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  • The Drake's Chef Nick Gstrein Talks Its Phenom Success + Cookin' With Dad

    The Drake's Chef Nick Gstrein Talks Its Phenom Success + Cookin' With Dad
    2024/12/20
    On Monday, Dec. 16th, The Drake’s Chef Nick Gstrein joined me in the KXFM 104.7 radio studio for another exclusive interview on the life and times of Laguna Beach chefs.

    The Drake Laguna Beach has been a rocking, high-level dining experience from its opening day with live jazz, blues and contemporary classic music 7 nights a week. This is also a rare entity in that it’s a father-son chef duo in the kitchen.In all the times I’ve visited The Drake Laguna Beach, it’s been nothing short of a dazzling experience. Now it’s time for you to learn more as we dive into this interview.

    SHOW NOTES:


    • My initial coverage on the coming of the Drake Laguna Beach in May 2019, the reasons why Alec Glasser recreated “The Drake” experience here, and what a will without a way can still do.
    • How the Drake crew broke through the former “Tabu” walls to add their significant bar and lounge.

    • Nick talks about his Austrian heritage, the longstanding family hotel in the Alps and his Dad’s (Chef Paul’s) culinary schooling and quick rise in the culinary world, from Austria to the U.S. when he arrived in the 1980s.

    • The reason why Chef Paul chose to have an exhibition kitchen after decades of cooking “behind the swinging doors” of most restaurants.

    • Nick’s scholarship days at UNLV as a football player and we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of culinary school, Nick’s “training” in his uncle’s kitchen in Austria, and more.

    • The two BIG events Chef Nick participated in on opening day of The Drake on Fri, Sept. 13, 2019.

    • When COVID shut down the world (and The Drake) six months after their opening, Nick shares the card-playing moments of discussion and decisions between the owners.

    • Why did Chefs Paul and Nick choose to participate in a restaurant in Laguna Beach? And what are Chef Nick’s favorite restaurants in Laguna Beach?

    • The difference in atmosphere between Drake’s bar area and Drake’s dining area.

    • More on the “Concert Series” the Drake offers in late January and, then, again after Valentine’s Day through March.

    • Chef Nick shares the meal he’s going to fix on Christmas Day - a super special day when son and dad get to sit down together (but only after they cook everything first).

    • Do people actually do “dry January” and “losing weight in January” plans? Does this interfere in business?

    • Per Chef Nick, the #1 way to quickly bond with your clientele.

    • How this chef measures the “energy in the air” in his restaurant.

    • How The Drake exemplifies the dining experience with two seatings (that most diners don’t even recognize is happening). And how those two seatings work in favor for people who want to be in the prime seats at the bar!

    • Chef Nick talks about his favorite items on the Drake menu right now, his Dad’s favorite on the menu, and we talk about why and when menu item changes happen in a restaurant.

    • The Drake’s unique, customizable (and additional to the main menu) “Tasting Menu,” option year-round at the Chef’s Counter.

    • Nick explains “The Drake Gives,” a bi-annual give-back program to music programs for under-privileged children.

    • Nick’s final thoughts on what a Michelin star would mean.
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    51 分
  • Updates on Incoming Laguna Restaurants + Holiday Events in a 5-Mile Range!

