Chomp N Things

Abbey’s Real Texas BBQ was founded by Matt Shlemon after visiting Texas and falling in love with authentic barbecue. He loved it so much, he imported a 1-Ton Smoker directly from Texas so that San Diego can enjoy true, authentic Texas-style BBQ and it has been around for 38 years!! We interviewed Matt's Son, GM of Abbey's - Mark this week and he explains why it’s so important for him to continue running his father’s business, how his father started it all on a signed napkin, and more! There is so much history behind this family-owned operated restaurant. Don't miss this one!

We are so excited to interview the local icon, Chicken Charlie himself AKA The Deep Fry King AKA The Man Who Fries Everything! We didn't have the San Diego county fair this year, so we decided to visit Charlie at his new spot in Rancho Bernardo called Chicken Charlie's Table.

He started at the summer fair at the young age of 14 and 12 summers later, Charlie had worked his way through high school and college selling fried food! In 1996, he bought a trailer specializing in broasted chicken, a method of “pressure-frying” chicken and the rest is history!

At the local fair, he has offered deep-fried pickles, olives, s’mores, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Twinkies, cheesecake, cupcakes, frog legs, White Castle cheeseburgers and more. You name it, and Chicken Charlie has probably battered and fried it. His quote “There are many other fried foods at the fair, but I specialize in it. I make it my life.”

We know you love deep-fried things and we know you'll definitely LOVE this!!

On this week’s episode, we interview Owner/Chef Cory of Royal Rooster. He has cooked for politicians, in Michelin-star restaurants, and also worked for the Thomas Keller! Cory learned how to cook from his experiences in the kitchen and now running his own restaurant in Mission Bay. He’s been open for about 1.5 years! Want to know how he come up with the nane ‘Royal Rooster’? I guess you’ll have to listen to find out!

Did you know Twist has been around for 7 years? This week, we interviewed Chef Saad, the culinary mastermind behind Twist. He’s a HUGE foodie and has traveled all over the world to find the best blend of flavors and spices to create his eclectic and delicious menu. He definitely puts a ‘twist’ in his dishes! Saad mentions how he learned how to cook, how he invented the Twist burger after a drunk night, his upcoming weekly specials, his spice dealer and more! Saad is also known around town as the “chicken man”. Take a listen and Go support him in the North Park area and we promise you won’t be disappointed!

With roots extending all the way to South America, Pachamama’s name is synonymous with “Mother Earth”. Their practices maintain the utmost reverence for nature, and their business is deeply committed to working in a way that is environmentally sustainable and even regenerative while offering customers delicious food that nourishes them from the inside out.

Pachamama is inspired by a wide variety of countries, such as Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, and Mexico, and the beautiful Chef Vick Vannucci has created innovative dishes containing elements honoring each of these locations. They hope to awaken the palates of their customers with exciting, exotic flavors found throughout the menu.

Did you know Chef Vick was a well-known model, tennis player and socialite on the Argentinian social scene? Now you know! She talks about the energy and positivity in her cooking. It exudes in her dishes! She mentions having her own garden, growing her own fruits/vegetables that she uses in her dishes and battling with ants in her garden! Make sure you take a listen! You might learn a thing or 2!

WE HIT 50 EPISODES!! WHOOHOO!! 🥳🥳 We are still in awe! Thank you for all your support!! 🙌🏼 We visited Villas Mexican Food this week and they have been around since 2001! Did you know that?? Go check them out at the Grossmont Center’s food court! We interviewed the owner, Omar, and he told us how he used to help his parents restaurant after school, after numerous bus stops and how he eventually took over the restaurant and made it his own. Their menu consists of family recipes which includes street tacos, tortas, burritos, and his mom’s Pastel de Tres Leches cake! They are open 7 days a week for dine-in, takeout & delivery! Episode 50 drops Sunday 10/11!

Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month! We would like to feature this amazing husband and wife duo, Carlos & Julia of Agua Cali Frescas, who sells their delicious & authentic Homemade Aguas Frescas & Chamoy at the Barrio Logan Pop-up, as well as their own Pop-up across from San Ysidro High School! Flavors include Agua de Mazapan, Agua de Pina, Agua de Mango with Chamoy Rim, Horchata con cafe and more! Not to mention, there is no added sugar or syrups - ALL NATURAL! They have teamed up with the CCA (The Center of Community Advocacy), a non-profit organization to help house farm workers. The CCA has created programs that directly focus on Housing, Healthcare, and Youth Services for their children. This wonderful couple is donating 10% of their sales to the CCA. Not all heroes wear capes! We applaud YOU!

For more information or how to donate - visit them at http://cca-viva.org/. Make sure you check them out and show your support!

Lighthouse Ice Cream is a family owned business serving award winning ice cream. Serving a huge variety of flavors, milkshakes, sundaes, floats and more! Their known for their famous treat - the Hot Waffle Ice Cream Sandwich! Cascade Ice Cream from Oregon and Double Rainbow from San Francisco as well as the unique Twisted Soft Server Cones are served here. Their ice cream shop is located just steps from the beach and the West Coast's longest concrete fishing pier in beautiful Ocean Beach San Diego, California. Owners, Dick & Carol Ladiges opened their doors for the first time on June 10, 1997. We interviewed Carol and dug deeper into her story from living in Spain, bike riding 18,000-miles through eight countries, her new hobby painting and more! Take a listen and go check them out!

Christelle is a San Diego native and has 3 wonderful young men. She is one of the first foodies we met a couple of years ago and just hit it off! Christelle is many things! She has conversations with friends worldwide LIVE on her Facebook page - Facebook.com/ChristelleLerryn, she is also on another live show 'Oh No! Not Another Live Show' with Tim Lewis Of Stoneham Press on Facebook Live, she is working on her Children’s Book - debuting October 2020 (est.), and Christelle and her sons' recently re-branded their clothing line @loveheroesapparel™️.

Their Mission: To develop a line that creates a space for our community to wear positive messages while giving back to an organization that supports victims of domestic violence.

Their Vision: To create an ethical model of Love, Kindness, and Community within our business practices.

Their Hope: To invite our community to join us in practicing the virtues of love and kindness as we work together toward a common good. For every purchase made, we will donate $1 to an organization near and dear to our heart.

We're sure she has more under her belt and you'll just have to take a listen to find out! We know you're going to love this episode!

Do you know how Torpasta was born? Let us tell you a story! The owner, Damien, was in fourth grade and he loved spaghetti sandwiches. He had one problem - they were very messy, and the majority of the pasta would slip out of the sandwich. One day, the school cafeteria served spaghetti with a bread roll. Damien decided to poke a hole in the roll, hollowed out the insides and filled it with spaghetti. It was a success!!!! He had created a spaghetti sandwich with no mess, and every noodle remained in the roll. Since then, Damien have perfected the ingredients, creating the world’s best hot torpedo sandwich with excellent pasta dishes inside. This sandwich idea has inspired him to start his own restaurant and catering business in Point Loma, Devine Pastabilities, also known as, Torpasta! Going on 17 years! They are also serving Torpastas at the Ocean Beach Farmer's Market every Wednesday 4-8pm! Go check them out!