Episode 32 - Chef Andrew Gruel on Food, Service & Community

Mel and Don are joined by chef, entrepreneur, city council member, and Fox News regular Andrew Gruel for a wide-ranging conversation about food, community service, and what makes Huntington Beach special. Andrew shares his remarkable journey from growing up in New Jersey to hitchhiking across the country at 19 with his dad's old army bag, working the overnight shift at Denny's, training at Michelin-star restaurants and the Ritz Carlton, and ultimately landing in Huntington Beach in 2009 to work with the Aquarium of the Pacific on sustainable seafood.

He talks about founding Slapfish, the sustainable seafood restaurant that grew from one food truck to 53 locations across three countries before he sold it in 2022, and the philosophy behind using restaurants as vehicles for community good. Andrew shares powerful stories from the LA wildfire relief effort, where his restaurant parking lot became a massive donation hub with nearly 700 cars, 115 volunteers, and 7 to 10 box trucks running supplies into fire zones, plus the 86 Restaurant Struggle nonprofit that raised nearly $700,000 for out-of-work restaurant workers during the pandemic.

He also opens up about marrying his wife Lauren after just six weeks and three dates, his family cookbook tested entirely by his four kids, his longtime friendship with Huntington Beach tattoo legend Hec Valdez, and why he believes HB is the most unique city in America. A must-watch episode.