Scott Leibfried, Gordon Ramsay’s sous chef on Fox TV’s “Hell’s Kitchen” for the past 10 years. Executive Chef of Arch Rock Fish is Santa Barbara Part One
Segment Six: Chef Scott Leibfried, Gordon Ramsay’s sous chef on Fox TV’s “Hell’s Kitchen” for the past 10 years. Executive Chef of Arch Rock Fish is Santa Barbara Part Two

Show 11, December 29, 2012: Russ Parsons, Food Editor of the Los Angeles Times Part Two

Up until Jonathan Gold joined the staff of the paper this year from the Los Angeles Weekly to write restaurant reviews The Times had used a Star system to accompany the restaurant reviews of S. Irene Virbila. This changed with the arrival of Mr. Gold. The Times no longer uses Stars.

Russ explained the logic of this change.

Russ also talked about why it may not be a necessity anymore for a restaurant reviewer to be totally anonymous while dining in a particular restaurant which is being reviewed. Mr. Gold, for instance, makes reservations under another name and pays for his meals using a credit card with a name different from his own.