Locales Only

Hosted by Locale Magazine

Business Arts Food Society Culture

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Jul 2025

Language

About the show

There’s so much that makes Southern California one of the best places in the world. That’s why, for almost a decade, the founder of Locale magazine, Erik Hale, has been showcasing the people, places, restaurants, and events that give SoCal its reputation. Now he’s taking his show on the road, literally, in a brand new Mercedes-Benz EQE courtesy of Fletcher Jones Motorcars in Newport Beach as the rolling podcast studio. You’ll get a taste of what it feels like to go on a cruise with some of the biggest names in California. Think actors, musicians, award-winning chefs, business leaders, and locals who have built so much of the California coastline. So buckle up, turn your volume up, and let’s cruise with Locales Only. By LOCALE MAGAZINE

Listen to episodes

25 recent

July 31, 202534 min

Building a Beachfront Empire with Alicia Cox

What if your favorite beach day came with incredible food, good wine, and a purpose? This week on Locales Only, we’re riding along the Southern California coast with Alicia Cox, the founder and CEO of Prjkt Restaurant Group.From her early days in hospitality to running multiple oceanfront restaurants, Alicia has carved out a unique niche—elevated beachfront dining with heart. We talk about her latest concept, Sahara’s Sandbar & Pizza, named after her daughter and built on a giveback model that supports families facing homelessness.We’ll also get into the power of representation in business, what it means to create space for others, and how a career in food and hospitality can become something much bigger than just what’s on the plate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

March 20, 202535 min

Unpacking A Legendary Career With Kim Coates

What makes a career legendary and how do you balance life, art, and knowing when to kick your feet up? This week on Locales Only, we’re taking a cruise down PCH with Hollywood heavyweight Kim Coates! Known for his roles in The Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, and American Primeval Kim gives us an inside look into how he prepared for his role as Brigham Young, his balance of culture growing up in Canada and moving to the US, and most importantly knowing when to take a break and enjoy your success. So buckle up and enjoy the conversation, welcome to Locales Only. Big thanks to Fletcher-Jones Motorcar of Newport Beach for sponsoring the show and building out the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE as our rolling podcast studio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

March 11, 202529 min

Two Hommés Went From Childhood Friends To Community Fixtures

Ever wonder what it would be like to open a restaurant with your best friend? This week on Locales Only, we are riding around Inglewood with the owners of Two Hommés, Yaw Marcus Yaw Johnson (Chef Mando) and Abdoulaye Balde (Chef AB). Two Hommés is a testament to what is possible in a restaurant and kitchen when you blend culture, experimentation, and passion, and we’re going to learn about their journey from cooking meals on a flattop grill for the neighborhood to opening their own brick-and-mortar establishment. We’re also going to learn about their influences, their families, and how people can find the drive to create something they truly care about. So buckle up and enjoy the conversation! Big thanks to Fletcher-Jones Motorcar of Newport Beach for sponsoring the show and building out the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE as our rolling podcast studio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

March 6, 202529 min

The President of Visit Surf City tells us his favorite things about HB

This week on Locales Only, we’re taking a drive around the historic Huntington Beach, also known as Surf City. If you've ever seen or even heard of the film Endless Summer, then you’ve heard of Huntington Beach.To help explain the historic importance of the area, we’re picking up the president of Visit Surf City, Kelly Miller. He’s going to tell us all about the history of surfing at Huntington, how he revitalized the downtown area, and what kind of community events he has built to bring everyone together! So buckle up and enjoy the conversation! Big thanks to Fletcher-Jones Motorcar of Newport Beach for sponsoring the show and building out the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE as our rolling podcast studio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

February 28, 202533 min

From A Backyard BBQ to James Beard

Food, and especially BBQ, has the power to bring us together and divide us into crazy feuds of who exactly makes the best style. This week’s guests seem to have finally solved who makes the best BBQ, and it’s them. Daniel, Brenda, and Benjamin Castillo take a cruise around Santa Ana to walk us through their humble beginnings of cooking and smoking BBQ in their backyard to winning a James Beard Award for Best in Class at their award-winning restaurant, Heritage Barbecue. Now, they’re venturing out to elevate their current recipes and experiment at their new restaurant, Le Hut Dinette. So buckle up and come on a culinary adventure with Locales Only! Big thanks to Fletcher-Jones Motorcar of Newport Beach for sponsoring the show and building out the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE as our rolling podcast studio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

February 20, 202528 min

Two First-Gen Mamas Are Restaurant Prodigies: Angela & Mariam El Haj

After a brief hiatus, Locales Only is back! This week we are going for a drive with Angela & Mariam El Haj — sisters who went from being first-generation American immigrants to owning Anaheim’s Calaca Mamas Cantina. You’ll get to hear directly from the pair how they have been raised in the restaurant scene, how their parents made the difficult journey from Palestine to Spain to the United States, and how it’s not as easy as it looks to compete with Disneyland! So buckle up and let’s hit the road with Locales Only. Big thanks to Fletcher-Jones Motorcar of Newport Beach for sponsoring the show and building out the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE as our rolling podcast studio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 7, 202424 min

Learning About Aloha in Maui

This week on Locales Only we’re doing something a little bit different as we’re on location at the Grand Wailea Resort on the Island of Maui exploring the true meaning of aloha and family with Cultural Programming Manager Kalei ʻUwēko'olani. With a light mist of rain, we had a wholesome conversation on the importance of luau and Hawaiian culture. Erik learned some ʻŌlelo, also known as Hawaiian, and Kalei taught us the best way to visit Maui! Need more information on what to do in Maui? Check Out Our 72-hour guide to Maui! (https://localemagazine.com/72-hour-guide-to-maui/) Big thanks to Fletcher-Jones Motorcar of Newport Beach for sponsoring the show and building out the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE as our rolling podcast studio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 24, 202425 min

One of the funniest gals in comedy?! With Alexis Prigo

This time on Locales Only, we’re cruising in Long Beach with one of the funniest comedians on the scene right now, Alexis Prigo. We’ve had funny people in the car before, but never like this! Alexis is going to tell us about her writing process, how comedians are making it in Hollywood today, and what it feels like to go on stage for the first time! So buckle up and enjoy the conversation. This is Locales Only.Big thanks to Fletcher-Jones Motorcar of Newport Beach for sponsoring the show and building out the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE as our rolling podcast studio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 19, 202426 min

90 Years Old And Opened Two New Restaurants This Year

In this episode of Locales Only, we’re taking a drive down history lane with the owner and founder of one the oldest restaurants in Newport Beach, Ron Salisbury. Ron and his family have owned The Cannery and several other restaurants for over 100 years! Today, we are going to hear about what the restaurant scene looked like almost a century ago, how Ron once got 1.7 million dollars in the span of 60 seconds to keep his restaurant alive, and what we can all learn about investing in your neighborhood spot. So buckle up and enjoy the conversation on Locales Only.Big thanks to Fletcher-Jones Motorcar of Newport Beach for sponsoring the show and building out the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE as our rolling podcast studio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 27, 202423 min

Lihi Benisty Takes Us On A Journey Into Sound (Baths)

This time on Locales Only, we’re picking up Lihi Benisty a breathwork and yoga teacher at the Ope-n Studio after taking one of her eye-opening classes. Lihi is going to walk us through her journey into yoga and breathwork, the way music can guide a class, and a way that all of us can start healing and controlling the stresses that bubble up in life. So buckle up and enjoy the conversation on Locales Only! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices