SoCal Restaurant Show

SoCalGas is hosting the 11th Annual SoCalGas Foodservice Equipment Expo (2 days) on Tuesday, October 22nd and Wednesday, October 23rd from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the SoCalGas Energy Resource Center in Downey.

“With no-cost registration, the 11th annual Foodservice Equipment Expo provides an opportunity to Reconnect, Rebuild, and Innovate at one of the industry's largest West Coast showcases of natural gas and energy-efficient commercial foodservice equipment. Leading industry manufacturers will display and demonstrate their brands as attendees visit booths and live-action cooking stations, sample artisan foods cooked on a variety of natural gas equipment, network, and learn about available rebates.” 

SoCalGas Co.’s Gina Christian (Foodservice Technical Specialist) is our guest providing all the details.

Chef Dustin Trani represents the 4th generation of the celebrated Trani Family to be an owner/chef cooking in San Pedro. He is best known for J. Trani’s Ristorante which is his Family’s successor restaurant to their original San Pedro establishment, Trani’s Majestic Café opened in 1925 in downtown San Pedro.

His latest venture (in the works since 2019) is the ambitious, Trani’s Dockside Station located in San Pedro’s historic waterfront in a vintage (fully restored and renovated) 1920 building that initially served as an immigration hall. In more recent years it was the local diner, Canetti’s Seafood Grotto, which closed in 2010 after a 70-year run. The exterior has been restored and preserved along with the addition of a striking, art deco neon vertical sign. Trani’s Dockside celebrated their year anniversary earlier in 2024.

Brunch is served on Sundays. Lunch is Wednesday through Friday and Dinner is available nightly from Wednesday through Monday.

Chef Dustin is one of the noteworthy chefs (25 high profile chefs for each night) for the upcoming Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival in Manhattan Village set for the evenings of Friday, October 11th and Saturday, October 12th. He’s working on serving a novel swordfish sausage taste with just the right texture.

Chef Dustin Trani joins us with all the update details for Trani’s Dockside Station.

Lots of premium options available for tastier chicken. What do all the various labels means and which are actually worth the extra cost? What is Jidori chicken and why is it so special? What is the meaning when associated with fresh chicken of words like “All-Natural,” “Free-Range,” “Pasture-Raised” and “Cage-Free” ? Chef Andrew explains…

Living Roots Wine & Co. is a winery in both the Finger Lakes Region of New York (Hammondsport, Keuka Lake, Steuben County) and the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia. “Sixth generation winemaker and Adelaide native Sebastian and Rochester native Colleen Hardy make wines with regional and varietal expression, minimal inputs, and maximum quality. A new Tasting Room debuted one year ago with an incredible view of Keuka Lake and is located on the family’s Shale Creek Vineyard with an urban Tasting Room in Rochester.” Proprietress Colleen Hardy joins us to uncork all that is Living Roots Wine & Co.

“Love & Salt in Manhattan Beach is a story that begins with Cafe Pierre, a restaurant birthed by Guy Gabriele in 1977 to bring a taste of France to Los Angeles’ South Bay. While Cafe Pierre was a beloved part of the community for nearly 37 years, in 2014, Guy and his daughter Sylvie Gabriele, now the owner of Love & Salt, closed the restaurant to bring new life to the iconic space.” Executive Chef Chris Feldmeier (ex- Bar Moruno) has just returned to Love & Salt to oversee the menu. It’s full circle as he was previously cooking there in 2018. Chef Chris is one of the noteworthy chefs (25 different high-profile chefs for each night) for the upcoming Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival in Manhattan Village set for the evenings of Friday, October 11th and Saturday, October 12th. We reel in Chef Chris from his busy kitchens to join us.

