Soaring 950 feet above 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles, high atop the U.S. Bank Tower, 71Above celebrates the diversity of culture and landscape in the City of Angels. Proprietor Emil Eyvazoff’s (Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant and Elevate Lounge) key team is acclaimed Chef Vartan Abgaryan and General Manager Alex Hasbany. Chef Abgaryan’s menus offer a contemporary, modern American cuisine that references the ethnic makeup and cultural traditions of the sprawling metropolis. Emil Eyvazoff joins us.

71Above diners revel in extraordinary unobstructed scenery, expanding for miles in all directions. Tag Front partnered with SageGlass Company to create a seamless view protected from the elements by technological engineering that automatically darken and lightens the glass panes surrounding the restaurant, offering shading in the light of day, while magically lightening as dusk and nightfall arrive.

Upon entering the restaurant from the lobby of the US Bank Tower, guests arrive on the 71st floor in a centralized enclosed area that dramatically expands outward as the full restaurant and views are revealed. Tag Front references the geography of the landscape below, as well as the flight patterns above through the use of various design motifs.  The 71Above logo on the front entrance floor extends outward in every direction, landing at table tops capped by a compass, alongside artistic directionals beautifully positioned on mirrored partitions that highlight the closest local, and farthest international destinations.

The structural layout of the space affords an unusual mix of seating options, including “quieter dining” for private events or those that prefer to be outside the noise and bustle of the busy restaurant; the chef’s tables, which offer up-close views into the open kitchen; the lively main dining room and the robust atmosphere of the adjoining bar and lounge. Guest may opt to select their preferred dining atmosphere during the TOCK reservations process.

Executive Producer Andy Harris was in Roswell, GA (an incorporated City of 95,000 in the greater Atlanta area with a lot of living history from the Civil War) earlier this month with fellow members of the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA.)   as invited guests of Visit Roswell. In this show we start our coverage of the best of Roswell with a chat with restaurateur Ryan Pernice, the founder of Table & Main restaurant, a true locals’ favorite.

A simple, seasonal, and Southern dining experience, Table & Main offers a place for people to come and enjoy themselves at a cozy restored homestead on lively Canton Street in Roswell, Georgia. Diners enjoy quality dishes evocative of the South and home-style cooking like Chef Woody Back’s famous fried chicken that some patrons argue rivals grandma’s recipe. Table & Main proudly promotes itself as the place to get your bourbon on Canton Street with its well-stocked bourbon bar and beautiful patio where partakers can relax, surrender their troubles, and enjoy the hospitality and attention of the restaurant.

“Founded by Ryan Pernice, RO Hospitality opened its first restaurant, Table & Main, in Roswell, GA in 2011 with a clear, confident vision of becoming the neighborhood’s adopted clubhouse. We’re proud of our progress towards achieving that goal, being tremendously fortunate to work with amazing people as we hone our community focus at two additional concepts: Osteria Mattone and Coalition Food and Beverage.”

“Our team relies on five major characteristics to nurture the tradition of excellent hospitality our restaurants represent: Warmth, Optimism, Ownership, Conviction, and Loyalty. With those key traits uplifting our Cuisine, Service & Story, we will create such positive experiences for our guests that they will seek to make us a part of their daily lives.”

Now a salivating preview of this Saturday’s, October 21st’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 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) earlier this month with fellow members of the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA.) In this show we start our coverage of the best of Roswell with a chat with restaurateur Ryan Pernice, the founder of Table & Main restaurant, a locals’ favorite.

Soaring 950 feet above 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles, high atop the U.S. Bank Tower, 71Above celebrates the diversity of culture and landscape in the City of Angels. Proprietor Emil Eyvazoff’s (Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant and Elevate Lounge) key team is acclaimed Chef Vartan Abgaryan (Cliff’s Edge) and General Manager Alex Hasbany. Chef Abgaryan’s menus offer a contemporary, modern American cuisine that references the ethnic makeup and cultural traditions of the sprawling metropolis. Emil Eyvazoff joins us.

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

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 di...

Food Journalist Cathy Thomas has been the highly-regarded food columnist for the Orange County Register for over 26 years. Most of that time was as the greatly-admired  Food Editor. In addition to that she is the online columnist for Orange Coast Magazine where you can view many of her entertaining and informative cooking videos featuring area and celebrity chefs.

