Podcasts
Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Alain Cohen, Chef / Proprietor Harissa & Got Kosher Bakery and Deli, Los Angeles
Segment Three: DINE LBC Long Beach Restaurant Week, King’s Fish House, Pine Ave.
Segment Four: 5th Annual Stu and The Kids Benefit at Vibiana, DTLA
Segment Five: Melissa’s Robert Schueller, Variety Summer Grapes
Segment Six: Chef Steve Samson, Superfine Pizza, DTLA
Segment Seven: Tommy Martin, Guest Ambassador, Five Crowns, 50 Years of Service
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group, “Ask the Chef”
Now a tempting preview of this Saturday’s properly decadent 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…
Harissa in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles is the transformation of the long-running Got Kosher restaurant. It’s Tunisian fare (Kosher) with French accents and, now, A carefully selected beer and wine menu, too. We’ll catch up with Chef / Proprietor Alain Cohen.
Eat your heart out Long Beach! DINE LBC – Long Beach Restaurant Week returns August 4 to 12, 2018. Experience cuisine that delights the palate and defines the art of dining in Long Beach. Held annually, Dine LBC features value-oriented two or three course menus from dozens of Long Beach’s best restaurants in twelve unique neighborhoods throughout the city. The original location of King’s Fish House on Pine Avenue is one of the participating restaurants with a special 3-course dinner menu with choices for each course. We’ll meet General Manager John Montorio.
The 5th annual Stu and the Kids Fundraiser, an exceptional Thai-flavored Food & Wine Festival hosted by Chef Stuart Skversky (ex-Spago) with the help of his high-profile chef friends, returns to Vibiana in DTLA on Sunday, August 5, 2018. Proceeds will fund scholarships for Hill Tribe kids in Chaing Mai, Thailand. This is the 4th year we’ve proudly supported this significant Benefit. Executive Director & Founder, Stuart Skversky provides the preview.
It’s a great time to chat about cool and refreshing Summer fruits with our resident produce authority, The Prince of Produce, Robert Schueller of Melissa’s World Variety Produce. Variety Summer California Grapes are trending. Also a preview of the upcoming Hatch Chile season.
Chef Steve Samson of Rossoblu (DTLA) and Sotto (Century City-adjacent) fame is no stranger to preparing premium pizza that generates deserved raves. The superb Neapolitan pizza he cooks at Sotto in a wood burning-oven imported from Italy and assembled on-site by Italian craftsmen is well-known. Steps from Rossoblu he has just launched Superfine Pizza. It’s a thin-crust pizza with both Neapolitan and New York attributes. Chef Steve joins us with a finishing splash of California olive oil.
Brit Tommy Martin started as a Bartender at Corona del Mar’s Five Crowns back in 1968. 50 years later Tommy is the longest serving, active co-worker at Five Crowns. Earlier this Summer he was recognized with a very special honor. Five Crowns’ Guest Ambassador, Tommy Martin is our guest.
Chef Andrew Gruel, the founder of The Slapfish Restaurant Group, joins us with another installment of “Ask the Chef.” What’s the secret of proper Fish and Chips? How about drool-worthy Crab Cakes? We’ll find out from Chef Andrew with no added filler.
All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!
Harissa in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles is the transformation of the long-running Got Kosher restaurant going back to 2005. It’s Tunisian fare (Kosher) with French accents and, now, a carefully selected beer and wine list, too.
Harissa, the restaurant, pays homage to Chef Alain Cohen’s Tunisian origins, his family’s Paris restaurant, and his American culinary experiences. Harissa, the name, celebrates the beloved spicy sauce that symbolizes Chef Cohen’s vibrant cuisine. In fact, harissa is so valued in Tunisia that an old wives’ tale suggests a husband can judge his wife’s affections by the number of hot peppers she uses when preparing his food
Indeed, Chef Cohen’s harissa sauce stays true to the family recipe, that dates back generations to Tunisia—and while Harissa’s harissa has heat, the emphasis is on balance, not just spicines
“Tunisian cuisine is more savory than its Moroccan neighbor, which leads into the sweet side. Central to Tunisian cuisine is couscous, and you will find the dish well represented in our menu. As well, sample Chef Cohen’s signature Tunisian specialties–including house-made merguez sausage, traditional break pastry, fricassee, and pates a la but argue. Chef Cohen’s sausage making skills are also on display with our house-made charcuterie. And that’s just the beginning…”
“Chef Cohen has created a menu with something for every taste. Start with our diverse appetizer menu–if your taste runs to small plates and a glass of wine or beer. For a simpler lunch, enjoy our salads and sandwiches. And, if you want to immerse your palate in French Tunisian cooking, well, there is a full page devoted to these satisfyingly classic dishes.”
