April 26, 2025 • 28 mins
We continued with Rudy Barrientos for more delicious food. Teddy Seraphine-Leonard, a guest at the Reel Inn.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's Neil Savedre.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You're listening to kfi EM six forty the four Report
on demand on the iHeartRadio app. Thanks for hanging out today.
Happy Saturday to you. It's going to be a great day.
It's been a great day so far. Just celebrated my
seventeenth wedding anniversary with my lovely wife Tracy yesterday, and
I had the weirdest circumstance on Thursday. Maybe I'll tell
(00:23):
you at the end of the show because I don't
want to talk about food and what happened to me
in the backseat of my wife's car. Well, that sounds
weird on our seventeenth Well, she was there, but not
I'm going to I'll explain later. But this is why
I wasn't on with Handel on yesterday. And people have
been very kind asked me if I'm okay. I am okay.
(00:44):
It was a fluke, weird situation and the worst and
craziest one that.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I can remember of my life. I mean, it was.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Straight up sitcom, comedy Tarantino film, Little Smidge of that.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
It is crazy.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Anyways, right now we're talking to Rudy Barrientos and he
is the proprietor of Grassias signor g R A c
I A S E n O R dot com. You
can find them on Instagram at the same and we
are just eating his food. He was affected by the
(01:23):
Palisades fire because he has a well known food truck
that was there and a lot of customers that would
come and enjoy the food, their tacos, their breakfast burritos.
He has now moved to to brent Wood and that's
working out for your You're on San Vicente.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
San vacantew Montana and Bundy.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Gotcha.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
So one one nine four one San Vicente Boulevard Sunday
Thursday through Sunday, and you're still in the Paliside Palisades
on Monday and Tuesday, then Monday Tuesday, and it's you know,
a lot of people were affected by the fires, and
we're trying to put some focus on the people that
didn't maybe didn't have something burned down a business, but
(02:09):
it's been affected because the ecosystem has changed. Told us
your story about being part of the DACA program, and
I know that right now that is up in the air.
We were talking off the air, and the prayer is
that that gets ironed out.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
I say.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I always say, if we want bad people out, then
we want good people in. And the key is to
find out who those people are and.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
How to do it. But I don't know who wouldn't
want someone like you bringing food and joy and positivity
to a country. And this food is spectacular, just just
really it is made with the love that you'd get
from a parent making you food. You feel it.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah, that's what I always tell my son when I
make him something, I say, I put love in there
that you know.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
It's funny that you say that, because that that's what
my grandma used to tell me. She would always tell me,
like you can always tell when someone makes you food,
would love.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Right, Yeah, it just it's the ingredient I've had.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I've eaten a lot of food, obviously, and with this show,
I get to eat a lot of different food. And
I've been out to restaurants where the chefs prepared a
meal that was technically.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Perfect, like all the techniques.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Everything that was done was done textbook, but it tasted
like a textbook, you know, it just it was there
wasn't that life behind it. It was technique versus soul. Yeah,
And there is a difference there is something about that
when somebody it's almost you want somebody to make something
(03:50):
like they're making it for themselves and they go, hey,
you hungry, take this.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
You know, it's actually kind of funny that you say that,
because in the truck, all of us when we when
we eat, we prefer when we to one of our
other team members cooks it. Like we always say this,
like it tastes better when someone else makes it for you,
because when you make it, you're just trying to be perfect.
But when someone else makes it for you, there's something
(04:17):
in that case, from when they're making it to the
point where you get it that makes it so special
because someone else is caring for this precious meal that's
gonna nurse you.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, you can, you can taste it, and it's just
and that's anywhere. I mean, that's why you can't make
what your grandmother made, or your mom made, or your
dad made, or anybody in the family.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
You can't.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Ever you can have the exact recipe, it won't taste
the same because there's something about someone cooking for you.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And we know this to be true.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
We know psychologically there's power in the anticipation. I'd much
rather see someone enjoy something I made than me even
eat it for sure. So how did you come up
with your menu? What other things are on your menu?
So you have tacos and burritos.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
So tacos and burritos. So one of the things that
I actually right when I started the truck I knew
I wanted to have was one of our beer battered
fish tacos. The one of my personal favorites, and they
go way back to when I when I lived in
Tijuana because that's where I was born.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
The Baja style hostile.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
So when when I came to this country, there wasn't
a lot of good baha ba hostile fish tacos. So
my when I would on Fridays when I would get
out of school, my mom worked nice ships cleaning and
office building, and I remember because Friday was the day
(05:51):
I didn't have to go to school the next day,
so I would go with her from La all the
way to Santa Monica. And the best taco we could
have have at that point was reviews fish tacos. Oh yeah,
and it was it was it was like this routine
that we did on Fridays. I would go with her
sona Monica skateboard back to La but before she went
(06:13):
to work, our meal, our shared meal would be the
rubus fish tacos because it was the closest thing we
could we could find too to the inns NaSTA fish
talkers we would have in Mexico. So when I started
the truck, I knew those tacos had to be in
the menu the way I knew how to make him,
the way I remember them to be.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
What do you think sets them apart? What is a
true Baja style fish taco?
