October 25, 2025 • 34 mins
Halloween is less than a week a way. Check out the Cauldron Bar with the perfect spooky drinks. PLUS Derek Young of Van Oaks Props has the perfect props if you want to spookify your house this season. It's all on KFIAM-640!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's Neil Savandra. You're listening to kfi EM six
forty the fore Purport on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Let me Teach you had it. Let Me teach you
had it.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Can't buy AM six forty Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
Good Afternoon sothern California, and Neil Svader here with the
fore Report, you know where. We talk about food and
beverages and more every Saturday three hours just to kind
of celebrate food on these things and not get wrapped
(00:47):
up in the heaviness of the news during the week.
It's kind of a sanctuary celebrating these things because who
don't love going out and enjoying yourself having a good meal,
a good beverage, and more and more. When I go out,
I want an experience. I want to be surrounded by
something that's playful, interesting, with architecture and textures and all
(01:10):
of these things. And so we want to tell you
about a place.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Right now.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Carter Hodges, the general manager of the Cauldron Bar in
Buena Park, is with us.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Hey Carter, Hey, Neil, how are you doing.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I'm well, sir, so I appreciate it for those listening.
Carter was going to try and make it out here
from Buena Park, but it's much easier to do a
phone from there, a phoner right now, Because of course
it is peak season, we don't do a whole lot
of phone interviews, but man, I get it making that
(01:43):
drive and having to get back, So we appreciate you
taking the time.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Absolutely. I'm sorry I'm not there with you, guys.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
No another time for sure. Tell us a little bit
about the vibe. I've heard a bunch of great things.
I've seen pictures I've not been in as of yet.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
All right, gotta get you down here.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Yeah, Cauldron is it's an immersive dining experience. It's kind
of modeled after like a witch's house meets an old
English French tavern. We're known for yeah, great atmosphere, great cocktails,
great bites, and we're right in the heart of Orange County,
directly across from nott Sperry Farm. So it's a great
spot to stop at if you're in the area for
(02:21):
tourism or if you're local and obviously anything Halloween related,
we're gonna get you covered.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So what's the best way to experience it?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I gotta imagine as we spoke about it's going to
be slammed. How can people plan out? Do they make reservations?
Does it first come, first serve? How do they go
about experience the cauldron?
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Yeah, so during this season September October, obviously not Scary
Farm is happening across the street from us, so there
is an influx of people. We do take reservations, but
we only take reservations up to about fifty percent capacity,
just to allow for plenty of walk ins. So if
you are playing ahead, you can check out our website
or social media or Google or Yelp make those reservations.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
If not, you're more than welcome to just stop in
grab a quick drink.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Yeah, full bar service, full, We got two dining rooms,
they have a whole patio, and during the season we
also put a second bar outside of our patio, so
there's plenty of space for people.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
It's really cool checking out the website. As we're chatting
Carter looking at the adjoining the coven that people can
by being a part of your rewards offers, get cash
back on visits and things like that.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Yeah, so anybody inducted into our coven reward system. Basically,
you sign up, you get points every single visit you
make and they go immediately back to cash back rewards.
You can put in your birthday stuff, any like personal information.
That way, we know if you're celebrating a birthday, if
you're celebrating an anniversary, we make sure to take care
of those people. We'll get you, you know, a free
(03:58):
birthday shot, a dessert something on the house, just to celebrate.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Oh that's great. And how long has the Cauldron been
in Buena Park there?
Speaker 4 (04:08):
So we opened in twenty eighteen, late twenty eighteen or
in our eight season right now?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, wow, that's a rough time.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Yeah, oh yeah, about about a year until the fit
hit the shan so exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Yeah, we're very fortunate that we not only stayed open
during the pandemic, but you know, we actually kind of
grew a bit thanks to social media, so it's been nice.
We've expanded since then, so twice twice the capacity for
dining inside and we just read it our patio, so
trying to make sure we got enough space to satisfy everybody.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
And what are one of the things that stands out
when people visit the Cauldron?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
What do they talk about the most to you.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
I mean, I think the first thing is probably the atmosphere,
just because it's the first thing you see when you
walk in, before you even get a drink, before you
get food. It's really dark and intimate. The lighting is
all kind of moody candlelight atmosphere. There's big wooden beams,
there's a fireplace with a bubbling cauldron in it, lots
of little like interactive show moments, lots of little you know,
(05:10):
haunts and magical things happening kind.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Of all around the bar.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
And you get a chance to see the.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Witch that haunts the cauldron and her little black cat.
They make appearances kind of all over the place. Oh wow,
that's super cool.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
And you guys are set up for events and private
parties and things as well, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
So we do a handful of like corporate parties and
stuff like that, but our most popular thing for a
private event is going to be we have a kind
of a speakeasy style party room hidden behind a bookshelf,
so you kind of go in through the library, the
bookshelf swings open and you go into this big banquet table.
So people will host birthdays and special events back there.
(05:49):
But you know, even if you're not in the room,
every seat in the.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
House is great, and so you are.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Let's see Tuesdays through Tuesday and Wednesdays four pm to
twelve am, and then Thursdays through Sunday, it looks like
you're four pm to two am.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
That is correct.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Yeah, for this season, just to match you know, not
scary Farms hours and make sure that we're getting everybody
in for Halloween season, we extend our Thursdays and Sundays.
After Halloween, we cut back and we go back to
four to twelve on Thursdays and Sundays. So Friday Saturday
are are kind of our late night bar hours. Yeah,
we're we're always closed on Mondays though. That's the one
(06:29):
that's the one.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Ticker and the only thing that you ask is people
stick around for about ninety minutes during their dining so
that you can move people through there and everybody gets
a chance.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, that's specific to just the table seating.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
We want to make sure that everybody has a chance
to do full dinner service, but we encourage people to
stay and have a drink at the bar, hang out
on the patio. It's you know, if they're trying to
you know, have an extended day. We're not going to
kick them out.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
No, I like that.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I mean sometimes it's good to remind people that in
these special places, for everybody to have a shot at it.
But it doesn't mean like you're gonna like a big
alarm is gonna go off and everybody's got to leave.
Is the is the weight staff and your team there
are they kind of play along with the vibe or
(07:18):
how does that work?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Absolutely? Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
During this season specifically, we do seemed like costume weeks,
and so the staff will really get in the spirit
and come dressed up. I think the majority of them
are dressed up today. And we also give a that
Coven discount. It's a ten percent on the whole tab
if your party shows up in costume.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
So that's a fun thing. A lot of people, you know,
join in.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Oh wouldn't that be awkward if some group comes in
and they're just ugly and you're like, oh my god,
you get timpercent off and they're.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Like why, oh my god. I just say, luckily that
you know of some reads, I just take it. Yeah,
just take it.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
No, we we have people that they'll find out about
the discount. Once they're already here and they're in normal
street clothes and they go, oh, no, I'm dressed like
a skater today.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Do I get the disk home?