We’ll catch up with Chef / Proprietor Alain Cohen.
Eat your heart out Long Beach! DINE LBC – Long Beach Restaurant Week returns August 4 to 12, 2018. Experience cuisine that delights the palate and defines the art of dining in Long Beach. Held annually, Dine LBC features value-oriented two or three course menus from dozens of Long Beach’s best restaurants in twelve unique neighborhoods throughout the city.
The original location of King’s Fish House on Pine Avenue is one of the participating restaurants with a special 3-course dinner menu with choices for each course.
“A long time ago, we embarked on a road trip in search of the ultimate seafood experience. We traveled down the highways and byways, pulled up a seat, put on bibs, and soaked up the seafood experience: The no-name dishes with unforgettable flavor, the fresh-caught oysters and clams piled high, the hand-lettered specials on ancient chalkboards, and the savory simmer of every combination of spices imaginable….”
“The pleasure of preparing and sharing seafood was simple and genuine, and it brought out the best in everyone. Often we felt as if we’d been welcomed into somebody’s home. That’s what King’s Fish House is all about- and we’ve tried to bring all of these ideas together into one single, spectacular place, filled with camaraderie and celebration, and the things we love best!”
We’ll meet General Manager John Montorio.
The 5th annual Stu and the Kids Fundraiser, an exceptional Thai-flavored Food & Wine Festival hosted by Chef Stuart Skversky (ex-Spago) with the help of his high-profile chef friends, returns to Vibiana in DTLA on Sunday, August 5, 2018. Proceeds will fund scholarships for Hill Tribe kids in Chaing Mai, Thailand. This is the 4th year we’ve proudly supported this significant Benefit.
In 2009, Stuart Skversky, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a rising-star chef, made a dramatic life change by giving up a promising chef career in Los Angeles to move to Chiang Mai, becoming a full-time volunteer at the Wat Dan Chan (a local Buddhist temple), teaching local children English, cooking and baking. Recognizing a need to help prepare these high-risk Hill Tribe kids following their graduation, he founded Stu and the Kids to better prepare them for adulthood, helping them get into a university or technical college and giving them the tools for an independent future.
Proceeds from this event go directly to the children’s education, school uniforms, supplies, housing, food and tuition for higher education. Now in their ninth year of fundraising throughout the world, Stu and The Kids has raised over $500,000 for the charity, including last year’s astounding record of $158,000 accumulated from the Los Angeles festival, fundraising on the east coast and online donations during 2017.
Stu and The Kids supervises 29 kids, including eleven that received scholarships in 2018 to support education and jobs in accounting, business management, in-home elder care, cooking and fashion and textiles. The charity hopes to increase the awards to twelve, four-year university scholarships in the coming year.
Tickets for advance general admission, VIP admission and kids may be purchased online.
Executive Director & Founder, Stuart Skversky provides the preview.
It’s a great time to chat about cool and refreshing Summer fruits with our resident produce authority, The Prince of Produce, Robert Schueller of Melissa’s World Variety Produce. Variety Summer California Grapes are trending.
A late-season variety grape with an extremely high sugar content, the Candy Sweets® name describes its great flavor! Though petite in size, this amber-green seedless grape has a big taste that makes it an excellent kids snack or lunchbox favorite. Serve a bunch or two on a party platter; this grape’s firm, crunchy texture and sweetness plays well against any extra sharp cheese. Choose grapes that are firm, with no bruises, decay or shatter (loose grapes that have fallen off the stem). Vine stems should to be green and pliable, never dried out.