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Honestly, like like we were talking about earlier, it's just
the care I put in it, and and just the
fact that I want to I want to taste home
every time I make him, every time. You know that
taco was created food.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah, that's your mac and cheese man. Yeah, that's where
you grew up. We all have it.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
We all have that that those items that make us,
you know, think a home or think about growing up
when things were simple, didn't have to pay taxes. I
have to deal with any of that business. I also
want to give a shout out to Judy. Judy Kergan,
she is a listener who sent us your information and
(07:15):
she knew about you and She reached out to us
and said, these you know, these people are really good people.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
They make fantastic food.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
They've been caught up in this situation and that's what
inspired us, through Judy and through your story, to know
the path we wanted to go down. Because we've been
talking about what we wanted to do about restaurants. There
continues La Times and others continue to write lists of
restaurants that are trying to come back in the fire
(07:44):
areas and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
So stick around.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
We'll do one more segment with you guys, because I'm
really enjoying the conversation and the food. And of course
you can go to Instagram or online to Gracia signor
only one s g R a ci A se n
o R dot com and find out where they're at
(08:07):
and in the area of Brentwood right now. They do
a couple of days there in the Palisades still, but
they could use your love to stay afloat and trust me,
you can use their food and you know, I don't know,
maybe you can freeze some, but I'd get a lot,
especially for doing a day trip. Bring a bag, bring
(08:28):
a cooler, whatever it takes. All right, go nowhere, we'll
be back with more.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
As we talk all things food, beverage and beyond on
the show every single Saturday, three hours that we come
together and just celebrate food and the people that make it,
the culture behind it and what a story. Today we're
focusing on people affected by the fires. I know there
are a lot of people that are suffering from their
home going down to ashes, and of course we are
(09:01):
with them, but because of the nature of this show,
we're focusing on those on the periphery that have been
affected by their business or their businesses are affected, not
necessarily because they burn to ashes some more damage. Right now,
we're talking about a food truck called Gracia Signor and
you can find them at dot com. You can find
(09:21):
them on Instagram one s and you can find out
more about Rudy and Barrientos and he is the He
is really the story and the food that he's making
is an outstanding You know, Robin who's running the board
and all the commercials and everything else going on, talks
(09:44):
to me through the headphones. Let me know, you know,
spots and all those things, and right before we come on,
she goes, these tacos are bomb, like, Yeah, the food
is fantastic. Another thank you and a tip of the hat. Judy, Judy,
Judy Kirkin. She's a listener and sent us the information.
(10:05):
We've been wanting to do a show on the restaurants
that are affected. We've been waiting basically to hear about
the ones that are coming back, and we won't stop today.
We'll continue to let you know about them and how
to patronize them and keep them going. So what do
you want people to know about your food and how
(10:26):
to find you and how important it is to have,
you know, regulars and a base of people coming to eat.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
It's a credibly important to have regulars. That's that was
That's where we were so successful in the Palisades because
that community is a very small community that just supports
everyone and and you know, we we became embraced by
the community and therefore we were very successful for over
(10:55):
ten years. This was going to be our eleventh year
in the Palisades, but the fires happened and everyone in
that town is scattered all over La So as much
as there, you know, we have a lot of loyal
customers as much as they're trying to support us. Because
of the distance that this fire force them to to
(11:15):
just like move sure, it's really hard for them to
to be there like as regular as they would pre fires.
So everyone out there in Brentwood who loves food, loves
delicious food, Mexican food, breakfast burritos, and just or just
(11:36):
enjoys food in general, give us a chance so that
we can win you over.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
And I have no doubt that that is exactly how
it will end up. I'm glad to have a platform
for you to talk to you so much, you know,
because the food is really spectacular, and I love the story,
and I think it's important.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
You know, we hear a lot of.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Things in the news, and you know, there's a lot
of confusion about immigration and the good, the bad, the ugly,
the legal the non legal, and all of these things
that need to be sorted out. But there the fact is,
you know, there is a good There should be a
(12:19):
good neighbor policy to be able to exchange between all
of our neighbors here. That is a way that we
aren't letting criminals or people in but letting good folks
in come. Do what they do and and I think
what you're doing is just wonderful. The food is just fantastic, man.
Thank you made with love right in it. But you
(12:39):
won't break your tooth on love man. So thanks again
to Judy for putting this on our radar, and thanks
to you Greedy for coming in and again GRASSI signor
it is a g R A c I A S
just a single less e n O R dot com.
And of course you can find them under that same
moniker at on Instagram as well.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Check them out where they are there.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
In Brentwood and still a couple of days in the
Palisades as well.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
But get on this.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
This is really special food by what seems to be
a very special guy. So thanks for taking the time
on my friend.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Thank you, Neil, thank you, thank you everyone.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Thank you, and tell them hello and that you heard
it here. They need to know that there's support and
people that care. You know, these things take a while.
We're still dealing with what you know, COVID, you know,
the the remnants of COVID and working on the hospitality
and restaurant industry. So there's still work to do to
get out there those of us that can that weren't
(13:39):
affected by the fires, can help keep these places perched up. Thanks,
We got much more to come. Stick around some people
we want to introduce you to, so go know where.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Sevedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Today we are talking to folks that are affected by
the fires in January, but not in the same way
that you might have been hearing. Yes, people were very
much affected by the fires, their homes burning down, and
there were some businesses of course that burned down. Us
being the Fork Report, we focus on food and the like.
We wanted to bring you some people that were affected,
(14:17):
some you know, differently than others that have food based
businesses that were affected by the fires. And our next
guest is Teddy Saraphine Leonard, owner of real In. You
can find out all about them at reali Malibu dot com.
Real in Malibu dot com. Teddy, Welcome to the Fork Report.
Speaker 5 (14:41):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
So please tell us tell us where about For those
that don't know Real In there in Malibu, tell us
about that. Uh and uh, what's what? Where you are
left right now? After the horrific circumstances of January and
the fires.
