SoCal Restaurant Show

“October is Freaky Fruit® month, highlighting the most exotic and intriguing of Mother Nature’s sweet bounty. Melissa’s “Prince of Produce,” Robert Schueller, continues as our well-informed guide. A bit creepy to look at, but surprisingly delectable to eat, Freaky Fruit® is a must for the entire month leading up to a frightening finale on Halloween.”

“Eaten out-of-hand, or added to desserts, baked goods, and other recipes, pomegranates, passion fruit, cherimoya, blood oranges, Buddha’s hand, dragon fruit, finger limes, cactus pears, kiwano melon, and rambutan have the wow-factor to make any dish truly spooktacular.”

“For a boo-eautiful breakfast bowl, blend up a creamy pudding with Cherimoya (aka custard apple), plant-based yogurt, and avocado, and top with your choice of Freaky Fruit®. Add some omega 3-rich chia seeds and crumbled Clean Snax® for texture and crunch. This Freaky Fruit® scary-moya pudding bowl is the perfect way to start any October day.”

“Chile Verde Mexican Food is celebrating their 25th Anniversary in November. It’s a proudly family-owned gem founded in 1999 by the Bahena family, and has been engaging the Los Angeles community with value-priced, high-quality regional Mexican cuisine for over two decades.”

“Jose & Israel Bahena’s journey from ambitious immigrants to successful restaurateurs is the heartwarming tale of dreams realized through passion and hard work. From their famous wet burritos, lovingly smothered in savory sauces, to sizzling Fajitas, each dish at Chile Verde is crafted with the freshest ingredients and love. The newest location is on East 7rh Street in Long Beach. Today, Chile Verde boasts 9 thriving locations, each one a testament to the loyalty of their wonderful customers and the vibrant communities they serve.” The original location is in Torrance.

To celebrate their 25th anniversary in November, their Street Tacos will now be specially priced at $1.99 and available every day throughout the month of November. 

Israel Bahena Jr., the Co-Founder’s son, is our guide to all the goodness of Chile Verde.

The Wine Exchange has always been known for their forward-thinking innovations in wine retailing. Last Weekend they celebrated their long-in-the-works Wine Bar with a festive Grand Opening. Chef John English pizzas and a selection of cheese from the renown Cheese Store of Beverly Hills were on the menu to compliment the wine tasting.

The Wine Tasting Experience at Wine Exchange features 24 wines available by the glass (or just to sample), all day, every day, as poured by their new, state-of-the-art Enomatic tasting appliances.

“The Wine Exchange is personally curating the rotating selections. They are hands on and really care so only the best pours will be “on tap” from areas all over the globe. Think reds, whites and always a little something sweet. Using tasting cards available at their front counter guests can simply insert the card and push the button, 1-, 3- or 5-ounce pours based on how much you’d like.”

WineEx’s always knowledgeable Kyle Meyer (President) joins us to uncork all the current doings at Wine Exchange and share his informed viewpoint of the state of the wine business in California.

The Wine Exchange has always been known for their forward-thinking innovations in wine retailing. Last Weekend they celebrated their long-in-the-works Wine Bar with a festive Grand Opening. Chef John English pizzas and a selection of cheese from the renown Cheese Store of Beverly Hills were on the menu to compliment the wine tasting.

The Wine Tasting Experience at Wine Exchange features 24 wines available by the glass (or just to sample), all day, every day, as poured by their new, state-of-the-art Enomatic tasting appliances.

“The Wine Exchange is personally curating the rotating selections. They are hands on and really care so only the best pours will be “on tap” from areas all over the globe. Think reds, whites and always a little something sweet. Using tasting cards available at their front counter guests can simply insert the card and push the button, 1-, 3- or 5-ounce pours based on how much you’d like.”

WineEx’s well-informed Kyle Meyer (President) stays with us uncorking all the current doings at Wine Exchange and sharing his perspective of the current state of the premium wine business in California.

“Lively Run Dairy in Interlaken, Cayuga Lake, Finger Lakes, NY, is one of the longest operating commercial goat dairies in the country, beginning production in New York in 1982 and pioneering goat cheese in the American marketplace. Lively Run is a family-owned and operated creamery located in the Finger Lakes Region of NY. Steve and Susanne Messmer, and their two sons, Pete and Dave Messmer, own Lively Run Dairy.”

“The Messmer family took over operations in 1995, after Steve Messmer was discharged from military service and brought his family back from Europe in the early 1990s. Susanne took over herd management and cheese making of the operation in 1995, while Steve did morning milkings and all hay making/purchasing and barn cleaning and maintenance. The sons Pete and Dave helped from the beginning, being 6 and 7 years old. Later the boys took over morning and evening farm chores.”

“From a fairly young age, Pete and Dave Messmer have been engulfed in the family farm and cheese making lifestyle. Throughout the years, Steve and Susanne have taught their sons everything they knew about cheese, the cheese making process, and business ownership.”

