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JIM ULCICKAS - BLUEWATER GRILL  

Jim “Jimmy” Ulcickas founded Bluewater Grill with his partner Rick Staunton in 1996, and is responsible for all aspects of marketing, especially the growth of the brand from the original Newport Beach, Calif., dockside location to a growing family of premiere seafood restaurants in California and Arizona.

He was born and raised in Connecticut, and is a Dartmouth graduate of economics. After graduation in 1983, he joined W. R. Grace & Co. in New York, N.Y., where he worked as a financial analyst in the restaurant department and assistant to Chairman J. Peter Grace. During his six-year tenure with the company, he worked in operations for various Grace divisions, including Coco’s, Carrows, Baxter’s, Reuben’s, El Torito and Gladstone’s 4 Fish.

In 1989, Jim joined American Restaurant Group, Inc., in Newport Beach, as controller of Spoons, a $35 million division encompassing 20 restaurants and 1,400 employees. In this capacity, he was responsible for the financial management of day-to-day operations, strategic planning, budgeting and the development and maintenance of internal control systems. Jim used his unit-level, district and multi-unit operational experience to help grow the Spoons chain by 50 percent and establish the National Sports Grill concept to six stores during his tenure.

Jim was instrumental in the design and marketing of the Bluewater Grill at The District at Tustin Legacy. The 7,250-square-foot showplace served as the design inspiration for the new Phoenix location and is the prototype for future Bluewater Grills throughout the West.  


SARALEE MCCLELLAND KUNDE - RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY WINEGROWERS - GRAPE TO GLASS

Join our winemakers and growers; our hoteliers and restaurateurs; our members and our neighbors; as we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation and honor the founding members of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers at the 18th Grape to Glass: Back to Our Roots celebration on Saturday, August 17.

The party starts with a tasting reception at 4 pm showcasing more than 50 wineries and growers of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers along with local restaurants, caterers and food purveyors offering small bites that pair nicely with our world class wines. While you wine and dine on fresh local delicacies, take a stroll through the park-like setting at Richard’s Grove & Saralee’s Vineyard and view the work of local artists. Plus, place your bid on silent auction items of oversized and special bottlings, restaurant dinners, gift baskets and more.

Following the reception will be a feast like no other … a savory barbecue dinner with all of the fixins. And, of course, it wouldn’t be Grape to Glass without homemade Gravenstein apple pie. This year, the Vineyard Academy Culinary Arts Department at Windsor High school will make one of the largest apple pies you’ve ever seen! It will be baked at Costeaux French Bakery in Healdsburg and delivered HOT by our local fire department!

If you love the Russian River Valley area of Sonoma County then you won’t want to miss the spectacular live auction filled with excursions and overnight stays to bring you back in the Russian River Valley for more wine and excitement. Wrap up the perfect evening with great local entertainment by Urban Oasis..

Tickets are available now. To reserve a table, or a seat, at the 18th Grape to Glass Back to Our Roots Party order below or click here to download the order form.  For more information, call 707-521-2534.


LARRY VAN AALST - SOMMELIER

LARRY HOSTS A WEEKLY PROGRAM ON CRN AND ALSO IS AN EXPERT ON WINE WHO IS SOUGHT AFTER FOR EVENTS, TASTES AND MAJOR SOMMELIER EVENTS IN  THE SAM FRANCISCO AREA. HE COMMENTS ON THE INDUSTRY AND HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT WINE.

LARRY LIPSON - COSTA RICA      

For fifty years Larry Lipson was the food critic for the Los Angeles Daily News and now reports from Costa Rica weekly with his thoughts and favorite picks for Food & Wine.  His lovely Wife Lillian is also on hand at the Lipson Institute for advanced wine studies. 



Courtney Taira - King’s Hawaiian - Ultimate Sandwich Challenge 


King’s Hawaiian is launching the My Ultimate KING’S HAWAIIAN Sandwich Challenge. The goal: to find the most mouth-watering and delicious sandwiches from around the country, and broadly share those recipes online for everyone to enjoy.

King’s Hawaiian has been baking bread for more than 50 years, and is now adding the ultimate sandwich bread to its irresistibly delicious line of products.  New KING’S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Sliced Bread is being introduced in select regions throughout the United States, and is available nationally through the company’s online store. KING’S HAWAIIAN Sliced Bread is soft, fluffy with just a touch of sweetness, and is a new way to share the authentic Island recipe everyone knows and loves. The new Sliced Bread comes in a double-wrapped package to ensure freshness, and will help make any sandwich taste extraordinary.

King’s Hawaiian is inviting everyone to share their own favorite sandwich recipe by entering the My Ultimate KING’S HAWAIIAN Sandwich Challenge. Ten winning entries will each be treated to a special night out on the town, including limousine service and dinner for six at a featured restaurant, in addition to a year’s supply of KING’S HAWAIIAN bread. Plus the winners will have their recipe shared online and in the media with sandwich lovers everywhere.