Speaker 5 (15:02):
Well, Mariel Inn, where we were located was right just
west of Topanga Canyon on Pacific Coast Highway, and my
husband has had the store for thirty seven years and
we had a big, you know, old neon sign. We
were a fish shack across the street from a very
popular surf spot on Topanga and we had puns on
(15:25):
the sign. Every day we would change the puns, yes,
and if you are local, you know them quite well exactly.
And what was funny was, you know, each day, different
screenwriters going into work. People would call us and give
us ideas for the puns for the sign, and if
we used one, we would buy them dinner. And it
(15:46):
was really fun because people would say, I mean, some
people weren't even customers, They just said they knew when
they saw the sign they were out of the city.
They were heading into Malibu. It was like we were
sort of the gateway to the Malibu and that sign
meant a lot to a lot of people. But in fact,
the firemen after everything burned down, were adamant about can
we get up there and change and put up some signs.
(16:07):
We just want to give people that hope again, like
that it's going to come back because it was an
iconic place. It was a place where a lot of
families came. They celebrated birthdays, they celebrated death, they celebrated weddings, births.
It was one gentleman sending a picture of himself as
a baby with his father on the reel in deck,
(16:29):
and then he sent in a picture of himself that
his baby on the real in deck, and generations knew
the restaurant and knew it well, and we were blessed
to be a part of the community in a bigger
way than we even knew. In an odd way, the restaurant,
you know, burning down as quickly and as visibly as
(16:50):
it did, opened just these gates of people telling us
what a profound impact the restaurant had. Our family and
people called us crying, and we immediately started to go
fund me for our kitchen crew because most of our
crew has been with us over thirty years. I think
(17:10):
about over thirty years. I mean they were family, and
they actually were family. They were all interrelated from a
small town in Wahaka who did a weaving for us
that was hanging in the restaurant that said real in
because you know, we funded the town. I guess they
just so that was our main concern and when everything happened,
(17:32):
we had to evacuate our home as well here in Tapanga,
So we found ourselves in Airbnb and Marvista, not really
knowing what to do in. The first call that came
in was the BBC London and that was within hours
of the burning, and we started to go fund me
and today we have raised over two hundred thousand dollars
for our crew and every penny of it has gone
(17:53):
into their pockets. And wow, really so touched and grateful
from all around the world. Gotten donations from Istanbul, from
South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France, Ireland. You know,
one man sent in a thousand dollars from the UK
and he said, it's my first stop when I get
(18:13):
to Los Angeles. I always make sure that I get
to you guys, And so we had It was just
I said to my husband, after thirty seven years, what
a wonderful way to find out that something you've given
so much of your time in your life too has
had a good impact on the world. You know, you
like to know that at this age.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
At your own funeral kind of.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
Exactly exactly, and we're in our seventies. I just turned
seventy and my husband's seventy six, and you know, people
can say you're going to rebuild, and we wanted to
come back, and we've had set in I nur say, oh,
we can come and make it look exactly as it was. Sure, yeah,
but thirty seven years later. I mean a lot of
the old surfboards he had in the raptors were from
(18:56):
over one hundred years ago, like the first lifeguards in
Santa Monica. I mean, he collects that kind of stuff.
But now it's gone, you can't. I don't know that
we'll be able to rebuild. We're still waiting to hear
from the State Parks what their plan is for Lower
Topanga and for the PCH area. They don't even know.
I mean they're still staging. They were staging the EPA
(19:17):
cleaned up by the end of April, they're supposed to
be done with that. They were staging it at our
site where the restaurant was, and then now the Army
Corps of Engineers is going in and we don't really
honestly know what's going to happen next so we're really
truly so grateful to everyone who gave money for our crew,
because a lot of these folks, with the current climate,
(19:42):
even though they're legal, are terrified of going out and
applying for jobs. And they've had this job for over
thirty years. A couple of people have never worked anywhere
else in their lives, and we take care of our family.
They took care of us during COVID and we took
care of them. The PPC we got the loan and
(20:02):
we gave that to them because we were okay, you know.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
I'd like to give that out teddy to those people.
Is it still is the GoFundMe still active?
Speaker 5 (20:12):
Yes, it is okay, still active, and you can. I
think there's a link on our website. Real in Malibu
dot com. So if people would like to donate to
our crew, we're still dispersing funds to them. It's been
going on since the day the fire started. And these
a lot of our guys that have not been able
to find work. This is how we've you know, we've
been able to keep them the rent paid in their food.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Real in Malibu dot com obviously are e E l
in Malibu dot com. You can also go to go
fundme and just search for reel in Malibu Fire Recovery.
But it's very easy to go to reel in Malibu
dot com. Can you stick around? I'd really there's so
much history and so much to talk about. I would
(20:56):
love to get into more of that with you. Okay, sure,
stick around as we talk with Teddy Saraphine Leonard, owner
of Real in a course. You know that Neon sign
of the jumping red fish and all of that with
the blue lettering and something we've seen forever. One of
these things that sadly we kind of take for granted
is just part you know, like a mountain that's there,
(21:18):
or the surf itself, that it's always going to be there.
The fires had something else in mind. We'll talk more
with Teddy when we return. You've been listening to the
Fork Report. You can always hear us live on KFI
AM six forty two to five pm on Saturday and
anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app Roaming the streets,
(21:39):
always looking for good food, talking about cooking at home,
going out to eat. I've said this many times before.
