November 2, 2024 • 36 mins
Chef Bret Thompson joins the Fork Reporter to discuss Los Angeles Magazine's 18th annual The FOOD Event! It's all on KFIAM-640!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's Niels Vedre. You're listening to kfi EM six
forty the four Report on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
Thanks for hanging out today. It's the Day of the
Dead for I mean hint day out there that are
celebrating and enjoying a really special day of connecting with
those that have gone on, whether it is having your
(00:22):
old FRIENDA and your altar there, honoring the people that
have come and gone, whatever it may be, it is
a very precious holiday, not to every Mexican. I will
tell you I learned about it growing up much later.
Wasn't something that we celebrated in our house, even as Hafy's.
(00:43):
We didn't. It wasn't something huge, But I did learn
about it, and I have grown to really love the
holiday and to experience all of that and to look
as to how much food actually ties into it is
a pretty lovely thing as well. Well. We love talking
about food events here and there is one coming up
well actually going on right now, going on through the
(01:05):
fourth that you need to don't know about, and it
is the Los Angeles Magazine The Food Event. So Los
Angeles Magazine the Food Event. It is November tomorrow, does
it's the first to the fourth, right, just Sunday. Sunday. Yep,
why do I have one to four pm? There you go,
(01:29):
that's when my brain wasn't working. It's tomorrow. It's tomorrow
the third, and you can get out there to Santa
Anita Park and they have so much going on. It's
actually a great venue. If you've ever been to Santa
Anita or a food event, it's a really amazing place
to go and enjoy food. And here to talk about
(01:50):
it with us is chef and proprietor Brett Thompson from
Pez Coastal Kitchen and Pez Cantina in Pasadena and Los
Ange just respectful, respectively. Hi chef, Hi, welcome to the program.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Good to be here. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
So you were at the Manhattan Beach Food Festival that
we were at some weeks back, but you were there
on Friday. We were there on Saturday, and I didn't
get a chance to meet you. But it's a pleasure
to have you in studio today. When you do these events,
these food events, people come hungry, they come ready to eat.
How do you prepare what dishes you're going to shine
(02:28):
a light on?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, I think you know kind of work with you
know what sort of pleases the general public. You don't
want to come with anything to kind of astrotetric, but
you know, fun dishes that kind of represents your restaurant.
Some signatures, dishes that we do something seasonal as well,
like the stuff I about today is kind of a
signature dishes that we do at our restaurant. Thank you
(02:50):
so much. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Was like, holy, I love that. I know it's radio,
but we'll take pictures, but I know that it's radio,
but that is just stunning. Those boards are.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Perfect, lovely, Thank you so much. Yeah. I mean, also,
we want to our goal. Even though it's a great
time for us to be you know, camaraderie with all
of our chefs, friends and restaurants out there, we also
want to shine and be a little competitive and we
want to hear hey, look, this is the best issue
you've had actually at the event. So you know, we
definitely come strong with our best.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Do you find chefs to be competitive.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
You know at the end of the day, yes, I
think superficially.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Yes, here's a little bit of politics that you go
through it.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, well you know what, I you know, we're all
in this together. It's it's a very uh satisfying but
challenging industry, and I think, uh, you know, we're all
need to to kind of, you know, hold hands in
this industry together. Uh and you know, like they what
do they say, you know, restaurant row, those restaurants, you know,
(03:52):
turp together sort of are the busiest kind of areas
and area. So so we you know, especially like in Pasadena,
we have so many restaurants around us. We really were
in tandem to kind of have each other's success.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
And I think that that really is something. It's a
point of pride of any skill set to want to
wow your peers and contemporaries as well. So you want
them to have a wink and a nod and say, hey,
that was a smart and incredibly flavorful fish.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Absolutely, yeah, because that pushes everybody forward, it does.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
I think when you I mean just seeing like when
you come to these events, you know, you know you're
working with some of the best around the some of
the best chefs in the city or the country. You
want to come strong. You definitely you want to shine
in the group. So absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
You can't. You can't really make it out here unless
you shine you know, it's too expensive, too costly to
do it right. Yeah, that if you're trying to compete
against the quality that's out here. If you don't have it,
you don't have I mean it's not to say good
chefs don't have concepts failed that are still good timing
(05:00):
and everything, but you really have to have an a game.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah. Well Los Angeles is a big food city and
there's a lot of competition and uh yeah, if you
you know, you really have to be creative and innovative
and always kind of reinventing yourself. And you know, I've
been in the industry for over twenty years now, Wow,
it's a long time. I can't believe it goes quick.
A Sure it does. And you know, I've you know,
(05:25):
continued to hone my skills and just you know, at
the same time, just trying to create an environment that we,
you know, all of our staff and team are really
enjoy being around.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Is that difficult because they're you know, you go back
and there are some lines, some kitchens that weren't so
fun to work in. I've interviewed a lot of chefs
and is that a point of pride for you to
have a strong, smart working line where people want to
(05:57):
be there, even though it's hard work.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Absolutely, I always I always say, uh, I don't want
a nine to fiver working for us, you know, I
mean being being I want chefs. I want people who
want to be chefs. You know, there are people who
ou out there who just want to be lyne cooks,
who are just doing this for the paycheck. But at
the end of the day, you hit it right there.
It's like, I want great communicators. I want people who
are passionate, and you know, we Uh, it's a tough industry,
(06:23):
especially being in California. There's a lot of challenges we
face here in the restaurant industry in California. But you know,
just just to you know, it's it's incredible. We have
to you know, cook great food, get the food out
to the table, make sure it's timely, make sure the
restaurant's beautiful, make sure the ambiance is amazing, make sure
the service is amazing. And we still have to make money.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Oh yeah, so the Margint's have changed my friends in
the past couple of.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Years, so you know, it definitely is uh. You know,
it's a passion. You know, people say, oh my god,
how do you do it. It's so difficult. It's like,
you know, I don't know. This is all I know.
I've been doing this since I was nineteen years old,
and I love it. I can't imagine doing anything else.
I'm I'm a cook at heart, That's what I am.
I mean, I don't know if you know, the word
chef means captain in French, so you know, yes, I'm
(07:09):
a chef, I guess. But at the end of the day,
I'm I'm a cook. I try to be the best leader.
My wife Lucy is my partner and we have a wow.
You know about eighty employees now who work for us
between the two restaurants, which is it was just insane
and uh you know really, I think, as you know,
as time goes on, I just it's important we create
(07:31):
a very very just a great positive atmosphere and learning
atmosphere for all of our staff.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Your wife is from Juanawato, She's from That's where my
family is from. Oh really, I was born here in
the States, as was my father, but my grandparents are
from there. Oh what city, Oh god, I'd have to
I'd have to ask. Okay, my brother Craig does all
of our genealogy and stuff like that. Both my grandparents
had passed, and my grandmother passed right before I was born.
(07:57):
My grandfather went back and in Mexico.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
He didn't see the States as his home, but my
grandmother did so.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
But uh yeah, it's a when I see that it uh,
it always reminds me of the beautiful pictures and.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
The park is amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Oh, it's so amazing there. I love it. I've I've
fortunate enough. My wife is, yes, a beautiful Mexican lady
named Lucy Thompson, and she comes from Wanajuato, San Francisco,
that gonor they call it San Bancho. Uh, and I've
been there several times. Not only San Francisco is great,
but like you know, SAMUELI Andde and Juana, So that's
the picturesque kind of colorful buildings you see down there,
and the food scene is amazing there, and I just
(08:36):
love it. We have our own a friend at the
house and at both restaurants, have our fod. Yeah, we
love it. It's really great. I love Mexican culture. Hence,
you know, I think one of the reasons we opened
a Mexican restaurant in downtown Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
It's a very passionate food and I can imagine that
it's intoxicating for a cook to to create that food, right,
Hank Tig, We're going to talk more with chef Brett Thompson,
and of course the event, the food event Los Angeles Magazine.
It is tomorrow, Sunday, November third, and you can find
(09:10):
out more. Just can you just go to the Los
Angeles Magazine website. Okay, so you can do that very easy.
Just go to lamag dot com, La mag dot com,
go to the events and you can find out more
about the food event.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I know we're already in November. It is sliding by quickly.
Before you know it, we're going to be wearing hats
and blowing in noisemakers, not noses. I don't know. Maybe
you get a cold, that could happen, but noisemakers. As
we celebrate the new year, I know I'm pushing it
along too quickly, but it does go by fast. The
(09:52):
cool thing is there's still much to celebrate and much
fun to have. As twenty four winds down we go
into the holidays, and one of them is the Food Event.
Twenty twenty four is the Food Event put on by
Los Angeles Magazine. You can find out more at lamag
dot com. Lamag dot com. It's at Sanna Anita Park.
(10:14):
It's a great place to go and just enjoy the
lovely atmosphere and some great food. And right now we're
chatting with chef Brett Thompson. As you know about the restaurants,
and his particular restaurants is Pez Coastal Kitchen there in
Pasadena and then Pez Cantina on Grand Avenue in Los Angeles.
(10:37):
Chef with an event like the Food Event and Los
Angeles Magazine finding the importance because this is not an
easy thing to do. It's a lot of logistical stuff
to put on a big event like this surrounding food
and basically building kitchens in the middle of a horse track,
so all of those things. What do you think the
(10:58):
importance to someone like you, a business owner and a chef,
what's the importance of these food events the culinary community.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Well, I think it's uh, you know, first and foremost,
I think it's just the you know, for all of
us to get together and celebrate food and wine and
spirits and just to you know, as you said, there's
a lot to be thankful for this year. We've it's
been a long year. We are winding down, but it's
nice to be able to get together with you know,
(11:27):
all of our friends and chef friends and other restaurants.
It happens to be in our backyard, which is great
here in Pasadena at the Sanita Racetrack, and you know,
I think that that is probably my favorite thing about it.
You know, we we have fun. We get out there.
Yes we're working, but as you said, yeah, we we
usually set up like you know, usually outdoors and we
(11:49):
kind of create these kitchens which are incredible. This year
we'll be inside the clubhouse, which will be interior. It's
going to be amazing. And but it's just it's just
it's fun to get out there and you know, all
of our you know, the staff who come with us,
they get to kind of roll around also and just
try everybody else's food and that as well. So it's, uh,
(12:09):
it's you know, one of our favorite things to do
being in the restaurant industry.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
In that clubhouse so beautiful, the architecture in there the
whole vibe you can it just it takes you back
to another time period, what a really neat uh place
that is, and that's got to be fun to to
have that. The challenges that come with a food event
(12:34):
because you you do have to pick up everything and
kind of move somewhere else. Are you planning the menu
based on I don't want to say limitations, because there
it's different, But are you you planning the menu based
on what you know you can do, spot on and
execute perfectly in that arena?
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Well? Yes, uh yeah, it's it's kind of hard when
you forget something, especially something important. So say for example,
you're making fish tacos and you forget the fish. You're
not like you're not running the smart and final right, uh,
you know, catering or doing any kind of events off site,
you want to make sure we have a very very
thorough checklist. I mean we literally have this list we
go through before we leave the kitchen, making sure we
(13:14):
check everything off. But you know, we are really good
at uh at juking in the in the industry, and
we figure things out. I mean, you know we will.
You know, if we're missing one little item, it's okay.
Unless it's a big part of the dish. But you know,
I think it's you know, we've done events where you know,
we're doing fish tacos, we're making tortillas by hand, frying fish,
(13:36):
you know, on site, everything there to just doing all
cold items, which we're doing kind of a combination. This
time we're doing like this, uh, this little citrus cake
which is already you know, kind of room tamp plus
nah he tunic bl T which is sort of a
combination of of U of room tamp and hot. So
it depends on what we're doing. It depends on the
time of the year. You know, if it's gonna be
(13:58):
something during the summer time it's really hot, we might
want to use a cold savice, which honestly is probably
the easiest because we kind of keep everything on ice
and there's no cooking involved, you know. And I think
it just also depends on you know what. I think
it seasonally is a big factor as well.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Sure, yeah, sure, no one's going to turn down a
good savich, right. Can I keep you around for a
little longer?
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Yeah, talking, and I'd love to try some of the
food that you brought. Of course, we're talking about the
Food Event. The Food Event Los Angeles magazine. They put
it on. This is the eighteenth annual and it is
going on tomorrow from one to four p m. There
at Santa Anita Park. What a great opportunity to get
out and be able to sample a lot of fantastic chefs.
(14:45):
Find out more. Go to lamag dot com, La mag
dot com and stick around. We're gonna try some of
this sexy looking food and we'll talk about it with
Chef Brett Thompson when we return.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nils of eight
on demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Hey, don't forget before we get back into talking about
the food event, which is tomorrow. By the way, if
you want to go put on by a Los Angeles
magazine and you can go to lamag dot com, la
mag dot com to find out more. We'll get back
to talking with Chef Brett Thompson in a moment. I
want to remind you that we are not in studio
(15:25):
next Saturday, a week from today, we are going to
be in Orange County. And I know you've been saying
come out and come come deeper. Everybody says, come come
more South come More South. Kayla really, Kayla Rose, seriously,
are you seven? We'll walk it off. We have guests
(15:52):
AnyWho will yes The Fork Report Deeper More South a
week from today, come join us in Orange County and
Laguna Negal will be in Laguna Negal at Wild Fork
and they are a new sponsor. We're thrilled to have them.
(16:13):
I love their food. If you haven't experienced Wild Fork before,
go check them out. See where the local one is
near you. But we're gonna be out there. And I
say we because not only is the show going to
be out there, Bill Handle's going to be co hosting
with me the entire show. We've got great foods and proteins.
We're going to be on grilling on Big Green Eggs
(16:36):
out there. Big Green Egg is giving away a Mini
Max grill for you and we'll have food samples. My
buddy Wing Lamb from Wahoo's Fish Tacos is going to
be out there grilling as well as some I think
Craig the Egg is coming out from Big Green Egg.
It's going to be a good time had by all.
(16:57):
Zelman's is gonna be out there giving away some products
and also selling some packages at a deep discount that
I can't mention, but you could come out again Laguna
Negal at Wild Fork in Laguna Negal a week from today.
Come out, say hello and hang out with me and
Bill Handle. Right now we're talking with Brett Thompson. He
(17:17):
is the chef and a proprietor of Pez Coastal Kitchen
there in Pasadena and Pez Cantina on Grand Darren downtown
LA and the food event coming up tomorrow. We're kind
of going through the different foods that you do. It's
really it's I'm always impressed by how you experience food
(17:38):
in a different location like this. So he brought some
lovely dishes that we are going to try right now. Chef,
why don't you walk us through these here? They're just stunning.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yeah, thank you so much. Yeah. So the first one
here that Kayla is helping us out with, thank you,
is the tuna blt. So it's it's a we've been
doing for a while to one of one of our
signature dishes, which is uh, it's a brioche creuton. It's
got a little bit of avocado lebne, which is leban
(18:08):
is kind of like a Lebanese style yogurt. And it's
got a slice of bluefin on he tuna, a little
bit of like a bacon marmalade that brings in the
b part and then the tomato and then the cilantro
acts as the tomato as the lettuce part. So the
blt so this is uh and we sprinkle a little
bit with our boom Chilian lime spice which gives it
(18:29):
kind of kind of a Chilian lime seison on there.