    Updates on Incoming Laguna Restaurants + Holiday Events in a 5-Mile Range!
    2024/12/13
    On Dec. 9th, Ruben Flores and I jumped back into my Monday “Best of Laguna Beach” radio show at KXFM 104.7, Laguna’s only community radio. We had A LOT to talk about!SHOW NOTESOur Laguna’s “Hospitality Night” review, including the Pepper tree lighting, our opinion on this year’s downtown holiday lighting and our opinion on what Dana Point is doing in comparison, especially at Dana’s Harbor (Festival of Lights). We also talk about 6 restaurants and 2 great retail stores (Nuance and Tuvalu) that our small group dropped in on during the super-packed evening downtown. Next, my update on ALL the incoming Laguna restaurants I’ve announced since late September. Remember, folks, to follow my Instagram and Facebook @bestoflagunabeach to get my breaking news stories on new restaurants joining us here in Laguna - these are verified facts, not just rumors!My September new restaurant announcements - OTO Sushi, Truly Pizza and RAW Bar’s three mini-restaurant concepts planned for SoLag.My late October new restaurant announcement - Piatti Italian coming to 222 Ocean Avenue, which was most recently Suenos. We wax euphoric about missing Chef Craig Strong, who was also in this location (in addition to 4 other concepts he blessed us with before moving to Newport Beach). Ruben also asks me what I think has kept proving “challenging” to restaurant concepts thriving in this specific location. And we talk again about creating a more inviting environment on Ocean Avenue all around.My November new restaurant announcement + yet another update - OTO Sushi’s opening happened in November, Chef Chris Tzorin’s return to Laguna with Taste Collective, in the former Taco Loco. November also included more updates from me on Pinafini (and we’re hoping he’ll be open before Christmas Day). We also talk about what I know about the Penguin Cafe shift of ownership.I talk about another “mystery” restaurant possibility and why that space failed for previous restaurant concepts. I put on my Restaurant Consultant hat and talk about what could make any concept really work in this location.Ruben and I review his last astounding Garden Walk two weeks ago - truly amazing houses and gardens we had access to. And, of course, we started the entire day’s event with a Muzeo Treats tasting of their fantastic chocolates and wafers - they just opened by the Orange Inn … and we all landed at the Walk’s end at GG’s Bistro for lunch and their famous sangrias. So yum.The LAST Garden Walk of 2024 happens this Saturday, Dec. 14th at 10 a.m. Meet at Laguna Nursery, 481 N. Coast Highway to find out what surprise Ruben has in store for us on this particular tour.THEN, don’t miss the South Laguna Community Garden Holiday Sing Along on the same day, 2 pm to 4 pm. Free to everyone; please bring a dish to share.Then, we moved into ALL the upcoming holiday events I’ve been gathering from all points and groups - I mention everything I’ve gathered in a quick review. Grab the latest blog update: Holiday Events in Laguna & SurroundingRuben talks about the miserable loss of a giant, giant Stone Pine tree at our Woods Cove Nita Carman park and empty tree wells that he’d love to see filled. He offers suggestions on how we - as a town - can continue to support our “Tree City.”We close with a reminder that we’re in the 60 busiest days for restaurants right now … Show some patience and kindness with all the workers there.Join me next Monday for a live interview with Chef Nick Gstrein from The Drake Laguna Beach!Join me LIVE on Mondays, 2 pm PDT/5 pm EDT at KXFM 104.7 Radio for new restaurant news and reviews, the best Laguna events, and plenty of rockin’ interviews with Laguna Beach chefs, restaurateurs and downright interesting people.If you’re not nearby to twirl that radio dial … meaning anywhere in the world outside of Laguna Beach proper, download the free KXFM Radio app from Google Play or the App Store, OR just go online to stream 24/7 at the KXFM website: KXFMRadio.org
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    57 分
  • The 60 Days That Make (or Break) Restaurants

