Show 93, October 18, 2014: Chef Nick Liberato & Venice Whaler Part Two

Nick LiberatoExecutive Chef Nick Liberato of the Venice Whaler continues.

Chef Nick is also an accomplished mixologist. Part of the repositioning of the Venice Whaler is a new emphasis on specialty handcrafted cocktails made with fresh ingredients

The Bar Director is Anthony Settacase.

The signature “Crab Shell” Bloody Mary comes with a real crab claw instead of a celery stalk…

Weekend Brunch is now on the menu at the Venice Whaler. It’s 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. How about Short Rib Hash with roasted potatoes and a sunny side up egg ?

Show 76, June 14, 2014: Guest Host Kedric Francis, Executive Editor, The Orange County Register Magazine, Coast Orange County Magazine

Kedric Francis of Coast Magazine and the Orange County Register MagazineOur always debonair man about Orange County, Kedric Francis, did a little recent vacation swing down the Central Coast. The main destination was oceanfront The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. Kedric spotlights the notable food and accommodations along the way. The report is family-friendly, too.

Also some breaking OC restaurant news including the tip that Venice’s Superba Snack Bar (Chef Jason Neroni) is on the way to a coastal Orange County City…

Show 71, May 3, 2014: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

Multiple James Beard Award-winning Pastry Chef Sherry Yard is familiar to the listening audience of the “SoCal Restaurant Show.” Her work-in-progress is the ambitious revival of the Helms Bakery in Los Angeles on the border with Culver City.

She will tell us all about her exciting new position as Corporate Vice President of the Culinary Division of iPic Theaters. Watching a movie on the big screen should be a deluxe experience with food to match!

There is a relatively new hidden gem of a very personal farm-to-table restaurant in Venice. That’s Barnyard Venice. Come hungry and prepare to be pleasantly surprised and also well-taken care of.

Nan Kohler, the Managing Partner of Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, is back for an encore. This time she’ll also be speaking about gluten-free and the milling process for flour.

Barbara Fairchild, the well-traveled Restaurant & Travel Editor for grapecollective.com is back with us to share some inspired restaurant finds from her recent travels both in Europe and in The States.

The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar in Tustin has a new location on the Bay in Newport Beach. It’s a “wow” of a spot!

All of this and lots more incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Show 71, May 3, 2014: Executive Chef Jesse Barber of Barnyard Venice

Jesse Barber of Barnyard VeniceBarnyard Venice (opened in 2012) is a bit of a find housed in an old cottage on Pacific Avenue. It’s rustic and comfortable.

Chef Jesse Barber, an alum of the kitchen at Tasting Kitchen, is the menu-maker. Earlier in his career he worked with Thomas Keller at both The French Laundry and Bouchon. He’s put together an ever changing menu with an emphasis on local ingredients. He’s a regular at the Santa Monica Farmers Markets and that’s the basis for his menu which changes almost daily.

His grilled octopus is a standout. Four-hour prep time! It’s steamed and marinated.

Ramen Tuesday is at the bar and on the patio.

Chef Jesse does significant outreach to the community so his guests better understand where the ingredients at Barnyard come from. On Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. he’ll usually do a butchering demo of a whole animal. The last Sunday of each month it is a cooking demo. It might be baking a fruit pie or even perhaps preparing extraordinary chicken wings.

Show 67, March 29, 2014: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

The effervescent Chef Carla Hall, the co-host of ABC’s “The Chew” has a new book out, Carla’s Comfort Foods – Favorite Dishes from Around the World.

Angel Stadium has a real executive chef in the kitchen and she is with us to discuss all the enhancements at The Big A for baseball season! San Clemente is becoming a popular dining destination. We’ll chat with the proprietor of one of the pioneering restaurants there featuring farm-to-table food.

You don’t expect a long-serving executive chef at a high profile restaurant located on The Strip in Las Vegas in a fancy luxury hotel to give it all up to run a food truck. We’ll talk to the credentialed chef who is doing just that.

