The Dine One Six

Chef Brad Cecchi Part 1

Brad Cecchi got his start in cooking by taking classes at American River College as a teenager, not because he loved cooking but because it seemed easy but he quickly found he had a knack for it. After placing second in a national cooking competition he found himself working in the kitchen at a five star resort in Colorado at age 18 and he never looked back. 
Today Cecchi co-owns and is the executive chef of Canon in East Sac, which holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand award and is widely considered one of the best restaurants in Sacramento. 
This is part one of a two part episode and we cover his early career from slinging pizzas, to working with Chef Bradley Ogden in San Francisco and then really building his skills and his reputation in Sacramento before leaving to open a hotel and ultimately being the head of a Michelin starred restaurant in Napa before returning to Sacramento to open Canon. 
Links: 
Canon
Franquette
Sac Bee 50 best restaurants in Sacramento
 
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Episode 4: The Better Meat Co.

Nestled along a levee, in the back of a large business park in West Sacramento is a company that is developing new technology and striving to mitigate the devastating effects of factory farming and provide a new protein source for a population set to hit 10 billion people over the next few decades. 
The Better Meat Co. is using a proprietary microflora organism to create fermentation and quickly grow a product that can be dried into a shelf stable, protein rich and non-allergenic product, which can be added to meat products or created into plant protein products meant to mimic meat. 
I talked with Doni Curkendall, executive vice president of the Better Meat Co. and she gave me the full rundown of this new plant-based protein. Doni left an executive position at Goodwill Industries, where she helped people transform their lives, to work for a company that she hopes can transform the world. 
Listen as I talk with Doni and take a tour of the facility where I touch and smell their Rhiza microprotein, learn about the difference between fermented fungi based proteins versus other plant based proteins and try some bacon made from their product!
Links and sources: 
https://www.bettermeat.co/
See a picture of the bacon here
Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram
Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com

Episode 3: Lee Pflugrath says frozen yogurt isn’t dead

Lee Pflugrath always dreamed of owning his own restaurant. He worked in kitchens his entire life starting at age 14. He worked his way up to being an executive chef at a high end restaurant in Napa in the 90’s. So how did he end up owning a humble yogurt shop in Davis? 
It’s a long, funny story and Lee lays out all the details for us in today’s episode. We talk about what it was like to be a chef in the 90’s, the fickle business of owning a restaurant and what has happened to the frozen yogurt boom? And how has Yolo Berry managed to survive when so many shops have failed and even continue to thrive during COVID? 
Listen to today’s show to hear Lee’s story of ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies.  
 
Visit the Yolo Berry website 
Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram
Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
 

Episode 2: All about coffee with local roaster Tamra Ruxin

Tamra Ruxin is a roaster for the local land park roastery Two Seeds Coffee. She knows her coffee and has the credentials to prove it. In fact, Tamra is a certified Q Arabica coffee grader, a certification that is held by only a few hundred people in the U.S. and it means she can taste a cup of coffee and tell you almost anything about it. 
 
We get into the difference between dark, medium and light roasts. How different brewing methods affect your cup of coffee, why you should always grind your beans fresh each morning and what the differences are in the flavors of coffees from different regions.
 
If you’ve ever stood in a Temple Coffee and felt confused and overwhelmed this is the episode for you. Listen as Tamra demystifies the sometimes pretentious world of coffee and gives you tips on how to up your personal coffee game and discover what types of roasts you might enjoy.
 
What Is the Q Grader Coffee System, and What Does It Mean For Your Morning Cup? -KQED
 
To order some Two Seeds coffee visit their website 
 
Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com
 
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram
Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com

Episode 1: Andy Bakes Bread

Andy Baranoff bakes bread and sells it on Instagram. He sells so much of it that he converted his laundry room into a cottage bakery, pumping out the smell of fresh bread into his South Land park neighborhood.  
 
Like so many people who end up as chefs or bakers, Andy Barnoff got his start by helping his grandmother in the kitchen make all sorts of Russian pastries and dishes with enriched dough. As a young adult Andy dreamed of being a professional cyclist but a trip to culinary school in San Francisco changed his course and he found himself immediately surrounded by food nerds like himself. 
 
Andy went on to run the pastry and dessert program at The Sterling Hotel for 15 years and then worked as a head baker and recipe developer for Nugget Market, creating many of their breads that can still be enjoyed today. 
 
To order some of Andy’s bread for yourself visit his Instagram page @andy.bakes.bread
To check out his recipe for focaccia visit the website: dineonesix.com

Trailer: The Dine One Six

The Dine One Six podcast is focused on the Sacramento food scene along with the people and culture that make it special. The show features interviews with chefs, farmers, journalists and anyone else with a great Sacramento food story to tell. Hosted by Max Connor, an award winning journalist and podcaster as well a long time restaurant worker and dedicated home cook. Max will take you behind the scenes with people in the food industry.