Tyler Florence and his California grape relish recipe

• 

Food Network star chef Tyler Florence with me (Erika) at Dodger Stadium

Ten facts about celebrity chef and Food Network star Tyler Florence, whom I was lucky enough to meet last night at Dodger Stadium courtesy of the California Table Grape Commission:

1. Yes, he is as handsome charming engaging nice friendly downright adorable as he seems on TV. Also, as you can see above, he is exceptionally photogenic.
2. He talks fast.
3. Or maybe that was just because he knew his time with us was limited, as he had to catch a plane home to northern California.
4. He claims his house is free of junk food, because if it isn't there, his kids can't eat it.
5. He's really excited about the upcoming opening of his new San Francisco restaurant, Wayfare Tavern. They're testing recipes now and will open sometime this summer.
6. All those tweets you see @tylerflorence? It's really him.
7. Tyler's retail store in Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco - cleverly called The Tyler Florence Shop - sells a combination of Tyler's branded products, cookware and books from other Food Network chefs, locally sourced gourmet ingredients, and vintage kitchenware from flea markets and garage sales. I told Tyler that when his vintage buyer quits, I'll be happy to step into that role; as you may know, I have a fondness for vintage tableware like this. (If you can't get to Mill Valley, you can also buy some of Tyler's products in his online store.)
8. Chuck Williams, the now-elderly founder of Williams Sonoma, has been into The Tyler Florence Shop three times. Tyler says Chuck told him the store feels like his own first retail outlet - a huge compliment indeed.
9. Tyler likes fancy wristwatches. At one point someone took a photo of the wrists of Tyler, three food bloggers and two husbands. Will someone send me that photo please?
10. His preschool-aged son gets a bunch of California grapes in his lunchbox every single day.

I got all this out of Tyler while we were chatting at the beginning of the Dodger game. I was really eager to talk with Tyler and now realize I might have hogged the conversation a little, so sorry, fellow food bloggers. Created by Diane was chatting with us, and SippitySup told me today that he was eavesdropping the whole time. There were lots of other food personalities there, too:

Healthy food guru Devin Alexander, A Communal Table, Created by Diane

Active Foodie and her man

La Fuji Mama and Mr. Fuji Mama

My Man's Belly

Ladles and Jellyspoons with her excited little Dodger fan

Tyler Florence with the California Table Grape Commission mascots

Tyler and the California Table Grape Commission are doing a series of promotions this summer at ballparks around the country, working to get healthier food  choices for baseball fans. Which is why we were served Dodger dogs with this tangy grape relish:

A grape relish might sound weird to you, but it was quite delicious. I'm going to make it for our annual 4th of July barbeque and serve it with burgers. The grape group was kind enough to share the recipe.

Tangy grape relish

• 1/2 cup each diced red and green California grapes
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp mustard seed
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients and let sit a few minutes to let the flavors combine. Serve with hot dogs or burgers.