Avi and Jessica are back on the pod to share some exciting new updates about the 3rd St Carla storefront opening, upcoming menu items, announcements, and some of their favorite recent top bites.
0:45 - Jessica is pregnant and we’re having our first child!
1:25 - Opening Carla Cafe 3rd Street brick + mortar location
5:00 - Compliments to the staff and customer satisfaction
6:03 - Current menu favorites: Chicken Caesar wrap R&D
8:14 - Matcha controversy
10:06 - Avi’s raw kefir journey
14:55 - Korean BBQ breakfast burrito vs. the OG
16:11 - Expanding hours and opening on Sundays
18:21 - Top things we’ve been eating - Matu, Apple Pan
18:47 - Alix Earle chili recipe
19:55 - Recent Madeo experience and order
23:08 - Arbol in Cabo, poolside fish tacos and nachos
25:05 - Signed a lease for a Century City Carla location with possible future smoothie/menu items

Avi sits down solo today to discuss some of the recent responses and protests to the Israel/Palestine conflict occurring throughout US campuses and cities, trying to make sense of the current discourse towards further divisiveness.

Avi sits down solo today to discuss some of the upcoming initiatives for the 3rd St. Carla location around their planned coffee and matcha program and the procurement process - we'd love to hear your feedback on this one!

2:08 - notes and price points for the 9 different matcha samples

8:26 - unanimous results from blind taste test of Avi's top 4

10:19 - margins and pricing based on the most popular pick

14:28 - taste vs. price - which is more important?

17:26 - prioritizing quality while protecting margins within a trial program

19:38 - we want to hear your thoughts/feedback on the proposed pricepoint!

On today’s episode, Avi sits down with interior designer and friend Mike Moser who is working with Carla on their upcoming 3rd St. brick and mortar location. Mike’s bicoastal projects have been featured in Architectural Digest and commended for their client-first approach. From working at Wasteland when he first moved to LA to getting a job at Ralph Lauren and starting his own eponymous design studio, Mike highlights his journey of personal and professional self-discovery with this discussion that covers:

2:21 - what happens when projects or client relationships shift and how to handle them

5:24 - the impact of being featured in Architectural Digest

9:03 - growing up in a close-knit Christian family and coming to terms with Mike’s own sexuality

15:49 - the complexities of religious/internalized shame when trying to validate your identity as you come of age

18:59 - people are not defined by their “sins” and it is not their identity

22:06 - turning an awareness of design and aesthetics into a career

23:28 - falling in love at Wasteland and the whirlwind decision to move to LA instead of going back to San Diego

29:42 - getting a job at Ralph Lauren and the experience of working at such a recognizable brand/aesthetic style

33:43 - when Mike realized it was time to move on and start his own studio 

34:30 - honor your true strengths and passions while learning to delegate the rest

43:13 - where Mike gets inspiration for his designs

50:48 - working with people directly to bring them joy and happiness is the goal

58:45 - other key moments that Mike attributes to helping him get to where he is today

1:04:07 - the privilege of the ability to work with clients of a certain caliber and the pride but also responsibility to deliver that comes with it

1:07:52 - what Mike avoids when approaching a design project

1:10:47 - misconceptions about designing a space and how to align your vision with the client’s

1:18:34 - Mike’s current relationship with God/spirituality and valuable lessons he's learned about himself

Avi and Jessica sit down to discuss the story of Moses, when they each started to fully embrace God, and how it impacted their journey with starting Carla Cafe and turning it into a business.

1:15 - the story of Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt

2:57 - how Avi & Jess envision mana tasting

4:20 - interpreting the meaning of the Sabbath

5:55 - how literally to interpret God’s words from the Torah/Old Testament

15:28 - how the takeaway of believing that everything will work out relates to the start of Carla

25:07 - saying goodbye to Avi’s aunt and his parents’ house being destroyed by flooding on the same day serving as the catalyst for Carla to become possible during COVID

29:18 - living out of the Beverly Hills Hotel with no money in the checking account

32:29 - a pivotal phone call from Avi’s brother that planted the seed of the Carla vision

33:42 - why the rental house at Leslie was the unexpectedly perfect place to realize that vision

36:54 - hindsight and a perspective shift change memories from sad to positive

41:38 - the value of believing

44:22 - feeling a calling from God at the wedding to go with the flow

49:30 - why you need to be watching The Traitors Season 2

Avi and Jessica sit down to discuss their 3 favorite recent bites of the week with orders for each, and give an overview of the story & lessons of Tamar.

5:07 - coffee testing for new location

8:06 - McConnell’s

11:08 - hot take: not enough top tier pizza in LA

13:45 - Lamonica’s

18:39 - Manpuku

22:22 - Baja Fresh

27:07 - homemade chicken lettuce cups

27:34 - South Beverly Grill

27:54 - homemade Benihana-style salad

28:03 - Raffi’s vs. Darya

29:14 - story of Tamar and continuation of Sunday Service

34:54 - does having sex with Tamar curse men to die?