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Yeah, I'm dressed like a homeless person. No, I saw
you wear that yesterday. All right, hey, ty, we come
back and want to talk to you about the drink
program and some things on the menu. My guest right
now is Carter Hodges from the Cauldron Bar in Buena
Park there right across the street from Knotsberry Farm. Easy
to find of course, as we bring you some really cool,
(08:30):
fun vibed places obviously for the spooky holiday coming up.
So go nowhere and we'll talk some more.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
It's the Fok Report all things food, beverage and beyond.
Every Saturday, we come together and we celebrate food, the
people that make it, the culture behind it. Right now, we're,
you know, in October, and I love the season as
we roll through all of the major hull holidays for
the most part, and the spooky time for fall and
(09:05):
Halloween is one of my favorites, and I love getting
into the food and the vibe it to help us
with that. Today, Carter Hodges the GM there at the
Cauldron Bar in went A Park. It's right across from
notts Berry Farm, so easy to find is he's with us.
We're talking about the private room. They have themed events,
(09:26):
all of the different things. How you can join the
coven of course that is their rewards club and all
of that. But now we want to get into the menu.
So Carter, when it comes to the drink program, I
know you guys have mocktails and the like. Why don't
you walk us through some of the drink options.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Yeah, So our core cocktail menu is a kind of
inspired by potions and you know, witches, brews and stuff
like that. Lots of twists on classic cocktails. One of
my favorites is it's kind of based loosely on like
a Sangreia margarita hybrid called the Devil's Margarita. That is, yeah,
pretty standard like margarita on the bottom and then a
(10:05):
float of red wine on the top. You get a
really cool color separation. It's oh that's also and a
great cocktail.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Our I mean, our most famous probably is the Naughty Kid.
We had to play into like the local history here
with boys and berryes. So it's a boys and berry
cotton candy in the martini glass and then like a
lemon drop bass and you pour that over the cotton
candy and it all kind of dissolves and mixes in
and gives you a boys and Berry lemon drop martini.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Oh my gosh, that sounds gorgeous. What a fun kind
of visual. I mean, even you know, when you're gonna
go to the nth degree, like floating wine on top
of a drink, or in this case, watching the two
different textures, colors and flavors come together. There's a little
feeder involved with these beverages.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Absolutely, yeah, a lot of us actually come from feeder.
The owner Laura Hannaman, she is a former creative director
from Ntsberry Farm. She was there for about twenty years.
But her background is feeder and scenic design and all
that stuff. So that's why it's so heavily themed. Oh
I love Yeah. Why why a lot of our stuff
leans theatrical.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Now during it obviously during this time of the year,
a place called the Cauldron. And again the Cauldron is
right across the street from you know, there went a
Park rightcas Street from from Knottsberry Farm, which is really
cool now that you share with the designer and maker
and creator.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Of all this.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
But what about different parts of the season. Are people
still coming in and enjoying the vibe? And you know,
do you do like special events throughout the year.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Yeah, yeah, so we're we're themed like the Cauldron year round,
but we do lots of seasonal overlays.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Coming up this winter, we're going to.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Do kind of a pagan Christmas Crampis themed.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Overlay with a big seasonal met you and extra decor and.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Stuff, which will be fun.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
We do, yeah, a bunch of limited menus. We do
a Tipsy tea time. They're all tea based inspired cocktails
like high tea, little finger sandwiches, and bites that tocle.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Along with those, we do a program called Wicked Elixers.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
They're like DIY cocktails. It's kind of like a potion
making kit you get to do at the table.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah. Tons of limited menu.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Stuff like that, So you got to keep up with
us on social media to know when those are happening.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
And as far as the food menu, is it entrees
or is it small plates more towards a bar vibe.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
So the original concept was just bar service with great
bar food, but obviously through the growth of the company
and through expanding, it's become a lot more sit down dining.
So our core menu, there are a handful of entrees,
but kind of in general, we encourage sharing and almost
pop a style, you know, order a bunch of stuff
for the table and sample all of it. Sure, our
core menu is all inspired by like French and Creole cuisine,
(13:01):
lots of familiar stuff with a little bit of a twist.
And then we do a seasonal menu for every month,
so there's specials that happen every months. Right now, we're
leading into obviously Fall and Halloween and pumpkin stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
You know, I'm looking as I go through the entire menu.
I mean, let's be honest, what person does not does
their eyes don't zoom in when you see the word sliders.
So looking at the combination with your French dip sliders
and your Croke Monsieur sliders and this type of thing
that looks fabulous. All of these housemade bacon jam, all
(13:36):
the cheeseboards, these are really they're you know, you're not
just reheating crap in the back and throwing it on
a plate. This looks like really fun, well thought out eats.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
We definitely pride ourselves on the food. We're ninety nine
percent is you know, from scratch every single morning. So
we tell people if you see a specialty're interest in
the extreme men and get it right away, because you
never know when it's going to sell out. And it's
not like we can throw something in a microwave and
you know, get it out to you right away when
we're sold out. It takes, you know, hours and hours
to prep that stuff every morning.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
So I also, you know, going over the cocktail list here,
I'm a sucker for the browns.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
I love a good bourbon.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
And the fact that you have a paper plane on
your cocktail menu and have it so forward like this
is pretty rare. I had to tell the specs give
the specs to a bartender the other day who didn't
know what one what it was and this was and
they were serving good drinks. But that's a fun combination there,
(14:42):
the bourbon and brimstone, while four roses great bourbon, thyme, honey,
lemon and mint. That sounds sexy too, I mean really
this is like, this is just a really fun menu
that seems you know, smart, So walk us through. We
(15:03):
only have about a minute or so. You enter the
front door. What is the first thing you see at
the Cauldron there in Buena Park.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
First thing you see is the main dining room, our
large bar, all these wooden beams that kind of frame
the bar out and the fireplace that we call it
the lounge where that's the overstuffed couches of the cauldron
and the fire underneath it. There's a big mirror and
there's some spirits that appear in that mirror, and that's
I think people's first go to.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Photo right there.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Oh that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Carter Hodges the GM there at the Cauldron Bar there
in Buena Park. If you want to find out more,
you go the Cauldronbar dot com. The Cauldronbar dot com
is where you can find more information.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
What a treat. Thanks brother.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
I appreciate you Carter for coming on and I know
it's busy time for you out there. We hope to
get you guys maybe on the off season to come
in and maybe we can try some sample some of
the food and talk about it more at length. But
I really appreciate you taking the time. It sounds like
a really special place. And if you're looking for something special,
the Cauldron Bar there in Buena Park. So thanks Carter,
(16:11):
I appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Thank you so much, Neil. All right, my friend, have
a great day, all right as well.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Just sounds like a fun place and it is going
on the list of places I want to check out
very very soon.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
All right. Fork Report Neil Savedra.
