SoCal Restaurant Show

How should a major USA airline handle a long delay due to a series of mechanical issues? Isn’t being transparent with the passengers by keeping them informed of the delays key? Well, maybe not… Cori Solomon a wine and travel journalist and President of the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) joins us to chronicle her recent experience journeying from New York to Los Ang...

“Perched on the side of Oregon’s Chehalem Mountain and overlooking Newberg and the Willamette Valley to the south, Bells Up Winery makes approximately 600 cases annually and offers a small selection of Oregon-grown and produced varietals. All Bells Up wines are sold directly from their tasting room.” “If you’re this successful in a career that makes you sick, stressed and miserable… how much more...

Chef Carla Hall is no stranger to the community of foodies. “She first won over audiences when she competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All Stars” and shared her philosophy to always cook with love. She believes food connects us all, and she strives to communicate this through her work, her cooking, and in her daily interactions with others. Carla spent 7 years co-hosting ABC’s Emmy award...

“Harold & Belle’s (under the 3rd generation of proud Family ownership) is Los Angeles's premiere Creole dining experience. Family owned and operated for over 57 years, the restaurant has received numerous awards for its southern-style cooking. As a Black-owned business that has stood the test of time, the restaurant continues to welcome generations of guests with the same warmth, hospitality,...

Chef Carla Hall, 2025 Daytime Emmy Award winner for “Chasing Flavor” on HBO Max, is no stranger to foodies. “She first won over audiences when she competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All Stars” and shared her philosophy to always cook with love. She believes food connects us all, and she strives to communicate this through her work, her cooking, and in her daily interactions with others....

Chef Carla Hall is no stranger to the community of foodies. “She first won over audiences when she competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All Stars” and shared her philosophy to always cook with love. She believes food connects us all, and she strives to communicate this through her work, her cooking, and in her daily interactions with others. Carla spent 7 years co-hosting ABC’s Emmy award...

“Dine L.A.” returns running from Friday, January 23rd to Sunday, February 8th, 2026. Santa Monica’s Lunetta returns to Dine LA with two Seasonal Menus (Lunch and Dinner) from Chef Raphael Lunetta—A Dine LA participant since the beginning “Lunetta’s Dine LA experience highlights Chef Lunetta’s signature California-Mediterranean approach, built on pristine ingredients, seasonal flavors, and classic...

“Harold & Belle’s (under the 3rd generation of proud Family ownership) is Los Angeles's premiere Creole dining experience. Family owned and operated for over 57 years, the restaurant has received numerous awards for its southern-style cooking. As a Black-owned business that has stood the test of time, the restaurant continues to welcome generations of guests with the same warmth, hospitality,...

“Harold & Belle’s (under the 3rd generation of proud Family ownership) is Los Angeles's premiere Creole dining experience. Family owned and operated for over 57 years, the restaurant has received numerous awards for its southern-style cooking. As a Black-owned business that has stood the test of time, the restaurant continues to welcome generations of guests with the same warmth, hospitality,...

“Firstborn in Mandarin Plaza is a Modern Chinese American restaurant from Chef/Owner Anthony Wang (formerly of Ink, Auburn, Destroyer) in L.A.’s Chinatown exploring identity, seasonality, and technique.” “When you get a classically trained chef cooking dishes like country-fried chongqing chicken, egg custard, and roast duck, there’s only one place in Los Angeles that feels right for it: The Mandar...

“Firstborn in Mandarin Plaza is a Modern Chinese American restaurant from Chef/Owner Anthony Wang (formerly of Ink, Auburn, Destroyer) in L.A.’s Chinatown exploring identity, seasonality, and technique.” “When you get a classically trained chef cooking dishes like country-fried chongqing chicken, egg custard, and roast duck, there’s only one place in Los Angeles that feels right for it: The Mandar...

This week Chef Andrew’s continues his discussion of useful “Kitchen Hacks” that actually work from someone who cooks for a living. Picking up with the practicality of using a bench scraper. Most “kitchen hacks” online are nonsense. If a trick only works once, makes more dishes, or exists just for clicks, it’s not a hack, it’s simply a distraction. What Chef Andrew mentions are small, routine habit...

“From cozy classics to exciting flavors, The Plot in Oceanside is shaking up plant-based dining with a bold mix of comfort and style. Chefs Davin Waite and Travis Roe are reimagining vegan cuisine and zero waste menu design to celebrate flavor, texture, sustainability, and the magic that comes from sourcing locally and growing their own food. The Plot’s Proprietors Jessica and Chef Davin Waite are...