Entering the challenge is easy. Contestants simply upload their ultimate sandwich ingredients and recipe, along with a mouth-watering photo of their ultimate sandwich, to the King’s Hawaiian website (www.KingsHawaiian.com/ultimate) by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on September 2, 2013. Each sandwich recipe must include the use of KING’S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Sliced Bread, Round Bread or any other KING’S HAWAIIAN bread product. All approved entries will be posted on the King’s Hawaiian website and contestants are encouraged to share the My Ultimate KING’S HAWAIIAN Sandwich challenge with friends and family through their favorite social media channels. Winners will be announced on September 17, 2013.

Chef William Carter – Executive Chef for the Playboy Mansion

Mr. William S. Bloxsom-Carter is the Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, California. He has been creating extraordinary food and exclusive wine offerings for Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion parties for over 26 years to 100,000 guests annually.

Chef Carter’s philosophy is to bring out the best flavors in food products from beginning to end with minimal intervention and uncompromising standards.

At the Playboy Mansion, Chef Carter has developed an internship/externship program with culinary schools nationwide. The program has garnered an exceptional reputation as the preeminent host facility for students. Additionally, Chef Carter is a recurring featured guest on numerous radio shows syndicated nationwide describing and promoting California wines and foods.


George Miliotes -  Capital Grille Sommelier

Imagine a society so exclusive, there are only 180 members in the entire world. They are Master Sommeliers, and The Capital Grille is honored to call one of these wine experts our own. Meet George Miliotes, the architect of our acclaimed wine list. Follow him on Twitter, @TheWineExpert, as he travels the globe in pursuit of exceptional vintages, sharing his expert insight about fine wine and cuisine along the way.

DON WHITTEMORE - DANDY DON'S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

We take so much care in making our ice cream for our clients. It’s not just a job — it’s our life. We started on May 1st, 1981. We’ve been serving restaurants since 1982, and when I get the chance I’ll show you our client list — they’re all very special.

Overrun is the technical term used to define the amount of air in ice cream. For example, 100% overrun equals 50% air and 50% ice cream. Lower-cost ice creams are usually 100% overrun. Dandy Don’s overrun is between 50% and 60%. We use an Emery-Thompson batch freezer allowing us to naturally mix in the air. It’s not just about the taste; it makes a better texture. The ice cream is dense, but it is still light and creamy on the palate. What’s really critical, when you’re buying ice cream for a restaurant, is the weight of the ice cream. Most smart restaurant operators use portion control to manage food costs, so we serve the smarter operators best. Most chefs scoop ice cream by weight, not by sight. A typical scoop is 4 ounces. A tub of Dandy Don’s ice cream may weigh 18 pounds or more, giving you a minimum of 72 four-ounce scoops. If you’re selling ice cream at $3.00 per scoop, your potential net profit is close to $200.00. Our Production Manager makes ice cream better than I do, which makes me a great teacher, by the way. He makes ice cream every day. I think we’re the only ice cream company in Los Angeles to put a “made on” date on every tub and pint. Most other ice cream companies use an expiration date on their product. We’re so anxious to serve ours, we tell you when we made it. In ice cream, freshness counts.

It started with a hot fudge sundae at a Planned Parenthood fund-raiser in 1993. David Tong, who eventually became our partner in China, asked me if I could make ice cream in China. “Sure,” I said. Many years later we’re still pumping out Dandy Don’s American Ice Cream in Guangzhou, China, 120 miles from Hong Kong.

And... all kinds of chocolates, like Bittersweet Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Cappuccino Crunch, Triple Chocolate with Chocolate Chips and Fudge, and Mandarin Orange Chocolate: Because they know the value of measuring by weight, not volume.


BROOKE BURNS - GCN'S 'THE CHASE'

You can run, but you cannot hide, The Beast is always coming after you.  In THE CHASE, a team of three contestants attempts to amass as much money as possible by answering quick-fire questions in a 60-second round.  The money earned will go towards a team bank.  Why the urgency?  Because The Beast is always lurking, ready to pounce. The Beast – quite simply — is a quiz genius.  The job of this intimidating presence is to catch each contestant by answering more questions than his opponents to ensure they are not able to bank their money.  It’s a role he executes with ruthless efficiency.  In the final round, the teammates who have survived the initial chase collectively play against The Beast in an epic David vs. Goliath battle for the entire amount that they have banked.

Premiere's Tuesday, August 6th, 2012 at 9/8c!

BOB HURLEY of HURLEY'S

CHEF CLAUD BELTRAN  
STEVE EVANS   "THE MOVIE GUY"

GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.