Speaker 5 (16:26):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Hey everybody, it's the Fork Report all things food, beverage
and beyond. I am your well fed host, Neil Savadra.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
How do you do?
Speaker 1 (16:40):
My buddy Derek Young who owns Van Oaks Props, which
has I mean, there are so many great free resources
to begin with to be able to watch the videos
on YouTube van Oaks Props that if you want to
know anything about tombstones, this man is the master in
my eye.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
It's nice to see you again, my friend. Always good
to be here.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
So is you know with Derek he your theme is
a cemetery. That's what you do, the Van Ouks Cemetery. Correct,
And when you started fourteen years ago on this particular
project where you're inspired by someone else's decorations at their
home for the holidays, for Halloween, and you said, you
(17:27):
know what, I'm an artist, I'm a designer.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
I want to do this for us. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
Weirdly enough, when I was in high school, there was
a haunt in Studio City called the Hallowed Haunting Grounds,
And many people who decorate for Halloween in and around
southern California will tell you that they kind of kicked
off the craze of people really going kind of overboard
with their Halloween decorations. And for me, I visited one
(17:53):
year and was kind of forever changed after that because
I hadn't ever considered the thought that I could decorate
in a way that wasn't just something I bought from
the store.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Sure, which is fine in its own right, but if
you're a creative type, you want to Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:12):
Well, and there's something about being an individual and sort
of scratching a creative itch, and those are the types
of things that I'm constantly looking for. And when I
finally had a yard of my own to decorate, they
were the direct reference point for me because they did
everything that Disneyland did, but they did it out of
(18:34):
their garage essentially, and I just thought that was the
coolest thing, you know. But prior to that had never
crossed my mind that it was even possible.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
And so you start the first thing you said was, Okay,
the direction I'm going is a cemetery. Yes, so you
knew that much that that was what you're going to
start with in the front yard.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:58):
It always seemed to me like doing something like a
cemetery was something that could be added to year after year,
but was also something that would be good for people
of all ages. I know a lot of people are
into gore and extreme haunts and jump scares and things
(19:19):
like that, and there's room for that, but it's not
it's not something that's good for everybody. And yeah, that's
not my scene either.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
I want people to be, you know, to be spooky, sure,
but I don't have like body parts laying around my
house or anything.
Speaker 6 (19:36):
Yeah, And it's not a slight to anyone who decorates
in that way. It's not my.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Personal because there's an audience for it.
Speaker 6 (19:43):
Yeah, but I think about it in the way that, like,
you know, I decorate the house so that people in
the neighborhood can come and enjoy it. And we live
in a neighborhood with young children, or at least we did.
You know, they're they're all in high school or college now,
But I was decorating in part for them, sure, because
it should be accessible for everyone. You know, if you're
(20:05):
somebody like me who doesn't like being startled, there's got
to be a flavor for me too. And this was
more my speed, and so I just really went all
in on creating this.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Very moody, spooky.
Speaker 6 (20:24):
Tableau essentially that allowed the visitor's minds to do all
of the heavy lifting. I will create the atmosphere and
then I will let you run wild with it. Is
that statue a real person? What is that sound I'm
hearing over there? Is the thunder and lightning? Real or manufactured?
(20:45):
Are any of these tombstones actually real tombstone? I mean,
you can kind of go down the list of things
that it could be in anyone's mind. But the beauty
of it is that my interpretation of it will be
different from yours, and yours from someone else's.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
You know, I love again. You can find out more
at van Oaksprops dot com. Vanosprops dot Com. That'll, you know,
that'll be your portal to all of it, whether you
go to is etsya stuff and you see stuff that
you want to purchase, whether you want to maybe go
and find out about the silent auction that he's doing
now for the things that he's not going to need
(21:21):
come November, uh after this year here, so he's selling
off a lot of these props as well. But if
you want to learn more, go to van Oaks Props
and you can find his YouTube stuff and all of that.
One of the things that I love on your YouTube
is that when you revisit something, you all, I made
this years ago, Yeah, and I know more now and
(21:42):
I have better ideas of how I want to change it.
What was one prop one part of the scene of
your specific cemetery that you change that you were like,
now that fits my vision more.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
I don't know that it was ever necessarily not fitting
the vision. It just wasn't completed to the degree that
I wanted or that my skills allowed.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
For.
Speaker 6 (22:08):
Most recently, just because it's top of mind, we have
two very large fake brick columns with big lanterns on
top that every year someone will assume they are real
and lean against them, only to find that they will move.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
I've seen them in person. I would do that myself.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
They're beautiful, and you know, we've had them for quite
a few years. When when my wife and I first
made them, they looked the part, but they were a
bit too clean. And I think part of my esthetic
is more of a really lived in older cemetery that's
(22:48):
maybe not being tended to.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
You want to change the term lived in, I don't.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
I don't know if it should be lived in if
it's a cemetery, Yeah, you want it to be to
have that the grunge factor. Even the one, the latest
one in this video is up today, it's only a
fourteen year old technically, so you had to you had
to weather it for that many years, and not the
(23:17):
one that was you know, in the seventeen eighteen hundreds
or something like that exactly.
Speaker 6 (23:23):
Which is funny because so much of the aesthetic that
I've tried to kind of create over the years is
very much that worn down and abandoned look, which is
funny because that is sort of like the intersection between
my love of Star Wars universe and how dirty and
grungey that all is the used universe, absolutely, and it
(23:46):
carries over into Halloween, which is what I think about
the other half.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Of the year.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
So it is funny though that you you know, when
you even see like Halloween, not Halloween, but Star Wars props, right,
the first thing you know, helmet I buy all those
things do the first thing you do is go, this
looks too new.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
And that was kind of what happened with these cemetery columns.
I just thought they would look more than what they
look right now. Plus, you know, they're quite a few
years old and have spent a lot of time out
in the sun, and so the colors just aren't as
vibrant as they used to be. And I thought what
better way to kind of breathe some new life into
(24:27):
it than to really go heavy and make them look
even older.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
And I love how this and I really want you
folks to check this out at Van Oaksprops dot com.