But this is a really nice uh packs of punch.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, So we love this. It's a
great satisfrizes a lot of palettes. It's very colorful. I
know you can't see it right now, but it's got
you know, it's it's it's a great for a trade
pass order, it's great for an appetizer at the restaurant,
(18:51):
and it's an amazing dish for an event like this
where you're right, I'm glad you guys like that. Yeah.
The so it starts with the brioche. We we heavily
brush it with garlic butter really makes it tender and buttery,
and then the the lebne. If you've ever had lebni before,
it's I love lebne. I love like it's just got that.
(19:13):
So it's it's a it's hung yogurt, so kind of
a salty yogurt, I mean, blended with avocado and cilantro
and lime and a little bit of Japano and then
the tuna's on top. And the tuna's got the little
dollup of that bacon chipotle marmalade. So it's kind of
like a jam made with bacon and chipotle and then
a little bit cilantro and and the tomato on top.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
What a lovely promise it makes with its colors and layers,
and got a payoff to that promise when you bite
into it.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Thanks man, Wow that is.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Really that is such a great bite, Yeah, thank you.
So well layered and balanced that I taste everything separately
and together and it just is just a real wow.
Yeah that is going to be a star indeed.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Thank you. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Ay. Event that is just really how playful and how
delicate that fish is with the light seer around, it
just melts in your mouth and then the crunch is
really lovely of the bread that chosen bread. Yeah that
is yeah, that is you know, it's funny because that's
(20:23):
how and this is something on the menu that you
have as well.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
This is yeah, okay, well it's actually not on our
all a cart menu at the restaurant, but we have
it on our der venue so for catering that kind
of stuff as well. But I don't know, after this interview,
maybe it's going to make its way in the menu.
I have a feeling people are going to come in
and ask for it.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
You know.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
It's funny, is it's you know how when you have
something really delicious you want more of it. It doesn't
mean you want it bigger, like yeah that like its
size and its bite is so good. Yeah, I'd rather
have a second one than a larger portion, if that
makes sense.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Totally makes sense.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
It's just the way it's balanced is so good. Right, No, no, no please.
Taylor's way of saying I'm going to have it. I
know it sounds like she's saying, hey, do you want
this one? But she really means I'm gonna have this.
But I don't want to look.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Like she's she's being genderous right now, Yeah, I get it?
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Yeah, no, that really that is. I applaud you, chef,
that you so much. That is so wonderful.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
It's a fun play on a dish. It really is.
It's fun. Well, it's it also has a second meaning
as well, So Brett and Lucy Thompson so blt that
when people come to the restaurant and their VIPs, we
call them BLTs. So it's also, yeah, don't tell anybody, okay, uh,
no one's listening, And so it was kind of a
play on that as well, you know, just a you know,
(21:40):
thinking of the name for the dish.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Someone's gonna come in. They're going to hear this and
mishear it, and they're going to walk in and go, yeah,
I'm a bacon sandwich. Okay, sir, right, we need you
to leave. You're making everybody.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
I got you.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
I'm looking at the time. You know what, I'm going
to pull you for one more segment right time, chef. Yeah,
of course that'll be wonderful. Okay, so stick around. We'll
come back because I want to eat this other little
beauty here. But just I just like when something surprises
me and pays off. I've seen beautiful food that I'd
(22:17):
never put in my mouth twice. But when I see
something that is so nicely put together and pays off
like that, I give it high high praise. Chef Brett Thompson,
chef and proprietor there at Pez Coastal Kitchen, Pez Cantina,
and he and his wife oversee everything and I love that.
(22:37):
I just think that that is magic. When you have
unification of focus on laser focus on what you want
to do, you can't beat them. I don't care if
it's a restaurant, I don't care what it is. You
come together like that, It's always magic. And this is
all to celebrate the Food Event which is tomorrow there
at Santa Anita Park. Los Angeles Magazine puts it on.
(23:01):
If you're don't pick up the Los Angeles or you're
not subscribe to it, I encourage you to do so.
But you can find it online at lamag dot com,
La mag dot com, or you can find it at
your local grocer. When you're heading out there, you can
usually find it right there in the stands. I really
love it. It's one of the few magazines that I
do get because of the fact that it has such
(23:22):
a great food focus, and the Food event is no
less for that as well. Coming on tomorrow, Sunday, November third,
lamag dot com. All right, we'll be back with more
go nowhere.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
What a show it has been today. As we wrap
up talking about, of course, what Los Angeles Magazine is
doing with their eighteenth annual.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
The Food event Boom. The food event. You don't get
more specific than that, Hey, is it an event?
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Yeah? What's its surrounding food? What's its name? The food Event?
That's the name, Los Angeles Magazine putting it on. To
find out more, you can go to their website lamag
dot com, La mag dot com. It is there at
Santa Anita Park. It is tomorrow only Sunday. So you
(24:18):
want something to do tomorrow, check out lamag dot com
and get yourself some tickets and go have some great food.
The only thing I ask is the first thing you
do is you bline for chef Brett Thompson with Pez
Coastal Kitchen there in Pasadena, Pez Cantina in Los Angeles
there on downtown LA. And we just tried one of
(24:42):
the dishes he's going to be serving and you're actually
calling it your blt, right, that's right, Okay, So it's
not what you think it is and all I would say,
is wipe your expectation away and just bite into it
and enjoy this other dish you brought. It looks like
it's on the sweet side. Yes, okay, And what is this?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
So this is a citrus and olive oil cake with pistachio,
mascarpone and blackberries. And I got to give a shout
out to my friend Bianca who brought this cake over
to our house one night we had a little house
party and it was the most amazing citrus olive oil
cake ever. So I said, give me the recipe, and
now we have it on the recipe at on the
menu at the restaurant and everyone loves it. It's got
(25:28):
that dense olive oil. It's just like so twenty five
percent of the mass of that cake is extra virsion
olive oil. That's why it's so rich, which is amazing
and oh wonderful. Yeah, And I just think with the citrus,
the mascapone, cheese, the pistachio, the BlackBerry, it's just like
(25:48):
very very Italian. Also, I love it. And yeah, this
is a you know, we're doing little bites of these
for the event and it's a nice little kind of
finisher to uh to tuna to blt.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
That is really lovely and that that olive oil gives it,
you know, it's not a neutral ol not neutral oil
all oiled. Yes, especially extravergin.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
It's one.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
I have a little bit of that that greenness if
you will. It's just it's going to be a little
bright and herbaceous kind of but uh that is that
cake is delightful.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
It's really sweet. And is this how you normally serve
it or is it served in a slice or something normal?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
So something Yeah, it's actually you're right, it's kind of
like a mini you're eating like a mini bun. So
we've got like like larger uh forms that are about
three times of size, and we serve it just as
you're having now. But we actually shave limoncello granite on
top of it. Oh stop, it's ridiculous. Yeah, So if
you don't know what granite is those who are listening,
it's like a shaved ice, and limoncello is a great
(26:52):
lemon alcohol. Uh, and so we just kind of make
like a lemon shaved ice on top of this. So
it's got the blackberries and lemon shaved ice and the
pistachia lemon cake. It's like so awesome. Yeah, I love it. Yeah,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
I'm glad that it's going really lovely. And I love
that little crunch in there too. Mm hmm, oh my gosh,
that's a little the delightful little fellow right there. Thanks
so you excited to to hand these off to eager
and hungry people tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
We are We are my team, and I are excited.
