SoCal Restaurant Show August 2, 2025 Hour 2

“Mark your calendars and get ready for the 5th Annual Long Beach Burger Week, August 3-10! Organized by Dream Agency and supported by 501(c)3 non-profit Long Beach Food & Beverage this event was designed to highlight local restaurants and an American sweetheart, the beloved BURGER! Featured Burgers at the more than two dozen participants are value-priced at $5, $10, $15, $20, and $25. There are no tickets or passes required. Burger lovers are invited to dine-in, take-out or have featured burgers delivered from their favorite restaurants, or order from the websites of various pop-ups food trucks to visit.” ISM Brewing on the Promenade in Downtown Long Beach is one of the participants for the 2nd year. Proprietor Ian McCall joins us with the details of what’s on his Long Beach Burger Week menu.“Foodies already know that authentic New Mexico Hatch Peppers make everything better — burgers, pizzas, tacos, omelets, guacamole, salsa …” It’s the always anticipated fresh Hatch Chile season for the next month. Check the Melissa’s Website for the schedule of Weekend roasting near you. “Named after the original growing area in Hatch, New Mexico, authentic Hatch Peppers are truly a Southwestern favorite. No other pepper is prized more than this variety, which grows in the Hatch Valley, just north of Las Cruces. The valley, which stretches along the Rio Grande's southern-most bend before crossing into Texas and Mexico, is covered with row after row of these green leafy pepper plants for most of the summer. Thick, juicy, and totally delicious, Hatch Chiles come in a variety of heat levels to suit every taste.” Our well-informed, resident Prince of Produce (and an unabashed Hatch Chile Pepper-Head), Robert Schueller, joins us to turn up the heat on all things Hatch Peppers. We’ll also present the details of the ongoing ultimate Hatch Chile Cooking Challenge with great prizes. Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (located in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. There is a lot of talk recently about cane sugar versus high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. What’s it all about? Is one healthier than the other? Chef Andrew has a sweet tooth and shares his informed thoughts.