    The 60 Days That Make (or Break) Restaurants
    2024/12/05
    This week, the most prolific and successful Restaurant Developer in the country, Bruce Russo, steps in for another fun convo with me on my Monday radio show at Laguna’s only community radio, KXFM Radio 104.7This time, we’re talking about Private Dining and Group Dining in restaurants, particularly around the holiday season. (And how NOT to let your big group dining events impinge on your beloved patrons who just want to be fed in a timely manner.)Typically, the last 60 days of the year are the most profitable AND the most difficult for restaurants everywhere. We talk about expediting, kitchen set ups, staff training and more. We also discuss the best month of the year to open a restaurant vs. the worst month of the year and why.SHOW NOTES & SUMMARYRevenue Pod #2We revisit Bruce’s “revenue pods” concepts for restaurants - he recommends a minimum of four revenue pods in any restaurant, with as many as 10 in any given restaurant. We jump into discussing private dining rooms (PDRs) and Group Dining as the next revenue pod.Group Dining in Seasonal Swing Towns Like LagunaWe start initially by talking about the trending decline in private dining rooms because of this one particular and universal fact.We then compare this “fact” to towns like Laguna that experience such a swing in seasonal traffic because I encourage group dining to bolster their revenues in leaner months. Bruce agrees with the marketing model, and we then talk about how Bruce has begun to design and place PDRs (private dining rooms) in the overall restaurant design to accommodate seasonal traffic.Is Group Dining Worth It?We discuss revenue in typical group dining scenarios vs. regular patron traffic and the extreme competitiveness between restaurants that brings the group dining revenue down.Where To Put All the People?If no PDR is in place, where does Bruce recommend you place your large group dining tables? How to minimize the crossing of paths between the “ins” and “outs” of a kitchen.Solutions For the Biggest Suffering During Group Dining EventsHow do you keep your regular patron from suffering during your group dining events? Bruce talks about “mini-kitchens” inside a kitchen for faster, more efficient expo and the group-efficient equipment Bruce always recommends.Controlled Phase DiningHe then talks about flipping prep lines to cook lines and we move into the practice of “controlled phase dining,” which brings Drake Laguna Beach into the conversation.The Drake’s open “Chef’s Bar” leads to Bruce mentioning a design he’s working on for a 40-seater fully open chef kitchens and where the “regular kitchen” is placed in this type of scenario. This trend is growing, largely because the public is fascinated with the machinations of great cooking, and the chefs want to have more interaction with their patrons.The 12 Days of ChristmasI talk to the end-of-year holiday season and the fact that a late Thanksgiving provides a smaller window - a “12 days of Christmas” scenario for your greatest group dining impact. Bruce also notes that the vast majority of revenue for restaurants is made in the last 60 days of the year.I mention that, in a tourist-oriented town like Laguna Beach, we have another “heyday” window between June 15th and July 30th, but the “tourist season” has been significantly impacted in recent years with school districts starting the new school year at earlier dates in August. So, it makes booking those 12 Days of Christmas that much more important … and then looking to rollover group events who couldn’t make it in that timeframe to the New Year, typically after Jan. 9th.What’s the Best Month to Open a Restaurant?Bruce mentions “The Magic Month” to open a restaurant anywhere, with mention of the second best month to open a restaurant in the year. I agree, even for Laguna standards, and we talk about the challenges of opening IN a tourist season, too.#1 Reason Why Restaurants Lose Immediately After OpeningBruce talks to training 30 days in advance of opening and what corporate concepts will often invest to ensure the highest and more effective training is done before the doors initially open. So, who are your two most important players in your front-facing staff when those doors DO open?The Difference Between Pre-Shift Meetings and Tastings vs. a Server who Hasn’t Tasted Most of the Menu’s Offerings.My probably #1 test question I’ll ask a server about the menu, which gives me all kinds of immediate information about that restaurant’s training program.“You invest in the real estate to build the restaurant. You invest in the equipment to prepare the food. You invest in the furniture and fixtures to make the place comfortable. The biggest investment you need to make, though … is training your staff.” - Bruce RussoThe Worst Month to Open a RestaurantThe worst month to open a restaurant and all the reasons why.Why The 60 Toughest Days Are Your Highest Leverage ...
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    41 分
  • Hamptons' Celeb Chef Mary Schoenlein + Recipes!

    Hamptons' Celeb Chef Mary Schoenlein + Recipes!
    2024/12/01
    Welcome to my Thanksgiving holiday special for you! On Monday (11/25) at KXFM Radio 104.7, I interviewed Celebrity Chef Mary Schoenlein, renowned Founder of Mary’s Marvelous, a 2002-2021 can’t-live-without-it breakfast and lunch spot in the posh Hamptons of New York.

    Mary has recently resurrected Mary’s Marvelous at her brand new Substack blog. Readers all over the world are, once again, flocking to see what this Celebrity Chef has to say about life lessons around cookin’ and food, and many of her most well-loved recipes.