Our local economy rises and falls on hospitality.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Period.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
You don't go out to eat. You don't go to
local vendors. We're screwed. It's just the way we saw
they collapse during COVID. Of course, another round five years
later of the fires here.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
In Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
You have the Palisade Fire, and then the Palisades Fire,
and then you had of course Alta Dina and we're
still picking those pieces up. Talk more about that, of course.
Somebody who knows firsthand, Teddy Saraphine Leonard, owner of real In,
you know it there in Malibu. The website is real
r E E l in Malibu dot com. If you
(22:26):
haven't been there, it's hard to think of you as
a Southlander. There is a go funder go fund me
page rather as well, GoFundMe dot com. Look for real
in Malibu Fire Recovery or you can find a link
at the real in Malibu dot com website, and that
is going entirely to those that work there, the crew,
(22:47):
the family that Teddy was talking about. So, Teddy, you're wrestling,
you and your husband wrestling with rebuilding. You talk about,
you know, the things that were that hung on the walls,
the things that have been collected.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Over the many years that reel in has been there.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
I would, you know, respectfully say that everything up on
those walls was new at one time.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Or went you know, went up there.
Speaker 5 (23:19):
Yes, some of them one hundred years ago, but yes,
but you know what.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I'm saying, it was new to you guys, or you
gathered it and you put it on the wall. And
I see it more personally, being kind of a philosophical guy,
I see that place as a mirror of you guys,
and the people that have worked there and the people
that have frequented it, and and that it's really you guys.
(23:45):
All those things were things that brought joy to your
husband or to you that made you think, oh, let's
put it up on the wall, or somebody sending something
in and oh, yeah, it's not it's the spirit of
that family you guys created there and not the walls
themselves anymore than a church, you know, is God.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
So it's like, I hope whatever you guys end up
doing that those places are important. They they they're important
to see, They're important to know that they exist and
that families are in there.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
And I'm not saying corporations are bad, but.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
You know, no, I think the small business You're correct,
I think the small business, the mom and pop shops
are what makes a community unique. It was one of
the things that made Malibu. It makes Malibu so unique,
is that there aren't big corporations coming in. There are
few now, but you have you know, people come in,
they know our crew. They they've been there thirty something years,
(24:48):
and they say hello to them, and they you know people,
we have celebrities that stand in line with surfers, that
stand in line with executives. You know. It was all
walks of life, and everybody was comfortable there and everyone was, uh,
it feels like it's theirs, you know, like like they
belong there and it's their home. I did have one
(25:10):
funny thing, well, a couple of funny things happened, and
I think it was Bordon Ramsay came through, David Beckham
brun through and he mentioned the cooks, would you like
me to come back and cook. They didn't know who
he was. They liked that. I'm liking you. No, we're
not letting you back exactly exactly. And then you know, uh,
(25:31):
you know. And then similarly that time, you know, I
said to our manager we had cameras in the restaurant obviously,
and I happened to be looking at them. I said,
dis guys reaching in the window and grabbing cups and things.
You might want to keep an eye on him. He goes,
you want me to keep an eye on David Beckham.
I said, no, no, he can have all the cups.
He wants to know. That's fine, you're.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
All you call me, I will punish him personally.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
Yeah, it was just it was really cute. It was
really cute because you would have you know, there was
a booth, certain booths in the restaurant that from time
to time Dylan would sit in and he would bring
someone with them and they were very nondescript, and they
would the person would stand in line to them, and
you'd stand in line. You'd order your food, and you'd
go back to your place. You'd get your drinks, and
(26:14):
you go back to where we're sitting and we'd call
your name. And it was great because our system was
so bad that if you could recognize your name, you
knew you were a regular. When the cook would say
that your was ready, like your orders ready, and people knew,
they just knew. And it was so much a part
(26:34):
of the community that I felt sorrier for our customers
than I did for my husband and myself, because this
is where we had people that during COVID too, came
every local loyals came every week and they got their food.
They sat in the parking lot and there was someone
sent us a video of the seagull trying to peck
(26:56):
its way through the windshield to get the food off
the dashboard of the car that was eating in the
parking lot. And you know, to give you an idea
our crew the first thing during COVID when we were
paying them out of our savings because there was no
PPPs or any of that yet, and they said, we
(27:16):
want to give you our money, our salaries back. We
don't want to take money from you. Guys. Well this
is happening and I just broke down because I also
sell real estate. You know, We're fine, and it's just
that is the kind of heart that these people that
work for us half that's their soul. They when this happened,
(27:36):
the restaurant burned it down. They found out where we
were at are you know Airbnb? We weren't at home,
and they came there and they said, what can we
do for you? Can we come to your house? Can
we take care of you somehow, And I just.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Teddy, we're up against the clock. Can I steal you
for another segment? For these stories? I think they're powerful?
Speaker 5 (27:57):
Sure, sure, Okay.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Hangtig Teddy Saraphine Leonard is on with us, owner of
Real and one of the casualties in the fire. Of course,
they're in the Malibu area and Palisades area, and these
stories are important. And if you know, if you guys
end up deciding that you're not going to rebuild, at
least for to have them and to hear you telling them,
(28:20):
I think is powerful. Of course, you can go to
Real in Malibu dot com. There's a link a GoFundMe
page there for the people that work there. This is
not for Teddy, it's not for her husband. These are
for the people that have worked there. And to hear
these things, I think is an important part of what
makes hospitality hospitality. So stick around. We'll do one more
(28:42):
segment and talk with Teddy when we come back.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty
Hey, it's Neil Savedre.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You're listening to kfi EM six forty the four Report
on demand on the iHeartRadio app. Thanks for hanging out today.
