December 7, 2024 • 26 mins
The Fork Reporter talks with Chef Kevin Dray of Puzzle in West Hollywood!
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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.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
The iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I am your friendly neighborhood folk reporter Neil Sevadra.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
How do you do. Happy to be with you today.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Like every Saturday, these three hours we have two to
five to kind of shake off the heavy news and
celebrate food, the culture behind it, the people that make it,
science behind it, cooking at home, going out to eat,
and all these things and between certainly at the heart
of everything we love in life, especially during the times
(00:35):
of the holidays. So right now we are in full
swing and our celebration, and we want to introduce you
to someone, Chef Kevin Dre. He hails out of the
south of France. Hi, how are you, my friend? You're
coming in here with that beautiful smile. You brought a
lovely dish we're going to be talking about. But give
(00:55):
us a little bit of your story, because I'm told
that it started with law and studying law, and you
are a chef. So before we get into puzzle in
the restaurant, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, I was in law school and that actually was
the first time when I was living alone without my parents,
and I start cooking for myself and for my friends,
and I started to organizing dinner and.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
I see this.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
There was this show called Master Chef. I think it's
it's something here too.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
It was the first season in France, and I was like, oh,
let's try that.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
I like to cook, Let's try.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
And I I as the old the casting I went
to Paris. I did a couple of show and I
tell my parents in Live on TV, uh that I
won't stop studying law school.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Okay, so let's break that down, because you gotta love
that you're you're studying law. Yes, you start to cook
for yourself because you're out of the house, you're living alone. Yes,
you see Master Chef and you think I'm gonna try that.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
You jump on that.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Your parents are gonna be watching, be excited for you,
And all they hear is.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
That you didn't know. I didn't tell them that you
were going to be on Master Shop. I didn't tell them.
I told them on Clive on TV.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Oh my gosh, oh my god, you're gonna stop law school?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Yes, Wow, I need a bank because my my parents
want to They want me to be a doctor a lawyer,
you know, so I need to say that with a
with a bank like so I think online on TV
it's it's a nice way to say.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, I'm sure they love that.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
How everybody wants to hear their son is no longer
going to be a lawyer, so you make that. What
was the see your circumstances, your circumstances pushed you into cooking.
What was the part when you started cooking that made
you go, Wow, I love this and I'm good at it.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Oh so I always loved to eat.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I only both. I don't know how you do it,
but I'm.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
For you makes me. I have good gens.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I have good jeans are just four times the size
of yours.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
That's good for you. That's a good thing to have
when you're shot. What are your favorite foods? What were
what are your comfort foods?
Speaker 5 (03:43):
You know?
Speaker 4 (03:44):
I'm I'm French and I'm easy. I love cheese.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Geeze, who doesn't love?
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I can do I can do a week? What week?
Just it's in fish, It's in wow?
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Just what it is there?
Speaker 4 (03:59):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Don't say Camembert? What is there a fair? What's your
favorite cheese?
Speaker 6 (04:03):
No?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
It depends, you know, because it's it's all about experience.
For example, in London there is Vista that sells the
cheese from that for the Whyal family. Okay, and I
try the Steel Shelton. It's the blue cheese off the Queen,
the Late Queen, and that was amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
So I didn't know that. So the Royal family has
their own cheese.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Yeah, they are their own tea.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
They're on Champagne on like you know there is you
can see that, I think on some Yes.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
They have the Seal Yes, now I okay, I I
do not know any time where I want so where
I consumed any but I guess that makes sense now
in the recesses of my mind. And you said the Queen,
the Late Queen has a cheese.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
So Vista.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Actually they have plenty of cheese. And you see the
name of different people of the Wild family and what's
what are the favorite cheese and you just can buy
it for yourself. So it's it's it's cool actually to
buy some kind of cheese, like is.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
There a Megan Marcle cheese. It's an American cheese and
it's horrible.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Joking, she seems like a horrible.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
You have some good cheese.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
What what is your favorite American style cheese?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
I like you.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
You know there is a some cheese from Vermont from cheese, Yeah,
and they really nice goat cheese.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Oh yeah, goat cheese is lovely, very It's delicate and
can have a little bit of bite to it and
that's nice.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Okay, we come back. We're gonna tell you brought some food.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Uh, and we're going to talk about puzzle and how
you became the chef there.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
But what a neat story.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I love when people their passions show themselves and you go, Okay,
I'm doing this. I'm going on TV and telling my
parents their entire dreams are crushed.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Happy Saturday to you. We are in it to win it.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
It's December seventh, so we are in the middle of
the holiday season, gonna slide through the end of the
year and into twenty twenty five. Fingers crossed, hands together
on your knees, eyes upward, that it's going to be
a good year.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Praying Tayla ees now the prayers are for you.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
But so welcome back to the program where we are
talking all things food, beverage and beyond. And I'm happy
to be with you this Saturday. We're talking to Chef
Kevin dre of Puzzle. You can find out more at
their website Puzzle dot Love, Puzzle dot Love. We'll take
you there, and just a beautiful layout and gorgeous and
(07:05):
it's interesting because chef was kind enough to bring something.