Kei Concepts (restaurant group) debuted QUA Contemporary Chinese Cuisine last October. “It’s a deeply personal new restaurant from chef and founder Viet Nguyen. Located in Fountain Valley, QUA marks a return to roots— a tribute to family, memory, and the flavors of home.” “For years, I created what people asked for,” says Nguyen. “This time, I’m sharing something from my own life. These are the di...

“From cozy classics to exciting flavors, The Plot in Oceanside is shaking up plant-based dining with a bold mix of comfort and style. Chefs Davin Waite and Travis Roe are reimagining vegan cuisine and zero waste menu design to celebrate flavor, texture, sustainability, and the magic that comes from sourcing locally and growing their own food. The Plot’s Proprietors Jessica and Chef Davin Waite are...

“From cozy classics to exciting flavors, The Plot in Oceanside is shaking up plant-based dining with a bold mix of comfort and style. Chefs Davin Waite and Travis Roe are reimagining vegan cuisine and zero waste menu design to celebrate flavor, texture, sustainability, and the magic that comes from sourcing locally and growing their own food.” “The Plot’s Proprietors Jessica and Chef Davin Waite a...

“From cozy classics to exciting flavors, The Plot in Oceanside is shaking up plant-based dining with a bold mix of comfort and style. Chefs Davin Waite and Travis Roe are reimagining vegan cuisine and zero waste menu design to celebrate flavor, texture, sustainability, and the magic that comes from sourcing locally and growing their own food.” “The Plot’s Proprietors Jessica and Chef Davin Waite a...

Kei Concepts debuted QUA Contemporary Chinese Cuisine last October. “It’s a deeply personal new restaurant from chef and founder Viet Nguyen. Located in Fountain Valley, QUA marks a return to roots— a tribute to family, memory, and the flavors of home.” “For years, I created what people asked for,” says Nguyen. “This time, I’m sharing something from my own life. These are the dishes I grew up eati...

Kei Concepts (OC-based restaurant group) debuted QUA Contemporary Chinese Cuisine last October. “It’s a deeply personal new restaurant from chef and founder Viet Nguyen. Located in Fountain Valley, QUA marks a return to roots— a tribute to family, memory, and the flavors of home.” “For years, I created what people asked for,” says Nguyen. “This time, I’m sharing something from my own life. These a...

“The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar overlooking The Bay in Newport Beach (celebrating its 12th Anniversary this year) is focused on successfully pairing contemporary California regional cuisine, with a hip, vibrant, sophisticated setting, to create a cutting-edge dining experience. When Partners JC Clow, William Lewis and Chef Yvon Goetz set out to deliver a culinary experience straight from win...

“At the Privateer in Oceanside, they take the ultimate care and pride in each of their menu items. The gourmet appetizers, salads, soups, specialty dishes, pizza pies and desserts are made from scratch with the freshest ingredients. The Privateer is not your ordinary, cookie-cutter pizza restaurant. The artisan pizzas are unusually prepared in a coal-fired oven. They create an imaginative menu of...

This week Chef Andrew’s continues his discussion of useful “Kitchen Hacks” that actually work from someone who cooks for a living. Picking up with the practicality of using a bench scraper. Most “kitchen hacks” online are nonsense. If a trick only works once, makes more dishes, or exists just for clicks, it’s not a hack, it’s simply a distraction. What Chef Andrew mentions are small, routine habit...

“Merenda is a neighborhood wine bar and retail wine shop in south Oceanside. The Kitchen cooks with what’s local to the area and takes cues from the mediterranean, serving mezze-style plates and handmade pasta. The wine list highlights small producers, grower champagne, orange wines and chilled reds that feel right by the coast. Merenda is relaxed, flavorful, and meant to be shared.” Merenda is on...

“Bravo’s “Top Chef” star Amar Santana’s long-running Costa Mesa Spanish-inspired concept is now bringing the flavors of Barcelona to DTLA. Blending classic taperia with rustic steakhouse, Vaca celebrates all things Spain with a selection of paellas, a legit jamon program, and cocktails featuring beloved staples like Gin and Tonics and Spanish vermouths. VACA brings Barcelona, Madrid, Andalucía, Se...

“Merenda is a neighborhood wine bar and retail wine shop in south Oceanside. The Kitchen cooks with what’s local to the area and takes cues from the mediterranean, serving mezze-style plates and handmade pasta. The wine list highlights small producers, grower champagne, orange wines and chilled reds that feel right by the coast. Merenda is relaxed, flavorful, and meant to be shared.” Merenda is on...