We love being out there at the racetrack. If you've
never been to the racetrack either, I mean, it's like
such a day. I've got two sons, Levi and Luke,
and we love getting out there and kind of you know,
placing our beds and well they don't bet, but they
tell me what's to bet on, and uh, it's just
fun being out there. The energy is great, the horses
(27:42):
are great. I don't know if there's gonna be any
actually horse races on this day. I don't think there are.
But it's just it's just got great energy out there.
I don't think that's a cool. People you know who
live in so Cow, we have never been there. It's
such a gem. It really is so much fun. You've
got this super easy to park.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Yes, you know, it's a and you or inside so
you're in the clubroom there, the Cluse Clubhouse and it
and it is just the architecture and you know they
do events there. It's it really is beautiful.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Yeah. Yeah, it's guys that like, I don't know, old
school feel sand Gabriel Mountains in the background. It's it's
an amazing, amazing event.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Yeah, and it looks like I know, we were looking
at the possibility of some inclement weather weather today, but
it looks like that has passed for the most part,
depending on where you are, and it should be a
lovely day tomorrow. So if you have any more questions
about the food event put on by Los Angeles Magazine,
just to go to La mag dot com La mag
(28:39):
dot com. But you definitely have to check out Brett
Thompson and the stuff he is cheffing with because it
really is spectacular. I enjoyed the flavors and the combinations.
And if you don't get a chance to go for
some reason, then you know you can get out to
Pez Coastal Kitchen in Pasadena or Pez Can't te in
(29:00):
downtown LA. When you do these food events, chef and
do you find that you make new fans and they'll
come in and say hello. When they finally get a
chance to come into the brick and mortar place, they say, hey,
you know, I was out at such and such event
(29:21):
and I tried this, and do you have it on
the menu or do you have something like it or
anything like that.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
It's a good question. I mean, we we get asked
to do a lot of events throughout the year, and
I would have to say we probably deny more than
we actually accept, just because there's so many events. But
this is a very special one. We've got a handful
of very special ones throughout the year. And our hope is,
you know, of course we want you know what, you know,
we want people to come and visit the restaurant. Of course,
when they're done, you know, you see some people come
(29:48):
up and they're just like they grab the dish and
they run, and they come back and grab three more
and they run. You're like, hey, look, we're actually this
is Pest content, a Peest Coastal kitchen. So yes, it's
like being out there just for the fun of it
and you know, eating people and for the camaraderie, but
also we want to market the restaurants as well. Of course,
I think we're all there to continue to push our
brands and to spread the love and you know, but yeah,
(30:12):
it's uh, you know, we definitely which reminds me because
I think the tune of b LT just have to
and we might have to put on the menu when
we get back, because I'm sure people are going to
ask for that when it comes to the restaurant.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
I'm going to yeah, yeah, yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I'm I'm serious. I think we're gonna have to put
that on the menu.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
And I think it'll be great and start manhandling people
and throwing throwing hands and saying you get him on
the phone if he's not here, and you find out
how to make it. It is special. It's a special dish,
and it's incredibly well put together. I got to imagine
people will be asking as far as etiquette at these events. Yes,
(30:48):
you're marketing yourself, but you're also working. There's a lot
going on, and your crew is there with you as well.
But how how do people politely go about asking questions
if maybe there's not super long line and you're not
slammed yeah or in the weeds there, how do they
go about finding more about do you bring literature with
you or are there things they can take with them
(31:10):
or things like that.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Yeah, we bring you know, like QR Code will have
in front for the men. You could take some little
website or the menu. And I'm usually in front of
the stand kind of like talking with people, and I like,
you know, I love getting out there and talking with folks,
and uh, you know, the team will be putting up
the food, but there's always time for talking to me.
I mean I love talking about food obviously, and uh,
you know, I I think that people who come to
(31:35):
these events obviously their foodies and they this is their chance.
Some people have never heard of us before, and some
people are like, oh, we've been tier downtown location. You know,
we work in your building and we're coming to Pasadena
now to see this. And so it's really nice to
be able to be able to, you know, just kind
of meet the people we we cook for and who
are in the dining rooms and who keep us in business,
(31:57):
and you know, at the end of the day, like
this is this they are who we're doing this for sure,
and you know, we were really grateful to that they're
there supporting us and you know, it's uh, you know,
like I said, if they're there for this event, they
want to their foodies. They want to try good food,
and there's a lot of great restaurants out there for
people to choose from.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
So yeah, and I'd say you can put it on
your phone and notes or what have you, but bringing
you know, pen and a little notebook or something can
be helpful when you go to these things to make
note of where you are, or to take photos of
the places.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
And the dish and the name of the dish and say, gosh,
I really liked that because what you described chef of
that grabbing, especially proteins. Man the lines for proteins, it's
like they've got over there, you know. Then people line
up and.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
It's it's it's a great tasting event and you to
go and to taste these things.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
I've been you know, I've had some okay stuff as well,
but I've had some great food at these events that
make me go, wow, that is, you know, let's get
that chef on the air. Let's do this because they're
a great way to sample and get a little insight
as to the chefs and what they're doing in their restaurants.
So check that out. And I'm going to tell you,
if you live in Pasadena or if you live in
(33:17):
the LA area, I know you passed by these places
or you hear of them. It's very easy not to
pop in because usually when you're close to the home,
you're just trying to get the home. But check them out,
because there's nothing worse than seeing a great restaurant go
away because the people closest to it didn't frequent it enough.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
If I if I may, I mean that's a great point.
I mean, frequent your local restaurants. And we all, you know,
we all live in our little neighborhoods around the city,
and uh, it really takes all of you out there
to support the restaurants. You know. Uh, you know, it's
a it's a different it's a difficult business. You all
have your favorites and uh, but you know it's we
(33:59):
need all the community out there to really support restaurants
and to understand what restaurants go through. And it's not
it's not easy, and it's a definitely were it is
a passion for us. There's so much going on right
now and everyone keeps saying with the climate and this
and that and you know, just so many things happening,
but you know, continue to uh to come to your
local restaurant support and we all love you for that.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Yeah, sustenance is one thing. Nutrition is one thing, but
the fact that you can go eat art is a
unique human experience and that's what the show has been
about for all this time. Jeff, what a pleasure. Thank
you for bringing your food, absolutely spectacular food and your attitude.
You're my type of person, man. I just could talk
(34:44):
to you all damn day about food and the intricacies
of it and travel. This is good for inspiration. So
thanks so much for taking the time.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Love and hello to your wife and you guys. Got
to come in again sometime.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Yeah, thanks man, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Really wonderful for you who want to go to the event.
The food event tomorrow Sunday, November three, one to four
pm at Santa Anita Park. Go to lamag dot com
La mag dot com. Again, if you don't support these events,
they go away. And then you cry to me and
I say, but I told you, and you said, yeah,
but I didn't listen, and I said, that's not my problem.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
And it goes on.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
No, no, no, no, no, no, all right, we'll catch you
next week. We'll be out in Orange County and Laguna
a gal at the Wild Fork there. Come out and
say hello. Bill Handle will be with me. We'll be
giving out samples. Wild Fork is an amazing uh. I
even hate calling them a grocer because they're they're they're
just you got to check them out and you can
(35:38):
find out more on their website. But we'll be out
there Laguna and agal So come say hi. It is
the Forkport stick around? Is it?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (35:45):
Tiffany coming up? Tiffany's coming up? So go no where.
This is KFI and KOSTHD to Los Angeles, Orange County.