We're in a taste right here, and he brought a
setting and it's probably the most stunning flatware that you
will ever see, especially on radio, but just really beautiful.
I took a picture, but you can see it. You'll
see on their website some of the things here. So, chef,
(07:28):
what is the vibe, the energy, the mood that you
create with your food there at Puzzle in West Hollywood.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
So it's it's a very anti mis place, a small place,
okay with it's like a very comfy, very luxury.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah oh yeah that the it's tufted and padded and
comfortable and well appointed and gold leafing and really it's
no expense, looks spared at all.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
The goal is to prevat experience.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
I'm often outside the kitchen talking doing some show. I
have like a bunch of different food that I come
myself put on a table.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Okay, so you're preparing on table side.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Yeah, a bunch of different stuff. And I liked.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
You know, we have some members okay, and they have
my number and when they come on, when they want
to come, they can call me, text me, and if
they want something particular, I can make it.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
We do also special like.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Experience like the last one was for the birthday of
one of my friends. Actually, they want to puzzle and
for the appetizer, I serve the appetizer on a naked
lady on the table.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Sorry with your ax and I might have misheard it.
Sound like you said you serve it on a naked
lady on a naked lady. Okay, So I did hear right? Yeah,
And how does one become one of your friends?
Speaker 1 (09:12):
I'm just curious. I'm asking for a friend.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
You seem nice.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
We have friends, wow, Okay? And you say it's intimate.
How many tables are there at puzzle?
Speaker 3 (09:25):
So we have like a two big table eight, a
fourth table of two, and like a four booth that
can accommate like three four people.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Wow, that's very intimate.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, And I imagine under that circumstance it must be
pricey as well, because you know you have stay open.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
It's also all the food that we sell. It's the
top quality sure, like the meat, the fish I work with,
very the super player we walk with as the best one.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
And so it is experiential dining. It is experiencing not
only the food and your creativity, but also the curation
of the best ingredients between you farmers, local purveyors, all
of these things.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Yeah, and also in the beginning of the night, we
have a single or live live musician. Sometimes we have
a magician or so. So that's from eight to ten
and after from ten to two am, we switch slowly.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
To the particide.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
So we have a DJ and start missing mixing around
ten and yeah, and after like people just dance and.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
The magician doesn't cut the naked lady in half.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Though not yet? Okay, good, not yet?
Speaker 1 (10:52):
What have been weird?
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (10:54):
What?
Speaker 2 (10:55):
It sounds like a major experience. Now what is it
that you brought here today that you're that you prepare?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
So it's Los Angeles. So let's start with some bump,
cavear bump.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Oh, a little bump.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Okay, Tayler, you just calm yourself down, sure, a little
bump of caviar.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Yeah, let me let me give you that a little bump.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
And it seems illegal. I know.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
I have a tradition, so people could come to my kitchen,
I give them a bump and I take a pull out.
It's portray of them. And after you finish in the restaurant.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Oh my gosh, and so a bump nakedly. Okay, hold
hold that thought, because we're up. We're gonna take one
more news break, So hold time. We're gonna bring you
back and do this. This is we're getting a bump.
I mean you gotta Yeah, you're gonna have a bump.
So something tuning in they heard bump and that you
heard naked woman, and they're going, it's just a fork more.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
That's kay.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Yeah, we put the stimulating in stimulating right. All right,
we'll be back with more. And we're talking about Puzzle,
the restaurant, the experience, this hidden haven there in on
the West Side. Find out more. Puzzle dot love, Puzzle
dot Love. I gotta tell you, if you have a
food lover on your list, holy smokes, I couldn't imagine
(12:20):
a better experience that goes beyond just great food.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
We are in the middle of the holiday season. The weather.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
It's been getting cold at night and I dig that.
Although during the day it was lovely. Yesterday, I think
the highs in the LA area was like seventy seven degrees,
which is great, and then it got all chilly at night.
