Now a salivating preview of this Saturday’s ample show. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case, upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing…

Executive Chef Jason Fullilove is back in a real restaurant space, Barbara Jean Los Angeles, with elevated American Soul Food. He’s a bit hidden on the back patio of Melrose Avenue’s Melrose Umbrella Co. It’s dinner nightly and Brunch on Weekends. We’ll catch up with the peripatetic Chef Jason.

Food and travel journalist Robyn Eckhardt brings dishes from Istanbul and eastern Turkey to the home cook in ISTANBUL AND BEYOND: EXPLORING TURKEY’S DIVERSE CUISINES. With over 150 recipes, stories about places, people and ingredients, and lush on-location photography, ISTANBUL AND BEYOND takes readers on an unforgettable culinary journey from Turkey’s cosmopolitan cultural capital to its lesser known eastern regions. Food and travel journalist Robyn Eckhardt, now based in Italy, is our guest.

We’ve actively followed (since 2014,) and reported on, Team USA in their long pursuit of winning a place on the medals stand for the biannual Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition. Team USA 2015 headed by Chef Philip Tessier took the Silver Medal (just missing the Gold) and Team USA 2017 headed by Chef Mathew Peters earned the Gold in 2017, an incredible first for Team USA. Team USA 2019 was just selected in a fierce competition on Thursday, Nov. 9th at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. We’ll talk to the winning chef, Matthew Kirkley of COI, San Francisco, who will now train with his Commis (Mimi Chen, Line Cook, COI) for the next year, and then helm Team USA 2019 in Lyon. Also in on the conversation is Chef Robert Sulatycky, Head Coach, Team USA 2019.

Executive Chef Todd Sicolo supervises all of the varied dining options at the new

The much-honored Ranch Restaurant in Anaheim was the recipient this year of The Golden Foodie Award for the Best Entrée in Orange County. (That is their 9th Golden Foodie Award.) The item is Executive Chef Michael Rossi’s signature Cowboy Ribeye. That’s a 58oz. bone-in rib chop with Grafton Farms white cheddar scalloped potatoes and Sauce Bordelaise. Oh yea…

The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon (launched in January of 2012) is an upscale fine dining and country music establishment located on the ground floor of Extron Electronics corporate headquarters in Anaheim. Chef Rossi has led the kitchen brigade there since a year and one-half before the actual opening.

It also offers a luxurious private dining and events center on the sixth floor of the same building. A personal vision and dream of Extron President and Owner Andrew Edwards, THE RANCH comprises a rustic yet elegantly styled restaurant based on regional American cuisine and fine wines.

THE RANCH delivers a notable combination of a quality culinary experience with a seasonally driven menu emphasizing the best local ingredients. Many of the fresh fruits and vegetables used on the menu (and at the bar) are grown on The Ranch’s own farm in Orange.

The Thanksgiving Dinner Menu for $85 is a standout. It’s four-courses. The Main course is a choice of Mary’s Organic Free-Range Turkey, Loch Etive Steelhead Trout, Wyoming Raised Buffalo Prime Rib or Pheasant Pot Pie. Advance Reservations are a must.

We get Chef Michael out of the busy kitchen to chat in-studio about the extraordinary project that is The Ranch Restaurant.

 

Executive Producer Andy Harris was in Roswell, GA (an incorporated City of 95,000 in the greater Atlanta area with a lot of living Civil War history) in early October with fellow members of the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA.) In this show we continue our coverage of the best of Roswell with a chat with Chris Nelson, the dynamic new Executive Director of the 120,000 member Chattahoochee Nature Center founded in 1976 by local citizens.

CNC is the oldest and largest private, non-profit natural science learning center in the Southeast. This environmental sanctuary encompasses 30 species of native wildlife and 127 acres of native plants and gardens.

Follow the “Wildlife Walk” to view beaver and native birds of prey including owls, hawks and bald eagles. Hike the woodland trails or wander the boardwalk. Visit the gardens, and explore the Discovery Center. A true nature-lover’s paradise.

One of the most noteworthy efforts at the Chattahoochee Nature Center is The Unity Garden. It was established in April 2010 with a generous grant from Kaiser Permanente. The quarter-acre garden has three goals: Production, Donation, and Education.