You've been listening to the Fork Report. You can always
hear us live on KFI AM six forty two to
five pm on Saturday and anytime bond demand on the
iHeartRadio app
Hey, it's Niels Vedre. You're listening to kfi EM six
forty the four Report on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
Thanks for hanging out today. It's the Day of the
Dead for I mean hint day out there that are
celebrating and enjoying a really special day of connecting with
those that have gone on, whether it is having your
(00:22):
old FRIENDA and your altar there, honoring the people that
have come and gone, whatever it may be, it is
a very precious holiday, not to every Mexican. I will
tell you I learned about it growing up much later.
Wasn't something that we celebrated in our house, even as Hafy's.
(00:43):
We didn't. It wasn't something huge, But I did learn
about it, and I have grown to really love the
holiday and to experience all of that and to look
as to how much food actually ties into it is
a pretty lovely thing as well. Well. We love talking
about food events here and there is one coming up
well actually going on right now, going on through the
(01:05):
fourth that you need to don't know about, and it
is the Los Angeles Magazine The Food Event. So Los
Angeles Magazine the Food Event. It is November tomorrow, does
it's the first to the fourth, right, just Sunday. Sunday. Yep,
why do I have one to four pm? There you go,
(01:29):
that's when my brain wasn't working. It's tomorrow. It's tomorrow
the third, and you can get out there to Santa
Anita Park and they have so much going on. It's
actually a great venue. If you've ever been to Santa
Anita or a food event, it's a really amazing place
to go and enjoy food. And here to talk about
(01:50):
it with us is chef and proprietor Brett Thompson from
Pez Coastal Kitchen and Pez Cantina in Pasadena and Los
Ange just respectful, respectively. Hi chef, Hi, welcome to the program.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Good to be here. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
So you were at the Manhattan Beach Food Festival that
we were at some weeks back, but you were there
on Friday. We were there on Saturday, and I didn't
get a chance to meet you. But it's a pleasure
to have you in studio today. When you do these events,
these food events, people come hungry, they come ready to eat.
How do you prepare what dishes you're going to shine
(02:28):
a light on?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, I think you know kind of work with you
know what sort of pleases the general public. You don't
want to come with anything to kind of astrotetric, but
you know, fun dishes that kind of represents your restaurant.
Some signatures, dishes that we do something seasonal as well,
like the stuff I about today is kind of a
signature dishes that we do at our restaurant. Thank you
(02:50):
so much. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Was like, holy, I love that. I know it's radio,
but we'll take pictures, but I know that it's radio,
but that is just stunning. Those boards are.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Perfect, lovely, Thank you so much. Yeah. I mean, also,
we want to our goal. Even though it's a great
time for us to be you know, camaraderie with all
of our chefs, friends and restaurants out there, we also
want to shine and be a little competitive and we
want to hear hey, look, this is the best issue
you've had actually at the event. So you know, we
definitely come strong with our best.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Do you find chefs to be competitive.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
You know at the end of the day, yes, I
think superficially.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Yes, here's a little bit of politics that you go
through it.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, well you know what, I you know, we're all
in this together. It's it's a very uh satisfying but
challenging industry, and I think, uh, you know, we're all
need to to kind of, you know, hold hands in
this industry together. Uh and you know, like they what
do they say, you know, restaurant row, those restaurants, you know,
(03:52):
turp together sort of are the busiest kind of areas
and area. So so we you know, especially like in Pasadena,
we have so many restaurants around us. We really were
in tandem to kind of have each other's success.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
And I think that that really is something. It's a
point of pride of any skill set to want to
wow your peers and contemporaries as well. So you want
them to have a wink and a nod and say, hey,
that was a smart and incredibly flavorful fish.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Absolutely, yeah, because that pushes everybody forward, it does.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
I think when you I mean just seeing like when
you come to these events, you know, you know you're
working with some of the best around the some of
the best chefs in the city or the country. You
want to come strong. You definitely you want to shine
in the group. So absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
You can't. You can't really make it out here unless
you shine you know, it's too expensive, too costly to
do it right. Yeah, that if you're trying to compete
against the quality that's out here. If you don't have it,
you don't have I mean it's not to say good
chefs don't have concepts failed that are still good timing
(05:00):
and everything, but you really have to have an a game.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah. Well Los Angeles is a big food city and
there's a lot of competition and uh yeah, if you
you know, you really have to be creative and innovative
and always kind of reinventing yourself. And you know, I've
been in the industry for over twenty years now, Wow,
it's a long time. I can't believe it goes quick.
A Sure it does. And you know, I've you know,
(05:25):
continued to hone my skills and just you know, at
the same time, just trying to create an environment that we,
you know, all of our staff and team are really
enjoy being around.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Is that difficult because they're you know, you go back
and there are some lines, some kitchens that weren't so
fun to work in. I've interviewed a lot of chefs
and is that a point of pride for you to
have a strong, smart working line where people want to
(05:57):
be there, even though it's hard work.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Absolutely, I always I always say, uh, I don't want
a nine to fiver working for us, you know, I
mean being being I want chefs. I want people who
want to be chefs. You know, there are people who
ou out there who just want to be lyne cooks,
who are just doing this for the paycheck. But at
the end of the day, you hit it right there.
It's like, I want great communicators. I want people who
are passionate, and you know, we Uh, it's a tough industry,
(06:23):
especially being in California. There's a lot of challenges we
face here in the restaurant industry in California. But you know,
just just to you know, it's it's incredible. We have
to you know, cook great food, get the food out
to the table, make sure it's timely, make sure the
restaurant's beautiful, make sure the ambiance is amazing, make sure
the service is amazing. And we still have to make money.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Oh yeah, so the Margint's have changed my friends in
the past couple of.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Years, so you know, it definitely is uh. You know,
it's a passion. You know, people say, oh my god,
how do you do it. It's so difficult. It's like,
you know, I don't know. This is all I know.
I've been doing this since I was nineteen years old,
and I love it. I can't imagine doing anything else.
I'm I'm a cook at heart, That's what I am.
I mean, I don't know if you know, the word
chef means captain in French, so you know, yes, I'm
(07:09):
a chef, I guess. But at the end of the day,
I'm I'm a cook. I try to be the best leader.
My wife Lucy is my partner and we have a wow.
You know about eighty employees now who work for us
between the two restaurants, which is it was just insane
and uh you know really, I think, as you know,
as time goes on, I just it's important we create
(07:31):
a very very just a great positive atmosphere and learning
atmosphere for all of our staff.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Your wife is from Juanawato, She's from That's where my
family is from. Oh really, I was born here in
the States, as was my father, but my grandparents are
from there. Oh what city, Oh god, I'd have to
I'd have to ask. Okay, my brother Craig does all
of our genealogy and stuff like that. Both my grandparents
had passed, and my grandmother passed right before I was born.
(07:57):
My grandfather went back and in Mexico.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
He didn't see the States as his home, but my
grandmother did so.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
But uh yeah, it's a when I see that it uh,
it always reminds me of the beautiful pictures and.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
The park is amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Oh, it's so amazing there. I love it. I've I've
fortunate enough. My wife is, yes, a beautiful Mexican lady
named Lucy Thompson, and she comes from Wanajuato, San Francisco,
that gonor they call it San Bancho. Uh, and I've
been there several times. Not only San Francisco is great,
but like you know, SAMUELI Andde and Juana, So that's
the picturesque kind of colorful buildings you see down there,
and the food scene is amazing there, and I just
(08:36):
love it. We have our own a friend at the
house and at both restaurants, have our fod. Yeah, we
love it. It's really great. I love Mexican culture. Hence,
you know, I think one of the reasons we opened
a Mexican restaurant in downtown Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
It's a very passionate food and I can imagine that
it's intoxicating for a cook to to create that food, right,
Hank Tig, We're going to talk more with chef Brett Thompson,
and of course the event, the food event Los Angeles Magazine.