DOMA, in Beverly Hills, is still generating a lot of buzz a year after opening. Part of the credit goes to their talented pastry chef who is our guest. We’re continuing with our preview of EAT LBC, Long Beach’s first ever restaurant week set for March 30th through April 5th. The co-owner of Spaghettini in Seal Beach joins us.

Jet will be talking about his trip to Cornell University and creating a giant edible sushi roll for Cornell Dining while Producer Andy shares a dining gem of a casual neighborhood spot in Venice.

All of this and lots more incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Show 67, March 29, 2014: Chef Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris, “SoCal Restaurant Show”

Barnyard VeniceThis last week Chef Jet has been visiting (and teaching) at Cornell University’s Cornell Dining Services. This is the pinnacle of dining excellence on the national collegiate scene. Cornell University is the home of the Harvard of hospitality management programs. Producer Andy has been dining in Venice. We’ll talk about it…

March 29: Vine Restaurant & Bar, Spaghettini, Carla Hall, Truck U Barbecue, DOMA, Angels Baseball ballpark cuisine

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Managing Partner Russ Bendel, Vine Restaurant & Bar, San Clemente
Segment Three: Cary Hardwick, Co-Owner & Co-Managing Partner, Spaghettini Fine Dining & Entertainment, Seal Beach
Segment Four: Celebrity Chef Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s daytimer, “The Chew.”
Segment Five: Executive Chef Mike Minor, Truck U Barbeque Truck, Las Vegas
Segment Six: Pastry Chef Marissa Sharon, DOMA Beverly Hills
Segment Seven: Executive Chef Gretchen Beaumarchais, Angel Stadium, Anaheim, and Jaisun Ihm, Director of Premium Services, Legends
Segment Eight: Chef Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris, “SoCal Restaurant Show”

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

The effervescent Chef Carla Hall, the co-host of ABC’s “The Chew” has a new book out, Carla’s Comfort Foods – Favorite Dishes from Around the World.

Angel Stadium has a real executive chef in the kitchen and she is with us to discuss all the enhancements at The Big A for baseball season! San Clemente is becoming a popular dining destination. We’ll chat with the proprietor of one of the pioneering restaurants there featuring farm-to-table food.

You don’t expect a long-serving executive chef at a high profile restaurant located on The Strip in Las Vegas in a fancy luxury hotel to give it all up to run a food truck. We’ll talk to the credentialed chef who is doing just that.

Doma, in Beverly Hills, is still generating a lot of buzz a year after opening. Part of the credit goes to their talented pastry chef who is our guest. We’re continuing with our preview of EAT LBC, Long Beach’s first ever restaurant week set for March 30th through April 5th. The co-owner of Spaghettini in Seal Beach joins us.

Jet will be talking about his trip to Cornell University and creating a giant edible sushi roll for Cornell Dining while Producer Andy shares a dining gem of a casual neighborhood spot in Venice.

All of this and lots more incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Russ BendelThere is an exciting restaurant resurgence going on in San Clemente right now. Some wags are even calling it the new Laguna Beach. One of the pioneering, chef-driven restaurants there, Vine Restaurant & Bar, has a new proprietor. A former chef (Jared Cook) has returned (as a partner) to oversee the farm-to-table menu. Second generation restaurateur Russ Bendel is our guest.

EAT LBC – Long Beach Restaurant Week is March 30th to April 5th. It’s your chance to enjoy a three-course meal at 52 of the best, and most diverse, restaurants in Long Beach priced at a real value. The restaurants are all aiming to wow all of their new guests during EAT LBC. All the restaurants involved and their menus are listed on their website. Make your reservations now…

Cary Hardwick of SpaghettiniOne of the participating restaurants is Spaghettini in Seal Beach, a local classic for their food and music program since 1988. Cary Hardwick, co-owner and co-managing partner, joins us to talk about his menu for EAT LBC – Long Beach Restaurant Week and their new project in Beverly Hills.

Food fans know Chef Carla Hall as the “Hootie Hoo” lady and fan favorite from multiple seasons of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” She is now the co-host of ABC’s daytime lifestyle series, “The Chew.” Recently “The Chew” celebrated their 500th episode and the show continues to gain in popularity. Carla also is the author of Cooking with Love: Comfort Food That Hugs You, newly available in paperback.

