A Great Catch: Q&A with Chef Andrew Gruel

THE FOUNDER OF SLAPFISH RESTAURANT GROUP REFLECTS ON TURNING HIS AWARD-WINNING FOOD TRUCK INTO AN INTERNATIONAL BRICK-AND-MORTAR RESTAURANT BRAND WITH MORE THAN 26 LOCATIONS BY MOLLY O’BRIEN

CHEF ANDREW GRUEL IS ALWAYS MOVING, like a hungry catfish circling our local waters. He’s mastered the food truck and is the king of a sustainable seafood empire. Gruel is also CEO and founder of American Gravy Restaurant Group, which includes Two Birds Chicken, Butterleaf, Lolo’s Tacos, Big Parm Pizza, 101 Burger, and his latest venture, Calico Fish House. As if that wasn’t enough, he also has appeared as a judge on Food Network’s Chopped Junior and Food Truck Face Off. Gruel stopped to talk with us about expanding his business empire and the inspiration for his dishes.

What initially motivated you to start cooking?

I fell in love with old-school cooking shows at a young age and was inspired to cook. I was fascinated by not just food but the kitchen culture as well, so I started working in restaurants and hotels at a young age—and the rest is history.

Where do you get the inspiration for your dishes?

I love American diner cuisine—well-known dishes that most Americans love. My “formula” has always been trying to redefine these well-known dishes with a new spin— think classic grilled cheese, salads, and childhood snacks. No reason to reinvent the wheel! Just add a few new ingredients and a seafood-like spin.

Can you tell us about your new restaurant, Calico Fish House, in Sunset Beach?

Calico Fish House was inspired by the beauty, deliciousness, and resilience of the calico bass that is native to Southern California waters. The restaurant is a seafood chophouse that represents the best of sustainable, economically viable, and clean dining. My wife, Lauren, and I wanted to offer diners the ultimate take on local and responsibly sourced seafood—so we work directly with fishermen and farmers to source the best possible products available, and we support local economies.

How is sustainability at the forefront of your current operation and future plans?

Sustainable seafood is a priority to me. For 15 years, I served as the director of the Aquarium of the Pacific’s “Seafood for the Future” program, where I worked with chefs and fishermen to educate consumers on sustainable seafood. Everything we do has a “why” behind it: “Why are we purchasing ‘X’ item?” and “How will that fit into our mission to provide healthy, properly curated food to our customers?”

This means taking into consideration the effect all of our purchases have on the local environment, the local economy, and the ecosystem, and how we can sustain small business owners. It’s why we always source from small independent operators when possible, even if that means spending a bit more.

What are your future plans for your restaurant groups?

We want to focus on building a few restaurants that can feed the community with sustainable, healthy, properlycurated (using seed oil and chemical-free) food while also building a restaurant family with strong team members whom we can pay well and support for many years to come.

Outside of the kitchen, what’s your favorite spot to spend time in Huntington Beach?

With four kids, we can be found at any park. We love the parks, the beach, Pacific City, and especially the wetlands!

SHUCKED N SEARED

From burgers, chops, and oysters to the perfect fish sandwich, the menu at Calico Fish House is a “best of” Chef Gruel’s two decades of American cooking.