Is when you see these props we're talking about, and
how people ask me all the time, well, can I
just convert the front into sun? I said, yeah, you'd
be surprised how things like these pillars changed the whole
(24:52):
vibe of the front of a house and and those things,
and we'll talk more about that and where to put
your energies, maybe some things to start with. If you're thinking,
you know, I want to do a little bit of
a haunt or a theme in the front yard this year.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I highly encourage it.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
It is worth it. I don't care if five kids
come by. It's still worth it to see people get
excited about it and you know, just make their holiday
a little bit. So go nowhere talking with master prop
maker Derek Young from van Os Props, So we'll come
back with more.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Neil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Hey, Happy Saturday to you. It is Halloween time and
you are here with the Fork Report. I'm Neil Savedra
and I'm just into the season and Kayla just put
down in front of me. We haven't talked about this yet.
My guest is Derek Young. He is the owner, proprietor,
maker and creative mind behind van Oaks Props. You find
(25:55):
out more van Oaksprops dot com. And we're talking about
decorating for Halloween your house and stuff. If you're interested
in getting started and all of that. But his wife
Aaron is a masterful baker and always sends him with love.
And you can hear Kayla and the excitement of everybody
going on with that. So what is this such a
(26:18):
This is an apple cake.
Speaker 6 (26:20):
It is an apple cake. It is a Vermont classic
and it's like old school New England.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Wow. Yeah that smells great. Oh that's good. Just a
little pinch.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Yeah, Okay, yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna murder that in
a second.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
But I just wanted that's so great.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
So we're talking with Derek Young from Van Oaks Props
about decorating. He started fourteen years ago as a graphic
designer and everything like that. Using your gifts and abilities
to decorate. But you're moving, you're moving out of state,
and so this is the last one you're doing at
your current location. Yes, and you're going to be selling off.
(27:01):
There's a silent auction. I put in one bid, but
it was I was in a hurry that I'm definitely
going to be bidding on some other things as well.
But you know, they are just so many beautiful pieces
and to you know, have a momento like that for
my yard would be fun. To always think about that
as well, among other things. So somebody wants to start out,
(27:26):
what are the you know, top five tools for making tombstones?
Speaker 6 (27:33):
Well, I guess I have to give a qualifier. When
I make tombstones. My material of choice is pink insulation foam.
They also make it in other colors, but usually four
by we'll find it in pink, and it comes in
four by eight sheets. Oh four eight, Yeah, and it's
about fifty ish dollars. The price kind of changes year
(27:55):
to year, but it's a weird find that other Halloween
enthusiasts who've come before me figured out made for a
great material to make tombstones out of. That said, if
you choose to make your tombstones out of foam, which
I highly recommend, I would also suggest getting a small
(28:17):
pull saw because the blade on it is very small,
it cuts through this foam very easily. They're extremely inexpensive.
You can go to almost any hardware store and get
one off the shelf for under fifteen dollars. And then
outside of that, I would say get yourself a rotary tool,
(28:38):
like a dremal, something along those lines. And with the
a rotary tool and some pink foam. You can make
whatever shape of tombstone to whatever scale you want for
your display, and you can carve it with the rotary
tool and then paint it using your standard sort of
(28:59):
run of the mill house paint, like exterior latex paint.
If you want to get fancy like me, I like
using a masonry seiler. The brand I see most often
it's called dry Lock, and it comes in a few
different flavors. I prefer the original style, and the reason
that I like it is because it has a gritty
(29:21):
texture that, once painted kind of lends itself to a
very stone like appearance.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
So there's like a sand or something in it.
Speaker 6 (29:29):
Yeah, And if you wanted sort of the cheat version
of this, you could take some exterior latex paint. Oftentimes
you will find various shades of gray in the oops
I bought the wrong colored department at your local hardware
store and get it for you know, half price, and
then go to the park or go to the garden
(29:52):
center and buy yourself some fine playground sand. And if
you add a bit of playground sand to this exterior
latex paint will essentially get a good mimic for a
masonry sailor that will have that same sort of gritty
texture at a fraction of the cost.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
And so you have done both relief style and then
I don't know what'd you call it in carving in style?
I mean engraved. Yeah, engraved, that's the word I'm looking for. Curry,
That's what I was earlier in the show. It's like
a glimpse into my own mind.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
But I highly recommend you go to Van Oaksprops dot
com and check out the how realistic and these tombstones
have weight. And another buddy of mine who's a prop maker, goes,
I'm digging this segment and I.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Need some tombstone tips.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
There is an art to weathering them afterwards, and what
is some of the process there to make them look
like they've been there?
Speaker 6 (31:01):
Sure, So there's a couple different ways you can go
about it. I've seen it done a few ways. There's
definitely one that is my favorite, which is to basically
mix a bunch of acrylic craft paints like black, brown,
green to create kind of a dirty water sort of look,
(31:22):
and then put it into a spray bottle and spray
it all over the tombstone. And naturally, because of how
water moves across surfaces, you will get a pretty good
approximation of what, like organic natural weathering would happen to
a real tombstone in a real cemetery. If you didn't
have the time for that, or you wanted something that
(31:42):
was maybe a little less messy, you could just as
easily apply paint with a brush, thin it out with water,
and drag it downwards across the face of your tombstone
and use it to sort of accent parts of it
that you find most interesting. So like, if there's areas
where would look like water might collect if you're doing
engraved lettering, look for those recesses and use that as
(32:06):
an opportunity to add more character to your tombstone.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Any parting thoughts on people are on the fence about
putting something together in their yard this year that you
can give them.
Speaker 6 (32:19):
I would say, do it. You are bringing such enjoyment
to people you don't even know. And I think, given
the way things are in the world right now, we
need every possible positive interaction that we can muster, and
I think decorating for Halloween is one of those things
that even if you don't hear from people you know
(32:41):
that you have made an impact in a positive way
to people in your neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
Just as someone slowing down as they drive by and
taking a look you're going, you know what, that's a memory,
and that's one of the reason why I do the show.
It's just something that people agree on. Good food and
good conversation and those things.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
This cake is so great.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
My first thought is I want a cup of coffee
with it on a cool fall morn And I'm like,
holy hell, God bless Aaron. She is a national treasure
and we must protect her and her gifted hands at
all costs.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Wow, holy smokes. Always good to see you, my friend.
I know this is your last year doing it here
in the valley. I know it's inspired other people. It
certainly inspired me. I first started doing tombstones back in
the late eighties, eighties, early nineties for haunts that we
(33:46):
did my younger brother and I and I look back
on that and I think, Wow, everything I wanted to
do and couldn't. Then I can see in what you
do and it's like, now I'm gonna I'm gonna get
up to speed and start doing these things again. But
that motivation and inspiration is a powerful, powerful tool, so
(34:09):
I appreciate all that you do. Again van oaksprops dot com.
Van Oaks props dot com, check them out. Stick around.
We'll talk carving pumpkins when we return with our special guests.