Turned on those outdoor heaters, the fire pits.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
I got these really cool skulls. They're human size and
they are fireproof. But then they eight heat and you
put them in your fire pits and you freak out
your neighbors. So I'm excited about that, as if our
house isn't already, will quirt enough to all the neighbors
walking by. But AnyWho, that's neither here nor there. Right now,
(13:12):
we're talking to Chef Kevin Dre of Puzzle on the
West Side. You can find out more at Puzzle dot Love,
Puzzle dot Love. You know, this is one of those
experiential locations. Looking at it and talking with a chef
about the things that they experienced.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
When we were going to news.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Just before news, chef was about to give us as
they do there, they were going to start with a
bump of caviat. So let us see what we have here, chef. Okay,
so oh look at that. Okay, I'm a little putting
(13:51):
a little bump.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
I'm not snorting it, okay.
Speaker 6 (13:56):
So so you take a picture of it on my hand,
polaroid of it, and so this is how people enjoy
it there.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Oh yeah, that is exquisite. That is so lovely, get it, Kayla,
That is so lovely, delicate.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
It's a really good have a very nice selection.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Wow, just that tiny knit of tiny bit of oceane
briany loveliness, finn in the finish, but also quite delicate.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Please do had a.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Boy that is see that is a man who loves
We didn't get a picture.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
He's like, trust me, he's all I've eaten off naked woman.
I'll be fine.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
But the artisticly you showed us some pictures of the
experience where uh, where you're dealing with basically a living
work of art.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
You have a woman lying there.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
And the service is on top and and that experience
is obviously unique, but it was really lovely and the
hiding and the way it was put together and it's
definitely something different. But people are looking for experiences, not
only in the food and the journey that the food
takes them on, but right now, you know you want
(15:39):
you want something a bang for your buck.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
You know you know what I do?
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Also when the kitchen is closed, sometimes I put the
digit set up in my kitchen and I have a
digit coming and we do a party in the kitchen
where I cook, will the digit play, and I I
sell food and drink for some like luky people.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
What for the DJ comes in the kitchen.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Yeah, yeah, we we have one tonight, but a kitchen party.
A kitchen party.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I'm not saying we have to be the best of friends,
but I feel like we need to be like up there,
like I don't have to be a b FF, but
maybe a c f F. I ought even be a
d FF with you, whatever it takes. Wow, Okay, so
we only have about a moment left. You have this
lovely dish here.
Speaker 7 (16:35):
And that's the clips it Yeah it is. It's okay.
As he preps said, oh look at that, we see
the Yeah, we look at that. So it's a it's.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
A creep cook in the orange syrup and uh fimb with.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Oh man, I'm telling you, Shannon Farren from the Gary
and Shannon Show is going to freak out that we
lit a fire in the studio.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
I was thinking about that. I like with the instrumance
and things like that.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I'm not asking anybody. I'm just gonna let it fly.
That is lovely. So let's uh this and take and.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Uh, Jenny, we said that we have a Gormanie ice cream.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
But because of traveling and the like, this looks so delicate.
And what's what's your favorite thing about the crapes? Why
get it on your menu?
Speaker 7 (17:31):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (17:32):
It's because I love to I love fire. I love
and what is the time?
Speaker 5 (17:38):
My lord?
Speaker 4 (17:39):
What's the time? I flo with that bring me joy?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
And and I love the the orange liqueur and that
flavor is so lovely. The presentation obviously with the flambay
and the scene the flames come up, that really is lovely. Chef,
very special, thanks for taking the time. It sounds like
you are a busy, busy man. And do you have
a bar program there as well?
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Yes we do. Yeah, we have a we have a
nice bow.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
We've like it's a small bow, but like we have
really good and cough cocktail and uh, and we have
some really nice butter for butter service and wine.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Wow, what a pleasure to meet you. You have a
wonderful way about you. You have a great smile and
a brightness and you can I can feel your passion
for what you're doing, and I'm glad. I'm glad you're
not a lawyer. We don't need any more of those.
What we need is people like you who make people happy.
So thanks for sharing that with the audience today.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Oh yeah, I come. It's my job for chef.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Yeah, I love that. Yeah, that is part of it,
isn't it? All right?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So that's chef Kevin Dre of Puzzle check out this website.
I got to tell you, if you've got a gormand
you've got somebody in your life that appreciates wonderful experience
and good food, I would put this on the list
for them for sure.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
You got an anniversary or.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Something, Puzzle Dot of Puzzle Dot Love is where you
will find them. Chef again, what a pleasure. Kayla's like, Yeah,
thanks so much and happy holidays to you, my friend.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty man.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
What a day. Happy to be with you today. I
love the holidays.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Always fun to get together and see family and friends
and have good food. We were just going down an
exceptional culinary path with our last guest, chef Kenny Kevin
dre Rather of Puzzle, been around since August on the
(19:40):
West Side here in Los Angeles and just going through everything.