It is tomorrow, Sunday, November third, and you can find
(09:10):
out more. Just can you just go to the Los
Angeles Magazine website. Okay, so you can do that very easy.
Just go to lamag dot com, La mag dot com,
go to the events and you can find out more
about the food event.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I know we're already in November. It is sliding by quickly.
Before you know it, we're going to be wearing hats
and blowing in noisemakers, not noses. I don't know. Maybe
you get a cold, that could happen, but noisemakers. As
we celebrate the new year, I know I'm pushing it
along too quickly, but it does go by fast. The
(09:52):
cool thing is there's still much to celebrate and much
fun to have. As twenty four winds down we go
into the holidays, and one of them is the Food Event.
Twenty twenty four is the Food Event put on by
Los Angeles Magazine. You can find out more at lamag
dot com. Lamag dot com. It's at Sanna Anita Park.
(10:14):
It's a great place to go and just enjoy the
lovely atmosphere and some great food. And right now we're
chatting with chef Brett Thompson. As you know about the restaurants,
and his particular restaurants is Pez Coastal Kitchen there in
Pasadena and then Pez Cantina on Grand Avenue in Los Angeles.
(10:37):
Chef with an event like the Food Event and Los
Angeles Magazine finding the importance because this is not an
easy thing to do. It's a lot of logistical stuff
to put on a big event like this surrounding food
and basically building kitchens in the middle of a horse track,
so all of those things. What do you think the
(10:58):
importance to someone like you, a business owner and a chef,
what's the importance of these food events the culinary community.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Well, I think it's uh, you know, first and foremost,
I think it's just the you know, for all of
us to get together and celebrate food and wine and
spirits and just to you know, as you said, there's
a lot to be thankful for this year. We've it's
been a long year. We are winding down, but it's
nice to be able to get together with you know,
(11:27):
all of our friends and chef friends and other restaurants.
It happens to be in our backyard, which is great
here in Pasadena at the Sanita Racetrack, and you know,
I think that that is probably my favorite thing about it.
You know, we we have fun. We get out there.
Yes we're working, but as you said, yeah, we we
usually set up like you know, usually outdoors and we
(11:49):
kind of create these kitchens which are incredible. This year
we'll be inside the clubhouse, which will be interior. It's
going to be amazing. And but it's just it's just
it's fun to get out there and you know, all
of our you know, the staff who come with us,
they get to kind of roll around also and just
try everybody else's food and that as well. So it's, uh,
(12:09):
it's you know, one of our favorite things to do
being in the restaurant industry.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
In that clubhouse so beautiful, the architecture in there the
whole vibe you can it just it takes you back
to another time period, what a really neat uh place
that is, and that's got to be fun to to
have that. The challenges that come with a food event
(12:34):
because you you do have to pick up everything and
kind of move somewhere else. Are you planning the menu
based on I don't want to say limitations, because there
it's different, But are you you planning the menu based
on what you know you can do, spot on and
execute perfectly in that arena?
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Well? Yes, uh yeah, it's it's kind of hard when
you forget something, especially something important. So say for example,
you're making fish tacos and you forget the fish. You're
not like you're not running the smart and final right, uh,
you know, catering or doing any kind of events off site,
you want to make sure we have a very very
thorough checklist. I mean we literally have this list we
go through before we leave the kitchen, making sure we
(13:14):
check everything off. But you know, we are really good
at uh at juking in the in the industry, and
we figure things out. I mean, you know we will.
You know, if we're missing one little item, it's okay.
Unless it's a big part of the dish. But you know,
I think it's you know, we've done events where you know,
we're doing fish tacos, we're making tortillas by hand, frying fish,
(13:36):
you know, on site, everything there to just doing all
cold items, which we're doing kind of a combination. This
time we're doing like this, uh, this little citrus cake
which is already you know, kind of room tamp plus
nah he tunic bl T which is sort of a
combination of of U of room tamp and hot. So
it depends on what we're doing. It depends on the
time of the year. You know, if it's gonna be
(13:58):
something during the summer time it's really hot, we might
want to use a cold savice, which honestly is probably
the easiest because we kind of keep everything on ice
and there's no cooking involved, you know. And I think
it just also depends on you know what. I think
it seasonally is a big factor as well.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Sure, yeah, sure, no one's going to turn down a
good savich, right. Can I keep you around for a
little longer?
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Yeah, talking, and I'd love to try some of the
food that you brought. Of course, we're talking about the
Food Event. The Food Event Los Angeles magazine. They put
it on. This is the eighteenth annual and it is
going on tomorrow from one to four p m. There
at Santa Anita Park. What a great opportunity to get
out and be able to sample a lot of fantastic chefs.
(14:45):
Find out more. Go to lamag dot com, La mag
dot com and stick around. We're gonna try some of
this sexy looking food and we'll talk about it with
Chef Brett Thompson when we return.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nils of eight
on demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Hey, don't forget before we get back into talking about
the food event, which is tomorrow. By the way, if
you want to go put on by a Los Angeles
magazine and you can go to lamag dot com, la
mag dot com to find out more. We'll get back
to talking with Chef Brett Thompson in a moment. I
want to remind you that we are not in studio
(15:25):
next Saturday, a week from today, we are going to
be in Orange County. And I know you've been saying
come out and come come deeper. Everybody says, come come
more South come More South. Kayla really, Kayla Rose, seriously,
are you seven? We'll walk it off. We have guests
(15:52):
AnyWho will yes The Fork Report Deeper More South a
week from today, come join us in Orange County and
Laguna Negal will be in Laguna Negal at Wild Fork
and they are a new sponsor. We're thrilled to have them.
(16:13):
I love their food. If you haven't experienced Wild Fork before,
go check them out. See where the local one is
near you. But we're gonna be out there. And I
say we because not only is the show going to
be out there, Bill Handle's going to be co hosting
with me the entire show. We've got great foods and proteins.
We're going to be on grilling on Big Green Eggs
(16:36):
out there. Big Green Egg is giving away a Mini
Max grill for you and we'll have food samples. My
buddy Wing Lamb from Wahoo's Fish Tacos is going to
be out there grilling as well as some I think
Craig the Egg is coming out from Big Green Egg.
It's going to be a good time had by all.
(16:57):
Zelman's is gonna be out there giving away some products
and also selling some packages at a deep discount that
I can't mention, but you could come out again Laguna
Negal at Wild Fork in Laguna Negal a week from today.
Come out, say hello and hang out with me and
Bill Handle. Right now we're talking with Brett Thompson. He
(17:17):
is the chef and a proprietor of Pez Coastal Kitchen
there in Pasadena and Pez Cantina on Grand Darren downtown
LA and the food event coming up tomorrow. We're kind
of going through the different foods that you do. It's
really it's I'm always impressed by how you experience food
(17:38):
in a different location like this. So he brought some
lovely dishes that we are going to try right now. Chef,
why don't you walk us through these here? They're just stunning.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yeah, thank you so much. Yeah. So the first one
here that Kayla is helping us out with, thank you,
is the tuna blt. So it's it's a we've been
doing for a while to one of one of our
signature dishes, which is uh, it's a brioche creuton. It's
got a little bit of avocado lebne, which is leban
(18:08):
is kind of like a Lebanese style yogurt. And it's
got a slice of bluefin on he tuna, a little
bit of like a bacon marmalade that brings in the
b part and then the tomato and then the cilantro
acts as the tomato as the lettuce part. So the
blt so this is uh and we sprinkle a little
bit with our boom Chilian lime spice which gives it
(18:29):
kind of kind of a Chilian lime seison on there.