Carla HallCarla’s newest cookbook is Carla’s Comfort Foods – Favorite Dishes from Around the World (on-sale April 1, 2014.) It’s a brand new collection of 130 recipes that embody the universal appeal of all kinds of comfort food.

Inspired by Carla’s love of family suppers and international flavors, this cookbook offers a mouthwatering variety of foods from around the world together with heartfelt stories of connecting with people through food. Each section of the book offers a brief description of a foundation recipe followed by some international variations.

Hall is a true believer that, “If you’re not in a good mood, the only thing you should make is a restaurant reservation.”

Carla is in Los Angeles on book tour on Sunday, April 13th. She is at Sur La Table @ The Original Farmers Market @ Noon and then @ USC for the LA Times Festival of Books @ 3:30 p.m.

Mike Minor of Truck U Barbecue in Las VegasExecutive Chef Mike Minor, a resident of Las Vegas since the age of 5, was the face of Border Grill Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay for almost 10 years.

Late last year he departed to work on a very personal project. That’s the just-about-to launch (April 5th.) Truck U Barbecue. ‘Cue, with some accents from Mexico, is his thing.

Marissa SharonPastry Chef Marissa Sharon opened Doma in Beverly Hills in 2012 with Executive Chef Dustin Trani. She previously was in the pastry department at Chef Scott Conant’s highly regarded Scarpetta at Montage Beverly Hills.

Her cannolis are truly outstanding and she also makes most of the pasta used at the restaurant.

DOMA is considered one of the finest new restaurants in L.A. – in the grand European tradition but with a sleek and modern twist.

DOMA is hosting a special “Dinner Party Series” evening to benefit C-CAP on Monday evening, April 7th @ 6:30 p.m.

Gretchen BeaumarchaisThe Angels Home opener is Monday evening, March 31st.

Executive Chef Gretchen Beaumarchais of Angel Stadium joins us to talk about all the enhancements for 2014. The food and beverage is now under the direction of Legends.

Jaisun (Jason) Ihm (Director of Premium Services) joins Chef Getchen.

There is now an in-house pastry chef (from the St. Regis, Monarch Beach) for 2014. All baked goods & sweets are now baked in-house. Bread is from OC Baking Co.

New grilled cheese sandwiches & smoked meats.

New emphasis on local craft beers.

The Diamond Club has been remodeled and the menu revamped.

Halo at Angel Stadium (above The Diamond Club) is the new premium seating sports entertainment experience with globally inspired dining.

Jet has been visiting at Cornell University’s Cornell Dining Services (a giant sushi roll) and Producer Andy has been dining in Venice. We’ll talk about it…

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Managing Partner Russ Bendel, Vine Restaurant & Bar, San Clemente
Segment Three: Cary Hardwick, Co-Owner & Co-Managing Partner, Spaghettini Fine Dining & Entertainment, Seal Beach
Segment Four: Celebrity Chef Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s daytimer, “The Chew.”
Segment Five: Executive Chef Mike Minor, Truck U Barbeque Truck, Las Vegas
Segment Six: Pastry Chef Marissa Sharon, DOMA Beverly Hills
Segment Seven: Executive Chef Gretchen Beaumarchais, Angel Stadium, Anaheim, and Jaisun Ihm, Director of Premium Services, Legends
Segment Eight: Chef Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris, “SoCal Restaurant Show”

March 22: Brooke Williamson, Selanne Steak Tavern, Grand Central Market, Eat LBC, Food Network 20th Anniversary, Blue Bottle Coffee

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Executive Chef Brooke Williamson, Hudson House, The Tripel and soon, Playa Provisions
Segment Three: Executive Chef Josh Severson, Selanne Steak Tavern
Segment Four: Kevin West, journalist, cookbook author, home preserving expert
Segment Five: Elizabeth Borsting and Terri Henry, Co-Producers, EAT LBC – Long Beach Restaurant Week
Segment Six: Eric Boardman, Food & Travel TV Producer, On-Camera Host & Personality, and Writer
Segment Seven: David Wicker, Managing Partner and Vice President of Sales & Marketing, West Coast Prime Meats
Segment Eight: James Freeman, Founder & CEO, Blue Bottle Coffee

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

Chef Brooke Williamson of Hudson House and The Tripel is back with us. Her latest venture, Playa Provisions, is about to debut. In Laguna Beach we’re checking in with Executive Chef Josh Severson at the booming Selanne Steak Tavern.

The Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles is the grandfather of food halls in the area. Exciting things are going on there with the arrival of distinctive new food businesses. We’re continuing with our preview of EAT LBC, Long Beach’s first ever restaurant week set for March 30th through April 5th.

The Food Network celebrated its 20th Anniversary last year. That’s a lot of history. We’ll be talking about the early days of FN with one of their original show hosts.

Also on the menu is another information segment with our resident meat expert. We’ll discuss wet and dry aging and other meaty matters.

The hit of the just concluded Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim was a new cold-brewed coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee. The founder of Blue Bottle Coffee is with us to explain.

All of this and lots more incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Brooke Williamson of Hudson House and TripelChef Brooke Williamson’s entire life has always been about food. With chef-husband Nick Roberts she now owns Hudson House in Redondo Beach and The Tripel in Playa Del Rey. Both are popular neighborhood spots. Soon to launch is their latest venture, Playa Provisions.

Chef Brooke has earned a Level 1 accreditation from The Court of Master Sommeliers.

Chef Brooke gained a national following on Bravo’s “Top Chef – Season 10” were she finished as a runner up. There is a strong rumor she will be part of Celebrity Cruises’ “Top Chef at Sea,” 7-day voyage to Alaska on August 15th out of Seattle.

Josh SeversonWe’re revisiting the new Selanne Steak Tavern in Laguna Beach. It’s less than a half-year old but is already attracting loyal repeat diners from the highly discriminating neighborhood. Our guest is Executive Chef Joshua Severson.

Chef Josh previously spent time with celebrity chef Tom Colicchio at CraftSteak in Las Vegas at The MGM Grand.

There is a lot more than juicy steaks on the Selanne Steak Tavern menu.

Kevin WestKevin West is a respected writer, cookbook author and hobbyist-turned professional-canner. His first cookbook (published last year) was, Saving the Season: a cook’s guide to home canning, pickling, and preserving.

He’s also part of the team suggesting the appealing new food enterprises at the historic Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles, opened in 1917. Already there (and making an impression) are Valerie Confections, Horse Thief BBQ, G&B Coffee, Eggslut, DTLA Cheese, and Sticky Rice.

On the way are Wexler’s Deli, The Oyster Gourmet, Olio Pizzeria, and Berlin Currywurst. Also opening soon is Belcampo Meat Co., a full-service butcher shop featuring organic, grass-fed meats.

Eat LBC Long Beach Restaurant WeekOver 50 Long Beach restaurants are participating in EAT LBC – Long Beach Restaurant Week, the city’s first-ever Restaurant Week. The dates are March 30th through April 5th.

Several prominent Long Beach neighborhoods are represented including Downtown, East Village, Downtown Waterfront, Belmont Shore, Belmont Heights, the PCH Corridor and East Anaheim/Zafaria District. In addition to their regular menu, each restaurant will offer a special three-course menu during Restaurant Week which includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert for $26 at casual eateries, and $38 at fine dining establishments. Tax and gratuity are additional.

Restaurants participate in restaurant weeks to persuade first-time guests to return. You see restaurants at their very best and the menus are value priced.

Co-producers Elizabeth Borsting and Terri Henry join us to preview Restaurant Week.

Clearly The Food Network which celebrated it’s 20th Anniversary last year has had a major influence on American popular opinion. They had to create a 2nd channel, “The Cooking Channel,” to accommodate all the potential sponsors who wanted to be represented. It’s now actually cool to talk about food and cook. Dudes share recipes…Chefs have become huge celebrities. Wolfgang Puck is better known World Wide than a lot of film and TV celebrities.