“My first book was published in 2006, “Melissa’s Great Book of Produce” (Wiley, $29.95, 2006 – written for Melissa’s World Variety Produce, the LA-Based company that is the nation’s largest distributor of specialty and organic produce). My second book is “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce” (Wiley, $29.95). The book has received fantastic reviews. Emeril plugged the book on Good Morning America, naming it as one of the top ten cookbooks for the season. My third book, “50 Best Plants on the Planet (Chronicle, $29.95) explores the fifty most nutrient dense fruits and vegetables that grow on earth. The recipes are easy and delicious.”

Represented on the buffet today in the Melissa’s Test Kitchen is Cathy’s recipe for Hearts of Romaine Salad with Beets, Apples and Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing. It features Melissa’s Steamed Beets and Green Dragon Apples. The recipe is from Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce.

“Because I’ve studied with chefs across America, Europe and Asia, I have a passion for ethnic cuisines. I love to embrace new flavors, new aromas and new techniques. When it comes to cooking and eating, there is always something new to experience.”

We’ll pull Cathy away from the cutting board for a chat.

Celebrity Chef Jet Tila (Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen with Alton Brown”) was the original Co-host of the “SoCal Restaurant Show” in 2012, 2013 and 2014. We gratefully appreciate his key contribution in establishing the “SoCal Restaurant Show.”

His new cookbook which is already generating a wok-ful of well-deserved praise is 101 Asian Dishes You Need To Cook Before You Die. Great gift idea for the Holidays for someone who is a genuine food fan.

Just launched is Jet’s 5-part video series on Facebook, Authentically Asian with Jet Tila. It’s equal parts travel log and stress-free cooking show. Episode One is “PHOnomenal Adventure” and Episode Two is “Korean BBQ” with Chef Chris Oh Oh (HANJIP.)

Jet also holds numerous Guinness World Records for creating unusual, large format foods. Earlier this week he guided students at SUNY Purchase College to set a new World Record for the longest California Roll. It was measured at 504 feet. 300 pounds of sushi rice and 650 sheets of Nori…!

Chef Jet joins us.

Robert Schueller of Melissa’s is our resident authority on all things fruits and vegetables. He is the produce guru. If it’s legally grown (or imported) in the United States and Robert doesn’t know about it then it probably doesn’t exist!

This morning it’s the best of the season including Melissa’s Dutch Yellow Potatoes, Pearl Onions, Green Dragon Apples, Winter Crunch Grapes, Steamed Beets and Lentils. Also, Melissa’s new and expanding line of Clean Snax.

“Dutch Yellow Potatoes from Idaho are considered waxy as they remain dense and moist when cooked. The DYP also cooks a lot quicker than other kinds of potatoes. It is also the only potato variety that is not light sensitive, so it does not turn a greenish hue when exposed to light for an extended length of time.”

Melissa’s new CLEAN SNAX® comes in seven tasty mixes: Almond, Pumpkin Seed, Coconut, Quinoa, Cranberry, Carrot Cake, and Matcha.

Each convenient clamshell package contains 5-6 servings of delicious bite-sized squares that are packed with nutrient-dense ingredients like chia and flax seeds, nuts and more.

They are the perfect snack for kids and adults that satisfy both sweet and salty cravings in deliciously healthy nuggets of natural flavors.

All CLEAN SNAX® mixes are vegetarian, gluten free, low-fat, low-sodium and contain no artificial ingredients.

 

Now a tempting preview of Saturday October 14th’s properly decadent & celebratory 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…

It’s our special 5th Anniversary Show. Pop the Champagne corks. Thanks so much for being part of our audience and joining in the festivities. The show is live from the state-of- the art Test / Demonstration Kitchen at Melissa’s World Variety Produce’s Vernon complex. We’ll encore some great guests from the past 5 years and also look to the future.

Robert Schueller of Melissa’s is our resident authority on all things fruits and vegetables. If it’s legally grown (or imported) in the United States and Robert doesn’t know about it then it probably doesn’t exist!

Today it’s the best of the season including Melissa’s Dutch Yellow Potatoes, Pearl Onions, Dragon Apples, Winter Crunch Grapes, Steamed Beets and Lentils. Also, Melissa’s new and expanding line of Clean Snax.