“Pete took over as head cheese maker from Susanne in 2013. Since then Pete has developed and expanded Lively Run’s product line to include hard aged goat milk and cow milk cheeses. His focus on quality and consistency has been rewarded. Their Cayuga Blue was awarded first place in its class at the American Cheese Society Cheese Contest in 2017. The Finger Lakes Gold Reserve won first prize at the same competition in 2019. It was entered by the judges into the best of show competition, being one of 15 selected cheeses out of a competition entry of over 1,700 cheeses!”

“Lively Run Goat Dairy cheese has long been a favorite of chefs. The cheese is very versatile, easy to store, and chefs use it in all courses. Lively Run Goat cheeses include soft, semi-soft, and hard cheeses. Some of their cheese, such as our Seneca Blue Moon (aged Chèvre), are mold ripened. Lively Run specializes in providing unique artisanal goat cheeses for chefs, who have steadily become their largest clientele over the years .

Both the award-winning artisan Goat’s Milk and Cow’s Milk cheeses are available via their online store. Particular standouts in the Goat Cheese portfolio are the Finger Lakes Gold and the Cayuga Blue.

“Their small volume, high quality production means that Lively Run cheese is exclusive. Lively Run cheese remains a viable and sustainable family farm alternative to industrialized, mass- produced goat cheese, which accommodates discerning chefs and their gourmet or health conscious clientele.”

Artisan 2nd generation Cheesemaker Pete Messmer is our guest.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and it’s high anxiety time in the home kitchen. Chef Andrew is a fountain of genuinely useful Thanksgiving cooking tips (stress-free) which he always graciously shares with the listening audience. Also, Chef Andrew enthusiastically explains why the Spork (combination of a spoon & fork) may be the most underutilized, and unappreciated, tool in the home kitchen.

The Great American Beer Festival held annually in Denver is the premier U.S. beer competition, crowning the finest beverages in over 100 beer and cider styles. Long Beach has an emerging craft beer scene as evidenced by their performance at the Great American this year. The 5-year old Trademark Brewing took home one Gold and one Silver. Ian McCall of ISM Brewing was awarded a Bronze (their first year) for Plough & Harrow in the Saison category. Ian McCall taps the keg on all the Long Beach craft beer happenings.

“Wine Educator and Wine Journalist Maiah Johnson Dunn tells heart-forward stories about New York wine.” She joins us to uncork her varied path to wine and her current duties at the multi-faceted New York Kitchen culinary and beverage education center in Canandaigua, NY, Finger Lakes. “After a 13-year career in experiential and event marketing, Maiah transitioned to the wine and hospitality industry. Her shift began with Chasing Grapeness, an Instagram account turned wine pairing dinner series focused on increasing industry diversity, equity, and inclusion. Following two sold-out dinners in 2020, she started writing about wine and never looked back. Maiah is the Beverage Education Manager at New York Kitchen in Canandaigua, New York, where her focus is building a warm and inviting educational space for everyone. Quarterly she co-teaches a class called DEI Over Wine, which breaks down the concepts of DEI into easily digestible conversations over a glass.” 

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew has spoken about continuing supply chain concerns negatively impacting the restaurant industry. He is a big proponent of enhancing the domestic supply chain and the benefits therein. Chef Andrew explains.

Winemaker Paul Warson oversees the operations of Moraga Bel Air, a 16 -acre estate vineyard and winery unusually located in the exclusive Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. On Saturday, October 26 area wine aficionados will have the very special opportunity to visit the estate from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a Harvest Boot Camp. It’s a “Crush Course” with Winemaker Paul for an up-close and in-depth look into what makes Moraga Wine so special. Guests will have the rare opportunity to see the vineyards and observe harvest and crush. Reservations are essential and the group size will be limited for the comfort of all guests. Winemaker Paul Warson joins us with all the quaffable details of the October 26th Harvest Boot Camp at Moraga Bel Air.

“After plenty of research and development with flavors from many of our California cultures, Cali Dumpling has deliciously reinvented the dumpling landscape and created an exciting, one-of-a-kind menu. These are dumplings done different and are available frozen online, at select grocery outlets or at their new restaurant in Orange.” The Cali Dumpling restaurant is now open seven days a week in the City of Orange, “featuring delicious organic potstickers with California-inspired sauces!” Proprietor and Chef Allan Tea joins us with all the steaming details.

The Great American Beer Festival held annually in Denver is the premier U.S. beer competition, crowning the finest beverages in over 100 beer and cider styles. Long Beach has an emerging craft beer scene as evidenced by their performance at the Great American this year. The 5-year old Trademark Brewing took home one Gold and one Silver. Ian McCall of ISM Brewing was awarded a Bronze (their first year) for Plough & Harrow in the Saison category. Ian McCall taps the keg on all the Long Beach craft beer happenings.