40:05 - Judah respects Tamar for her poise and takes accountability for his actions despite her being a woman during a time when women were considered a man’s property

43:28 - book rec - The Way of Forgiveness

Avi sits down solo today to share his thoughts on the current state of the Israel/Palestine conflict since the Oct. 7th attacks & the confusing anti-Israel stance that non-Palestinian progressives are taking.

1:06 - Avi shares his memories and emotions felt on Oct. 7th, 2023

3:47 - Avi’s parents’ experience as Persian Jews and fleeing their home country

6:40 - explaining why this conflict is inherently a religious issue since the beginning of Israel’s existence

12:04 - the divisiveness of insinuating that some lives are more valuable than others

14:34 - peace hasn’t been possible without the acceptance of a two-state solution & living under Hamas regime shouldn’t be an option

18:02 - the irony of progressives walking hand in hand with white supremacists

21:06 - Jews are responding to a war that Hamas started

24:45 - the progressive one-sided fallacy of claiming to care about civilian deaths

26:11 - what you are really supporting if you back a Hamas pro-Palestinian agenda

30:14 - the contradiction of implying Israel as an oppressor because they are more powerful and wanting to level the playing field rather than improve Palestine

35:45 - the issues with Marxist ideology

43:46 - woke ideals are not the best thing for society if they rely on tearing one group down to raise another up

Jessica and Avi sit down today to discuss some memorable recent bites and give a full recap of part 1 of their recent Italian nuptials. Part 2 coming soon to unpack the rest of the unforgettable experience.

1:26 - some favorite bites of the month starting with the Chanos nachos

3:23 - how Avi and Jessica recreated their Thanksgiving leftover turkey sandwich with a twist

18:10 - update on Carla storefront construction

18:37 - almost missing the flight to Italy for their own wedding (there were several contributing factors but Avi’s 45 minute shower didn’t help for Jessica)

23:10 - bringing Carla on the plane to enhance the flight experience

27:15 - hot travel tip for extra luggage assistance 

27:44 - getting separated with both phones dead while wrangling luggage in Rome, Avi fears Jessica has been abducted

31:36 - Avi & Jessica are relieved to reconnect but transporting the luggage to the hotel remains a challenge

35:10 - dinner and drinks the first night at St. Ana and Hotel Locarno

37:20 - Avi’s foot injury and buying chips for the welcome bags

38:44 - sightseeing and exploring for the day

40:20 - guests start arriving, sampling candies and chocolates

43:18 - bird shits on guest’s face within 30 mins of arrival on the way to dinner

43:43 - Al Moro order

45:03 - Tuesday night dinner at Zuma & order

46:45 - Wednesday day prep and Jess buying a last-minute dress

49:31 - Avi’s nap bleeds slightly into dinnertime, post dinner drinks and dancing vibes

51:47 - pizza at Emma

54:26 - welcome drinks (Avi shows up to cocktail attire in a t-shirt), apps served, and a midnight golf-cart tour of Rome for kick-off event

59:44 - revolving risotto and McDonald's

Jessica and Avi sit down today to discuss the latest Carla updates, what managing the early days of the business informed about the need to bring on a back of house operator for the next phase of growth, as well as the biblical story of Joseph, forgiveness, and if Rachel and Jacob were actually getting after it.

1:27 - what the early days of the business taught Avi about the need for someone to handle operations

4:41 - when a third kitchen hire is driven by power dynamics to take shortcuts

6:36 - putting a different spin on the tuna chop that had pros and cons

10:04 - what the new back of house operator has been able to accomplish to prioritize consistency

12:32 - Jessica's favorite Carla order and why the GAC changed their lives

16:21 - process of R&Ding and hint at upcoming new menu items

18:25 - Angelini Osteria order to taste test with Ryan and Brittany

22:39 - Avi wants to tell Jessica the story of Joseph from the Bible

25:00 - Jessica wonders if people could really date back then, Avi contends that familial power structures of the time would make hooking up privately a challenge

27:59 - Jacob's polygamy loophole to be able to get together with Rachel after accidentally sleeping with her sister

33:51 - Joseph's asshole siblings throw him down a well in a jealous rage for being the favorite

35:05 - Joseph's ultimate come-up from 13 years of slavery to saving all of Egypt from famine

37:16 - Joseph comes face to face with his siblings in their time of need and is put to the highest test of forgiveness

40:01 - trusting the path that you are on is the right one regardless of the challenges along the way (Jessica thinks Joseph still might be a pick-me though)

Avi sits down solo today to share his thoughts on food prices as well as some insights from inside the restaurant industry on the important correlation between costs and quality.

0:24 - Avi's recent experience at Avi Cue and order

2:57 - the IG story response about Avi Cue's prices that set this episode in motion

3:23 - why making everything in-house is expensive by nature

4:07 - negotiating pricing with suppliers takes time

5:06 - how pricing is calculated

5:57 - Restaurant Depot's eye-opening frozen section

7:54 - the reality of how often we are served pre-made food

8:28 - appreciating the dedication of restaurants that commit to better quality food in-house

9:35 - why most restaurants are incentivized to keep from raising their prices

11:19 - the importance of communicating feedback to your favorite restaurants about what they're doing well

12:02 - Carla's belief system about customer demand for quality product

13:15 - how to support the places in your area that are committed to quality