Arroyo Monthly July 2010

F I N E

L I V I N G

I N

T H E

G R E A T E R

P A S A D E N A

A R E A

JULY 2010

THE ECLECTIC EMPIRE OF RESTAURATEUR

JACK HUANG

TOP SPOTS FOR

FOREIGN FLAVORS THE CALIFORNIA DESIGN BIENNIAL GOES BACK TO THE FUTURE

avoiding a

melt down THE NEXT FOODIE OBSESSION — GOURMET ICE

SOLD IN 6 DAYS…WHY?

A:

In today’s market it’s the details that make a difference. Little details can be expensive, BUT they are worth it ….a $20,000 - $50,000 if done well! In 27 years of real estate experience, we have compiled a…

1. Quality door/drawer, hinges and locks…not Home Depot brand but something like Baldwin for locks.

2. Quality faucets, handles and shower heads….like Kohler brand 3. A Great paint job…what’s that? Knicks, blemishes fixed, totally smooth paint surface, no brush strokes, high luster finish.

The extra dollars in a paint job make a difference in touch, emotion, and presentation!

4. Hardwood floors refinished to a high luster: 3 coats, not just the customary 2 5. Moldings: add them! Crown, chair rails, door jams, base boards…no knicks and high luster paint 6. Doors: from inside to outside have quality doors…no hollow fill. Add nice door knobs and hinges!

7. Windows: quality which means they work well, “perfect” paint jobs, and have them cleaned!

8. De-Clutter: it’s not the “real” way most people live day to day, but it has the greatest 1st impression impact.

9. Staged: do this yourself or hire someone, but this alone can bring a $50,000 or more price swing.

10. Landscape: Neat and trim. Add a splash of color, finish off with chipped bark in beds for that polished, finished feel.

If you would like more information please give us a call and we will help move you forward one step at a time.

The

Group

™

Moving You Forward Step By Step

John & Tammy Fredrickson

459 E. Colorado Blvd. | Pasadena 91101 | 626-797-5134 ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 3

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ARROYO VOLUME 6 ~ NUMBER 7

M O N T H LY

11 RESTAURANT ISSUE 8 JACK OF ONE TRADE Rocket scientist-turned-restaurateur Jack Huang has built an eclectic miniempire in Pasadena.

–By Noela Hueso

12 COLD COMFORT Ice — pure, long-lasting and virtually sculptural — is the latest luxury for foodies.

–By Bradley Tuck

16 A FOREIGN STATE OF MIND Where to go for your bo sate or brutto ma buono fix without getting on a plane –By Nancy Spiller

DESIGN 37 BACK TO THE FUTURE The California Design Biennial showcases a future that culls the best of the past.

–By B.J. Lorenzo

DEPARTMENTS 7 FESTIVITIES Dionne Warwick at the Levitt Pavilion, the California Art Club, The HeArt Project

11 FOOD BITES Roy’s Restaurant, the Ahwanee, Kabuki Japanese Restaurant 43 MERRIMENT Secrets of a winery’s grill master 45 DINING Dish Bistro & Bar serves up the comforts of a delectable home.

49 KITCHEN CONFESSIONS A culinary pro puts a brigade of Navy galley guys through their paces.

51 THE LIST “Mummies of the World” at the California Science Center, Japanese Taiko drummers come to the Norton Simon, Glendale Cruise Night and more ABOUT THE COVER: Photo by Sidney McMullen

ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 5

EDITOR’S NOTE

WHO KNEW THAT ICE — ONE OF LIFE’S SIMPLEST pleasures — needed to be fixed?

Artisan bartender Michel Dozois did, noting that conventional ice melts so fast it dilutes your expensive drink (well, yes) and can be enhanced with the addition of flavors, fruits and flowers (okay, sure). Bradley Tuck spoke to the owner of Névé Luxury Ice, which services a couple of discriminating Pasadena establishments, to find out why “luxury ice” isn’t an oxymoron. And he reports on the frozen substance’s fascinating history, looking back at the days when it really was “natural,” a costly treasure that took winter weather and back-breaking labor to produce.

That attention to detail is what makes the Pasadena area such an interesting restaurant town. As the peripatetic Nancy Spiller notes, the selection here is so culturally eclectic she can sample delicacies and menu staples from Lebanon, Vietnam, France and Mexico without stepping on a plane. Spiller offers her picks for global dining around town.

To make a vibrant dining landscape, it takes a village. Noela Hueso introduces you to one of the dynamos behind Pasadena’s — Jack Huang, a former rocket scientist who found his calling in creating restaurants like Bar Celona, Villa Sorriso and Ixtapa, which help keep Colorado Boulevard crawling with locals and visitors on any given night.

This month also brings pleasures of a more cerebral sort. The California Design Biennial returns to the Pasadena Museum of California Art. And as B.J. Lorenzo discovered, innovators in the fields of fashion, graphic design, architecture, industrial design and transportation are borrowing from the best of the past to help forge a better future for all of us.