He gave us a bump of caviar. And I gotta
tell you, I'm guessing that bump, not that anyone's counting,
was a fifty dollars bump. I mean, he was not stingy,
(20:05):
and it was exceptional. Caviare incredibly delicate and lovely, and
I will be thinking about that for probably the next
couple of days. How wonderful. But his there's something listen.
We talked about the spectrum on the program. The whole
(20:26):
point of the folk Port has always been to, you know,
knock the snobbery down a little bit and to elevate
the curious and the people that are like gosh, I
don't know if I want that or you know, want
to try that, or embolden you to experience new things
and to be curious about new culinary experiences and journeys.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Right, And what a neat man.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
He just came in here with such a lovely spirit
and a great story of starting out going on the
path of becoming a lawyer in France, and to do
that having to leave home and to go study, and
to do that he had to cook for himself and
(21:12):
he got good at it and then went on Master
Chef there and finally told his parents on TV that
he was going to be a chef. And my understanding
is the story continues from there where one of the
people putting together the group, is it the one to
(21:34):
eleven group or a group that owns puzzle, I'm not
sure off the top of my head, but someone came
across him and just thought, this guy's great and we
want him to come here, and brought him out here
to Los Angeles. So since August till now, and I
get it's rarefied air to maybe go to or experience
(21:56):
one of these police places. I'm looking at it. The
prices do not seem crazy to me at all. I mean,
it depends on you know what kind of throttle you're
going to put on your experience. But I mean, if
you're looking for an exceptional experience in what I see
(22:20):
just on their website. I think all of this is
incredibly reasonable for that, but wow, I can still taste
the loveliness of that. You gotta love it. I mean,
you just got to love when things are done right.
So I very much appreciate that and the love that
(22:41):
went into to putting that all together all right, real quickly.
On expiration dates, I heard Mo talking about this last
night or the night before, talking about expiration dates. Now,
he is super fuzzy. He'll tell you this. He doesn't
eat leftovers and if the clock's ticking on the date
on the milk out. There is no such thing as
(23:02):
expiration dates on American food, with one exception, and that
is baby formula.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
The food, the container, the people putting it in the container,
they don't know when it's going to go bad. Those
are guestimations based on traditional usage, I mean, and the temperatures,
and you're refrigerating all these things. So it's there is
no date that's going to tell you when something's bad.
(23:31):
I've had things that go bad before the date that
I go that's not good.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
And I'm not eating it.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
I don't care what the date says, but the dates
and the reason why you're hearing this in the news again,
is because there are people that are so afraid that
we're wasting a lot of food because they assume that's
the right date. Now, I can get very sick if
I eat bad food, very very sick because of the
(23:57):
fact that I have a suppressed immune system because I
had a kidney transplant and going on almost five years,
it'll be five years next week. Beautiful Donor, Julie Live
Donor gave me an extra shot at life. And one
(24:18):
of the things that goes with that is my body
will try and reject that kidney, so they have to
suppress my natural my body's natural desire to kick that
kidney out, even though it's a great match for me.
So in doing that, food can make me very sick.
And I don't listen to or go buy those dates
(24:39):
because they're not expiration dates, for instance, And the biggest
one we do is probably eggs. Eggs last a month
or more past that date on the side. And the
best way to tell is if they float in water
or not. If they float, they've got gas and them,
which means they're decomposing, which means they're bad. If they don't,
(25:02):
they sink that's what I do. I don't look at
the you know, because even sometimes my wife will get
new eggs and mix them with the old egg container
or something and you won't know. So I always I
just check them and then I know. But we're thrown
away too much food that's still good for you, it
still has nutrition, still tastes good, not going to harm
(25:24):
you in any way, shape or form. You will be fine,
and we throw it away because of those dates. And
we've become too disposable about that. That's why the government
is getting involved. That's why the government is changing these things,
because these dates don't make sense. They make people assume
they're bad and they throw them out when they absolutely
(25:44):
are not. And that's a shame in this country. It
is a shame in this country that anybody goes hungry,
and when there is food insecurity around, the last thing
we should be doing if we're in a place where
we don't have food insecurity, is throwing things out when
they're not actually bad. You've been listening to the Fork Report.
