This week, we are proud to share episodes of California Foodways, the insanely ambitious series from KALW’s very own Lisa Morehouse. More than a decade ago, she began her quest to tell the story of California’s food and agriculture, and the people that make both possible. Her plan: to report from each of the state’s 58 counties. She just completed her epic series. And to honor the achievement, we are airing a week of stories that look back at some of the people she’s met and places she’s been.
In this installment, we are featuring the first and last episodes of California Foodways:
- "San Bernardino County: The Mitla Cafe is so much more than tacos" — The very first episode of the series is about a family-run restaurant. that is supposedly the inspiration for Taco Bell. It was originally released back in 2015.
- "Chef Chu’s: the family-owned restaurant that grew up with Silicon Valley" — In final episode of the series Lisa heads back to where she grew up and take us behind the scenes of a family-run Chinese restaurant that has become a Silicon Valley institution since it opened in 1970. It also happens to be a Morehouse family favorite. It was originally released back in December of 2025.