    SHOW SUMMARY & NOTES
    • We talk about how Mary and her native-Manhattan-raised husband searched all over the country to put down stakes of their own … and ended up in the Hamptons.
    • Mary talks about what got her started in cooking and her initial apprenticing journey, which included her abrupt ask to work for a well-known chef and catering to famous musicians at their concerts (don’t miss her funny story about Diana Ross).

    • Mary quickly shares her ascent in the cooking world, from Upper New York to a sudden Manhattan move, then a 2-star Michelin restaurant apprenticeship in Versailles, France, before landing in The Hamptons for Dean and DeLuca’s famed Red Horse Market.
    • The ONE food item invention of Mary’s that led to a distributed product line and the decision to open an entire restaurant.

    • Mary talks about her most addictive food items … including the infamous Mary’s Marvelous Blueberry Muffin and the numbers they would sell daily in a summer weekend.

    • How Mary and Celebrity Chef Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) became friends and cooked with each other, and what Ina would typically purchase at Mary’s Marvelous.

    • What Mary and her husband, Pat, experienced on the day they closed Mary’s Marvelous.
    • Mary talks about her massive plan for her brand new Substack blog …

    • We further talk about Mary’s Butternut Squash and Asian Pear recipe and her best-selling Sour Cream Coffee Cake recipe she’s providing to all of my listeners and readers here:





    • We finish with Mary’s “second life” in Manhattan … the wonderful mother-in-law, Barb, that she misses (and the amazing thing Barb actually did for a living in Manhattan) … and a hysterical story about a recent Monday gone wrong with her three dogs in Central Park.

    Anyone can subscribe for free to marysmarvelous.substack.com. People who opt in for her paid subscription ($70 for a year), receive an automatic bonus, her “Grateful For You” Holiday Bundle of renowned recipes … including her Pumpkin Pie AND the Pumpkin Pie Crust recipes.
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    51 分
  • Sawdust Artist Baruch Kaufman's Scoop on Winter Fantasy Fest - Opens Friday!