(26:06):
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,
Hey, it's Neil Savedre.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You're listening to kfi EM six forty the four Report
on demand on.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
The iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I am your friendly neighborhood folk reporter Neil Sevadra.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
How do you do. Happy to be with you today.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Like every Saturday, these three hours we have two to
five to kind of shake off the heavy news and
celebrate food, the culture behind it, the people that make it,
science behind it, cooking at home, going out to eat,
and all these things and between certainly at the heart
of everything we love in life, especially during the times
(00:35):
of the holidays. So right now we are in full
swing and our celebration, and we want to introduce you
to someone, Chef Kevin Dre. He hails out of the
south of France. Hi, how are you, my friend? You're
coming in here with that beautiful smile. You brought a
lovely dish we're going to be talking about. But give
(00:55):
us a little bit of your story, because I'm told
that it started with law and studying law, and you
are a chef. So before we get into puzzle in
the restaurant, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, I was in law school and that actually was
the first time when I was living alone without my parents,
and I start cooking for myself and for my friends,
and I started to organizing dinner and.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
I see this.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
There was this show called Master Chef. I think it's
it's something here too.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
It was the first season in France, and I was like, oh,
let's try that.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
I like to cook, Let's try.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
And I I as the old the casting I went
to Paris. I did a couple of show and I
tell my parents in Live on TV, uh that I
won't stop studying law school.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Okay, so let's break that down, because you gotta love
that you're you're studying law. Yes, you start to cook
for yourself because you're out of the house, you're living alone. Yes,
you see Master Chef and you think I'm gonna try that.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
You jump on that.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Your parents are gonna be watching, be excited for you,
And all they hear is.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
That you didn't know. I didn't tell them that you
were going to be on Master Shop. I didn't tell them.
I told them on Clive on TV.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Oh my gosh, oh my god, you're gonna stop law school?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Yes, Wow, I need a bank because my my parents
want to They want me to be a doctor a lawyer,
you know, so I need to say that with a
with a bank like so I think online on TV
it's it's a nice way to say.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, I'm sure they love that.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
How everybody wants to hear their son is no longer
going to be a lawyer, so you make that. What
was the see your circumstances, your circumstances pushed you into cooking.
What was the part when you started cooking that made
you go, Wow, I love this and I'm good at it.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Oh so I always loved to eat.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I only both. I don't know how you do it,
but I'm.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
For you makes me. I have good gens.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I have good jeans are just four times the size
of yours.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
That's good for you. That's a good thing to have
when you're shot. What are your favorite foods? What were
what are your comfort foods?
Speaker 5 (03:43):
You know?
Speaker 4 (03:44):
I'm I'm French and I'm easy. I love cheese.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Geeze, who doesn't love?
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I can do I can do a week? What week?
Just it's in fish, It's in wow?
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Just what it is there?
Speaker 4 (03:59):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Don't say Camembert? What is there a fair? What's your
favorite cheese?
Speaker 6 (04:03):
No?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
It depends, you know, because it's it's all about experience.
For example, in London there is Vista that sells the
cheese from that for the Whyal family. Okay, and I
try the Steel Shelton. It's the blue cheese off the Queen,
the Late Queen, and that was amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
So I didn't know that. So the Royal family has
their own cheese.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Yeah, they are their own tea.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
They're on Champagne on like you know there is you
can see that, I think on some Yes.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
They have the Seal Yes, now I okay, I I
do not know any time where I want so where
I consumed any but I guess that makes sense now
in the recesses of my mind. And you said the Queen,
the Late Queen has a cheese.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
So Vista.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Actually they have plenty of cheese. And you see the
name of different people of the Wild family and what's
what are the favorite cheese and you just can buy
it for yourself. So it's it's it's cool actually to
buy some kind of cheese, like is.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
There a Megan Marcle cheese. It's an American cheese and
it's horrible.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Joking, she seems like a horrible.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
You have some good cheese.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
What what is your favorite American style cheese?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
I like you.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
You know there is a some cheese from Vermont from cheese, Yeah,
and they really nice goat cheese.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Oh yeah, goat cheese is lovely, very It's delicate and
can have a little bit of bite to it and
that's nice.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Okay, we come back. We're gonna tell you brought some food.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Uh, and we're going to talk about puzzle and how
you became the chef there.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
But what a neat story.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I love when people their passions show themselves and you go, Okay,
I'm doing this. I'm going on TV and telling my
parents their entire dreams are crushed.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Happy Saturday to you. We are in it to win it.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
It's December seventh, so we are in the middle of
the holiday season, gonna slide through the end of the
year and into twenty twenty five. Fingers crossed, hands together
on your knees, eyes upward, that it's going to be
a good year.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Praying Tayla ees now the prayers are for you.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
But so welcome back to the program where we are
talking all things food, beverage and beyond. And I'm happy
to be with you this Saturday. We're talking to Chef
Kevin dre of Puzzle. You can find out more at
their website Puzzle dot Love, Puzzle dot Love. We'll take
you there, and just a beautiful layout and gorgeous and
(07:05):
it's interesting because chef was kind enough to bring something.