So go know where 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
(34:31):
demand on the iHeartRadio app.
Hey, it's Neil Savandra. You're listening to kfi EM six
forty the fore Purport on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Let me Teach you had it. Let Me teach you
had it.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Can't buy AM six forty Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
Good Afternoon sothern California, and Neil Svader here with the
fore Report, you know where. We talk about food and
beverages and more every Saturday three hours just to kind
of celebrate food on these things and not get wrapped
(00:47):
up in the heaviness of the news during the week.
It's kind of a sanctuary celebrating these things because who
don't love going out and enjoying yourself having a good meal,
a good beverage, and more and more. When I go out,
I want an experience. I want to be surrounded by
something that's playful, interesting, with architecture and textures and all
(01:10):
of these things. And so we want to tell you
about a place.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Right now.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Carter Hodges, the general manager of the Cauldron Bar in
Buena Park, is with us.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Hey Carter, Hey, Neil, how are you doing.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I'm well, sir, so I appreciate it for those listening.
Carter was going to try and make it out here
from Buena Park, but it's much easier to do a
phone from there, a phoner right now, Because of course
it is peak season, we don't do a whole lot
of phone interviews, but man, I get it making that
(01:43):
drive and having to get back, So we appreciate you
taking the time.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Absolutely. I'm sorry I'm not there with you, guys.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
No another time for sure. Tell us a little bit
about the vibe. I've heard a bunch of great things.
I've seen pictures I've not been in as of yet.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
All right, gotta get you down here.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Yeah, Cauldron is it's an immersive dining experience. It's kind
of modeled after like a witch's house meets an old
English French tavern. We're known for yeah, great atmosphere, great cocktails,
great bites, and we're right in the heart of Orange County,
directly across from nott Sperry Farm. So it's a great
spot to stop at if you're in the area for
(02:21):
tourism or if you're local and obviously anything Halloween related,
we're gonna get you covered.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So what's the best way to experience it?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I gotta imagine as we spoke about it's going to
be slammed. How can people plan out? Do they make reservations?
Does it first come, first serve? How do they go
about experience the cauldron?
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Yeah, so during this season September October, obviously not Scary
Farm is happening across the street from us, so there
is an influx of people. We do take reservations, but
we only take reservations up to about fifty percent capacity,
just to allow for plenty of walk ins. So if
you are playing ahead, you can check out our website
or social media or Google or Yelp make those reservations.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
If not, you're more than welcome to just stop in
grab a quick drink.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Yeah, full bar service, full, We got two dining rooms,
they have a whole patio, and during the season we
also put a second bar outside of our patio, so
there's plenty of space for people.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
It's really cool checking out the website. As we're chatting
Carter looking at the adjoining the coven that people can
by being a part of your rewards offers, get cash
back on visits and things like that.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Yeah, so anybody inducted into our coven reward system. Basically,
you sign up, you get points every single visit you
make and they go immediately back to cash back rewards.
You can put in your birthday stuff, any like personal information.
That way, we know if you're celebrating a birthday, if
you're celebrating an anniversary, we make sure to take care
of those people. We'll get you, you know, a free
(03:58):
birthday shot, a dessert something on the house, just to celebrate.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Oh that's great. And how long has the Cauldron been
in Buena Park there?
Speaker 4 (04:08):
So we opened in twenty eighteen, late twenty eighteen or
in our eight season right now?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, wow, that's a rough time.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Yeah, oh yeah, about about a year until the fit
hit the shan so exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Yeah, we're very fortunate that we not only stayed open
during the pandemic, but you know, we actually kind of
grew a bit thanks to social media, so it's been nice.
We've expanded since then, so twice twice the capacity for
dining inside and we just read it our patio, so
trying to make sure we got enough space to satisfy everybody.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
And what are one of the things that stands out
when people visit the Cauldron?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
What do they talk about the most to you.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
I mean, I think the first thing is probably the atmosphere,
just because it's the first thing you see when you
walk in, before you even get a drink, before you
get food. It's really dark and intimate. The lighting is
all kind of moody candlelight atmosphere. There's big wooden beams,
there's a fireplace with a bubbling cauldron in it, lots
of little like interactive show moments, lots of little you know,
(05:10):
haunts and magical things happening kind.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Of all around the bar.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
And you get a chance to see the.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Witch that haunts the cauldron and her little black cat.
They make appearances kind of all over the place. Oh wow,
that's super cool.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
And you guys are set up for events and private
parties and things as well, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
So we do a handful of like corporate parties and
stuff like that, but our most popular thing for a
private event is going to be we have a kind
of a speakeasy style party room hidden behind a bookshelf,
so you kind of go in through the library, the
bookshelf swings open and you go into this big banquet table.
So people will host birthdays and special events back there.
(05:49):
But you know, even if you're not in the room,
every seat in the.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
House is great, and so you are.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Let's see Tuesdays through Tuesday and Wednesdays four pm to
twelve am, and then Thursdays through Sunday, it looks like
you're four pm to two am.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
That is correct.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Yeah, for this season, just to match you know, not
scary Farms hours and make sure that we're getting everybody
in for Halloween season, we extend our Thursdays and Sundays.
After Halloween, we cut back and we go back to
four to twelve on Thursdays and Sundays. So Friday Saturday
are are kind of our late night bar hours. Yeah,
we're we're always closed on Mondays though. That's the one
(06:29):
that's the one.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Ticker and the only thing that you ask is people
stick around for about ninety minutes during their dining so
that you can move people through there and everybody gets
a chance.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, that's specific to just the table seating.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
We want to make sure that everybody has a chance
to do full dinner service, but we encourage people to
stay and have a drink at the bar, hang out
on the patio. It's you know, if they're trying to
you know, have an extended day. We're not going to
kick them out.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
No, I like that.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I mean sometimes it's good to remind people that in
these special places, for everybody to have a shot at it.
But it doesn't mean like you're gonna like a big
alarm is gonna go off and everybody's got to leave.
Is the is the weight staff and your team there
are they kind of play along with the vibe or
(07:18):
how does that work?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Absolutely? Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
During this season specifically, we do seemed like costume weeks,
and so the staff will really get in the spirit
and come dressed up. I think the majority of them
are dressed up today. And we also give a that
Coven discount. It's a ten percent on the whole tab
if your party shows up in costume.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
So that's a fun thing. A lot of people, you know,
join in.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Oh wouldn't that be awkward if some group comes in
and they're just ugly and you're like, oh my god,
you get timpercent off and they're.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Like why, oh my god. I just say, luckily that
you know of some reads, I just take it. Yeah,
just take it.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
No, we we have people that they'll find out about
the discount. Once they're already here and they're in normal
street clothes and they go, oh, no, I'm dressed like
a skater today.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Do I get the disk home?