“The Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) brings back its always anticipated Tastemakers of Orange County fundraising event on Thursday, October 10 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. More than two dozen local chefs will celebrate the Asian and Pacific Islander community and culture by providing guests the opportunity to indulge in one-of-a-kind Asian and Pacific Island-inspired tapas dishes in an all-you-can-eat setting. Proceeds from tickets sold for this event go to support OCAPICA's numerous programs and services in mental health and health, youth development, housing assistance, policy education and combating anti-Asian racism.” More than two dozen area celebrity chefs will be participating ranging from Executive Chef Rich Mead of Farmhouse at Rogers Garden to Chef/Restauranteur Amar Santana of Vaca. OCAPICA’s Board Chair, Sora Park Tanjasiri, and participating chef & baker Tarit Tanjasiri of Crema Cafe (Seal Beach) and Crema Artisan Bakers (Irvine) join us with all the enticing details.

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. First, finishing the discussion of the cost of health care as it relates to Federal Income Taxes from last week. From there New York state is proposing the elimination of coal fired and wood fired pizza ovens. Are these really a major contributor to air pollution? Pizzaiolo Chef Andrew hand-stretches the dough on this one.

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

Living Roots Wine & Co. is a winery in both the Finger Lakes Region of New York (Hammondsport, Keuka Lake, Steuben County) and the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia. “Sixth generation winemaker and Adelaide native Sebastian and Rochester native Colleen Hardy make wines with regional and varietal expression, minimal inputs, and maximum quality.”

A new Tasting Room debuted one year ago with an incredible view of Keuka Lake and is located on the family’s Shale Creek Vineyard with an urban Tasting Room in Rochester.

“Some wines are made year-to-year while others are one-offs. Each vintage is an opportunity to explore new vineyards and varieties, and to highlight the terroir and natural strengths of these diverse regions.”

“The new Winery and Tasting Room in Hammondsport is located on the family’s Shale Creek Vineyard and features a large tasting bar, retail area, spacious indoor and outdoor seating, indoor fireplace and outdoor fire pits. The site is run on geothermal energy, solar panels and also offers working EV chargers.”

“The estate wines include Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Cabernet Franc. Vinifera and hybrid varieties are sourced from other growers around the region. Their most popular wines from Australia are McLaren Valley Grenache, Adelaide Hills Shiraz and Red Blend.”

“Living Roots also offers a range of lower alcohol “Sessions” wines (7 to 10 % ABV), made with natural techniques and spanning from Session Sparkling White to Session Red.”

Proprietress Colleen Hardy joins us to uncork all that is Living Roots Wine & Co.

Living Roots Wine & Co. is a winery in both the Finger Lakes Region of New York (Hammondsport, Keuka Lake, Steuben County) and the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia. “Sixth generation winemaker and Adelaide native Sebastian and Rochester native Colleen Hardy make wines with regional and varietal expression, minimal inputs, and maximum quality.”

A new Tasting Room debuted one year ago with an incredible view of Keuka Lake and is located on the family’s Shale Creek Vineyard with an urban Tasting Room in Rochester.

“Some wines are made year-to-year while others are one-offs. Each vintage is an opportunity to explore new vineyards and varieties, and to highlight the terroir and natural strengths of these diverse regions.”

“The new Winery and Tasting Room in Hammondsport is located on the family’s Shale Creek Vineyard and features a large tasting bar, retail area, spacious indoor and outdoor seating, indoor fireplace and outdoor fire pits. The site is run on geothermal energy, solar panels and also offers functioning EV chargers.”

“The estate wines include Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Cabernet Franc. Vinifera and hybrid varieties are sourced from other growers around the region. Their most popular wines from Australia are McLaren Valley Grenache, Adelaide Hills Shiraz and Red Blend.”

“Living Roots also offers a range of lower alcohol “Sessions” wines (7 to 10 % ABV), made with natural techniques and spanning from Session Sparkling White to Session Red.”

Proprietress Colleen Hardy continues with us uncorking all that is Living Roots Wine & Co.

