On Today's Show: CRNtalk.com
Aimee Garcia- "Marisa Benez" "Trauma" (NBC Mondays 9 PM PT/ET)
Aimee Garcia stars as tough young helicopter pilot Marisa Benez in NBC's new ensemble medical drama series, "Trauma." Best known for her role as Andy Garcia's daughter and George Lopez's niece, Veronica Palmero, on "The George Lopez Show," she is currently the only Latina in her generation to be on syndicated television. In 2007, she was nominated for both an Alma and Imagen Award for "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series." Garcia is an actress of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She began at age seven as a professional dancer in Paul Mejia's "Cinderella" at the Auditorium Theater, and by age 12 was dancing 20 shows a month as Clara in "The Nutcracker" which led to her first commercial as a dancer. She then began taking acting lessons at the Piven Theater Workshop, whose alumni include John Cusack, Joan Cusack and Jeremy Piven. In high school, she won the Chicago Tribune's Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Maria, in the immigrant saga "Journey of the Sparrows." She also starred in "Island of the Blue Dolphins," which was nominated for seven Joseph Jefferson Awards. Garcia's success in Chicago theater gave her the opportunity to land screen tests for roles in Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo and Juliet" and the biopic "Selena." Garcia graduated as a triple major in economics, journalism and French from Northwestern University. There, she built her own summer theater curriculum, and combined her singing and dancing talents to nab the lead role of Diana Morales in "A Chorus Line" for Broadway choreographer Mitzi Hamilton.After Northwestern, Garcia moved to Los Angeles, getting her first official Hollywood break as a series regular in the WB's "Greetings From Tucson." The short-lived series established her as a TV regular, and since then she's filmed various TV pilots and appeared in episodes of shows such as "Gary Unmarried," "Family Guy," "Bones" and "My Boys." Other recent projects include "Private Valentine" opposite Jessica Simpson, "Spanglish," "Lies & Alibis" starring John Leguizamo, "Dirty" opposite Cuba Gooding Jr., and "Dragon Wars." Garcia also makes time to give back to the community through various philanthropic and charity endeavors, including the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts and the National Kidney Foundation. What she enjoys most, however, is regularly visiting East L.A. schools to remind students about the importance of education.
Victor Boutier Owner/Winemaker Boutier Winery Danielsville, GA
What began as a hobby grew into a fully licensed and bonded enterprise now located in beautiful historic Acworth, Georgia. Boutier wines are crafted from the highest quality grapes, carefully selected from the finest vineyards, including the grapes from the Boutier Vineyards. Each of our wines are crafted and aged to perfection. Boutier Vineyards is situated in the temperate Piedmont Region of Georgia. The long growing season and constant breezes help keep fruit and foliage dry and encourage rich, ripe fruit and healthy vines. The nearly 32 acres are planted in Vinifera and French American grape varietals, with our oldest vines at about 15 years of age. The current crop includes Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Syrah, Corot Noir and Cynthiana and will be expanded to include Blanc du Bois and Lenoir. Boutier Winery is dedicated to providing high quality traditional and custom wines, personally labeled for your special occasions or for use as promotional tools. These exclusive gifts are sure to make a lasting impression with family, friends, and business associates. At Boutier Winery, we emphasize "quality" rather than "quantity." Our wines are exclusive, unique, and produced in limited quantities. Boutier wines have earned national and international awards, including:
Gold, silver, and bronze awards for its French American Hybrid Varietals, DeChaunac and Baco Noir, and its Chardonnay.
Silver and bronze for its Peach Chardonnay and Chambourcin.
Whether you drop in for an impromptu visit or set up a private wine - tasting session with a group of friends, the camaraderie and conversation will ensure a pleasant and memorable experience. It is our sincere desire that Boutier wines:
Increase your enjoyment of life.
Enhance communication and build relationships with others.
Instill within you a great appreciation for the culture of fine wines.
Jennifer Bice Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery (Goat Cheese)
Sebastopol, CA - In this day and age of advancing technology and mass production there is a unique dairy that is different from the rest. Located among the picturesque redwoods of western Sonoma County, about sixty miles north of San Francisco, Redwood Hill Farm is a small family farm that has been producing delicious, award-winning goat milk products for over thirty five years. Many people consider our goat milk products to be the best tasting that they have ever tried. The year 2009 marks the 41st year Jennifer Lynn Bice has been milking, breeding, and loving dairy goats at Redwood Hill Farm. Beginning in 1968 when her parents decided to build their grade A goat dairy in Sonoma County, California; as the eldest of ten children Jennifer was an integral part of this family business launched to provide fresh goat milk to the public. Ten years later Jennifer assumed ownership of Redwood Hill Farm with partner Steven Schack and began to expand the business, both in the diversity of goat milk products and the dairy goat breeding program. From the beginning, promoting the benefits of goat milk products while developing a genetics program of excellence has been a top priority and has positioned Redwood Hill Farm at the forefront of the industry. The herd continues to be exhibited at major shows and fairs and continues to win awards at the national level, holding National Champions in four of the five breeds. As well as furnish stock to dairy goat breeders across North and South America, for the past 31 years Jennifer has served as a dairy goat judge throughout the United States and Canada. In addition Jennifer holds the distinct honor of being selected to judge the American Dairy Goat Association National Show six times. Our creamery is certified organic and we use organic practices at our farm: no sprays, insecticides, pesticides, etc. are ever used. We use biological insects and trapping for fly control. However, our goat farm is not certified organic at this time. The grain mix that we feed the goats contains NO hormones, antibiotics, animal by-products, or preservatives. The grain is not genetically modified. Hay is 70% of our goats’ diet and we are able to obtain hay at times that is organically grown. Our goats’ feed source is the one stumbling block to being organic at this time. We do not believe in using hormones such as BST to increase milk production. We use medication only if necessary to save an animal's life; and if ever used, the milk from the treated doe is discarded for a long period of time to insure that no drugs ever enter the human food chain. We believe in a natural approach to animal husbandry and our dairy goats are raised "free range" and humanely. Jennifer Bice and the entire Redwood Hill team, continues to carry on the vision of establishing Redwood Hill Farm as a premium goat dairy and creamery. Jennifer's number one goal is to produce world-class goat milk products while providing a satisfying and sustainable life-style for the farm, all of Redwood Hill's employees and of course Redwood Hill’s precious dairy goats.
Linda Jordan - GM Ruth's Chris Steak House - Pasadena CA
From our humble beginnings on Broad Street in New Orleans to our current position as the world's largest fine dining company, Ruth's Chris Steak House has come quite a long way in its first four decades. In 2005, we celebrated our 40th anniversary, and we consider it a celebration of the life of a woman who broke the mold - our founder, Ruth Fertel. Ruth's Chris Steak House (NASDAQ: RUTH) is a chain of over 120 steakhouses across the United States and in several international locations. The restaurant is regarded as an upscale fine dining establishment, marking a gradual elevation in its status since its founding in the 1960s. Ruth's Chris is currently the largest luxury steak company, larger than other restaurants such as The Palm and Morton's chains in number of locations, operating income, and overall profit. On March 22, 2008 the company announced it would be seeking stockholder approval to change its name to Ruth's Hospitality Group to better represent the business after the acquisition of Mitchell's Fish Market . The chain was founded by the late Ruth Fertel, a single mother of two, in 1965, after she bought the existing Chris Steak House in New Orleans. In buying the restaurant, Fertel had to agree that the restaurant keep the "Chris" name for a specified period of time. After the original location sustained a kitchen fire, she relocated the restaurant about one-half mile (0.9 km) to the west on Broad Street and renamed the rebuilt establishment "Ruth's Chris." Under the purchase agreement, the name "Chris Steak House" could not be used at any other location, and she did not want to lose customers already familiar with the Chris name. Fertel started to franchise the restaurant in the 1970s to locations throughout the United States and throughout the world. Advertising efforts are primarily focused in the talk radio market and its male demographic. The chain has cultivated paid endorsements from several radio celebrities, including Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, with the latter proclaiming Ruth's to be his favorite restaurant. Ruth's won the 2006–2007 Golden Icon Award for "Best Steak House Chain"; the Golden Icon Awards are presented annually by Travolta Family Entertainment. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated Greater New Orleans and the chain moved its corporate headquarters to Heathrow, Florida. Like most businesses in the city, two of the chain's locations in the Greater New Orleans area were forced to close because of the storm. The Metairie, Louisiana location has since reopened. Amid much criticism of local officials and media, and on the heels of Morton's steakhouse announcement it would reopen its own New Orleans branch, the corporate offices announced that, due to extensive damage, the old flagship Ruth's Chris on Broad Street would be permanently closed and donated to charity. In May 2008, Ruth's Chris re-opened in New Orleans and is centrally located downtown in the Harrah's hotel at 525 Fulton Street. The restaurant's signature is serving USDA prime steaks that are seared at 1800°Fahrenheit (982.2°C) and served on plates heated to 500°Fahrenheit (260°C). Half an ounce (1 Tbsp) of butter is added just before the plates leave the kitchen in order to cause the meat to sizzle. In addition to steaks, the restaurant also serves entrees of chicken, lamb, fish and shellfish. Portions are generally large enough to serve two or more diners. Side dishes include au gratin potatoes, topped with a bechamel sauce and cheddar cheese. Also available are dessert selections, with the restaurant's signature pecan pie being a staple item throughout the chain. All locations offer smaller, separate rooms for private dining as well as a gift card program.[14] Reservations are recommended and the dress code is usually a range from business/dressy to business casual.
Larry Van Aalst - Sommelier Equus Restaurant
Stylish, classic and modern…the Equus Restaurant and Loungebar has been transformed into an inviting casual dining experience. The California fusion menu highlights local ingredients and emphasizes classic flavors with Mediterranean, Spanish and French influences. The Loungebar features Friday evening wine tasting and Saturday entertainment. Equus Restaurant and Loungebar…make it your next stop. Reverse Happy Hour Monday-Friday from 9:00pm-10:00pm Happy Hour Monday-Thursday from 4:30pm to 6:30pm Wine tasting on Fridays - Back by popular demand and better than ever. Join us for a complimentary wine tasting in the Equus Wine Bar every Friday from 5:30pm to 6:30pm