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Yeah, I'm dressed like a homeless person. No, I saw
you wear that yesterday. All right, hey, ty, we come
back and want to talk to you about the drink
program and some things on the menu. My guest right
now is Carter Hodges from the Cauldron Bar in Buena
Park there right across the street from Knotsberry Farm. Easy
to find of course, as we bring you some really cool,
(08:30):
fun vibed places obviously for the spooky holiday coming up.
So go nowhere and we'll talk some more.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
It's the Fok Report all things food, beverage and beyond.
Every Saturday, we come together and we celebrate food, the
people that make it, the culture behind it. Right now, we're,
you know, in October, and I love the season as
we roll through all of the major hull holidays for
the most part, and the spooky time for fall and
(09:05):
Halloween is one of my favorites, and I love getting
into the food and the vibe it to help us
with that. Today, Carter Hodges the GM there at the
Cauldron Bar in went A Park. It's right across from
notts Berry Farm, so easy to find is he's with us.
We're talking about the private room. They have themed events,
(09:26):
all of the different things. How you can join the
coven of course that is their rewards club and all
of that. But now we want to get into the menu.
So Carter, when it comes to the drink program, I
know you guys have mocktails and the like. Why don't
you walk us through some of the drink options.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Yeah, So our core cocktail menu is a kind of
inspired by potions and you know, witches, brews and stuff
like that. Lots of twists on classic cocktails. One of
my favorites is it's kind of based loosely on like
a Sangreia margarita hybrid called the Devil's Margarita. That is, yeah,
pretty standard like margarita on the bottom and then a
(10:05):
float of red wine on the top. You get a
really cool color separation. It's oh that's also and a
great cocktail.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Our I mean, our most famous probably is the Naughty Kid.
We had to play into like the local history here
with boys and berryes. So it's a boys and berry
cotton candy in the martini glass and then like a
lemon drop bass and you pour that over the cotton
candy and it all kind of dissolves and mixes in
and gives you a boys and Berry lemon drop martini.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Oh my gosh, that sounds gorgeous. What a fun kind
of visual. I mean, even you know, when you're gonna
go to the nth degree, like floating wine on top
of a drink, or in this case, watching the two
different textures, colors and flavors come together. There's a little
feeder involved with these beverages.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Absolutely, yeah, a lot of us actually come from feeder.
The owner Laura Hannaman, she is a former creative director
from Ntsberry Farm. She was there for about twenty years.
But her background is feeder and scenic design and all
that stuff. So that's why it's so heavily themed. Oh
I love Yeah. Why why a lot of our stuff
leans theatrical.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Now during it obviously during this time of the year,
a place called the Cauldron. And again the Cauldron is
right across the street from you know, there went a
Park rightcas Street from from Knottsberry Farm, which is really
cool now that you share with the designer and maker
and creator.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Of all this.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
But what about different parts of the season. Are people
still coming in and enjoying the vibe? And you know,
do you do like special events throughout the year.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Yeah, yeah, so we're we're themed like the Cauldron year round,
but we do lots of seasonal overlays.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Coming up this winter, we're going to.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Do kind of a pagan Christmas Crampis themed.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Overlay with a big seasonal met you and extra decor and.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Stuff, which will be fun.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
We do, yeah, a bunch of limited menus. We do
a Tipsy tea time. They're all tea based inspired cocktails
like high tea, little finger sandwiches, and bites that tocle.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Along with those, we do a program called Wicked Elixers.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
They're like DIY cocktails. It's kind of like a potion
making kit you get to do at the table.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah. Tons of limited menu.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Stuff like that, So you got to keep up with
us on social media to know when those are happening.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
And as far as the food menu, is it entrees
or is it small plates more towards a bar vibe.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
So the original concept was just bar service with great
bar food, but obviously through the growth of the company
and through expanding, it's become a lot more sit down dining.
So our core menu, there are a handful of entrees,
but kind of in general, we encourage sharing and almost
pop a style, you know, order a bunch of stuff
for the table and sample all of it. Sure, our
core menu is all inspired by like French and Creole cuisine,
(13:01):
lots of familiar stuff with a little bit of a twist.
And then we do a seasonal menu for every month,
so there's specials that happen every months. Right now, we're
leading into obviously Fall and Halloween and pumpkin stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
You know, I'm looking as I go through the entire menu.
I mean, let's be honest, what person does not does
their eyes don't zoom in when you see the word sliders.
So looking at the combination with your French dip sliders
and your Croke Monsieur sliders and this type of thing
that looks fabulous. All of these housemade bacon jam, all
(13:36):
the cheeseboards, these are really they're you know, you're not
just reheating crap in the back and throwing it on
a plate. This looks like really fun, well thought out eats.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
We definitely pride ourselves on the food. We're ninety nine
percent is you know, from scratch every single morning. So
we tell people if you see a specialty're interest in
the extreme men and get it right away, because you
never know when it's going to sell out. And it's
not like we can throw something in a microwave and
you know, get it out to you right away when
we're sold out. It takes, you know, hours and hours
to prep that stuff every morning.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
So I also, you know, going over the cocktail list here,
I'm a sucker for the browns.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
I love a good bourbon.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
And the fact that you have a paper plane on
your cocktail menu and have it so forward like this
is pretty rare. I had to tell the specs give
the specs to a bartender the other day who didn't
know what one what it was and this was and
they were serving good drinks. But that's a fun combination there,
(14:42):
the bourbon and brimstone, while four roses great bourbon, thyme, honey,
lemon and mint. That sounds sexy too, I mean really
this is like, this is just a really fun menu
that seems you know, smart, So walk us through. We
(15:03):
only have about a minute or so. You enter the
front door. What is the first thing you see at
the Cauldron there in Buena Park.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
First thing you see is the main dining room, our
large bar, all these wooden beams that kind of frame
the bar out and the fireplace that we call it
the lounge where that's the overstuffed couches of the cauldron
and the fire underneath it. There's a big mirror and
there's some spirits that appear in that mirror, and that's
I think people's first go to.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Photo right there.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Oh that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Carter Hodges the GM there at the Cauldron Bar there
in Buena Park. If you want to find out more,
you go the Cauldronbar dot com. The Cauldronbar dot com
is where you can find more information.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
What a treat. Thanks brother.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
I appreciate you Carter for coming on and I know
it's busy time for you out there. We hope to
get you guys maybe on the off season to come
in and maybe we can try some sample some of
the food and talk about it more at length. But
I really appreciate you taking the time. It sounds like
a really special place. And if you're looking for something special,
the Cauldron Bar there in Buena Park. So thanks Carter,
(16:11):
I appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Thank you so much, Neil. All right, my friend, have
a great day, all right as well.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Just sounds like a fun place and it is going
on the list of places I want to check out
very very soon.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
All right. Fork Report Neil Savedra.