But this is a really nice uh packs of punch.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, So we love this. It's a
great satisfrizes a lot of palettes. It's very colorful. I
know you can't see it right now, but it's got
you know, it's it's it's a great for a trade
pass order, it's great for an appetizer at the restaurant,
(18:51):
and it's an amazing dish for an event like this
where you're right, I'm glad you guys like that. Yeah.
The so it starts with the brioche. We we heavily
brush it with garlic butter really makes it tender and buttery,
and then the the lebne. If you've ever had lebni before,
it's I love lebne. I love like it's just got that.
(19:13):
So it's it's a it's hung yogurt, so kind of
a salty yogurt, I mean, blended with avocado and cilantro
and lime and a little bit of Japano and then
the tuna's on top. And the tuna's got the little
dollup of that bacon chipotle marmalade. So it's kind of
like a jam made with bacon and chipotle and then
a little bit cilantro and and the tomato on top.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
What a lovely promise it makes with its colors and layers,
and got a payoff to that promise when you bite
into it.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Thanks man, Wow that is.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Really that is such a great bite, Yeah, thank you.
So well layered and balanced that I taste everything separately
and together and it just is just a real wow.
Yeah that is going to be a star indeed.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Thank you. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Ay. Event that is just really how playful and how
delicate that fish is with the light seer around, it
just melts in your mouth and then the crunch is
really lovely of the bread that chosen bread. Yeah that
is yeah, that is you know, it's funny because that's
(20:23):
how and this is something on the menu that you
have as well.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
This is yeah, okay, well it's actually not on our
all a cart menu at the restaurant, but we have
it on our der venue so for catering that kind
of stuff as well. But I don't know, after this interview,
maybe it's going to make its way in the menu.
I have a feeling people are going to come in
and ask for it.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
You know.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
It's funny, is it's you know how when you have
something really delicious you want more of it. It doesn't
mean you want it bigger, like yeah that like its
size and its bite is so good. Yeah, I'd rather
have a second one than a larger portion, if that
makes sense.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Totally makes sense.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
It's just the way it's balanced is so good. Right, No, no, no please.
Taylor's way of saying I'm going to have it. I
know it sounds like she's saying, hey, do you want
this one? But she really means I'm gonna have this.
But I don't want to look.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Like she's she's being genderous right now, Yeah, I get it?
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Yeah, no, that really that is. I applaud you, chef,
that you so much. That is so wonderful.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
It's a fun play on a dish. It really is.
It's fun. Well, it's it also has a second meaning
as well, So Brett and Lucy Thompson so blt that
when people come to the restaurant and their VIPs, we
call them BLTs. So it's also, yeah, don't tell anybody, okay, uh,
no one's listening, And so it was kind of a
play on that as well, you know, just a you know,
(21:40):
thinking of the name for the dish.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Someone's gonna come in. They're going to hear this and
mishear it, and they're going to walk in and go, yeah,
I'm a bacon sandwich. Okay, sir, right, we need you
to leave. You're making everybody.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
I got you.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
I'm looking at the time. You know what, I'm going
to pull you for one more segment right time, chef. Yeah,
of course that'll be wonderful. Okay, so stick around. We'll
come back because I want to eat this other little
beauty here. But just I just like when something surprises
me and pays off. I've seen beautiful food that I'd
(22:17):
never put in my mouth twice. But when I see
something that is so nicely put together and pays off
like that, I give it high high praise. Chef Brett Thompson,
chef and proprietor there at Pez Coastal Kitchen, Pez Cantina,
and he and his wife oversee everything and I love that.
(22:37):
I just think that that is magic. When you have
unification of focus on laser focus on what you want
to do, you can't beat them. I don't care if
it's a restaurant, I don't care what it is. You
come together like that, It's always magic. And this is
all to celebrate the Food Event which is tomorrow there
at Santa Anita Park. Los Angeles Magazine puts it on.
(23:01):
If you're don't pick up the Los Angeles or you're
not subscribe to it, I encourage you to do so.
But you can find it online at lamag dot com,
La mag dot com, or you can find it at
your local grocer. When you're heading out there, you can
usually find it right there in the stands. I really
love it. It's one of the few magazines that I
do get because of the fact that it has such
(23:22):
a great food focus, and the Food event is no
less for that as well. Coming on tomorrow, Sunday, November third,
lamag dot com. All right, we'll be back with more
go nowhere.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
What a show it has been today. As we wrap
up talking about, of course, what Los Angeles Magazine is
doing with their eighteenth annual.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
The Food event Boom. The food event. You don't get
more specific than that, Hey, is it an event?
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Yeah? What's its surrounding food? What's its name? The food Event?
That's the name, Los Angeles Magazine putting it on. To
find out more, you can go to their website lamag
dot com, La mag dot com. It is there at
Santa Anita Park. It is tomorrow only Sunday. So you
(24:18):
want something to do tomorrow, check out lamag dot com
and get yourself some tickets and go have some great food.
The only thing I ask is the first thing you
do is you bline for chef Brett Thompson with Pez
Coastal Kitchen there in Pasadena, Pez Cantina in Los Angeles
there on downtown LA. And we just tried one of
(24:42):
the dishes he's going to be serving and you're actually
calling it your blt, right, that's right, Okay, So it's
not what you think it is and all I would say,
is wipe your expectation away and just bite into it
and enjoy this other dish you brought. It looks like
it's on the sweet side. Yes, okay, And what is this?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
So this is a citrus and olive oil cake with pistachio,
mascarpone and blackberries. And I got to give a shout
out to my friend Bianca who brought this cake over
to our house one night we had a little house
party and it was the most amazing citrus olive oil
cake ever. So I said, give me the recipe, and
now we have it on the recipe at on the
menu at the restaurant and everyone loves it. It's got
(25:28):
that dense olive oil. It's just like so twenty five
percent of the mass of that cake is extra virsion
olive oil. That's why it's so rich, which is amazing
and oh wonderful. Yeah, And I just think with the citrus,
the mascapone, cheese, the pistachio, the BlackBerry, it's just like
(25:48):
very very Italian. Also, I love it. And yeah, this
is a you know, we're doing little bites of these
for the event and it's a nice little kind of
finisher to uh to tuna to blt.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
That is really lovely and that that olive oil gives it,
you know, it's not a neutral ol not neutral oil
all oiled. Yes, especially extravergin.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
It's one.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
I have a little bit of that that greenness if
you will. It's just it's going to be a little
bright and herbaceous kind of but uh that is that
cake is delightful.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
It's really sweet. And is this how you normally serve
it or is it served in a slice or something normal?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
So something Yeah, it's actually you're right, it's kind of
like a mini you're eating like a mini bun. So
we've got like like larger uh forms that are about
three times of size, and we serve it just as
you're having now. But we actually shave limoncello granite on
top of it. Oh stop, it's ridiculous. Yeah, So if
you don't know what granite is those who are listening,
it's like a shaved ice, and limoncello is a great
(26:52):
lemon alcohol. Uh, and so we just kind of make
like a lemon shaved ice on top of this. So
it's got the blackberries and lemon shaved ice and the
pistachia lemon cake. It's like so awesome. Yeah, I love it. Yeah,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
I'm glad that it's going really lovely. And I love
that little crunch in there too. Mm hmm, oh my gosh,
that's a little the delightful little fellow right there. Thanks
so you excited to to hand these off to eager
and hungry people tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
We are We are my team, and I are excited.
