Podcasts
Hour One: Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant, Al Mancini
Hour Two: Al Mancini, INI Ristorante, Andrew Gruel
Segment One: Show Introduction with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segments Two and Three: Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant, Lafayette, LA with GM Tanner Dimmick
Segment Four and Five: Al Mancini of Neon Feast App and “Food and Loathing” Las Vegas Podcast
Segments Six and Seven: INI Ristorante, Fountain Valley with Founder & Executive Chef Viet Nguyen
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel (Co-host) of Calico Fish House with “Ask the Chef”
“Right in the heart of Downtown Lafayette, LA you’ll find Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant —where fresh flavors meet laid-back vibes, and your taste buds come to party. Housed in a retrofitted circa 1939 service station with restored neon signs, Spoonbill serves up the Gulf’s finest with locally sourced ingredients that turn every bite into a Louisiana love letter. In 2020 they were a nominee for the James Beard Foundation’s Award for “Best New Restaurant Design.” Whether you’re sipping a creative cocktail, enjoying a craft beer, or diving into top-tier seafood, it’s the perfect spot to swap stories and toast to the good times. Spoonbill isn’t just a restaurant-it’s where locals go to feel like they’re on vacation.” Tanner Dimmick joins us to unwarp all that is Lafayette’s Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant.
Al Mancini is our always in-the-know guest with highlights of what’s new on the dynamic Las Vegas dining scene. Al joins us sharing some dining tidbits including the opening of the relocated Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres at The Venetian / Palazzo and the newly debuted High Steaks at the apex of the revitalized Rio helmed by local Las Vegas Celebrity Chef & Restaurateur James Trees. Al also is the creator of the “Food & Loathing” weekly podcast highlighting the Las Vegas dining scene. A new assignment for Al is as a contributor to Las Vegas Insider. The 4th year anniversary of notable Las Vegas-based food and entertainment journalist Al Mancini’s ambitious Neon Feast dining app happens in February. We pull Al away from a sumptuous Brunch to join us.
“Ini Ristorante’s (Fountain Valley) culinary concept draws inspiration from the seasonality and simplicity of Japanese and Italian flavors and seeks to find the perfect harmony between the two. Chef-driven and culturally inspired, Ini Ristorante’s menu combines Japanese and Italian cuisine’s ingredients, tastes, and techniques to bring you an unmatched dining experience. Ini Ristorante features Japanese-inspired Italian cuisine produced by Kei Concepts Chef Viet Nguyen and his diversely talented culinary team.” Founder and Chef Viet Nguyen joins us to unwrap all that is Ini Ristorante.
For our concluding segment at 11:45 a.m. our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (located in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. Buying eggs is a bit of a challenge (cost aside.) What do all the labels mean? Chef Andrew has the answers…
All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!
“Right in the heart of Downtown Lafayette, LA you’ll find Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant — where fresh flavors meet laid-back vibes, and your taste buds come to party. Housed in a retrofitted (circa 1939) service station with restored neon signs, Spoonbill serves up the Gulf’s finest with locally sourced ingredients that turn every bite into a Louisiana love letter.”
“Whether you’re sipping a creative cocktail, enjoying a craft beer, or diving into top-tier seafood, it’s the perfect spot to swap stories and toast to the good times. Spoonbill isn’t just a restaurant-it’s where locals go to feel like they’re on vacation.”
“Spoonbill has been embraced by its neighborhood and beyond. The vibe is unfancied and party forward where first-time guests and regulars feel comfortable while experiencing excellent service, a seafood forward menu, and craft cocktails.”
“Current Executive Chef Tyler Langley started working at Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant in 2019, where he discovered his passion for cooking. From Spoonbill, he further honed his skills in the kitchen of Upstate New York’s Andes Hotel and Lafayette, LA’s Vestal Restaurant. Tyler returned to Spoonbill while attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Operations.”
“Today, Tyler serves as the Executive Chef at Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant. In this role, he collaborates with his team to create unique dishes, with a strong focus on showcasing fresh Gulf seafood.”
“Tanner Dimmick (General Manager) was raised in dive bars and dance halls in Lafayette, LA. Working at the Wild Salmon and Grant Street since he was a teenager, he worked his way up from door guy to fry cook to bartender. Eventually, he made the leap to more serious cocktail programs at Dark Roux and Saint Street Inn where he found a passion for party-forward beverage creation. Part of the opening team of Spoonbill as the beverage director, he now serves as General Manager.”
Tanner Dimmick joins us to unwarp all that is Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant.
Al Mancini is our always in-the-know guest with highlights of what’s new on the dynamic Las Vegas dining scene. Al joins us sharing some dining tidbits including the opening of the relocated Bazaar Meat by Jose Andrés at The Venetian and the newly debuted High Steaks at the apex of the revitalized Rio helmed by local Las Vegas Celebrity Chef & Restaurateur James Trees. Plus Chef Shawn McClain (Balla Italian Soul) has a new restaurant off The Strip.
Al also is the creator of the “Food & Loathing” weekly podcast highlighting the Las Vegas dining scene. A new assignment for Al is as a contributor to Las Vegas Insider.
The 4th year anniversary of notable Las Vegas-based food and entertainment journalist Al Mancini’s ambitious Neon Feast dining app happens in February. Lots of new features have now been added to the updated App. “Available now on app stores for both Apple and Android (as well as on their website), Neon Feast solves the “where to eat” dilemma for both visitors and locals with listings curated by dozens of local and nationally prominent food & beverage experts, searchable through a unique combination of filters and capabilities.”
We pull Al away from a sumptuous Brunch to join us.
“Ini Ristorante’s (Fountain Valley) culinary concept draws inspiration from the seasonality and simplicity of Japanese and Italian flavors and seeks to find the perfect harmony between the two. Chef-driven and culturally inspired, Ini Ristorante’s menu combines Japanese and Italian cuisine’s ingredients, tastes, and techniques to bring you an unmatched dining experience.”
“Ini Ristorante features Japanese-inspired Italian cuisine produced by Kei Concepts’ Founder and Chef Viet Nguyen and his diversely talented culinary team.”
“Ini Ristorante’s interior design invokes a sense of comfort and familiarity by juxtaposing the layered textures of an outdoor home kitchen with natural elements and bright lights. The rustic concrete flooring, textural solids, and light warm woods transition into pops of bright blue and lush greenery, all centered around an open skylight showcasing the focal fig tree below. This approach pays homage to a gardening and outdoor cooking tradition that cultivates a space centered around fresh ingredients and good company.”
“Leave your assumptions at the door and come experience Ini’s Japanese-Italian interpretation through unique culinary offerings, hospitality, and fine-casual ambience.”
Founder and Chef Viet Nguyen joins us to unwrap all that is Ini Ristorante.
Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (located in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries.
Buying eggs is a bit of a challenge (cost aside.) What do all the labels actually mean? Is a brown egg better than a white shell variety? Chef Andrew decodes the mysteries.
Andrew Gruel’s Family Cookbook is available with signed copies at his Calico Fish House on Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach.
Podcasts
Hour One: Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant, Al Mancini
Hour Two: Al Mancini, INI Ristorante, Andrew Gruel
Segment One: Show Introduction with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segments Two and Three: Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant, Lafayette, LA with GM Tanner Dimmick
Segment Four and Five: Al Mancini of Neon Feast App and “Food and Loathing” Las Vegas Podcast
Segments Six and Seven: INI Ristorante, Fountain Valley with Founder & Executive Chef Viet Nguyen
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel (Co-host) of Calico Fish House with “Ask the Chef”