Winemaker Paul Warson oversees the operations of Moraga Bel Air, a 16 -acre estate vineyard and winery unusually located in the exclusive Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. On Saturday, October 26 area wine aficionados will have the very special opportunity to visit the estate from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a Harvest Boot Camp. It’s a “Crush Course” with Winemaker Paul for an up-close and in-depth look into what makes Moraga Wine so special. Guests will have the rare opportunity to see the vineyards and observe harvest and crush. Reservations are essential and the group size will be limited for the comfort of all guests. Winemaker Paul Warson joins us with all the quaffable details of the October 26th Harvest Boot Camp at Moraga Bel Air.

“After plenty of research and development with flavors from many of our California cultures, Cali Dumpling has deliciously reinvented the dumpling landscape and created an exciting, one-of-a-kind menu. These are dumplings done different and are available frozen online, at select grocery outlets or at their new restaurant in Orange.” The Cali Dumpling restaurant is now open seven days a week in the City of Orange, “featuring delicious organic potstickers with California-inspired sauces!” Proprietor and Chef Allan Tea joins us with all the steaming details.

The Great American Beer Festival held annually in Denver is the premier U.S. beer competition, crowning the finest beverages in over 100 beer and cider styles. Long Beach has an emerging craft beer scene as evidenced by their performance at the Great American this year. The 5-year old Trademark Brewing took home one Gold and one Silver. Ian McCall of ISM Brewing was awarded a Bronze (their first year) for Plough & Harrow in the Saison category. Ian McCall taps the keg on all the Long Beach craft beer happenings.

“Wine Educator and Wine Journalist Maiah Johnson Dunn tells heart-forward stories about New York wine.” She joins us to uncork her varied path to wine and her current duties at the multi-faceted New York Kitchen culinary and beverage education center in Canandaigua, NY, Finger Lakes. “After a 13-year career in experiential and event marketing, Maiah transitioned to the wine and hospitality industry. Her shift began with Chasing Grapeness, an Instagram account turned wine pairing dinner series focused on increasing industry diversity, equity, and inclusion. Following two sold-out dinners in 2020, she started writing about wine and never looked back. Maiah is the Beverage Education Manager at New York Kitchen in Canandaigua, New York, where her focus is building a warm and inviting educational space for everyone. Quarterly she co-teaches a class called DEI Over Wine, which breaks down the concepts of DEI into easily digestible conversations over a glass.” 

Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew has spoken about continuing supply chain concerns negatively impacting the restaurant industry. He is a big proponent of enhancing the domestic supply chain and the benefits therein. Chef Andrew explains.

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

Winemaker Paul Warson oversees the operations of Moraga Bel Air, a 16 -acre estate vineyard and winery unusually located in the exclusive Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles.

On Saturday, October 26 local wine aficionados will have the very special opportunity to visit the estate from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a Harvest Boot Camp. It’s a “Crush Course” with Winemaker Paul Warson providing an up-close and in-depth look into what makes Moraga Wine so special. Guests will have the rare opportunity to see the vineyards and observe harvest and crush. Reservations are essential and the group size will be limited for the comfort of all guests.

“Moraga Vineyards is one of the most unique wine estates in California. Located at a 550-900 foot elevation in the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Angeles residential community of Bel Air, the winery and vineyard is the source of remarkably refined wines that perfectly reflect a union of distinctive terroir and the gentle guidance of focused winemaking.” The property is now owned by media magnate Rupert Murdoch but the vineyard and winery was originally founded by the late Tom Jones, the long-time CEO of Northrup Corporation and a serious wine enthusiast.

“Because they found their non-commercial vintages so enjoyable, the Joneses decided to officially launch Moraga Bel Air as a commercial entity.  The first vintage, 1989, was produced by Bruno D’Alfonso at Sanford Winery in Santa Barbara County.  D’Alfonso also made the 1990 and 1991 vintages.  For the next several years the grapes were sent up to Etude Winery in Napa to be made by Tony Soter. Mary Hall, viticulturalist for Etude, was brought on as Moraga Bel Air’s original viticultural consultant and continued with Moraga even after she left Etude and joined Harlan Estate.”

“The 2005 vintage marked a significant milestone in Moraga’s history. A state-of-the art winery was completed on the property just in time for the 2005 harvest. This, coupled with the barrel-aging cave completed in 2004, established Moraga as an Estate Wine and one of the first commercial wineries to be bonded in the city of Los Angeles since Prohibition ended in 1933.”

“In 2013, at the age of 93 and with 24 vintages under his belt, Jones sold Moraga Bel Air to Rupert Murdoch. Mr. Murdoch made the property his West Coast home and is committed with son, Lachlan, to carrying on the Jones’ legacy of producing top quality wine from one of California’s most unique estate wineries.”

Winemaker Paul Warson joins us with all the quaffable details of the October 26 Harvest Boot Camp at Moraga Bel Air.