Happy Saturday to you. It's going to be a great day.
It's been a great day so far. Just celebrated my
seventeenth wedding anniversary with my lovely wife Tracy yesterday, and
I had the weirdest circumstance on Thursday. Maybe I'll tell
(00:23):
you at the end of the show because I don't
want to talk about food and what happened to me
in the backseat of my wife's car. Well, that sounds
weird on our seventeenth Well, she was there, but not
I'm going to I'll explain later. But this is why
I wasn't on with Handel on yesterday. And people have
been very kind asked me if I'm okay. I am okay.
(00:44):
It was a fluke, weird situation and the worst and
craziest one that.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I can remember of my life. I mean, it was.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Straight up sitcom, comedy Tarantino film, Little Smidge of that.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
It is crazy.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Anyways, right now we're talking to Rudy Barrientos and he
is the proprietor of Grassias signor g R A c
I A S E n O R dot com. You
can find them on Instagram at the same and we
are just eating his food. He was affected by the
(01:23):
Palisades fire because he has a well known food truck
that was there and a lot of customers that would
come and enjoy the food, their tacos, their breakfast burritos.
He has now moved to to brent Wood and that's
working out for your You're on San Vicente.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
San vacantew Montana and Bundy.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Gotcha.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
So one one nine four one San Vicente Boulevard Sunday
Thursday through Sunday, and you're still in the Paliside Palisades
on Monday and Tuesday, then Monday Tuesday, and it's you know,
a lot of people were affected by the fires, and
we're trying to put some focus on the people that
didn't maybe didn't have something burned down a business, but
(02:09):
it's been affected because the ecosystem has changed. Told us
your story about being part of the DACA program, and
I know that right now that is up in the air.
We were talking off the air, and the prayer is
that that gets ironed out.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
I say.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I always say, if we want bad people out, then
we want good people in. And the key is to
find out who those people are and.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
How to do it. But I don't know who wouldn't
want someone like you bringing food and joy and positivity
to a country. And this food is spectacular, just just
really it is made with the love that you'd get
from a parent making you food. You feel it.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah, that's what I always tell my son when I
make him something, I say, I put love in there
that you know.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
It's funny that you say that, because that that's what
my grandma used to tell me. She would always tell me,
like you can always tell when someone makes you food,
would love.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Right, Yeah, it just it's the ingredient I've had.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I've eaten a lot of food, obviously, and with this show,
I get to eat a lot of different food. And
I've been out to restaurants where the chefs prepared a
meal that was technically.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Perfect, like all the techniques.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Everything that was done was done textbook, but it tasted
like a textbook, you know, it just it was there
wasn't that life behind it. It was technique versus soul. Yeah,
And there is a difference there is something about that
when somebody it's almost you want somebody to make something
(03:50):
like they're making it for themselves and they go, hey,
you hungry, take this.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
You know, it's actually kind of funny that you say that,
because in the truck, all of us when we when
we eat, we prefer when we to one of our
other team members cooks it. Like we always say this,
like it tastes better when someone else makes it for you,
because when you make it, you're just trying to be perfect.
But when someone else makes it for you, there's something
(04:17):
in that case, from when they're making it to the
point where you get it that makes it so special
because someone else is caring for this precious meal that's
gonna nurse you.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, you can, you can taste it, and it's just
and that's anywhere. I mean, that's why you can't make
what your grandmother made, or your mom made, or your
dad made, or anybody in the family.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
You can't.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Ever you can have the exact recipe, it won't taste
the same because there's something about someone cooking for you.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And we know this to be true.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
We know psychologically there's power in the anticipation. I'd much
rather see someone enjoy something I made than me even
eat it for sure. So how did you come up
with your menu? What other things are on your menu?
So you have tacos and burritos.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
So tacos and burritos. So one of the things that
I actually right when I started the truck I knew
I wanted to have was one of our beer battered
fish tacos. The one of my personal favorites, and they
go way back to when I when I lived in
Tijuana because that's where I was born.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
The Baja style hostile.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
So when when I came to this country, there wasn't
a lot of good baha ba hostile fish tacos. So
my when I would on Fridays when I would get
out of school, my mom worked nice ships cleaning and
office building, and I remember because Friday was the day
(05:51):
I didn't have to go to school the next day,
so I would go with her from La all the
way to Santa Monica. And the best taco we could
have have at that point was reviews fish tacos. Oh yeah,
and it was it was it was like this routine
that we did on Fridays. I would go with her
sona Monica skateboard back to La but before she went
(06:13):
to work, our meal, our shared meal would be the
rubus fish tacos because it was the closest thing we
could we could find too to the inns NaSTA fish
talkers we would have in Mexico. So when I started
the truck, I knew those tacos had to be in
the menu the way I knew how to make him,
the way I remember them to be.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
What do you think sets them apart? What is a
true Baja style fish taco?