Eric BoardmanFood Network started modestly and with tight budgets. Our guest, Eric Boardman, was there in the early days. In 1999 he was the host of the popular series “Calling All Cooks.” The concept was the host going into the guest’s home kitchen where they make (with the series host) a recipe they are famous for in their immediate social circles, family or community. A lot were shot in Southern California but some exotic locations were used, too. The guests were talented home cooks.

West Coast Prime MeatsWest Coast Prime Meats really knows the meat business as only an insider can. Most of their seasoned, senior executives have an extensive background in the restaurant business or are master butchers. If fact West Coast’s key master butcher has more than 30 years experience in the field.

Dave Wicker, WCPM’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing and Managing Partner, is back with us to talk beef. We’ll talk about wet and dry aging and the cuts of steak. We’ll also weigh-in on whether having the bone-in on a steak adds moré flavor once it’s cooked.

James Freeman of Blue Bottle CoffeeBlue Bottle Coffee is a sensation for coffee lovers in San Francisco and New York. They are soon to arrive locally in Venice on Abbot Kinney Blvd. and in Culver City.

Blue Bottle Coffee was a big hit at the recently concluded Natural Products Expo West @ the Anaheim Convention Center. They were there to introduce their newest product, Cold Brewed New Orleans Iced Coffee packaged in a mini milk carton. It was one of the biggest hits at the show and the talk of the floor!

Founder and CEO James Freeman is with us to provide the background. He was actually at the show pouring samples!

Blue Bottle Coffee – New Orleans Iced Coffee. Blended with chicory, cane sugar & Clover Organic Milk.

“Near the beginning of the 19th Century, the French brought chicory-infused coffee to New Orleans. Two hundred years later we crafted our own organic, cold—brewed version for our farmers market stand, adding cane sugar and whole milk. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.”

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Executive Chef Brooke Williamson, Hudson House, The Tripel and soon, Playa Provisions
Segment Three: Executive Chef Josh Severson, Selanne Steak Tavern
Segment Four: Kevin West, journalist, cookbook author, home preserving expert
Segment Five: Elizabeth Borsting and Terri Henry, Co-Producers, EAT LBC – Long Beach Restaurant Week
Segment Six: Eric Boardman, Food & Travel TV Producer, On-Camera Host & Personality, and Writer
Segment Seven: David Wicker, Managing Partner and Vice President of Sales & Marketing, West Coast Prime Meats
Segment Eight: James Freeman, Founder & CEO, Blue Bottle Coffee

Show 59, February 1, 2013: Chef Hans Rockenwagner, Rockenwagner Bakery and Café Rockenwagner

Hans RockenwagnerChef Hans Rockenwagner burst on the local Venice dining scene in 1985 when he opened the original (40 seat) Rockenwagner on Abbot Kinney Blvd. where Joe’s is now.

In 1991 Rockenwagner moved to a much larger space in the Frank Gehry-designed Edgemar Complex in Santa Monica. A master bread baker from Germany was added to the culinary staff.

White asparagus, in season, became a signature menu item. He direct imported it himself from Germany bringing in 300 lbs. per week via air freight during the season.

Hans eventually discovered there was more money (and stability) in artisan bread and eventually closed Rockenwagner to concentrate on his growing wholesale bread baking business. He now has 60 bakers working around the clock seven days a week! Rockenwagner Bakery is a fixture at area Farmers Markets including the Sunday Beverly Hills Farmers Market.

Show 59, February 1, 2013: Chef Hans Rockenwagner, Rockenwagner Bakery and Café Rockenwagner. Continues…

Cafe RockenwagerIn addition to the growing wholesale bakery Hans Rockenwagner has a network of busy bakery cafes in Santa Monica, Venice, and Mar Vista. The most ambitious café to date just launched in Brentwood. This Café Rockenwagner is in the bw (a high-rise luxury apartment building) at the corner of Barrington Ave. and Wilshire Blvd.

Besides a full food menu with breakfast, lunch, and dinner there is an on-site pastry chef here so there is an impressive selection of fresh breakfast pastries, desserts, breads and pretzels available. All the bakery items can be secured grab-and-go, too. Hans likes to think of it as a modern day bistro.