We're in a taste right here, and he brought a
setting and it's probably the most stunning flatware that you
will ever see, especially on radio, but just really beautiful.
I took a picture, but you can see it. You'll
see on their website some of the things here. So, chef,
(07:28):
what is the vibe, the energy, the mood that you
create with your food there at Puzzle in West Hollywood.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
So it's it's a very anti mis place, a small place,
okay with it's like a very comfy, very luxury.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah oh yeah that the it's tufted and padded and
comfortable and well appointed and gold leafing and really it's
no expense, looks spared at all.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
The goal is to prevat experience.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
I'm often outside the kitchen talking doing some show. I
have like a bunch of different food that I come
myself put on a table.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Okay, so you're preparing on table side.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Yeah, a bunch of different stuff. And I liked.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
You know, we have some members okay, and they have
my number and when they come on, when they want
to come, they can call me, text me, and if
they want something particular, I can make it.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
We do also special like.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Experience like the last one was for the birthday of
one of my friends. Actually, they want to puzzle and
for the appetizer, I serve the appetizer on a naked
lady on the table.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Sorry with your ax and I might have misheard it.
Sound like you said you serve it on a naked
lady on a naked lady. Okay, So I did hear right? Yeah,
And how does one become one of your friends?
Speaker 1 (09:12):
I'm just curious. I'm asking for a friend.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
You seem nice.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
We have friends, wow, Okay? And you say it's intimate.
How many tables are there at puzzle?
Speaker 3 (09:25):
So we have like a two big table eight, a
fourth table of two, and like a four booth that
can accommate like three four people.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Wow, that's very intimate.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, And I imagine under that circumstance it must be
pricey as well, because you know you have stay open.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
It's also all the food that we sell. It's the
top quality sure, like the meat, the fish I work with,
very the super player we walk with as the best one.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
And so it is experiential dining. It is experiencing not
only the food and your creativity, but also the curation
of the best ingredients between you farmers, local purveyors, all
of these things.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Yeah, and also in the beginning of the night, we
have a single or live live musician. Sometimes we have
a magician or so. So that's from eight to ten
and after from ten to two am, we switch slowly.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
To the particide.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
So we have a DJ and start missing mixing around
ten and yeah, and after like people just dance and.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
The magician doesn't cut the naked lady in half.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Though not yet? Okay, good, not yet?
Speaker 1 (10:52):
What have been weird?
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (10:54):
What?
Speaker 2 (10:55):
It sounds like a major experience. Now what is it
that you brought here today that you're that you prepare?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
So it's Los Angeles. So let's start with some bump,
cavear bump.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Oh, a little bump.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Okay, Tayler, you just calm yourself down, sure, a little
bump of caviar.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Yeah, let me let me give you that a little bump.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
And it seems illegal. I know.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
I have a tradition, so people could come to my kitchen,
I give them a bump and I take a pull out.
It's portray of them. And after you finish in the restaurant.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Oh my gosh, and so a bump nakedly. Okay, hold
hold that thought, because we're up. We're gonna take one
more news break, So hold time. We're gonna bring you
back and do this. This is we're getting a bump.
I mean you gotta Yeah, you're gonna have a bump.
So something tuning in they heard bump and that you
heard naked woman, and they're going, it's just a fork more.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
That's kay.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Yeah, we put the stimulating in stimulating right. All right,
we'll be back with more. And we're talking about Puzzle,
the restaurant, the experience, this hidden haven there in on
the West Side. Find out more. Puzzle dot love, Puzzle
dot Love. I gotta tell you, if you have a
food lover on your list, holy smokes, I couldn't imagine
(12:20):
a better experience that goes beyond just great food.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
We are in the middle of the holiday season. The weather.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
It's been getting cold at night and I dig that.
Although during the day it was lovely. Yesterday, I think
the highs in the LA area was like seventy seven degrees,
which is great, and then it got all chilly at night.