Speaker 5 (16:26):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Hey everybody, it's the Fork Report all things food, beverage
and beyond. I am your well fed host, Neil Savadra.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
How do you do?
Speaker 1 (16:40):
My buddy Derek Young who owns Van Oaks Props, which
has I mean, there are so many great free resources
to begin with to be able to watch the videos
on YouTube van Oaks Props that if you want to
know anything about tombstones, this man is the master in
my eye.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
It's nice to see you again, my friend. Always good
to be here.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
So is you know with Derek he your theme is
a cemetery. That's what you do, the Van Ouks Cemetery. Correct,
And when you started fourteen years ago on this particular
project where you're inspired by someone else's decorations at their
home for the holidays, for Halloween, and you said, you
(17:27):
know what, I'm an artist, I'm a designer.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
I want to do this for us. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
Weirdly enough, when I was in high school, there was
a haunt in Studio City called the Hallowed Haunting Grounds,
And many people who decorate for Halloween in and around
southern California will tell you that they kind of kicked
off the craze of people really going kind of overboard
with their Halloween decorations. And for me, I visited one
(17:53):
year and was kind of forever changed after that because
I hadn't ever considered the thought that I could decorate
in a way that wasn't just something I bought from
the store.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Sure, which is fine in its own right, but if
you're a creative type, you want to Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:12):
Well, and there's something about being an individual and sort
of scratching a creative itch, and those are the types
of things that I'm constantly looking for. And when I
finally had a yard of my own to decorate, they
were the direct reference point for me because they did
everything that Disneyland did, but they did it out of
(18:34):
their garage essentially, and I just thought that was the
coolest thing, you know. But prior to that had never
crossed my mind that it was even possible.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
And so you start the first thing you said was, Okay,
the direction I'm going is a cemetery. Yes, so you
knew that much that that was what you're going to
start with in the front yard.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:58):
It always seemed to me like doing something like a
cemetery was something that could be added to year after year,
but was also something that would be good for people
of all ages. I know a lot of people are
into gore and extreme haunts and jump scares and things
(19:19):
like that, and there's room for that, but it's not
it's not something that's good for everybody. And yeah, that's
not my scene either.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
I want people to be, you know, to be spooky, sure,
but I don't have like body parts laying around my
house or anything.
Speaker 6 (19:36):
Yeah, And it's not a slight to anyone who decorates
in that way. It's not my.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Personal because there's an audience for it.
Speaker 6 (19:43):
Yeah, but I think about it in the way that, like,
you know, I decorate the house so that people in
the neighborhood can come and enjoy it. And we live
in a neighborhood with young children, or at least we did.
You know, they're they're all in high school or college now,
But I was decorating in part for them, sure, because
it should be accessible for everyone. You know, if you're
(20:05):
somebody like me who doesn't like being startled, there's got
to be a flavor for me too. And this was
more my speed, and so I just really went all
in on creating this.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Very moody, spooky.
Speaker 6 (20:24):
Tableau essentially that allowed the visitor's minds to do all
of the heavy lifting. I will create the atmosphere and
then I will let you run wild with it. Is
that statue a real person? What is that sound I'm
hearing over there? Is the thunder and lightning? Real or manufactured?
(20:45):
Are any of these tombstones actually real tombstone? I mean,
you can kind of go down the list of things
that it could be in anyone's mind. But the beauty
of it is that my interpretation of it will be
different from yours, and yours from someone else's.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
You know, I love again. You can find out more
at van Oaksprops dot com. Vanosprops dot Com. That'll, you know,
that'll be your portal to all of it, whether you
go to is etsya stuff and you see stuff that
you want to purchase, whether you want to maybe go
and find out about the silent auction that he's doing
now for the things that he's not going to need
(21:21):
come November, uh after this year here, so he's selling
off a lot of these props as well. But if
you want to learn more, go to van Oaks Props
and you can find his YouTube stuff and all of that.
One of the things that I love on your YouTube
is that when you revisit something, you all, I made
this years ago, Yeah, and I know more now and
(21:42):
I have better ideas of how I want to change it.
What was one prop one part of the scene of
your specific cemetery that you change that you were like,
now that fits my vision more.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
I don't know that it was ever necessarily not fitting
the vision. It just wasn't completed to the degree that
I wanted or that my skills allowed.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
For.
Speaker 6 (22:08):
Most recently, just because it's top of mind, we have
two very large fake brick columns with big lanterns on
top that every year someone will assume they are real
and lean against them, only to find that they will move.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
I've seen them in person. I would do that myself.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
They're beautiful, and you know, we've had them for quite
a few years. When when my wife and I first
made them, they looked the part, but they were a
bit too clean. And I think part of my esthetic
is more of a really lived in older cemetery that's
(22:48):
maybe not being tended to.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
You want to change the term lived in, I don't.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
I don't know if it should be lived in if
it's a cemetery, Yeah, you want it to be to
have that the grunge factor. Even the one, the latest
one in this video is up today, it's only a
fourteen year old technically, so you had to you had
to weather it for that many years, and not the
(23:17):
one that was you know, in the seventeen eighteen hundreds
or something like that exactly.
Speaker 6 (23:23):
Which is funny because so much of the aesthetic that
I've tried to kind of create over the years is
very much that worn down and abandoned look, which is
funny because that is sort of like the intersection between
my love of Star Wars universe and how dirty and
grungey that all is the used universe, absolutely, and it
(23:46):
carries over into Halloween, which is what I think about
the other half.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Of the year.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
So it is funny though that you you know, when
you even see like Halloween, not Halloween, but Star Wars props, right,
the first thing you know, helmet I buy all those
things do the first thing you do is go, this
looks too new.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
And that was kind of what happened with these cemetery columns.
I just thought they would look more than what they
look right now. Plus, you know, they're quite a few
years old and have spent a lot of time out
in the sun, and so the colors just aren't as
vibrant as they used to be. And I thought what
better way to kind of breathe some new life into
(24:27):
it than to really go heavy and make them look
even older.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
And I love how this and I really want you
folks to check this out at Van Oaksprops dot com.
