KCRW's The Spin-Off: "Fargo" Creator Noah Hawley Has Too Much To Do

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I talk to "Fargo's" Noah Hawley about his busy schedule:

Noah Hawley calls himself a “20 year overnight success.” The busy writer-producer is also a novelist, whose most recent book, Before the Fall, will also be adapted as a screenplay for Sony, written by Hawley himself.

Hawley joins us to talk about the difference between writing for film and television, reflects on his career in the TV industry and tells us why he has no plans to ever going back to working on a broadcast network.

Now he's got a deal with FX and several projects in the pipeline there. He shares what he can about the upcoming X-Men series, Legion, and season three of Fargo.

Listen below!

Rate-A-Restaurant #369: The Halal Guys (New York)

Restaurant: Halal Guys

Location: 53rd and 6th Ave. (New York)

Type of restaurant: Mediterranean/chicken



We stipulated: For my last afternoon in New York, I decided it was time for some street food -- and a visit to the famed Halal Guys was long overdue.

They stipulated: "The Halal Guys legend began in 1990, when the three founding partners opened up a hot dog cart on West 53rd & 6th Avenue in New York City. As business grew, they recognized a huge demand from Muslim cab drivers looking for a halal food meal. That is when the famous platter of chicken and gyro over rice was born. Fast-forward 25 years, five carts, two New York City restaurants, and millions of diverse customers served, The Halal Guys is growing yet again. Fans no longer have to be in NYC to experience The Halal Guys as they look to share American Halal Food all over the country and the world."



What we ordered: chicken plate ($7)



High point:  Lots of food -- a hearty meal. And that red sauce is SPICY. Like I like!
Low point:  I thought the chicken was surprisingly dry.



Overall impression: It was fine -- but I must admit, I was expecting something more to it. Maybe I'm spoiled by Zankou.

Will we return: I feel like I've been there, done that. Not sure.

License Plate of the Day: Mountain Edition

Mountain Fox!

Rate-A-Restaurant #368: Jus' Poke (Redondo Beach)

Restaurant: Pokenoya

Location: 501 N. Pacific Coast Highway (Redondo Beach)

Type of restaurant: Poke / Hawaiian (new)



We stipulated: After a day at Manhattan Beach, we wanted to try something new in the South Bay. You know my frustration with mainland poke joints that just don't make 'em like they do in da islands. Here's a joint that does just that.

They stipulated: "Jus' Poke is an ohana-owned, authentic, Hawaiian poke restaurant located in beautiful Redondo Beach, CA. We pride ourselves in serving only the best cuts of fish in our traditional ohana recipes. Co-owner, Stefanie Honda, is no stranger to the ancient Hawaiian dish, as she grew up making poke along side her mother and father who are both deeply rooted in Hawaii. As a South Bay native, Stefanie has always been drawn to the sea. She comes from a long line of fishermen and surfers and continues the tradition here in Redondo with her ohana."



What we ordered: wasabi poke (jus' poke wasabi sauce, sweet onions, green onions, ogo, tobiko, serrano peppers); california roll poke (cucumber, tobiko, avocado, imitation crab) both $9. Also spam musubi ($2) and coconut/pineapple ice cream ($3)



High point:  The wasabi poke was the perfect amount of spice -- plus the fish was fresh-tasting, the rice was perfectly cooked.
Low point:  Can't think of any!



Overall impression: A trip back to Hawai'i, from the music on the speaker (Hawaiian reggae) to the wide selection of Hawaiian Sun. Plus the poke? Broke da mout'!





Will we return: Absolutely. I just wish it was closer!

KCRW's The Spin-Off: "The Carmichael Show's" Jerrod Carmichael Breaks New Ground

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I talk to "The Carmichael Show's" Jerrod Carmichael about his groundbreaking show:

For a minute there, the world didn't know if The Carmichael Show would live to see another season. Jerrod Carmichael, the creator and star of the show, tells us what was behind the delay of the announcement of Season 3, and why he wasn't happy with NBC's initial offer of 10 episodes. The show will indeed come back, and while we don't know the date yet, there will be 13 episodes, which is the number Carmichael was hoping for.

Carmichael takes us through the rigorous schedule of shooting live -- each episode gets performed twice in front an audience, and shares why he elected to go the old school route of having a comedy on a broadcast network instead of going to Amazon or Netflix.

The Carmichael Show has grabbed attention for its fearlessness in addressing tricky topics -- everything from depression to pornography addiction to current issues from the headlines like Bill Cosby and Donald Trump. Carmichael tells us why he wants to go there, and how a multi-cam sitcom can sometimes be the perfect medium for breaking down a complicated issue.

Listen below!

For Kids, Donald Trump is the Bogeyman

The Blogger Kid 2.0's summer art camp asked the kids to design a "scary monster" with clay. Unprompted, several chose to depict Donald Trump. (Our guy made a ghost. But still, Trump fear is real.)

The Southern Poverty Law Center lays it out:

It’s producing an alarming level of fear and anxiety among children of color and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom. Many students worry about being deported.

Other students have been emboldened by the divisive, often juvenile rhetoric in the campaign. Teachers have noted an increase in bullying, harassment and intimidation of students whose races, religions or nationalities have been the verbal targets of candidates on the campaign trail.

Educators are perplexed and conflicted about what to do. They report being stymied by the need to remain nonpartisan but disturbed by the anxiety in their classrooms and the lessons that children may be absorbing from this campaign.

Anecdotally, I know the 11 year olds that Blogger Kid 1.0 hangs around with now bring up Trump when they want to invoke something scary. But they're honestly nervous about this. This presidential campaign is causing real distress among kids.

Dinosaurs Invade the Los Angeles Zoo

If your kids are as "Jurassic Park"-obsessed as mine were last year, they'll enjoy a journey to the Los Angeles Zoo's "Dinosaurs Unextinct at the L.A. Zoo" exhibit. Unfortunately, the attraction costs an additional $5 beyond the usual entry fee (members also have to pay extra), but the little ones will still get a kick out of the 17 animatronic dinosaurs on display.

I took the Blogger Kid 2.0, and he was immediately transfixed by the music (yes, "Jurassic Park's" recognizable soundtrack is on the speakers) and the life-size dinos. It's not a big exhibit, but the dinos and a few interactive displays will keep the kids interested. Some pics:































Yes, this bloody scene was the Blogger Kid 2.0's favorite, of course.

It was a little disappointing that the dino exhibit closed an hour earlier than the rest of the zoo, so that there wasn't a chance to see the dinosaurs one more time as we were leaving. (I suppose that's so zoo attendees won't stampede the exhibit at the end of the day.) I had a disappointed kid on my hands, as he didn't get to see that dino scene one more time!

"Dinosaurs Unextinct" continues at the L.A. zoo through Oct. 31.

KCRW's The Spin-Off: Recapping the Broadcast Network 2016 Upfronts

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I are joined by the Hollywood Reporter's Dan Fienberg to talk about the network upfronts:

The network television upfronts are an annual ritual in New York where the broadcast networks present new and upcoming shows to advertisers. Even though the TV landscape is changing, the broadcasts networks are still by far the biggest game in town, and this year's upfronts were predicted to do about $9 billion worth of business.

In this episode, we share what looks like the high and low points of the coming TV season and if networks giving up some of their cable envy and embracing being big and broad is a good thing.

Then, Spin-off host Joe Adalian recently published a long read that's a look inside the business of "Peak TV." The landscape is growing in a way we haven't seen in years, which means it's easier to find work, but harder to get really rich, since the money is being more spread around.

We also talk about Michael Lombardo's recent departure from HBO and what it means for the cable network that's been struggling in the drama department recently. But don't freak out -- the network still rules comedy and has overcome drama dry spells before.

Listen below!

A Sign That I Am... Old

This sign excites me. I'm sorry. /old

License Plate of the Day: Evil Twin Edition

Is this car an evil twin? The driver? Or... are the car and driver evil twins?

First Look: Silver Lake's New 365 by Whole Foods Market

Trader Joe's, don't worry just yet. "365," the new supermarket concept from Whole Foods Market, recently opened in Silver Lake to much fanfare -- but also much confusion.  We finally visited for the first time, on Sunday, and although the experience was pleasant, I'm left wondering what the strategy is.



Again, that's not to say it's not a pleasant shopping experience. But as Devon Maloney wrote in the Los Angeles Times, it's hard not to keep thinking about how 365 "is the national grocery chain’s attempt to reach a younger, less financially sound generation by selling them food that’s slightly less expensive than what they might find at the original Whole Foods. With 365, Whole Foods hopes to capitalize on the student-loan-saddled bourgeoisie (you know, the people who can swing some organic produce but aren’t champing at the bit for a $6 asparagus water) while still keeping the rabble clear of its highest-quality aisles."



Adds Maloney: "But 365 is not just about appealing to millennials through our wallets — it’s about capturing our hearts, too, by revolutionizing the food-buying experience...somehow? Anyway, this flashy gimmick certainly isn’t here to profit from an already-gentrified, upwardly mobile yuppie community and help drive up rent prices for low-income immigrant families who have been here for decades!"



Can't I just pick it up? Do I really need to order it on this iPad too?



Long lines, during these early days of 365's existence.



OK, nice wine offerings.



And a mini version of Whole Foods' Allegro coffee.



Ha, jumble "Lake" and it becomes "Kale," get it?



Whoa. I've been disappointed with Trader Joe's for discontinuing my beloved Jalapeno cheese puffs. Good to see Barbara's (which I assume also produced TJ's version) still makes them. OK. 365, you're beginning to win me over, much like Maloney. Maria felt a bit like we were cheating on Trader Joe's; I figure it can't hurt to keep an open grocery store relationship.

Rate-A-Restaurant #367: Pokenoya (Pasadena)

Restaurant: Pokenoya

Location: 766 E. Colorado Blvd. (Pasadena)

Type of restaurant: Poke / Japanese (new)



We stipulated: Maria and I were catching a movie at Pasadena's Laemmle theatre, and looking for a quick bite before the show. Most restaurants were already closed, but Pokenoya looked to have just the right amount of food to share.

They stipulated: Like most mainland poke joints, it's a very different kind of poke than you get in Hawaii -- it's in a bowl, usually with rice, with multiple condiments.



What we ordered: regular poke bowl ($8.50) with sushi rice, spicy tuna, salmon, crab meat, avocado, cucumber, poke sauce. Plus volcano sauce on the side.

High point:  The fish tasted fresh, and the volcano sauce was a nice complement.
Low point:  Weirdly complicated. What happened to simply getting poke without all the overwhelming add-ons?



Overall impression: See what I mean? I guess I'm a purist who likes getting poke in its natural state at the Foodland. But in terms of mainland poke joints that I have visited, Pokenoya ranks on the better end.



Will we return: If we're in that part of Pasadena, I could definitely see another visit in our future.