We love being out there at the racetrack. If you've
never been to the racetrack either, I mean, it's like
such a day. I've got two sons, Levi and Luke,
and we love getting out there and kind of you know,
placing our beds and well they don't bet, but they
tell me what's to bet on, and uh, it's just
fun being out there. The energy is great, the horses
(27:42):
are great. I don't know if there's gonna be any
actually horse races on this day. I don't think there are.
But it's just it's just got great energy out there.
I don't think that's a cool. People you know who
live in so Cow, we have never been there. It's
such a gem. It really is so much fun. You've
got this super easy to park.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Yes, you know, it's a and you or inside so
you're in the clubroom there, the Cluse Clubhouse and it
and it is just the architecture and you know they
do events there. It's it really is beautiful.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Yeah. Yeah, it's guys that like, I don't know, old
school feel sand Gabriel Mountains in the background. It's it's
an amazing, amazing event.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Yeah, and it looks like I know, we were looking
at the possibility of some inclement weather weather today, but
it looks like that has passed for the most part,
depending on where you are, and it should be a
lovely day tomorrow. So if you have any more questions
about the food event put on by Los Angeles Magazine,
just to go to La mag dot com La mag
(28:39):
dot com. But you definitely have to check out Brett
Thompson and the stuff he is cheffing with because it
really is spectacular. I enjoyed the flavors and the combinations.
And if you don't get a chance to go for
some reason, then you know you can get out to
Pez Coastal Kitchen in Pasadena or Pez Can't te in
(29:00):
downtown LA. When you do these food events, chef and
do you find that you make new fans and they'll
come in and say hello. When they finally get a
chance to come into the brick and mortar place, they say, hey,
you know, I was out at such and such event
(29:21):
and I tried this, and do you have it on
the menu or do you have something like it or
anything like that.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
It's a good question. I mean, we we get asked
to do a lot of events throughout the year, and
I would have to say we probably deny more than
we actually accept, just because there's so many events. But
this is a very special one. We've got a handful
of very special ones throughout the year. And our hope is,
you know, of course we want you know what, you know,
we want people to come and visit the restaurant. Of course,
when they're done, you know, you see some people come
(29:48):
up and they're just like they grab the dish and
they run, and they come back and grab three more
and they run. You're like, hey, look, we're actually this
is Pest content, a Peest Coastal kitchen. So yes, it's
like being out there just for the fun of it
and you know, eating people and for the camaraderie, but
also we want to market the restaurants as well. Of course,
I think we're all there to continue to push our
brands and to spread the love and you know, but yeah,
(30:12):
it's uh, you know, we definitely which reminds me because
I think the tune of b LT just have to
and we might have to put on the menu when
we get back, because I'm sure people are going to
ask for that when it comes to the restaurant.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
I'm going to yeah, yeah, yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I'm I'm serious. I think we're gonna have to put
that on the menu.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
And I think it'll be great and start manhandling people
and throwing throwing hands and saying you get him on
the phone if he's not here, and you find out
how to make it. It is special. It's a special dish,
and it's incredibly well put together. I got to imagine
people will be asking as far as etiquette at these events. Yes,
(30:48):
you're marketing yourself, but you're also working. There's a lot
going on, and your crew is there with you as well.
But how how do people politely go about asking questions
if maybe there's not super long line and you're not
slammed yeah or in the weeds there, how do they
go about finding more about do you bring literature with
you or are there things they can take with them
(31:10):
or things like that.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Yeah, we bring you know, like QR Code will have
in front for the men. You could take some little
website or the menu. And I'm usually in front of
the stand kind of like talking with people, and I like,
you know, I love getting out there and talking with folks,
and uh, you know, the team will be putting up
the food, but there's always time for talking to me.
I mean I love talking about food obviously, and uh,
you know, I I think that people who come to
(31:35):
these events obviously their foodies and they this is their chance.
Some people have never heard of us before, and some
people are like, oh, we've been tier downtown location. You know,
we work in your building and we're coming to Pasadena
now to see this. And so it's really nice to
be able to be able to, you know, just kind
of meet the people we we cook for and who
are in the dining rooms and who keep us in business,
(31:57):
and you know, at the end of the day, like
this is this they are who we're doing this for sure,
and you know, we were really grateful to that they're
there supporting us and you know, it's uh, you know,
like I said, if they're there for this event, they
want to their foodies. They want to try good food,
and there's a lot of great restaurants out there for
people to choose from.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
So yeah, and I'd say you can put it on
your phone and notes or what have you, but bringing
you know, pen and a little notebook or something can
be helpful when you go to these things to make
note of where you are, or to take photos of
the places.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
And the dish and the name of the dish and say, gosh,
I really liked that because what you described chef of
that grabbing, especially proteins. Man the lines for proteins, it's
like they've got over there, you know. Then people line
up and.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
It's it's it's a great tasting event and you to
go and to taste these things.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
I've been you know, I've had some okay stuff as well,
but I've had some great food at these events that
make me go, wow, that is, you know, let's get
that chef on the air. Let's do this because they're
a great way to sample and get a little insight
as to the chefs and what they're doing in their restaurants.
So check that out. And I'm going to tell you,
if you live in Pasadena or if you live in
(33:17):
the LA area, I know you passed by these places
or you hear of them. It's very easy not to
pop in because usually when you're close to the home,
you're just trying to get the home. But check them out,
because there's nothing worse than seeing a great restaurant go
away because the people closest to it didn't frequent it enough.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
If I if I may, I mean that's a great point.
I mean, frequent your local restaurants. And we all, you know,
we all live in our little neighborhoods around the city,
and uh, it really takes all of you out there
to support the restaurants. You know. Uh, you know, it's
a it's a different it's a difficult business. You all
have your favorites and uh, but you know it's we
(33:59):
need all the community out there to really support restaurants
and to understand what restaurants go through. And it's not
it's not easy, and it's a definitely were it is
a passion for us. There's so much going on right
now and everyone keeps saying with the climate and this
and that and you know, just so many things happening,
but you know, continue to uh to come to your
local restaurant support and we all love you for that.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Yeah, sustenance is one thing. Nutrition is one thing, but
the fact that you can go eat art is a
unique human experience and that's what the show has been
about for all this time. Jeff, what a pleasure. Thank
you for bringing your food, absolutely spectacular food and your attitude.
You're my type of person, man. I just could talk
(34:44):
to you all damn day about food and the intricacies
of it and travel. This is good for inspiration. So
thanks so much for taking the time.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Love and hello to your wife and you guys. Got
to come in again sometime.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Yeah, thanks man, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Really wonderful for you who want to go to the event.
The food event tomorrow Sunday, November three, one to four
pm at Santa Anita Park. Go to lamag dot com
La mag dot com. Again, if you don't support these events,
they go away. And then you cry to me and
I say, but I told you, and you said, yeah,
but I didn't listen, and I said, that's not my problem.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
And it goes on.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
No, no, no, no, no, no, all right, we'll catch you
next week. We'll be out in Orange County and Laguna
a gal at the Wild Fork there. Come out and
say hello. Bill Handle will be with me. We'll be
giving out samples. Wild Fork is an amazing uh. I
even hate calling them a grocer because they're they're they're
just you got to check them out and you can
(35:38):
find out more on their website. But we'll be out
there Laguna and agal So come say hi. It is
the Forkport stick around? Is it?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (35:45):
Tiffany coming up? Tiffany's coming up? So go no where.
This is KFI and KOSTHD to Los Angeles, Orange County.
You've been listening to the Fork Report. You can always
hear us live on KFI AM six forty two to
five pm on Saturday and anytime bond demand on the
iHeartRadio app
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