The Menu on UCLA Radio

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.

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.

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.

(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.

(Apr. 17)Henry and Beliz interview Patricia, Roselma, and Tinette, owners of Genever, a gin bar in LA’s Historic Filipinotown specializing in Filipino-inspired drinks. We discuss their creative cocktails, being a woman in the bar industry, what they’re doing to stay afloat during COVID-19, and how they’re staying creative while in quarantine.

(Apr. 10)Henry and Beliz interview Ayara Thai's chef and owner Vanda Asapahu (at home)to talk about how COVID-19 has affected the restaurant, innovations they've been doing to keep their workers and their customers safe, their 4/20 special Cannabis Boat Noodle and more...

(Mar. 6) Beliz and Henry interview Josh Lurie, the founder and CEO of Food GPS, one of the premier food blogs in Los Angeles, and abroad. They talk about dining out with kids, LA's restaurant boom and future collapse, how to finance and sustain a blog and how to be a responsible food writer.

(Feb. 28)Beliz and Henry interview Chef Tara Punzone, the chef and owner of the first 100% plant-based italian restaurant and wine bar in the US, Pura Vita in Los Angeles. They talk about veganism, the new Pura Vita Pizzeria opening next month and the story of their famous Carbonara.

(Feb. 8) Henry, Beliz and Chef Sang Yoon talk about being the chef and owner of Father's Office and Lukshon, their deliciously controversial Father's Office burger, having no business plans and Zima, the White Claw of the 90s!

(Jan. 24) Henry talks with Victor Delgado and Jorge Alvarez, a.k.a. El Joy, the guys behind Tijuana-style taco establishment Tacos 1986. We discuss their recent decision to open a brick-and-mortar, their two forthcoming Beverly and Westwood locations, and how they turned their taco stand into LA’s fastest growing taco institution.

(Jan. 17) Beliz & Henry interview LA Times Deputy Food Editor Andrea Chang and they talk about the renewed food section, the Michelin guide, restaurant closings and the risks of the business.

(Nov. 26)Beliz interviews Kae Whalen, the beverage director of Kismet and an advocate for natural wines, or "natty" as they call it! They talk about misconceptions surrounding natural wines, accessibility, how they got into the business, sexual harassment in the wine industry and more...

(Nov. 19)Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo, owners of Animal, Son of A Gun, Jon & Vinny's and many others in Los Angeles, talk about the struggles of owning multiple restaurants, how being parents changed their approach, cooking for airplanes and more on this episode of the Menu.

(Nov 12) Beliz and Breezy talk about what they ate this week, Chrissy Teigen's list of places to eat in LA and the controversy surrounding it, Roy Choi's new delivery service and how people experience LA food scene differently.

(Nov. 5) We're interviewing Fred, co-owner of Burgerlords, a vegan-focused burger restaurant in Highland Park and Chinatown that aims to nurture a creative network in their neighborhoods and a "burger-loving community." We talk about struggles of being in the restaurant business, how they decided to open up their own restaurants and the future.

(Oct 29)We're talking food waste, food insecurity and food justice with Ashley, Breezy and Celina from Swipe Out Hunger and how we can inform ourselves about these issues.

Beliz interview Chris Amirault, bar director of Otium LA and co-creator of PARMBOYZ, monthly pop-up at Ronan in Melrose. We talk about bartending, cocktail tips and chicken parmz. (Oct 22)

(Oct 15) Beliz interviews Zach Brooks, the general manager of Smorgasburg LA, the weekly open-air food market in ROW DTLA every Sunday and they talk about Jonathan Gold, struggles of working in the food business, Los Angeles being the best food scene and more...

(Oct 8) Henry & Beliz talk about their summer eats, sexual assault in the kitchen and Burgerlords x Them Jeans pop-up

We reflect on what we've learned, our favorite places we've eaten at so far and our favorite episodes of the season. We also congratulate Henry for his graduation!

(June 5) We talk about what we ate and the Michelin Guide's California selections.

(May 28)We interview Michelle Nielsen, General Manager of W 3rd Street cafe of Bluestone Lane, your go-to local for premium coffee and healthy, delicious eats, influenced by the renowned café culture of Melbourne Australia.

(May 22)We talk about Infatuation's EEEEEATSCON and then have our Australian friend David and our British friend Zoë to talk about our food cultures. Honestly, it's mostly banter.

We interview Stephanie Breijo who has been the Editor for Time Out LA’s food and drink coverage and content since June 2017, but has also been an award-winning dining editor for Richmond Magazine and written for many other publications such as The Washington Post and USA Today, on food, music, and culture.

Jodi Low is a Farmers Market Coordinator for the Santa Monica Farmers Market, one of California’s (if not the country’s) best farmers markets. An estimated 900,000 customers visit these markets every year, and are responsible for supplying some of the most renowned LA chefs and restaurants with fresh, local produce on a weekly basis. She is also responsible for managing the SMFMs’ Sunday Main St. Market, as well as being the Volunteer and Internship Coordinator, graphic designer, and publicity rep.

Feb 4. Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA, and author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. His work appears nationally in the online, print, and digital video space, and you can follow him around the internet at @overoverunder. He's also the guy from that Tiny Hamsters Eating Tiny Burritos video. In this episode we talk to him about his job, his origins and his favorite restaurants.

Jan 14. In this episode we talk about LA Times' new food critics Bill Addison and Patricia Escarcega and the latest updates on California's Foie Gras Ban and how it affects restaurants.

Jan 7. Welcome to UCLA Radio's premiere food podcast The Menu. Our goal is to inform you about the BEST places to eat in LA, show you how to be an aspiring foodie, and inspire you to broaden their culinary horizons at the restaurant and in the kitchen. On our first episode we talk about our backgrounds and what we ate that week.