November / December 2008

This month we meet Diablo Food Award Winner, Executive Chef Arthur Wall of the Restaurant at Wente Vineyards. Chef Wall warms us up for winter with a Superior Farms Lamb Osso Bucco served with Sunchoke Risotto, Mustard Greens, Pumpkin Seed Gremolata and Natural Jus. Watch the video now!

October 2008

This month we feature Campo Di Bocce in Livemore, California.  Chef Michael Wogen made us Gnocchi in a Gorgonzola cream sauce.  Campo Di Bocce is a fun, family style restaurant tucked in the LIvermore Valley wine region featuring authentic Italian cuisine, local wines and 8 regulation bocce ball courts. Watch the video now!

September 2008

This month we feature Stacey's at Waterford in Dublin, Califonia. 22 year old Executive Chef Cody Cost made us the Sweet Chili Glazed Seared Ahi Tuna. Stacey's at Waterford is owned by Dilbert Creator, Scott Adams. The restaurant also features Dilbert inspired cocktails, including the Alice's Fist of Death, which one of the bartenders made for us! Watch the video now!

August 2008

This month we visited Back Forty Texas BBQ in San Ramon.  The San Ramon location is owned by Robert & Lisa Rinaldi, who both trained at the original BACK FORTY restaurant.

A consistent award-winner, and one of the nation's Top-24 Barbeque Teams, BACK FORTY has been invited to Reno every year since 1991 to compete in the National Rib Cook-Off, Routinely voted the #1 Barbegue In California, BACK FORTY set a precedent for the national contest, being Voted #1 Four Times In A Row! Twice in a row, separate panels of impartial judges, voted BACK FORTY's BBQ Sauce #1 in the nation.  In consecutive years, the 400,000 attendees sampling Barbeque Ribs from all over the nation, twice voted Back Forty's THE BEST. 

July 2008

We met Zephyr Grill & Bar's Executive Chef Nick Masser.  His Aroused Americana menu is delicious and he made us their Cajun Rock Shrimp Penne.  A delicious and easy dish for those long summer days! 

This month we feature Eddie Papa's American Hangout's Executive Chef & Partner, Neil Marquis. 

The new restaurant features a regional American menu.  Made with locally grown and sourced ingredients, Neil's menu has re-created American classics like Chicken & Alphabet Noodle Soup and Regional dishes like Memphis Pulled Pork.  

Reading the menu is like a history lesson in American culinary innovations!  For example, did you know that Chicken and Waffles was a traditional breakfast from the late 1800's, first served in a restaurant at Wells Supper Club in Harlem New York in 1938??

Each month they feature a different region.  For June they are featuring the islands of Hawaii, so Neil made the seasonal dish, Lomi Lomi Salmon Salad.  He also showed us how to make Louisiana Shrimp Jambalaya Creole style with tomatoes, chicken, Aidell's andouille sausage, shrimp, tasso ham, pepper and garlic. 

Finally owner Ed Westmoreland made a signature cocktail, the Apple Crusta, featuring Laird's Bottled in Bond Apple Brandy,Leopold Brothers New York Sour Apple Liqueur, fresh nutmeg, maple syrup, unfiltered apple juice, lemon juice, Fee Brother's Bitters and St. Elizabeth All Spice Dram.  Delicious!!

Tri-Valley Chef's Corner Presents Tomatina's Executive Chef Rogelio Jacinto.  He is making a Turkey Piadine. Piadine is a warm-from-the-oven flatbread topped with cool salads - fold & eat like a sandwich! This one features roasted turkey breast, cilantro aioli, mixed greens, red onion, feta and parmesan cheeses and red wine vinaigrette.