Show 441, September 4, 2021: Show Preview with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

SoCal Restaurant Show

Happy Labor Day Weekend

Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar turned five on September 1, 2021. “To celebrate the occasion, Owner & Executive Chef Rich Mead is highlighting a menu of $5 food and drink specials offered Wednesday, September 1 through Sunday, September 5. Chef Rich Mead’s special menu of five $5 bites highlights the unique local and sustainable ingredients he sources during weekly trips to the Santa Monica Farmers Market.” Chef Rich takes a respite from his busy kitchen to join us.

Winemaker Pietro Buttitta of Prima Materia makes American-Italian wines from his 12-acre vineyard in Lake County, CA. “His is a quest to not just get it right, but simply to get to making good, balanced wines. In his effort, he knows he’s up against perceptions borne 20 years ago about Italian varietals made in California. His is, fortunately, not those wines.” “Prima Materia doesn’t use herbicides or pesticides, and they naturally craft unfined and unfiltered wines using traditional methods that produce ageable bottles that respect classical styles interpreted through their vineyard.” Pietro is our guest to uncork all that is Prima Materia.

Adam Bell, the founder of dataTV established in 1996, is the “SoCal Restaurant Show’s” accomplished, long-time web designer, webmaster and all-around social media guru. He relocated to Los Angeles from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Adam’s wide range of clients includes Chef Jet Tila, Café du Monde and the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association. Adam is also a certified coffee nut. Last weekend was the big, annual Coffee Fest Anaheim at the Anaheim Convention Center. Adam will report on what’s new in coffee and what it’s like experiencing a popular, previously well-attended trade show known for generous sampling coming off the pandemic with the real concerns of the spread of the Delta variant.

“Every September, in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Sgt. Pepperoni’s Pizza Store (3 OC locations) fundraises for Julian’s LEGO® Corner, an Orange County-based charity that donates new LEGO® kits for seriously ill hospitalized children to play with while they undergo medical care at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). Last year, Sgt. Pepperoni’s raised $16,000, and the team has an even bigger goal in 2021.” Our guests, representing the owners of Sgt. Pepperoni’s, are Stan Frazier and Jeff Roberts.

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where Chef Andrew responds to listeners thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew is continually updating us on the real impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the hospitality field and what we, as diners, can do to support the continued survival of restaurants during the initial, highly fluid stages of the hoped-for recovery. Genuine concerns remain… Bracken’s Kitchen is presenting their annual benefit, The Hungry Games 4.0 on Thursday evening, September 9th to benefit the less fortunate and food insecure in Southern California. Chef Andrew is one of the participating chefs. Bottled hot sauce is everywhere these days and there seems to be more brands entering the marketplace all the time. What goes into creating a quality, shelf-stable hot sauce? We’ll “Ask the Chef.”

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!

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