    Sawdust Artist Baruch Kaufman's Scoop on Winter Fantasy Fest - Opens Friday!
    2024/11/20
    In this podcast, I introduce my TOP TWO favorite holiday events and one of my favorite artists (and humans) at the Winter Fantasy Sawdust Festival – my in-studio guest, Baruch Kaufman.The Winter Fantasy - my #1 favorite event in Laguna Beach all year long – begins this Friday, Nov. 22nd, and we’re here to talk all about its extreme uniqueness. Winter Fantasy at the Sawdust is every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Nov. 22nd through Dec. 22nd 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. 935 Laguna Canyon Road. Pay and park on the street or at nearby city lots. Tickets are available online and at the ticket offices onsite: $12 for adults, $10 for seniors over $65, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids under the age of 5. Locals are free on Fridays!Show Notes: We talk Baruch’s family custom jewelry business at the top of Legion Avenue since 1996, and Baruch’s first entry into the Winter Fantasy in 2011. Baruch explains the extended weekend Winter Fantasy season, from Nov. 22nd through Dec. 22nd, 10 am - 7 pm every Friday,Saturday and Sunday. Baruch offers multiple great pointers as to why this is such a “holiday Christmas magic vibe” including 180 unique artists, “biodegradable snow from the sky,” roving carolers and three live music stages every weekend day. I chime in with the differences between the Summer Sawdust Festival vs. the Winter Fantasy show and the focus on gifts. (Baruch actually created several individualized gifts for my own clients while I was standing there at the Winter Sawdust.) Baruch explains his upbringing in Seattle - one of 7 kids who participated in the family’s longtime jewelry business, and their eventual move to Laguna Beach. We talk about the gift Baruch brought me before our radio show, a “Laguna Wave” patented ring his Dad engineered. (It’s only sold at the Gem Mountains Studio at the Legion location). We then talk about Baruch’s own designs based on calligraphy and treble clefs with wire designs that showcase the hand-chosen gems. I mention the ability to talk with the artists at more length during the Winter Fantasy, and how I can ask Baruch anything about any gem … he knows the backstory on every one he displays. This leads to a most interesting explanation of how Baruch personally shops for and hand chooses the gems he selects. Baruch explains the increased variety of artists at the winter show. Turns out the Summer Festival is consistently always Laguna Beach Artists, but Winter Fantasy allows for about 50 Orange County artists. More variety! I then provide a litany of gift ideas that I always purchase for my own friends and clients. I mention the winter menu shifts that happen, too, in the restaurants on the Sawdust grounds. And on that note – I’m ordering a few dishes for Thanksgiving dinner, so I’ll remind you again, too! While uber-popular Chef Evan of Evan’s Gourmet is back in play for the Winter Sawdust Festival, she’s also offering Thanksgiving dinner to go - the full dinner or a la carte pick-and-choose for pickup at her restaurant (Evan’s Gourmet, 860 Glenneyre Street) the day before Thanksgiving. Order online at EvansGourmet.com) Baruch and I talk about the fabled “Lottery Pick Day” when Sawdust artists actually choose their booth locations. Baruch explains that, in the last lottery, he had 12 years of tickets “in the hopper” and waited until his first ticket came up at “Position #165” out of 180 artists. Baruch offers his perspective of the Sawdust grounds’ transformation from an empty, dirt Eucalyptus grove to a rabble of constructed (and approved fire department) customized, quirky, artsy booths. To add to the engaging “holiday village feel,” several Laguna Beach non-profit groups decorate their own holiday themed trees for the Winter Fantasy. The community tree lighting ceremony is this Saturday at 5:00 p.m. for the “auld lang syne” moment. Very uniquely Laguna Beach in our artists’ community. Then, I mention my 2nd most favorite holiday event in Laguna Beach - Ruben Flores’ Annual Holiday Decor and Wreath Making Workshop. This Friday, Nov. 22nd, 3:00 p.m.This workshop is an absolute hoot with Ruben Flores at the helm in the back lot workshop of Laguna Nursery. It’s this Friday, Nov. 22nd. It starts at 3:00 p.m. at 481 N. Coast Highway at Myrtle and North Coast Highway. Call (949) 494-5200 to let Ruben know you’re coming on Friday. It’s just $30 a person. (Bring your pruners, he says.) Then … back to my in-studio guest, Baruch We dive back into Baruch’s personal life as a world traveler. He talks about “the magic and cultures of the world” as he shares this year’s early autumn travels into Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, etc. along with Michelin restaurant dining and the most amazing art installation he’s ever seen, “teamLab Borderless.” After a brief return to Laguna Beach, he then popped over to Dubai, then over to India’s Uttar Pradesh (where he’s working with ...
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    52 分
  • Monday's hectic, crazy-funny radio show