Turned on those outdoor heaters, the fire pits.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
I got these really cool skulls. They're human size and
they are fireproof. But then they eight heat and you
put them in your fire pits and you freak out
your neighbors. So I'm excited about that, as if our
house isn't already, will quirt enough to all the neighbors
walking by. But AnyWho, that's neither here nor there. Right now,
(13:12):
we're talking to Chef Kevin Dre of Puzzle on the
West Side. You can find out more at Puzzle dot Love,
Puzzle dot Love. You know, this is one of those
experiential locations. Looking at it and talking with a chef
about the things that they experienced.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
When we were going to news.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Just before news, chef was about to give us as
they do there, they were going to start with a
bump of caviat. So let us see what we have here, chef. Okay,
so oh look at that. Okay, I'm a little putting
(13:51):
a little bump.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
I'm not snorting it, okay.
Speaker 6 (13:56):
So so you take a picture of it on my hand,
polaroid of it, and so this is how people enjoy
it there.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Oh yeah, that is exquisite. That is so lovely, get it, Kayla,
That is so lovely, delicate.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
It's a really good have a very nice selection.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Wow, just that tiny knit of tiny bit of oceane
briany loveliness, finn in the finish, but also quite delicate.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Please do had a.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Boy that is see that is a man who loves
We didn't get a picture.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
He's like, trust me, he's all I've eaten off naked woman.
I'll be fine.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
But the artisticly you showed us some pictures of the
experience where uh, where you're dealing with basically a living
work of art.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
You have a woman lying there.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
And the service is on top and and that experience
is obviously unique, but it was really lovely and the
hiding and the way it was put together and it's
definitely something different. But people are looking for experiences, not
only in the food and the journey that the food
takes them on, but right now, you know you want
(15:39):
you want something a bang for your buck.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
You know you know what I do?
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Also when the kitchen is closed, sometimes I put the
digit set up in my kitchen and I have a
digit coming and we do a party in the kitchen
where I cook, will the digit play, and I I
sell food and drink for some like luky people.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
What for the DJ comes in the kitchen.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Yeah, yeah, we we have one tonight, but a kitchen party.
A kitchen party.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I'm not saying we have to be the best of friends,
but I feel like we need to be like up there,
like I don't have to be a b FF, but
maybe a c f F. I ought even be a
d FF with you, whatever it takes. Wow, Okay, so
we only have about a moment left. You have this
lovely dish here.
Speaker 7 (16:35):
And that's the clips it Yeah it is. It's okay.
As he preps said, oh look at that, we see
the Yeah, we look at that. So it's a it's.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
A creep cook in the orange syrup and uh fimb with.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Oh man, I'm telling you, Shannon Farren from the Gary
and Shannon Show is going to freak out that we
lit a fire in the studio.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
I was thinking about that. I like with the instrumance
and things like that.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I'm not asking anybody. I'm just gonna let it fly.
That is lovely. So let's uh this and take and.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Uh, Jenny, we said that we have a Gormanie ice cream.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
But because of traveling and the like, this looks so delicate.
And what's what's your favorite thing about the crapes? Why
get it on your menu?
Speaker 7 (17:31):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (17:32):
It's because I love to I love fire. I love
and what is the time?
Speaker 5 (17:38):
My lord?
Speaker 4 (17:39):
What's the time? I flo with that bring me joy?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
And and I love the the orange liqueur and that
flavor is so lovely. The presentation obviously with the flambay
and the scene the flames come up, that really is lovely. Chef,
very special, thanks for taking the time. It sounds like
you are a busy, busy man. And do you have
a bar program there as well?
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Yes we do. Yeah, we have a we have a
nice bow.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
We've like it's a small bow, but like we have
really good and cough cocktail and uh, and we have
some really nice butter for butter service and wine.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Wow, what a pleasure to meet you. You have a
wonderful way about you. You have a great smile and
a brightness and you can I can feel your passion
for what you're doing, and I'm glad. I'm glad you're
not a lawyer. We don't need any more of those.
What we need is people like you who make people happy.
So thanks for sharing that with the audience today.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Oh yeah, I come. It's my job for chef.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Yeah, I love that. Yeah, that is part of it,
isn't it? All right?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So that's chef Kevin Dre of Puzzle check out this website.
I got to tell you, if you've got a gormand
you've got somebody in your life that appreciates wonderful experience
and good food, I would put this on the list
for them for sure.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
You got an anniversary or.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Something, Puzzle Dot of Puzzle Dot Love is where you
will find them. Chef again, what a pleasure. Kayla's like, Yeah,
thanks so much and happy holidays to you, my friend.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty man.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
What a day. Happy to be with you today. I
love the holidays.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Always fun to get together and see family and friends
and have good food. We were just going down an
exceptional culinary path with our last guest, chef Kenny Kevin
dre Rather of Puzzle, been around since August on the
(19:40):
West Side here in Los Angeles and just going through everything.
