Behind the Scenes with Jsix's Christian Graves

For those of us who love food, there are often secretly harbored dreams of running a restaurant. Well, the reality of it is that running a restaurant is truly only for the bravest, but if you want to have some fun behind the scenes and really understand what it takes to put together a lovely restaurant meal, Jsix restaurant is offering "Chef's Kitchen Experience" with chef Christian Graves.

The program is being held on the second Sunday of every month, starting August 2 (with the exception of December since that's Graves's birthday this year). You'll truly get the farm-to-table experience, from shopping for the meal at the Hillcrest farmers market, to helping Graves prepare hors d'oeuvres for the group and then sitting back and enjoying a chefs table feast.

"We meet here at 10 and travel together to the market," explains Graves. "I'll set up guidelines for shopping that are based on what the plan is for the meal and what's in season. We'll talk to the farmers like Phil Noble of Sage Mountain Farm and learn what to look for in everything from fish to strawberries so we pick the best ingredients and we'll get some insight about how they live their life."

There's a back kitchen at Jsix where the group -- up to a dozen people -- will gather around a large prep table. "Typically the ladies want to get in and have fun cooking and the gentlemen want to kick back and have wine," says Graves, "but everyone's welcome to join in and help cook."

Graves will then assemble the hors d'oervres and bring them out to the dining room where the guests will enjoy the rest of the day with a full chef's table experience. Of course, if the group is into cooking, they can join Graves back in the kitchen.

"For me, it's fun because it brings together everything," says Graves. "I really love cooking. I love food. I love cooking off the cuff. Truly it's farm to table, which I want to promote the most."

So, here are the details:

• There's transportation to and from the Hillcrest farmers market from Jsix.
• You'll enjoy a three-course meal featuring ingredients you and Chef Graves select and he (and maybe you) prepare.
• Wine or cocktails will be paired with each course.
• The $120 per person cost includes gratuity and complimentary parking at Hotel Solamar, adjacent to Jsix.
  

For reservations, call the restaurant at 619-532-8744.

Jsix is located at 616 J St. in downtown San Diego.


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Radio Days

It's been a busy week behind the mike:

Yesterday, we (SDNN.com) had a dry run with sdnn.com radio. Radio veteran Joe Bauer and sdnn.com CEO Neil Senturia are hosting this morning drive show on AM 1700 and they invited me to chat about, well, foodstuff, of course. Once it launches for real on April 27 from 6 to 9 a.m., I'll let you know when I'm on.

Later in the morning I was on KPBS radio's These Days with Maria Hunt. We had a wonderful hour with host Maureen Cavanaugh. You can listen here.

And, today, being Wednesday, I did my weekly show, San Diego Gourmet, with Robert Whitley. Our guests were Andrew Spurgin of Waters Fine Catering and Christian Graves of Jsix. Our topic? The Cooks Confab the two chefs are engaged in with about a dozen friends. You can listen right here:

To learn more about Cooks Confab, go to the website. The next event is at Nine-Ten at the Grande Colonial in La Jolla on Sunday, June 7 from 3 to 6 p.m. The theme is beef and here's the line-up so far:

• Hors d'oeuvre – Nathan Coulon – Quarter Kitchen

• Beef Tartare – Paul McCabe – Kitchen 1540

• Oxtail Ravioli – Antonio Friscia – Stingaree

• Beef Cheeks – TK Kolanko – A. R. Valentien

• Hanger Steak – Andrew Spurgin/Donald Coffman – Waters Fine Catering

• Artisanal American Farmhouse Cheeses – Brian Sinnott – 1500 Ocean

• Sweetbreads Dessert – Christian Graves – Jsix

Also participating…

Amy DiBiase — Roseville

Olivier Bioteau — The Farmhouse Café

Katie Grebow — Cafe Chloe

and of course, Jason Knibbs — NINE-TEN


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The Gourmet Club is Telling Fish Tales

What's your passion? For Chef Andrew Spurgin it's fish. In fact, he's a co-founder of the educational organization Passionfish, which addresses seafood sustainability issues.

Chef Spurgin, who is executive director and chef of Waters Fine Catering, will be on The Gourmet Club with equally ardent fish lovers Christian Graves, executive chef at Jsix, and Dan Nattrass, principal fish buyer of Catalina Offshore Products. With these three in studio as guests, we'll spend the hour talking about seafood sustainability, mercury in fish, techniques for preparing fish to keep it both safe and tasty -- well, basically all things fish. Actually, all things food -- because both chefs are champions of handcrafted, organic, regional cuisine, even if it doesn't have fins or gills.

So, tune in for the hour. The Gourmet Club is the tastiest meeting in town. Join Robert Whitley and me this Wednesday morning on signonradio.com from 11 a.m. to noon Pacific. You can also podcast the show and listen at your convenience.


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