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Honestly, like like we were talking about earlier, it's just
the care I put in it, and and just the
fact that I want to I want to taste home
every time I make him, every time. You know that
taco was created food.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah, that's your mac and cheese man. Yeah, that's where
you grew up. We all have it.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
We all have that that those items that make us,
you know, think a home or think about growing up
when things were simple, didn't have to pay taxes. I
have to deal with any of that business. I also
want to give a shout out to Judy. Judy Kergan,
she is a listener who sent us your information and
(07:15):
she knew about you and She reached out to us
and said, these you know, these people are really good people.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
They make fantastic food.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
They've been caught up in this situation and that's what
inspired us, through Judy and through your story, to know
the path we wanted to go down. Because we've been
talking about what we wanted to do about restaurants. There
continues La Times and others continue to write lists of
restaurants that are trying to come back in the fire
(07:44):
areas and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
So stick around.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
We'll do one more segment with you guys, because I'm
really enjoying the conversation and the food. And of course
you can go to Instagram or online to Gracia signor
only one s g R a ci A se n
o R dot com and find out where they're at
(08:07):
and in the area of Brentwood right now. They do
a couple of days there in the Palisades still, but
they could use your love to stay afloat and trust me,
you can use their food and you know, I don't know,
maybe you can freeze some, but I'd get a lot,
especially for doing a day trip. Bring a bag, bring
(08:28):
a cooler, whatever it takes. All right, go nowhere, we'll
be back with more.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
As we talk all things food, beverage and beyond on
the show every single Saturday, three hours that we come
together and just celebrate food and the people that make it,
the culture behind it and what a story. Today we're
focusing on people affected by the fires. I know there
are a lot of people that are suffering from their
home going down to ashes, and of course we are
(09:01):
with them, but because of the nature of this show,
we're focusing on those on the periphery that have been
affected by their business or their businesses are affected, not
necessarily because they burn to ashes some more damage. Right now,
we're talking about a food truck called Gracia Signor and
you can find them at dot com. You can find
(09:21):
them on Instagram one s and you can find out
more about Rudy and Barrientos and he is the He
is really the story and the food that he's making
is an outstanding You know, Robin who's running the board
and all the commercials and everything else going on, talks
(09:44):
to me through the headphones. Let me know, you know,
spots and all those things, and right before we come on,
she goes, these tacos are bomb, like, Yeah, the food
is fantastic. Another thank you and a tip of the hat. Judy, Judy,
Judy Kirkin. She's a listener and sent us the information.
(10:05):
We've been wanting to do a show on the restaurants
that are affected. We've been waiting basically to hear about
the ones that are coming back, and we won't stop today.
We'll continue to let you know about them and how
to patronize them and keep them going. So what do
you want people to know about your food and how
(10:26):
to find you and how important it is to have,
you know, regulars and a base of people coming to eat.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
It's a credibly important to have regulars. That's that was
That's where we were so successful in the Palisades because
that community is a very small community that just supports
everyone and and you know, we we became embraced by
the community and therefore we were very successful for over
(10:55):
ten years. This was going to be our eleventh year
in the Palisades, but the fires happened and everyone in
that town is scattered all over La So as much
as there, you know, we have a lot of loyal
customers as much as they're trying to support us. Because
of the distance that this fire force them to to
(11:15):
just like move sure, it's really hard for them to
to be there like as regular as they would pre fires.
So everyone out there in Brentwood who loves food, loves
delicious food, Mexican food, breakfast burritos, and just or just
(11:36):
enjoys food in general, give us a chance so that
we can win you over.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
And I have no doubt that that is exactly how
it will end up. I'm glad to have a platform
for you to talk to you so much, you know,
because the food is really spectacular, and I love the story,
and I think it's important.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
You know, we hear a lot of.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Things in the news, and you know, there's a lot
of confusion about immigration and the good, the bad, the ugly,
the legal the non legal, and all of these things
that need to be sorted out. But there the fact is,
you know, there is a good There should be a
(12:19):
good neighbor policy to be able to exchange between all
of our neighbors here. That is a way that we
aren't letting criminals or people in but letting good folks
in come. Do what they do and and I think
what you're doing is just wonderful. The food is just fantastic, man.
Thank you made with love right in it. But you
(12:39):
won't break your tooth on love man. So thanks again
to Judy for putting this on our radar, and thanks
to you Greedy for coming in and again GRASSI signor
it is a g R A c I A S
just a single less e n O R dot com.
And of course you can find them under that same
moniker at on Instagram as well.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Check them out where they are there.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
In Brentwood and still a couple of days in the
Palisades as well.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
But get on this.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
This is really special food by what seems to be
a very special guy. So thanks for taking the time
on my friend.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Thank you, Neil, thank you, thank you everyone.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Thank you, and tell them hello and that you heard
it here. They need to know that there's support and
people that care. You know, these things take a while.
We're still dealing with what you know, COVID, you know,
the the remnants of COVID and working on the hospitality
and restaurant industry. So there's still work to do to
get out there those of us that can that weren't
(13:39):
affected by the fires, can help keep these places perched up. Thanks,
We got much more to come. Stick around some people
we want to introduce you to, so go know where.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Sevedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Today we are talking to folks that are affected by
the fires in January, but not in the same way
that you might have been hearing. Yes, people were very
much affected by the fires, their homes burning down, and
there were some businesses of course that burned down. Us
being the Fork Report, we focus on food and the like.
We wanted to bring you some people that were affected,
(14:17):
some you know, differently than others that have food based
businesses that were affected by the fires. And our next
guest is Teddy Saraphine Leonard, owner of real In. You
can find out all about them at reali Malibu dot com.
Real in Malibu dot com. Teddy, Welcome to the Fork Report.
Speaker 5 (14:41):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
So please tell us tell us where about For those
that don't know Real In there in Malibu, tell us
about that. Uh and uh, what's what? Where you are
left right now? After the horrific circumstances of January and
the fires.