He gave us a bump of caviar. And I gotta
tell you, I'm guessing that bump, not that anyone's counting,
was a fifty dollars bump. I mean, he was not stingy,
(20:05):
and it was exceptional. Caviare incredibly delicate and lovely, and
I will be thinking about that for probably the next
couple of days. How wonderful. But his there's something listen.
We talked about the spectrum on the program. The whole
(20:26):
point of the folk Port has always been to, you know,
knock the snobbery down a little bit and to elevate
the curious and the people that are like gosh, I
don't know if I want that or you know, want
to try that, or embolden you to experience new things
and to be curious about new culinary experiences and journeys.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Right, And what a neat man.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
He just came in here with such a lovely spirit
and a great story of starting out going on the
path of becoming a lawyer in France, and to do
that having to leave home and to go study, and
to do that he had to cook for himself and
(21:12):
he got good at it and then went on Master
Chef there and finally told his parents on TV that
he was going to be a chef. And my understanding
is the story continues from there where one of the
people putting together the group, is it the one to
(21:34):
eleven group or a group that owns puzzle, I'm not
sure off the top of my head, but someone came
across him and just thought, this guy's great and we
want him to come here, and brought him out here
to Los Angeles. So since August till now, and I
get it's rarefied air to maybe go to or experience
(21:56):
one of these police places. I'm looking at it. The
prices do not seem crazy to me at all. I mean,
it depends on you know what kind of throttle you're
going to put on your experience. But I mean, if
you're looking for an exceptional experience in what I see
(22:20):
just on their website. I think all of this is
incredibly reasonable for that, but wow, I can still taste
the loveliness of that. You gotta love it. I mean,
you just got to love when things are done right.
So I very much appreciate that and the love that
(22:41):
went into to putting that all together all right, real quickly.
On expiration dates, I heard Mo talking about this last
night or the night before, talking about expiration dates. Now,
he is super fuzzy. He'll tell you this. He doesn't
eat leftovers and if the clock's ticking on the date
on the milk out. There is no such thing as
(23:02):
expiration dates on American food, with one exception, and that
is baby formula.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
The food, the container, the people putting it in the container,
they don't know when it's going to go bad. Those
are guestimations based on traditional usage, I mean, and the temperatures,
and you're refrigerating all these things. So it's there is
no date that's going to tell you when something's bad.
(23:31):
I've had things that go bad before the date that
I go that's not good.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
And I'm not eating it.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
I don't care what the date says, but the dates
and the reason why you're hearing this in the news again,
is because there are people that are so afraid that
we're wasting a lot of food because they assume that's
the right date. Now, I can get very sick if
I eat bad food, very very sick because of the
(23:57):
fact that I have a suppressed immune system because I
had a kidney transplant and going on almost five years,
it'll be five years next week. Beautiful Donor, Julie Live
Donor gave me an extra shot at life. And one
(24:18):
of the things that goes with that is my body
will try and reject that kidney, so they have to
suppress my natural my body's natural desire to kick that
kidney out, even though it's a great match for me.
So in doing that, food can make me very sick.
And I don't listen to or go buy those dates
(24:39):
because they're not expiration dates, for instance, And the biggest
one we do is probably eggs. Eggs last a month
or more past that date on the side. And the
best way to tell is if they float in water
or not. If they float, they've got gas and them,
which means they're decomposing, which means they're bad. If they don't,
(25:02):
they sink that's what I do. I don't look at
the you know, because even sometimes my wife will get
new eggs and mix them with the old egg container
or something and you won't know. So I always I
just check them and then I know. But we're thrown
away too much food that's still good for you, it
still has nutrition, still tastes good, not going to harm
(25:24):
you in any way, shape or form. You will be fine,
and we throw it away because of those dates. And
we've become too disposable about that. That's why the government
is getting involved. That's why the government is changing these things,
because these dates don't make sense. They make people assume
they're bad and they throw them out when they absolutely
(25:44):
are not. And that's a shame in this country. It
is a shame in this country that anybody goes hungry,
and when there is food insecurity around, the last thing
we should be doing if we're in a place where
we don't have food insecurity, is throwing things out when
they're not actually bad. You've been listening to the Fork Report.
(26:06):
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,
The Fork Report w Neil Saavedra News
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