    Monday's hectic, crazy-funny radio show
    2024/11/14
    If you saw my 5-minute video in yesterday’s "Best of Laguna Beach" post about my crazy radio show this past Monday, you know it was NOT the standard fare I usually offer. I pulled Ruben Flores in to help me contact friends and raise money for our nonprofit radio station’s KXFM’s annual “Community Takeover” fundraiser. But we had such an inundation of calls, it looked and felt a lot like Lucy and Ethel in that famous "I Love Lucy" episode of their frantic efforts in the chocolate factory. Despite the chaos, it was a funny, heartwarming hour with many lovely voices popping in to support.And here are the Show notes/summary of Monday’s show: The show starts hot and heavy with three phone lines ringing in, the first of which is a major contributor and longtime board member to the South Laguna Community Garden, Sally Coffee.Ruben, Nelson and I were invited to Sunday night’s “OTO Sushi Friends & Family” trial run. I’m able to briefly mention this as calls keep popping in and Ruben spills the beans on what he promised the new OTO Sushi management. We chat briefly about OTO Sushi’s new look and feel, and I mention Bruce Russo’s take on acoustic tiles.Ruben explains his attendance at the Academy-only audience invited to see the new “Wicked” movie. We talk Ruben and Nelson’s opinion about the “extravaganza.”We talk OTO Sushi’s “Friends and Family” event with all the food we ordered and the cool cocktails we tried. Ruben continues with his opinion on the service as I scramble to answer phones.Ali North, Surf and Sand’s Lead Concierge calls in, so we chat a bit about the great progress at the Surf and Sand Resort.Ruben talks about the fun Garden Walk he hosts every other Saturday from his Laguna Nursery and what he considers the greatest element of these unique walks. As I madly answer calls in the background with pinch hitter station chief Jonathan, Ruben talks about the poor, giant Italian Stone Pine tree at Anita Carmen Park that’s currently dying that CAN be saved. Stone Pines typically live for 300 years and are extremely resilient, but this one is in big trouble. Ruben has ideas for its salvage … but it has to happen FAST.Chef Antonio Rua joins us to chat about Tango, their happy hour and his favorite menu item.We chat about Chef Evan at Evan’s Gourmet who’s prepping for the Sawdust Winter Fantasy, multiple catering and group dining events AND her restaurant busy-ness.We get Chef Nick from The Drake BACK! He talks about “the transitional season” and how that works so beautifully for locals. I mention my favorite cocktail that Nick busts into song about, and we talk about his work with his very experienced “Euro, old school” Dad and the great combo they’ve created as a result.Ruben and I talk about our love for KXFM Radio and why it’s such a special element for our special town.Then, Chef Evan Lewis from Evan’s Gourmet (Thalia and Glenn Eyre) pops back in and we talk about the Sawdust Winter Festival beginning on Nov. 22nd (she has a restaurant there) and the Community Garden decorating one of the holiday trees there. We talk further about her group dining options, especially for families and businesses up to about 30. She’s also offering an a la carte Thanksgiving feast. Get your entire feast or purchase any a la carte items you please, including pumpkin pie pre-orders.We return to the beleaguered Italian Stone Pine tree issue - seriously, this tree has an 80-foot canopy; it is majestic – at Anita Carmen Park, and the ONLY white Jacaradana tree we have in all of Laguna Beach in the same park.Ruben explains how his Garden Walk begins with mimosas … a report on what’s happening in Laguna Beach … what’s happening in Hollywood (our special connection) … what do do with your garden NOW, based on seasonality … and, then, we go for a WALK.Bruce Russo, the country’s most successfully prolific restaurant developer, calls in and we talk about our last radio show episode together, “The 3-Second Scan,” and why the restaurant needs to “date” the clientele.And then … I accidentally lose Bruce. OK. So moving on … (so, so sorry Bruce!)Napa Valley calls in from the great Auberge Resort with (also the great) Andrew Bennett. He talks about the multifaceted “layers” of Laguna Beach and how the same applies to Napa Valley. It’s a fabulous viewpoint from Andrew until … we accidentally lose him, too.Nelson Coates calls in from filming of “The Morning Show” in Hollywood to express his support for this show (awww).One of my dearest buddies calls in (Lisa), friends to both Ruben and me. We make group plans for dining as she donates.We talk about my upcoming interviews on “Best of Laguna Beach” - Chef Erik from Oliver’s Osteria, Chef Nick from The Drake and a surprise nationally revered chef guest from The Hamptons of Long Island, NY, will also be blessing our “Best of Laguna” show.As I answer more calls, Ruben talks ...
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    51 分
  • New Laguna Dining Announced + The Best Kind of Bars with Bruce Russo

    New Laguna Dining Announced + The Best Kind of Bars with Bruce Russo
    2024/11/09
    This week at my “Best of Laguna Beach” radio show at KXFM 104.7, Bruce Russo returned to chat with me about another host of restaurant topics, from the new incoming restaurant group to “his” former restaurant in Laguna Beach … to restaurant training that goes MIA … to what Bruce creates in restaurants to woo diners … to a single woman’s take on sitting in restaurant bars.
    Show Notes
    :30 We talk about the difficulties and wins Bruce had in developing the 222 Ocean Avenue restaurant “Taverna” in Laguna Beach.

    11:50 I announce the newcomer restaurant group to 222 Ocean Avenue and what Bruce would change for this new restaurant concept (if given a magic wand).

    17:03 The location of your bar can change your revenue significantly.

