EP #40: Cooking to Cope

EP #41: Sylvie Gabriele of Love & Salt

On this episode of The Menu, Beliz and Henry interview Sylvie Gabriele, Owner of Love & Salt, a much-celebrated Cal-Italian restaurant in Manhattan Beach. We chat with her about the inception of Love & Salt, the nuances of restaurant ownership, her careful response to COVID-19, and a new fine, fast-casual Middle-Eastern restaurant coming soon from her and her team.

EP #40: Cooking to Cope

Beliz and Henry chat with current college students and recent graduates about how they are turning to the kitchen to deal with the stresses and anxieties of quarantine. We discuss the struggles and privileges of access to good food, reminisce about dining out, and how you can still connect with people through food while social distancing and the right pronunciation of pecans.

EP #39: Miles and PJ of Zab's Hot Sauce

This week, Beliz and Henry interview Miles Soboroff and PJ McNall, part-owners and creators of Zab’s Datil Pepper Hot Sauce, which sources its signature slow burn and sweet heat from the unique Datil pepper that grows only in St. Augustine, Florida. Miles and PJ tell us all about the unique properties and mysterious history of their special pepper, the many surprises of starting a successful hot sauce business, and how hot sauce has become so much more than a condiment in today’s food world.

EP #38: Angela and Chef Jean of Little Llama Peruvian Tacos

On this episode of the Menu, Beliz and Henry interview Angela Wagner and Chef Jean Valcarcel of Little Llama Peruvian Tacos, a unique taco concept at Smorgasburg LA. We learn about how they conceptualized the flavors and style of Little Llama, their sense of community at Smorgasburg, and the difficulties of opening a brick-and-mortar amid the COVID-19 crisis.

EP #37: Kathryn Coker of Esters Wine Shop

(Apr. 18)Kathryn Coker is the Wine Director of Ester’s Wine Shop & Bar in Santa Monica, and the brains behind the wine program for the Rustic Canyon restaurant group. We talk with her about how she grew her passion into a profession, what wines the community is shifting towards during a national crisis, and the unique challenges her wine bar faces during the COVID-19 pandemic.