“Going Off the Menu,” premiering Monday, April 18 on BravoTV.com

Bravo Media takes fans on a wild culinary adventure with the launch of its first-ever standalone, original digital series, “Going Off the Menu,” premiering Monday, April 18 on BravoTV.com with launch brand partner Toyota. The six-episode series follows James Beard Award-Winning food documentarian Liza De Guia and Michelin-Rated underground chef Russell Jackson as they track down Los Angeles’s most surprising underground and exclusive foodie experiences. From invite-only supper clubs to tire-shop Baracoa, the series immerses fans in a world that spans the spectrum of hidden food culture.

The first three episodes of “Going Off the Menu” will premiere on Monday, April 18 with three more episodes available the following week on Monday, April 25. Sponsored by Toyota, the show will be available on scaled platforms including BravoTV.com, VOD, Bravo Now, Youtube and Facebook. Additional distribution platforms will include the NBCUniversal sites TODAY and E! as well as select premium partners who will feature extra show content including The Infatuation and Jetsetter.

“We’re thrilled to satisfy the hunger of our passionate and food-enthused Bravo fans with the debut of ‘Going Off the Menu,’” said Lisa Hsia, Executive Vice President of Digital, Bravo and Oxygen Media. “The launch of Bravo’s first-ever standalone digital series marks a continued investment in digital video content by the network in an ongoing effort to attract a broader audience of new consumers while also satisfying our core Bravo viewer.”

In each episode, Liza and Russell are joined by eager foodies such as Lea DeLaria (Orange Is the New Black), actressAmirah Vann (WGN’s Underground), Tory Belleci (Discovery Channel’s MythBusters) and Josh Flagg (Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles), among others. For a sneak peek of the series, please visit: www.bravotv.com/going-off-the-menu/blogs/going-off-the-menu-premiere-date-watch

“We’re excited that partners like Toyota understand the value of Bravo’s strong engagement across all platforms,” said Laura Molen, Executive Vice President, Lifestyle Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal. “As research shows, connecting with this type of premium, digital content deepens consumer loyalty with brands in ways only our content can.”

MEET THE HOSTS:

Liza De Guia

Locavore, story-teller and documentarian, Liza de Guia is best known for her James Beard award-winning blog, “food. curated.,” which launched in 2009 and married her two passions of sharing intimate details of people’s lives and creating a home for compelling small-batch food made with love. Her journey of exploring out-of-the-box culinary dishes began after her parents migrated to America from the Philippines. Her father was extremely adventurous with food, always taking the family to eat at exotic places, but struggled to cook in the kitchen. Until one year, a close family friend who happened to also be a well-respected Swiss chef, moved in with Liza’s family for the summer and taught her father everything he needed to know about creating the perfect dish.

Liza’s deep love of food evolved from there, and has continued to grow over the years into the inspirational documentaries she currently produces as a one-woman-show. Featured in several media outlets from The New York Times to the Huffington Post, HLN and Bon Appétit, her work has also earned her an array of accolades including being a five-time nominee for the James Beard Foundation Awards, Saveur’s Best Food Videos winner, the NYC Food Film Fest’s 2012 Food Filmmaker of the Year, a Village Voice Award, as well as a Webby “Honorable Mention” for Best Online Documentary Series. According to Liza, “All good food has a story.”

Chef Russell Jackson

A dynamic and passionate chef, Russell Jackson is one of the forerunners of the underground dining and private supper club movement. Hailing from Los Angeles, Russell graduated at the top of his class from the California Culinary Academy and living up to his motto, he’s made a career of breaking culinary boundaries both in the traditional restaurant world and the underground dining sphere. He’s known as “The Don” of the underground dining world and it’s not uncommon for him to get calls from the organizers of young and newly created supper clubs asking him to critique and mentor their experience.

After graduating from the Academy in 1990, Russell moved back to Los Angeles to open his first restaurant Russell’s. In 2005, he made his boldest move yet and opened SubCulture Dining (SCD), his first underground supper club. In 2008, he sought a new challenge in opening Lafitte, a former San Francisco eatery. Not only has Russell worked in and owned various restaurants throughout his career, he has also appeared on “Iron Chef” and “The Next Food Network Star.” Today, countless restaurant launches later, Russell continues his culinary crusade on both coasts by splitting time between New York and the west coast.

“Going Off the Menu is produced by Citizen Pictures with Frank Matson and Tim McOsker serving as executive producers and Jaymee Johnson serving as Co-executive producer.

GOING OFF THE MENU — Pictured: “Going Off the Menu” logo — (Photo by: Bravo Media)