The Unity Garden grows fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Also there is a roomy chicken coop there with happy hens laying fresh eggs. The Unity Garden uses sustainable gardening practices, found and recycled resources, and focuses on producing healthy plants in healthy soil. The garden is tended by a garden coordinator, as well as dedicated individual volunteers.

Most of the fresh produce grown in the Unity Garden is donated to the food pantry at North Fulton Community Charities. CNC delivers fresh vegetables and greens once or twice a week. The Unity Garden is in year-round production. To date, CNC has delivered over 27,000 pounds of fresh produce.

Earlier in the year we introduced you to the pride of southern BBQ, the Heirloom Market BBQ in Atlanta established in 2010. The youthful owner/chefs are Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee. They are prominently featured in the “Smokehouse Stories and Recipes” section of Matt Moore’s The South’s Best Butts – Pitmaster Secrets for Southern Barbecue Perfection.

Atlanta Magazine has consistently recognized them as one of the “50 Best Restaurants in Atlanta.” Quite an honor for a modest establishment which is housed in 720 sq. ft. and is essentially to-go because much the limited patio seating is stand up.

Chef Jiyeon is Korean so one of the available winning sauces is KB Sauce (Korean BBQ Sauce) with a dash of sweet heat. It’s mouthwatering American BBQ with an unintentional Korean influence.

Pork is the house specialty here but all the meats are worthy of deserved praise. Don’t miss the unusual Kimchi Slaw, a happy accident.

Executive Producer Andy Harris recently made the pilgrimage to Heirloom. It really was as good as Matt promised and an experience to see during their lunch rush.

Chefs Cody and Jiyeon are our guests.

 

Now an enticing preview of Saturday’s mouthwatering show. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case, upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing…

Earlier in the year we introduced you to the pride of southern BBQ, the Heirloom Market BBQ in Atlanta. The youthful owner/ chefs are Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee. They are featured in the “Smokehouse Stories and Recipes” section of Matt Moore’s The South’s Best Butts – Pitmaster Secrets for Southern Barbecue Perfection.

Executive Producer Andy Harris recently made the pilgrimage to Heirloom. It was as good as Matt promised and an experience. Chefs Cody and Jiyeon are our guests.

Executive Producer Andy Harris was in Roswell, GA (an incorporated City of 95,000 in the greater Atlanta area with a lot of living Civil War history) in early October with fellow members of the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA.) In this show we continue our coverage of the best of Roswell with a chat with Chris Nelson, the new Executive Director of the 120,000 member Chattahoochee Nature Center.

The much-honored Ranch Restaurant in Anaheim was the recipient this year of The Golden Foodie Award for the Best Entrée in Orange County. That is Executive Chef Michael Rossi’s signature Cowboy Ribeye. That’s a 58oz. bone-in rib chop with Grafton Farms white cheddar scalloped potatoes and Sauce Bordelaise. Oh yea…We’ll get Chef Michael out of the kitchen to chat about the extraordinary project that is The Ranch Restaurant.

Salt & Straw Ice Cream is a family-run, chef-driven ice cream company with kitchens and scoop shops in Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles that partners with local artisans, producers and farmers to serve unusually creative and absolutely delicious ice cream. Co-Founder and Head Ice Cream Maker Tyler Malek is our guest.

2017 marks twenty-three years of the Festival Gourmet International in Puerto Vallarta. In 1995 Chefs Thierry Blouet and Heinz Reize came up with the idea of ​​promoting and elevating the culinary level of this region to competitive international standards,

Co-host, Chef Andrew Gruel, joins us from the road with an informative “Ask the Chef” segment.

Last week Anthony Bourdain of CNN’s “Parts Unknown” gave an exclusive interview to Business Insider with Chef Danny Bowien. Along the way Bourdain provided an epic rant on his dislike of Yelp! We’ll get Chef Andrew’s informed perspective from his own experience. He diligently responds to every Yelp! review.

Chef Andrew Gruel connects with us by phone this week after launching the first Slapfish in New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Chef Bruce Kalman of Union and Knead & Co. pasta bar + market will compete on Season 15 of Bravo’s “Top Chef” which launches on Thursday evening, December 7th.

The Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series will follow 15 diverse chefs from across the country as they battle it out for the coveted title amid the breathtaking landscapes and thriving culinary scenes in Denver, Boulder, Telluride and Aspen. Host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio return to the judges table alongside Gail Simmons and Graham Elliot.

For a sneak peek, visit the Bravo’s Top Chef site.

Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Bruce Kalman has spent almost his entire life working in kitchens. His culinary career began at a local pizzeria owned by a family friend, where he fell in love with fresh ingredients and the beat of the kitchen. He attended a small hands-on culinary program at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City, NJ, where he began to hone his skills and perfect his simple approach to great food.

Bruce has since traveled the United States, working in New York City with David Burke at Park Ave Cafe, and in Chicago with Paul Bartalotta at Spiaggia. His executive chef stints span the nation from Chicago (Okno, Green Dolphin Street and Coco Pazzo) to Santa Fe, NM (Il Piatto) and Phoenix, AZ (Chelsea’s Kitchen).

October is National Pasta Month and Chef Bruce Kalman and his crew are celebrating all month long at Pasadena’s Union Restaurant by raising money for American Red Cross – Disaster Relief Efforts in Puerto Rico, Texas & Florida aka #pastaforthepeople.

Each week in October Chef Kalman has highlighted one of his signature pasta dishes off his menu. When the featured pasta is ordered a portion of the proceeds from that dish will go to support disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico, Texas & Florida via the American Red Cross.

For the concluding week of October 22nd to 31st the featured dish is Tagliatelle with pork ragu, Grana Padano and gremolata.

Chef Bruce is also part of the Grand Central Market’s 100th Birthday Celebration on Friday, October 27th. He operates Knead & Co. pasta bar + market there.

We’ll get Chef Bruce away from the pasta cooker for a chat.

Benjies New York Deli, Restaurant & Avenue K Bar in Santa Ana has been operating as a two-generation family owned New York-style deli originated by Stan Weinstein in 1967 and still operated today by Stan’s son and daughter-in-law, Lloyd & Noriko Weinstein. On October 6th they celebrated their 50th anniversary of continuous service.

The Weinstein’s strive to maintain the family-oriented-style, quality restaurant created by Stan, while keeping up with modern trends in dining. Benjies offers the truly New York style deli experience in Orange County, California—large portions, fresh products and an extensive array of menu items—mouth-watering pastrami on rye, and soul-warming Matzo Ball soup to absolutely decadent desserts. Their signature Reuben Sandwich was a past 1st place winner at the O.C. Fair.

Added in the last 18 months is the Avenue K Bar with a modern stylish atmosphere. On the menu are a broad selection of ice cold craft beers on tap and specialty cocktails. Also available in Avenue K is Benjies’ full menu along with a standout Happy Hour appetizer (think Reuben fritters) and cocktail Menu served from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. With multiple HD, wall-mounted large-screen televisions placed strategically around the room it’s a great spot to enjoy college and pro football as well as Anaheim Ducks Hockey.

2nd generation deli-maven Lloyd Weinstein is our guest.

Guests will discover an extensive mixology program in the bar and lounge areas at 71Above, as well as curated cocktail selections designed to pair with each course of the dining experience.

Chef Abgaryan offers a dining journey that includes a two-course lunch ($35.00 pp), three-course dinner ($75.00 pp), guided chef’s tasting menus, along with curated wine and cocktail parings ($45.00 pp). Each menu offering concludes with an array of extraordinary dessert offerings by Executive Pastry Chef Gregory Baumgartner.

Emil Eyvazoff is a native of Los Angeles and among the pioneers in the renaissance of Downtown. Eyvazoff began in Downtown’s hospitality and nightlife scene in 2004 with the development of Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant and Elevate Lounge. Eyvazoff was approached by the ownership of the U.S. Bank Tower in 2013 to develop a unique restaurant concept for the 71st floor. Over the next three years, 71Above was born. Passionate about food and wine, Eyvazoff belongs to several societies, including the Chevaliers du Tastevin and Commanderie de Bordeaux.