SoCal Restaurant Show January 18, 2025 Hour 2

“Descanso Restaurant, a modern taqueria founded in Costa Mesa, California in 2018, celebrates the grand opening of its eagerly anticipated Los Angeles flagship location on Thursday, January 23, 2025. Located on the Miracle Mile at 5773 Wilshire Blvd in the SAG-AFTRA Plaza, the new venture marks a significant milestone as Descanso expands beyond its Orange County roots into the vibrant city of Los Angeles. Located in the heart of Mid-Wilshire adjacent to Museum Row, the new 9,000-square-foot Descanso accommodates 240 guests and features a central bar, a main dining room, two open-air patios, and the celebrated Plancha room, where Descanso's signature Plancha dining experience comes to life. In this one-of-a-kind space, Planchero Chefs prepare multi-course meals right before guests at a communal table, offering an interactive and unforgettable experience that brings the vibrant energy of street-side vendors to the dining table.” Founder Rob Arellano is our guide to all things Descanso Restaurant.“In the midst of a pandemic, chef and restaurateur Winnie Yee was looking for a distraction away from her business closures. She stumbled upon a brisket and started a lovely affair with live fire cooking. The result was Smoke Queen Barbecue “Where East meats West.” It started modestly as a popular pop-up at the Sunday Smorgasburg in Downtown L.A. and now has expanded to a free-standing location with patio seating in Garden Grove. From backyard pits to multiple 1,000 gallon smokers Chef Winnie now offers California Prime Beef Brisket & Heritage Pork slow smoked with white oak and infused with the flavors of her childhood. Mixing the spices and flavors of her Chinese & Malaysian heritage with the traditional American style of smoking, she creates a unique style of barbecue in a class of its own.” Pitmaster Winnie Yee is our guest with BBQ tongs in hand.Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew is tirelessly on the front line of providing disaster relief in his own small way for all the unfortunate victims of the Pacific Palisades and Pasadena / Altadena fires as part of a larger effort by restaurant & hospitality folks. He updates us on what is being done and what listeners can do to help. It’s an ongoing effort for the long term.