Also the incredible Hatch Chile season will launch the first week in August. These flavorful peppers are exclusively grown in the Mesilla Valley of New Mexico and are only available annually for a short season in August and part of September. They are considered by discriminating chile aficionados to be the best peppers in the world. We’ll get a fiery preview.
Chef Steve Samson of Rossoblu (DTLA) and Sotto (Century City-adjacent) fame is no stranger to preparing premium pizza that generates deserved raves. The superb Neapolitan pizza he cooks at Sotto in a wood burning-oven imported from Italy and assembled on-site by Italian craftsmen is well-known.
Steps from Rossoblu he has just launched Superfine Pizza. It’s a thin-crust pizza with both Neapolitan and New York attributes. The mission is to use as many local, premium ingredients as possible. It’s by-the-slice or whole pies. Unusually the pizzas are cooked in an electric deck oven from Sweden. It gets up to temperature quickly and Chef Steve has found it to be more energy efficient than gas.
By-the-slice options include Tomato, Mozzarella, and Grana Padano ; Four Cheeses & Spinach; Escarole, Red Onion, Salt Cured Olives, Chilies, Fresh Mozzarella and Smoked Provolone; Pepperoni, Tomato, Mozzarella and Grana Padano; and Tomato, Garlic, Capers, Oregano, Chilies, Mint, Parsley, Basil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Vegan).
Chef Steve joins us with a finishing splash of California olive oil.
Delivery is on the horizon.
Brit Tommy Martin started as a Bartender at Corona del Mar’s Five Crowns back in 1968. 50 years later Tommy is the longest serving, active co-worker at Five Crowns. Earlier this Summer he was recognized with a very special honor.
“In 1968, our favorite Brit, Tommy Martin, moved to Orange County from the East Coast. Seeing Five Crowns’ Tudor architecture and red English phone booth, he quickly applied for a job, sensing he and the restaurant would be a perfect fit. Lucky for us he was right. Little did we know that half a century later, after working as bartender, wine captain and now as our Guest Ambassador, Tommy would be Lawry’s longest serving active co-worker.”
“His energetic, positive attitude and genuine desire to make every moment memorable have endeared him to two generations of guests. For many, a night at Five Crowns without a visit tableside from him doesn’t quite seem the same. For first-timers, meeting such a colorful and charming character, English accent and all, has been a wonderful introduction to the restaurant, its hospitality and its history.”
Five Crowns’ Guest Ambassador, Tommy Martin is our guest.
Chef Andrew Gruel, the founder of The Slapfish Restaurant Group, joins us with another installment of “Ask the Chef.”
What’s the secret of preparing proper Fish and Chips? How important are the Chips? What’s the best fish to use? How about drool-worthy Crab Cakes? We’ll find out from Chef Andrew with the promise of no added filler.
Podcasts
Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Alain Cohen, Chef / Proprietor Harissa & Got Kosher Bakery and Deli, Los Angeles
Segment Three: DINE LBC Long Beach Restaurant Week, King’s Fish House, Pine Ave.
Segment Four: 5th Annual Stu and The Kids Benefit at Vibiana, DTLA
Segment Five: Melissa’s Robert Schueller, Variety Summer Grapes
Segment Six: Chef Steve Samson, Superfine Pizza, DTLA
Segment Seven: Tommy Martin, Guest Ambassador, Five Crowns, 50 Years of Service
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group, “Ask the Chef”
“Now in their ninth year of fundraising throughout the world, Stu and The Kids has raised over $658,000 for the charity, including last year’s astounding record of $164,000 accumulated from the Los Angeles festival, in addition to fundraising on the east coast and online donations during 2018. Stu and The Kids supervises thirty-six kids, including sixteen that received 4-year scholarships in 2018 to support education and jobs in accounting, business management, in-home elder care, cooking and fashion and textiles and two with continuing 2-year master degree programs. The charity hopes to increase the awards to twenty more four-year university scholarships in the coming year.”