Speaker 5 (15:02):
Well, Mariel Inn, where we were located was right just
west of Topanga Canyon on Pacific Coast Highway, and my
husband has had the store for thirty seven years and
we had a big, you know, old neon sign. We
were a fish shack across the street from a very
popular surf spot on Topanga and we had puns on
(15:25):
the sign. Every day we would change the puns, yes,
and if you are local, you know them quite well exactly.
And what was funny was, you know, each day, different
screenwriters going into work. People would call us and give
us ideas for the puns for the sign, and if
we used one, we would buy them dinner. And it
(15:46):
was really fun because people would say, I mean, some
people weren't even customers, They just said they knew when
they saw the sign they were out of the city.
They were heading into Malibu. It was like we were
sort of the gateway to the Malibu and that sign
meant a lot to a lot of people. But in fact,
the firemen after everything burned down, were adamant about can
we get up there and change and put up some signs.
(16:07):
We just want to give people that hope again, like
that it's going to come back because it was an
iconic place. It was a place where a lot of
families came. They celebrated birthdays, they celebrated death, they celebrated weddings, births.
It was one gentleman sending a picture of himself as
a baby with his father on the reel in deck,
(16:29):
and then he sent in a picture of himself that
his baby on the real in deck, and generations knew
the restaurant and knew it well, and we were blessed
to be a part of the community in a bigger
way than we even knew. In an odd way, the restaurant,
you know, burning down as quickly and as visibly as
(16:50):
it did, opened just these gates of people telling us
what a profound impact the restaurant had. Our family and
people called us crying, and we immediately started to go
fund me for our kitchen crew because most of our
crew has been with us over thirty years. I think
(17:10):
about over thirty years. I mean they were family, and
they actually were family. They were all interrelated from a
small town in Wahaka who did a weaving for us
that was hanging in the restaurant that said real in
because you know, we funded the town. I guess they
just so that was our main concern and when everything happened,
(17:32):
we had to evacuate our home as well here in Tapanga,
So we found ourselves in Airbnb and Marvista, not really
knowing what to do in. The first call that came
in was the BBC London and that was within hours
of the burning, and we started to go fund me
and today we have raised over two hundred thousand dollars
for our crew and every penny of it has gone
(17:53):
into their pockets. And wow, really so touched and grateful
from all around the world. Gotten donations from Istanbul, from
South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France, Ireland. You know,
one man sent in a thousand dollars from the UK
and he said, it's my first stop when I get
(18:13):
to Los Angeles. I always make sure that I get
to you guys, And so we had It was just
I said to my husband, after thirty seven years, what
a wonderful way to find out that something you've given
so much of your time in your life too has
had a good impact on the world. You know, you
like to know that at this age.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
At your own funeral kind of.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
Exactly exactly, and we're in our seventies. I just turned
seventy and my husband's seventy six, and you know, people
can say you're going to rebuild, and we wanted to
come back, and we've had set in I nur say, oh,
we can come and make it look exactly as it was. Sure, yeah,
but thirty seven years later. I mean a lot of
the old surfboards he had in the raptors were from
(18:56):
over one hundred years ago, like the first lifeguards in
Santa Monica. I mean, he collects that kind of stuff.
But now it's gone, you can't. I don't know that
we'll be able to rebuild. We're still waiting to hear
from the State Parks what their plan is for Lower
Topanga and for the PCH area. They don't even know.
I mean they're still staging. They were staging the EPA
(19:17):
cleaned up by the end of April, they're supposed to
be done with that. They were staging it at our
site where the restaurant was, and then now the Army
Corps of Engineers is going in and we don't really
honestly know what's going to happen next so we're really
truly so grateful to everyone who gave money for our crew,
because a lot of these folks, with the current climate,
(19:42):
even though they're legal, are terrified of going out and
applying for jobs. And they've had this job for over
thirty years. A couple of people have never worked anywhere
else in their lives, and we take care of our family.
They took care of us during COVID and we took
care of them. The PPC we got the loan and
(20:02):
we gave that to them because we were okay, you know.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
I'd like to give that out teddy to those people.
Is it still is the GoFundMe still active?
Speaker 5 (20:12):
Yes, it is okay, still active, and you can. I
think there's a link on our website. Real in Malibu
dot com. So if people would like to donate to
our crew, we're still dispersing funds to them. It's been
going on since the day the fire started. And these
a lot of our guys that have not been able
to find work. This is how we've you know, we've
been able to keep them the rent paid in their food.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Real in Malibu dot com obviously are e E l
in Malibu dot com. You can also go to go
fundme and just search for reel in Malibu Fire Recovery.
But it's very easy to go to reel in Malibu
dot com. Can you stick around? I'd really there's so
much history and so much to talk about. I would
(20:56):
love to get into more of that with you. Okay, sure,
stick around as we talk with Teddy Saraphine Leonard, owner
of Real in a course. You know that Neon sign
of the jumping red fish and all of that with
the blue lettering and something we've seen forever. One of
these things that sadly we kind of take for granted
is just part you know, like a mountain that's there,
(21:18):
or the surf itself, that it's always going to be there.
The fires had something else in mind. We'll talk more
with Teddy when we return. You've been listening to the
Fork Report. You can always hear us live on KFI
AM six forty two to five pm on Saturday and
anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app Roaming the streets,
(21:39):
always looking for good food, talking about cooking at home,
going out to eat. I've said this many times before.