“Love & Salt in Manhattan Beach is a story that begins with Cafe Pierre, a restaurant birthed by Guy Gabriele in 1977 to bring a taste of France to Los Angeles’ South Bay. While Cafe Pierre was a beloved part of the community for nearly 37 years, in 2014, Guy and his daughter Sylvie Gabriele, now the owner of Love & Salt, closed the restaurant to bring new life to the iconic space.”

“Love & Salt is a philosophy: that food needs only two ingredients to be great. It’s a sensibility that informs the feeling in the restaurant and the dishes on the menu — Italian-inspired with Southern California soul. An approachable wine list and classic cocktail program similarly reflect the vibrant SoCal setting of the restaurant, located just steps from the Manhattan Beach pier.”

Executive Chef Chris Feldmeier (ex- Bar Moruno) has just returned to Love & Salt to oversee the menu. He was previously cooking there in 2018. Chef Chris is one of the noteworthy chefs (25 high profile chefs for each night) for the upcoming Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival in Manhattan Village set for the evenings of Friday, October 11th and Saturday, October 12th. We reel in Chef Chris from his busy kitchens to join us.”

“The Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) brings back its always anticipated Tastemakers of Orange County fundraising event on Thursday, October 10 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. More than two dozen local chefs will celebrate the Asian and Pacific Islander community and culture by providing guests the opportunity to indulge in one-of-a-kind Asian and Pacific Island-inspired tapas dishes in an all-you-can-enjoy setting. Proceeds from tickets sold for this event go to support OCAPICA's numerous programs and services in mental health and health, youth development, housing assistance, policy education and combating anti-Asian racism.”

More than two dozen area celebrity chefs will be participating ranging from Executive Chef Rich Mead of Farmhouse at Rogers Garden to Chef/Restaurateur Amar Santana of Vaca.

“In addition to the food tastings, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy beverages by Brewery X and BondleWines. This fundraiser will feature groovy tunes from a live DJ, a silent auction with luxury experiences and unique items, and an exciting opportunity drawing.  Tickets are available to the public for $250 for VIP, which allows early entry at 6 p.m.; and $195 for General Admission from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. More information and tickets can be found at ocapica.org/tmoc.”

OCAPICA’s long-time Chairperson of the Board, Sora Park Tanjasiri, and participating chef Tarit Tanjasiri of Crema Cafe (Seal Beach) and Crema Artisan Bakers (Irvine) join us with all the enticing details.

“The Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) brings back its always anticipated Tastemakers of Orange County fundraising event on Thursday, October 10 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. More than two dozen local chefs will celebrate the Asian and Pacific Islander community and culture by providing guests the opportunity to indulge in one-of-a-kind Asian and Pacific Island-inspired tapas dishes in an all-you-can-enjoy setting. Proceeds from tickets sold for this event go to support OCAPICA's numerous programs and services in mental health and health, youth development, housing assistance, policy education and combating anti-Asian racism.”

More than two dozen area celebrity chefs will be participating ranging from Executive Chef Rich Mead of Farmhouse at Rogers Garden to Chef/Restaurateur Amar Santana of Vaca.

“In addition to the food tastings, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy beverages by Brewery X and BondleWines. This fundraiser will feature groovy tunes from a live DJ, a silent auction with luxury experiences and unique items, and an exciting opportunity drawing.  Tickets are available to the public for $250 for VIP, which allows early entry at 6 p.m.; and $195 for General Admission from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. More information and tickets can be found at ocapica.org/tmoc.”

OCAPICA’s long-time Board Chair, Sora Park Tanjasiri, and participating chef Tarit Tanjasiri of Crema Cafe (Seal Beach) and Crema Artisan Bakers (Irvine) continue with us providing all the salivating details.

First, finishing the discussion of the high cost of health care reflected as a percent of Federal Income taxes. From there New York state is proposing the elimination of coal fired and wood fired pizza ovens. These ovens produce exceptional pies. Are these really a major contributor to air pollution? Pizzaiolo Chef Andrew hand-stretches the dough on this one.