BILL KURTIS - VETERAN CBS JOURNALIST - TALLGRASS BEEF

Founded in 2005 by broadcast journalist Bill Kurtis, Tallgrass Beef Company is the industry leader in the production of grass-fed, grass-finished beef in the United States. After purchasing his 10,000 acre ranch near the town of Sedan, Kansas, Kurtis was compelled to find a sustainable method of raising cattle that was not only good for the environment, but also the animals themselves and the American food consumer. This was the genesis of Tallgrass Beef Company. Today Tallgrass Beef Company is comprised of a network of family farmers and ranchers across the United States that produce grass-fed, grass-finished cattle according to a strict set of protocols. These stringent standards ensure that food consumers are buying the safest, healthiest, most nutritious beef possible. Tallgrass Beef is a favorite among consumers seeking a healthy, humane source of beef. In addition to being available for purchase by consumers online, Tallgrass Beef became the first grass-fed, grass-finished product served in many of Chicago's finest restaurants, with a roster of clients featuring James Beard Award Winning chefs Rick Bayless (owner of Chicago's Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and XOCO restaurants), Charlie Trotter, George Bumbaris and Sarah Stegner. Harry Carays, Praire Grass Café, Frontera Grill, and Topolobombo serve Tallgrass. The brand has expanded to the west coast where Tallgrass Beef is available in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

LARRY LIPSON - COSTA RICA      

For fifty years Larry Lipson was the food critic for the Los Angeles Daily News and now reports from Costa Rica weekly with his thoughts and favorite picks for Food & Wine.  His lovely Wife Lillian is also on hand at the Lipson Institute for advanced wine studies. 


LETICIA MOREINOS SCHWARTZ - HISPANIC COOKBOOK

Celebrity chef and cookbook author, Leticia Moreinos Schwartz.  Her recipes demonstrate that there are simple ways to prepare healthy, traditional Hispanic dishes without sacrificing the flavor!  She will share some of her favorite diabetes-friendly recipes the whole family can enjoy!  Her involvement in the Cuida Tu Diabetes, Cuida Tu Corazón campaign to help Hispanics – who are more affected by diabetes than other ethnic groups – living with type 2 diabetes understand that including small, but important changes in their lifestyle can help them manage their disease.

DAN KESSLER - WINEGROWER/WINEMAKER, KESSLER-HAAK VINEYARD
  
Starting Saturday August 17th  get fired up in the Sta. Rita Hills - Kick off your Wine & Fire Weekend at the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Barn Party. The historic barn was the original Sanford winery and is an epic location brimming with earthy elegance and charm. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Santa Rosa valley, snack on fire-grilled flatbreads and dance to smoking hot music while sipping great Sta. Rita Hills wines. Catered by Bello Forno  Music by Saint Anne’s Place  Winegrower/Winemaker - Dan Kessler was born in Lansing,Michigan and graduated with a BSEE/MSEE degree from MIT in 1981. He spent the early part of his career developing state of the art semiconductor fabrication technologies for Hewlett-Packard in Fort Collins,CO. In search of warmer weather, Dan made his move to sunny California where he joined Vitesse, a small high tech startup company, developing and manufacturing  semiconductor technology for the supercomputer and telecommunications industries. A love for wine started Dan on a journey that took on a life of its own, in a kind of "if you give a mouse a cookie" kind of way. Drinking wine led to learning about wine; led to learning about winemaking; led to making wine as a home winemaker; led to planting a small 200 vine vineyard in his backyard; led to obtaining a Winemaker's Certificate from the UC Davis Distance Learning program; led to falling in love with Sta. Rita Hills; led to buying a 40 acre parcel and planting a 30 acre vineyard; led to, well, where he is today.



ROGER BERKOWITZ - CEO & PRESIDENT, LEGAL SEA FOODS   

Today we talk about Oysters and the wives-tale that indicated they should not be served during months with NO R in them.  TRUE OR FALSE?   

Legal Sea Foods was born in 1950 when George Berkowitz opened a fish market in the Inman Square neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts.  He opened it adjacent to his father Harry’s grocery store Legal Cash Market where customers were given “Legal Stamps” (forerunners of S&H green stamps) with their purchases.  It’s here that the “Legal” name became synonymous with quality and freshness.

In 1968, the Berkowitz family opened its first seafood restaurant, right next to the fish market.  The fish was simply prepared, either broiled or fried, and served on paper plates at communal picnic tables.  Despite the low-key trappings, the food was second to none and word quickly spread.  This early success led to further expansion and now, six decades later with restaurants along the Eastern Seaboard, the family philosophy endures: Legal Sea Foods is a fish company in the restaurant business.

George's son, Roger, has been at the helm since 1992 and has expanded the business into new markets while maintaining the company's focus on its proud tradition and core values.  So when we say, "If it isn't fresh, it isn't Legal!," we renew a commitment that has sustained us for over a half-century. It’s not a fish tale, but a tale of fish 60 years in the making…of a family-owned seafood market that spawned a restaurant company.  See the Timewave for an interactive look back.  Or view our restaurants’ placemat that details our history.