Is when you see these props we're talking about, and
how people ask me all the time, well, can I
just convert the front into sun? I said, yeah, you'd
be surprised how things like these pillars changed the whole
(24:52):
vibe of the front of a house and and those things,
and we'll talk more about that and where to put
your energies, maybe some things to start with. If you're thinking,
you know, I want to do a little bit of
a haunt or a theme in the front yard this year.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I highly encourage it.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
It is worth it. I don't care if five kids
come by. It's still worth it to see people get
excited about it and you know, just make their holiday
a little bit. So go nowhere talking with master prop
maker Derek Young from van Os Props, So we'll come
back with more.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Neil Savedra on
demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Hey, Happy Saturday to you. It is Halloween time and
you are here with the Fork Report. I'm Neil Savedra
and I'm just into the season and Kayla just put
down in front of me. We haven't talked about this yet.
My guest is Derek Young. He is the owner, proprietor,
maker and creative mind behind van Oaks Props. You find
(25:55):
out more van Oaksprops dot com. And we're talking about
decorating for Halloween your house and stuff. If you're interested
in getting started and all of that. But his wife
Aaron is a masterful baker and always sends him with love.
And you can hear Kayla and the excitement of everybody
going on with that. So what is this such a
(26:18):
This is an apple cake.
Speaker 6 (26:20):
It is an apple cake. It is a Vermont classic
and it's like old school New England.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Wow. Yeah that smells great. Oh that's good. Just a
little pinch.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Yeah, Okay, yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna murder that in
a second.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
But I just wanted that's so great.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
So we're talking with Derek Young from Van Oaks Props
about decorating. He started fourteen years ago as a graphic
designer and everything like that. Using your gifts and abilities
to decorate. But you're moving, you're moving out of state,
and so this is the last one you're doing at
your current location. Yes, and you're going to be selling off.
(27:01):
There's a silent auction. I put in one bid, but
it was I was in a hurry that I'm definitely
going to be bidding on some other things as well.
But you know, they are just so many beautiful pieces
and to you know, have a momento like that for
my yard would be fun. To always think about that
as well, among other things. So somebody wants to start out,
(27:26):
what are the you know, top five tools for making tombstones?
Speaker 6 (27:33):
Well, I guess I have to give a qualifier. When
I make tombstones. My material of choice is pink insulation foam.
They also make it in other colors, but usually four
by we'll find it in pink, and it comes in
four by eight sheets. Oh four eight, Yeah, and it's
about fifty ish dollars. The price kind of changes year
(27:55):
to year, but it's a weird find that other Halloween
enthusiasts who've come before me figured out made for a
great material to make tombstones out of. That said, if
you choose to make your tombstones out of foam, which
I highly recommend, I would also suggest getting a small
(28:17):
pull saw because the blade on it is very small,
it cuts through this foam very easily. They're extremely inexpensive.
You can go to almost any hardware store and get
one off the shelf for under fifteen dollars. And then
outside of that, I would say get yourself a rotary tool,
(28:38):
like a dremal, something along those lines. And with the
a rotary tool and some pink foam. You can make
whatever shape of tombstone to whatever scale you want for
your display, and you can carve it with the rotary
tool and then paint it using your standard sort of
(28:59):
run of the mill house paint, like exterior latex paint.
If you want to get fancy like me, I like
using a masonry seiler. The brand I see most often
it's called dry Lock, and it comes in a few
different flavors. I prefer the original style, and the reason
that I like it is because it has a gritty
(29:21):
texture that, once painted kind of lends itself to a
very stone like appearance.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
So there's like a sand or something in it.
Speaker 6 (29:29):
Yeah, And if you wanted sort of the cheat version
of this, you could take some exterior latex paint. Oftentimes
you will find various shades of gray in the oops
I bought the wrong colored department at your local hardware
store and get it for you know, half price, and
then go to the park or go to the garden
(29:52):
center and buy yourself some fine playground sand. And if
you add a bit of playground sand to this exterior
latex paint will essentially get a good mimic for a
masonry sailor that will have that same sort of gritty
texture at a fraction of the cost.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
And so you have done both relief style and then
I don't know what'd you call it in carving in style?
I mean engraved. Yeah, engraved, that's the word I'm looking for. Curry,
That's what I was earlier in the show. It's like
a glimpse into my own mind.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
But I highly recommend you go to Van Oaksprops dot
com and check out the how realistic and these tombstones
have weight. And another buddy of mine who's a prop maker, goes,
I'm digging this segment and I.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Need some tombstone tips.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
There is an art to weathering them afterwards, and what
is some of the process there to make them look
like they've been there?
Speaker 6 (31:01):
Sure, So there's a couple different ways you can go
about it. I've seen it done a few ways. There's
definitely one that is my favorite, which is to basically
mix a bunch of acrylic craft paints like black, brown,
green to create kind of a dirty water sort of look,
(31:22):
and then put it into a spray bottle and spray
it all over the tombstone. And naturally, because of how
water moves across surfaces, you will get a pretty good
approximation of what, like organic natural weathering would happen to
a real tombstone in a real cemetery. If you didn't
have the time for that, or you wanted something that
(31:42):
was maybe a little less messy, you could just as
easily apply paint with a brush, thin it out with water,
and drag it downwards across the face of your tombstone
and use it to sort of accent parts of it
that you find most interesting. So like, if there's areas
where would look like water might collect if you're doing
engraved lettering, look for those recesses and use that as
(32:06):
an opportunity to add more character to your tombstone.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Any parting thoughts on people are on the fence about
putting something together in their yard this year that you
can give them.
Speaker 6 (32:19):
I would say, do it. You are bringing such enjoyment
to people you don't even know. And I think, given
the way things are in the world right now, we
need every possible positive interaction that we can muster, and
I think decorating for Halloween is one of those things
that even if you don't hear from people you know
(32:41):
that you have made an impact in a positive way
to people in your neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
Just as someone slowing down as they drive by and
taking a look you're going, you know what, that's a memory,
and that's one of the reason why I do the show.
It's just something that people agree on. Good food and
good conversation and those things.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
This cake is so great.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
My first thought is I want a cup of coffee
with it on a cool fall morn And I'm like,
holy hell, God bless Aaron. She is a national treasure
and we must protect her and her gifted hands at
all costs.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Wow, holy smokes. Always good to see you, my friend.
I know this is your last year doing it here
in the valley. I know it's inspired other people. It
certainly inspired me. I first started doing tombstones back in
the late eighties, eighties, early nineties for haunts that we
(33:46):
did my younger brother and I and I look back
on that and I think, Wow, everything I wanted to
do and couldn't. Then I can see in what you
do and it's like, now I'm gonna I'm gonna get
up to speed and start doing these things again. But
that motivation and inspiration is a powerful, powerful tool, so
(34:09):
I appreciate all that you do. Again van oaksprops dot com.
Van Oaks props dot com, check them out. Stick around.
We'll talk carving pumpkins when we return with our special guests.
So go know where 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
(34:31):
demand on the iHeartRadio app.
The Fork Report w Neil Saavedra News
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