Our local economy rises and falls on hospitality.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Period.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
You don't go out to eat. You don't go to
local vendors. We're screwed. It's just the way we saw
they collapse during COVID. Of course, another round five years
later of the fires here.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
In Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
You have the Palisade Fire, and then the Palisades Fire,
and then you had of course Alta Dina and we're
still picking those pieces up. Talk more about that, of course.
Somebody who knows firsthand, Teddy Saraphine Leonard, owner of real In,
you know it there in Malibu. The website is real
r E E l in Malibu dot com. If you
(22:26):
haven't been there, it's hard to think of you as
a Southlander. There is a go funder go fund me
page rather as well, GoFundMe dot com. Look for real
in Malibu Fire Recovery or you can find a link
at the real in Malibu dot com website, and that
is going entirely to those that work there, the crew,
(22:47):
the family that Teddy was talking about. So, Teddy, you're wrestling,
you and your husband wrestling with rebuilding. You talk about,
you know, the things that were that hung on the walls,
the things that have been collected.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Over the many years that reel in has been there.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
I would, you know, respectfully say that everything up on
those walls was new at one time.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Or went you know, went up there.
Speaker 5 (23:19):
Yes, some of them one hundred years ago, but yes,
but you know what.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I'm saying, it was new to you guys, or you
gathered it and you put it on the wall. And
I see it more personally, being kind of a philosophical guy,
I see that place as a mirror of you guys,
and the people that have worked there and the people
that have frequented it, and and that it's really you guys.
(23:45):
All those things were things that brought joy to your
husband or to you that made you think, oh, let's
put it up on the wall, or somebody sending something
in and oh, yeah, it's not it's the spirit of
that family you guys created there and not the walls
themselves anymore than a church, you know, is God.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
So it's like, I hope whatever you guys end up
doing that those places are important. They they they're important
to see, They're important to know that they exist and
that families are in there.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
And I'm not saying corporations are bad, but.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
You know, no, I think the small business You're correct,
I think the small business, the mom and pop shops
are what makes a community unique. It was one of
the things that made Malibu. It makes Malibu so unique,
is that there aren't big corporations coming in. There are
few now, but you have you know, people come in,
they know our crew. They they've been there thirty something years,
(24:48):
and they say hello to them, and they you know people,
we have celebrities that stand in line with surfers, that
stand in line with executives. You know. It was all
walks of life, and everybody was comfortable there and everyone was, uh,
it feels like it's theirs, you know, like like they
belong there and it's their home. I did have one
(25:10):
funny thing, well, a couple of funny things happened, and
I think it was Bordon Ramsay came through, David Beckham
brun through and he mentioned the cooks, would you like
me to come back and cook. They didn't know who
he was. They liked that. I'm liking you. No, we're
not letting you back exactly exactly. And then you know, uh,
(25:31):
you know. And then similarly that time, you know, I
said to our manager we had cameras in the restaurant obviously,
and I happened to be looking at them. I said,
dis guys reaching in the window and grabbing cups and things.
You might want to keep an eye on him. He goes,
you want me to keep an eye on David Beckham.
I said, no, no, he can have all the cups.
He wants to know. That's fine, you're.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
All you call me, I will punish him personally.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
Yeah, it was just it was really cute. It was
really cute because you would have you know, there was
a booth, certain booths in the restaurant that from time
to time Dylan would sit in and he would bring
someone with them and they were very nondescript, and they
would the person would stand in line to them, and
you'd stand in line. You'd order your food, and you'd
go back to your place. You'd get your drinks, and
(26:14):
you go back to where we're sitting and we'd call
your name. And it was great because our system was
so bad that if you could recognize your name, you
knew you were a regular. When the cook would say
that your was ready, like your orders ready, and people knew,
they just knew. And it was so much a part
(26:34):
of the community that I felt sorrier for our customers
than I did for my husband and myself, because this
is where we had people that during COVID too, came
every local loyals came every week and they got their food.
They sat in the parking lot and there was someone
sent us a video of the seagull trying to peck
(26:56):
its way through the windshield to get the food off
the dashboard of the car that was eating in the
parking lot. And you know, to give you an idea
our crew the first thing during COVID when we were
paying them out of our savings because there was no
PPPs or any of that yet, and they said, we
(27:16):
want to give you our money, our salaries back. We
don't want to take money from you. Guys. Well this
is happening and I just broke down because I also
sell real estate. You know, We're fine, and it's just
that is the kind of heart that these people that
work for us half that's their soul. They when this happened,
(27:36):
the restaurant burned it down. They found out where we
were at are you know Airbnb? We weren't at home,
and they came there and they said, what can we
do for you? Can we come to your house? Can
we take care of you somehow, And I just.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Teddy, we're up against the clock. Can I steal you
for another segment? For these stories? I think they're powerful?
Speaker 5 (27:57):
Sure, sure, Okay.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Hangtig Teddy Saraphine Leonard is on with us, owner of
Real and one of the casualties in the fire. Of course,
they're in the Malibu area and Palisades area, and these
stories are important. And if you know, if you guys
end up deciding that you're not going to rebuild, at
least for to have them and to hear you telling them,
(28:20):
I think is powerful. Of course, you can go to
Real in Malibu dot com. There's a link a GoFundMe
page there for the people that work there. This is
not for Teddy, it's not for her husband. These are
for the people that have worked there. And to hear
these things, I think is an important part of what
makes hospitality hospitality. So stick around. We'll do one more
(28:42):
segment and talk with Teddy when we come back.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty
The Fork Report w Neil Saavedra News
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