Over the past decade at The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, Partners JC Clow, William Lewis and Chef Yvon Goetz have created quite a stir by successfully pairing chef-driven, contemporary California regional cuisine, with a hip, vibrant, sophisticated setting, to create a cutting-edge dining experience. Located at The District in Tustin and on the Bay in Newport Beach, The Winery was named “Restaurant of the Year” by the Orange County Concierge Association in its first year in business. The 3rd location of The Winery Restaurant will launch before year’s end in La Jolla in Westfield UTC. Restaurateur and Managing Partner JC Clow, the master of welcoming service and gracious hospitality, is our guest.

Celebrity Chef Jet Tila (Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen with Alton Brown”) was the original Co-host of the “SoCal Restaurant Show” in late 2012, 2013 and 2014. His new cookbook which is already generating a wok-ful of deserved praise is 101 Asian Dishes You Need To Cook Before You Die. Just launched is Jet’s new 5-part video series on Facebook, Authentically Asian with Jet Tila. Just this last week Chef Jet earned a new certified Guinness World Record for creating the largest California Roll done with students at SUNY Purchase College. Jet joins us.

Food journalist Cathy Thomas has been the highly-rega...

Over the past decade at The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, Partners JC Clow, William Lewis and Chef Yvon Goetz have created quite a stir by successfully pairing contemporary California regional cuisine, with a hip, vibrant, sophisticated setting, to create a cutting-edge dining experience. They are also noted for their deep and carefully curated wine cellars. Located at The District in Tustin and on the Bay in Newport Beach, The Winery was named “Restaurant of the Year” by the Orange County Concierge Association in its first year in business.

The 3rd location of The Winery Restaurant will launch before year’s end in La Jolla in the lavishly renovated Westfield UTC. The restaurant menu will focus on contemporary California regional cuisine at its finest, with Executive Chef & Partner Yvon Goetz directing a team that delivers a culinary experience straight from the Wine Country.

At The Winery La Jolla, Chef Goetz’s menu will feature wild game and USDA Prime Steaks, as well as Pacific Rim flavorings, such as fresh line-caught Opah, Mong Chong, Ono & Mahi Mahi flown in daily from Hawaii.  Tying the expansive wine list into the menu, Chef Goetz will feature numerous wine-infused ingredients into many of his signature dishes.

“At The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, we pride ourselves on really focusing on our guest experience. Our third location to open in La Jolla will have the same level of service, with highly skilled Chefs to orchestrate a warm and passionate menu created by our award-winning Chef Yvon Goetz, and a team of Certified Sommeliers to oversee an incredible wine program,” explained JC Clow, Founding Partner of The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar. “It’s exciting to join a group of retailers that are among the best in their respective fields. We anticipate endless possibilities, with something to suit every palate.”

Restaurateur and Managing Partner JC Clow is our guest.

Chef Andrew Gruel rejoins us after launching the first Slapfish in New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Chef Andrew and Lauren dine out often with their young son, William. We’ll get Chef Andrew’s informed thoughts about managing young kids in restaurants and what the parents’ responsibilities are.

Both Slapfish and Butterleaf were part of last Saturday afternoon’s Oozefest 3 (cheese festival of epic proportions) at Main Place Mall in Santa Ana. Slapfish is bringing back the Lobsticle with queso dip, a signature item from the original food truck.

Tom Fraker, a Melissa’s Corporate Chef and the manager of the Melissa’s Corporate Test Kitchen, came to cooking late as a second career. He was the oldest student in his class at the California School of Culinary Arts Le Cordon Bleu and was the recipient of a lot of teasing.

As a high-profile Melissa’s representative he participates in special events, trade shows, and culinary functions throughout the country. He also creates many of the great, tested recipes on the genuinely useful Melissa’s Website that are designed to be easy-to-prepare winners in home kitchens.

We’ll chat with Chef Tom about choosing and cooking with peppers. We’ll be highlighting recipes from Melissa’s The Great Pepper Cookbook – The Ultimate Guide to Choosing and Cooking with Peppers. On the menu are items like Crab Stuffed Cucumber Cups, Devlish Deviled Eggs, Brussels and Kale Sprouts Salad, Potato and Cauliflower Bake, Pollo en Crema, Chile-Lime-Jackfruit Puffs and Apple Cinnamon-Chile Crumb Cake.

Tom created most of the recipes for Melissa’s The Great Pepper Cookbook – The Ultimate Guide to Choosing and Cooking with Peppers. These were all represented on the buffet in the Melissa’s Test Kitchen for the audience to enjoy at the 5th Anniversary celebration of the “SoCal Restaurant Show.”