Good Food
Vermouth; Quark; How to Be a Successful Restaurateur
Ever dreamed of owning a restaurant? Two pros explain what it takes to keep a restaurant relevant over time. Plus, quark! Learn what it is and how to make it.
By Evan Kleiman • • 57m ListenEver dreamed of owning a restaurant? Two pros - Joe Bastianich and Piero Selveggio - explain what it takes to keep a restaurant relevant in a notoriously tumultuous industry. Gardening guru Willi Galloway tells us how to make the most of your edible garden by harvesting "extra edibles" like garlic scapes and radish leaves, and Martin Doudoroff celebrates every type of Vermouth from the splash in your martini to an entire glass on the rocks. Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen Manager Noelle Carter details how to make quark - a cream cheese-like fresh cheese - and what to do with it once you've made it. Filmmaker Eddie Schmidt chronicles the lives of the men and women who drive ice cream trucks and Jonathan Gold gushes over rum and ribs at Roy Choi's new Venice Beach eatery, Sunny Spot.
Banner image: The bar at Valentino. Photo by Ryan Forbes
In this episode
8 storiesMarket Report
The Santa Monica Farmers' Market welcomes Novy Ranch to the Wednesday downtown market. John Curry, a salesman for the ranch, says they are offering at least 25 cuts of antibiotic- and hormone-free grass-fed beef each week, including rare cuts like bavettes, coulottes and rocky mountain oysters.
Read the story7 minExtra Edibles
Willy Galloway is the author of Grow Cook Eat . She says that one of the greatest parts of growing your own food is discovering all the "bonus edibles" in your garden like herb flowers, radish leaves and garlic scapes.
Read the story9 minVermouth 101
Martin Doudoroff is the man behind the websites Vermouth 101 and Cocktail DB . He walks us through the four types of Vermouth, their history and how to enjoy them. You can find his Vermouth suggestions on the Good Food blog. Music: "Wayward Blues, Instrumental"
Read the story7 minThe Lives of Ice Cream Men and Women
Eddie Schmidt is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker. This segment weaves together scenes from his 2002 documentary, Popsicle Culture, about the men and women who drive ice cream trucks.
Read the story8 minQuark
Noelle Carter is the Test Kitchen Manager for the Los Angeles Times . She explains what quark is, how to make it and what to do with it once it's made. Her article on quark in the Times inspired this conversation. Music: "Confessions d'un Rap Addict"
Read the story5 minRum and Ribs in Venice Beach
Jonathan Gold reviews Sunny Spot , Roy Choi's Caribbean-influenced joint in Venice Beach. He recommends the fried pigs' feet, jerk chicken wings, flatbread with ricotta and harissa, brown sugar short ribs, Jamaican roasted lamb, mofongo and sweet potato pie. If you aren't hungry, the rum-based cocktails are worth going for alone.
Read the story7 minWhat It Takes to Be a Restaurant Man
Joe Bastianich is a restaurateur and TV personality. Along with his partner, Mario Batali, and sometimes his mother, Lidia Bastianich, he owns 25 restaurants worldwide. His book, Restaurant Man chronicles his life in the business. Music: "Oh, Look What the Sun Did"
Read the story6 min40 Years of Valentino
Piero Selvaggio is the owner of Valentino in Santa Monica. He talks with Good Food segment producer Laryl Garcia about what it takes to keep a restaurant relevant for 40 consecutive years. The entrance to Valentino The wine cellar at Valentino Photos by Ryan Forbes Music: "No Name #3" and "Hotel Mirador"
Read the story8 min