    18:14 The 3-second scan every patron does when he or she enters a restaurant.18:52 The 3-second scan from a single woman’s point of view (me) and the faux pas I endured at one of my favorite restaurants last weekend.

    22:22 Easy fixes in training and physical, foundational elements to help your patrons feel like the Golden Egg Gift that they are to you.
    24:33 The most important job in the front-facing part of a restaurant.28:40 Bruce’s story on Maestro’s restaurant in Phoenix … 17 years ago.

    30:43 Our combined advice on “Opening Day” and the immediate weeks that follow – including soft opens, menu options and more - for both restaurant owners and the patrons who visit in those precarious first weeks.

    35:30 Who Bruce primarily designs his restaurants for and why.

    37:30 The most important room in your restaurant and why.

    44:04 The worst of restaurant solutions … and Bruce’s solutions in the exact, opposite direction.

    47:17 The introduction of Bruce’s “4 kitchens in one” concept that he’s inserting in more and more of his designs AND a teaser into the 18-concept strategic Food Hall he designed and created for immediate revenue success.

    To contact B. Russo Designs for restaurant concept and development: https://BRussoDesigns.com

    To contact Diane Armitage for restaurant consulting, including "Secret Shopping," restaurant reviews and refined branding and public perception: https://Armitageinc.com or schedule: https://ChatWithDiane.com
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    51 分
  • Laguna Native Chef Evan Lewis Talks Turkey, Holidays, Sawdust & More

    Laguna Native Chef Evan Lewis Talks Turkey, Holidays, Sawdust & More
    2024/10/31
    This past Monday, Oct. 28th, Laguna Beach native Chef Evan Lewis of the new restaurant, Evan’s Gourmet, joined me at the radio station, KFM 104.7. For nearly an hour, we talked everything from …
    ● Evan’s native roots in Laguna Beach and the roots of her recipes in her fabulous restaurant
    ● Her ongoing, creative tenure at the infamous Sawdust Festival (she makes HOW many burgers each day??)
    ● Evan’s new Thanksgiving specials for you and yours
    ● Her group dining and catering options for the holidays and beyond, andthe mot creative recipes she creates for her lucky patrons


    SHOW NOTES:
    :55 Chef Evan’s roots in Laguna Beach, including her cookin’ beginnings as a 7-year-old and her first cooking job at this famed Laguna restaurant.

    6:20 The first important lesson the yet-to-be-chef learned from restaurateurs Mike & Toni Leech of Café Zoolu.

    7:15 We review Chef Evan’s menus at Evan’s Gourmet and jump into her most recent mushroom soup, a recipe she created in honor of the Tanterra Winery.

    9:30 Evan’s 30 years in “complete custom catering,” including multiple events yearly of more than 200 people. (And her biggest panic moments in catering.)

    16:41 The difference in crowds and Evans’ menus between the upcoming Winter Fantasy at the Sawdust grounds vs. the summer crowds at Sawdust.

    18:24 Evan’s biggest selling menu item at the Sawdust and the 3 major adjustments Chef Evan had to make to quicken her Sawdust ticket times.

    23:00 We discuss the intricacies of crispy fried chicken (and why it usually fails)

    26:38 The Thanksgiving holiday specialty I talked Chef Evan into doing because Chef Ron Reno retired and we NEED this.

    29:03 Oddly, how my Pumpkin Pie request became Chef Evan’s NEW, ENTIRE Thanksgiving Dinner offering.

    37:28 How Evan’s Gourmet was a “morph” of Evan’s decades-long journey in cooking, and why Evan made the decision to begin her restaurant business.

    40:10 How Chef Evan decided on her restaurant’s menu items and the “gimmick” she decided on for an-always memorable taste.

    41:30 Chef Evan tells us what her favorite restaurants were in Laguna as she was growing up.

    42:40 A wrap up on everything Chef Evan is doing in the next 60 days, including her 25-quart soup pan for her turkey chili and her upgraded vertical smoker for her smoked tomatoes.

    50:01 Chef tells us where her favorite restaurant is in town (when she’s not cooking at hers).
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    52 分