— Irene Lacher

ARROYO MONTHLY Altadena, Arcadia, Eagle Rock, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, Sierra Madre, Pasadena, San Marino and South Pasadena

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher PRODUCTION MANAGER Yvonne Guerrero ART DIRECTOR Joel Vendette JUNIOR DESIGNER Eisen Nepomuceno WEB DESIGNER Carla Marroquin COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Michael Burr, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, André Coleman, Mandalit del Barco, Patt Diroll, Gary Dretzka, Jenn Garbee, Lynne Heffley, Noela Hueso, Katie Klapper, Ilsa Setziol, Kirk Silsbee, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller, Bradley Tuck PHOTOGRAPHERS Johnny Buzzerio, Teri Lyn Fisher, Gabriel Goldberg, C.M. Hardt, Melissa Valladares ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Fred Bankston, Carolyn Johansen, Leslie Lamm, Alison Standish, Cynthia Vazquez ADVERTISING DESIGNER Carla Marroquin VP OF FINANCE Michael Nagami HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker

CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com EDITORIAL arroyoeditor@pasadenaweekly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105

BUSINESS MANAGER Angela Wang ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Monica MacCree

ArroyoMonthly.com

OFFICE ASSISTANT Claudia Solano PUBLISHER Jon Guynn

6 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

©2010 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

FESTIVITIES

Yvette Nicole Brown, from NBC’s “Community,” hosted a reception for Dionne Warwick and friends before her benefit performance at the Levitt Pavilion Pasadena on June 13.

Celebrating the music legend at Firehouse Recording Studios were Johnny Mathis, fashion designer Kevan Hall, “American Idol” vocal coach Debra Byrd, Levitt Executive Director C.J. Whitcomb, Vice President Emeritus Elizabeth Levitt Hirsch and more.

1

2

3

1. Debra Byrd, Johnny Mathis, Yvette Nicole Brown and Dionne Warwick 2. Kevan Hall, Elizabeth Levitt Hirsch and Yvette Nicole Brown 3. Mathis and Warwick

PHOTOS: Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins Photo (Levitt Pavillion); Lee Salem (HeArt Project); Walt Mancini (California Art Club)

MAIN: Dionne Warwick

The California Art Club celebrated artists selected for its 99th annual

1

Gold Medal Juried Exhibition at a Pasadena architects and urbanists Elizabeth Moule

Pasadena Museum of Art reception on

and Stephanos Polyzoides were honored at the 18th

June 12. Club President Peter Adams

annual “Evening of Art,” hosted by The HeArt

presented Best of Show honors to

Project on June 3. Also honored at the California

David C. Gallup for his painting,

Science Center benefit dinner were Union Bank Vice

2

Ramon G. Velazco for his trio of

President Rossina Gallegos of Covina and “Heroes” creator Tim King and his social worker wife, Lisa; the couple drew series stars Hayden Panettiere, who emceed, and Adrian Pasdar, who presented. HeArt Project chief Cynthia Campoy-Brophy founded the organization to connect economically disadvantaged teens with arts professionals.

“Twice Humbled,” and to Pasadena’s

1. Cynthia Campoy-Brophy, Tim and Lisa Kring, Hayden Panettierre and Adrian Pasdar 2. Honorees Elizabeth Moule, Stephanos Polyzoides and HeArt Project student Albert Herrera

“Cabeza” bronze sculptures. The exhibition runs through July 3.

Top: Christopher Slatoff, Peter Adams, Ramon G. Velazco and David C. Gallup Main: Gallup ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 7

RESTAURANTS

Ixtapa Cantina

Bar Celona

ROCKET SCIENTIST-TURNED-RESTAURATEUR JACK HUANG HAS BUILT A MINI-EMPIRE IN PASADENA BY SEASONING HIS EATERIES WITH FUN, SOPHISTICATED AMBIENCE AND FOREIGN FLAVORS.

BY NOELA HUESO

Jack Huang

Villa Sorriso

8 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

BAR CELONA MODERN SPANISH TAPAS BAR 46 E. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.– 11 p.m. (bar open ’til 2); Sunday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

(626) 405-1000 barcelonapasadena.com Dinner entrée prices: $21–$25

VILLA SORRISO RISTORANTE & MARTINI BAR 168 W. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–11:15 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–1:15 a.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m.–11 p.m.

(626) 793-2233 sorrisopasadena.com Dinner entrée prices: $12–$34

IXTAPA CANTINA 119 E. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m.–2 a.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–11 p.m.

(626) 304-1000 cantinaixtapa.com Dinner entrée prices: $10–$18

Ixtapa Cantina

JACK OF ONE TRADE ONE DAY LAST YEAR, RESTAURATEUR JACK HUANG DROVE UP ARROYO PARKWAY WITH HIS 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, NICOLE, IN THE BACK SEAT. AS THEY TURNED THE CORNER ONTO OLD PASADENA’S COLORADO BOULEVARD, SHE NOTICED A FAMILIAR SIGN. “LOOK, DADDY!” SHE SAID. “IXTAPA!” DOWN THE STREET A LITTLE FURTHER, SHE SAW ANOTHER. “DADDY! BAR CELONA!” FINALLY, THEY REACHED THEIR DESTINATION AT THE EDGE OF OLD PAS. “LOOK! VILLA SORRISO!” SHE PAUSED FOR A MOMENT AND THEN ASKED A QUESTION: “DADDY, CAN WE HAVE ONE MORE?”

THE RESTAURANTS

Considering Huang’s track record, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the answer turns out to be yes. In the past 16 years, Huang — who owns the three establishments his young daughter named: the Italian Villa Sorriso; Bar Celona, a Spanish tapas bar; and the newest addition to the family, Mexican sports bar and nightspot Ixtapa — has become one of the area’s most successful entrepreneurs; he employs 250 people and has generated from $7 million to $10 million for each of the past several years, despite slower sales in a grim economy.

Yet despite his family’s roots in the restaurant business — his parents owned traditional Chinese eateries in the San Fernando Valley — Huang didn’t set out to follow in their footsteps. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in mechanical engineering, he lived in Hermosa Beach for a decade, employed by aerospace companies Northrop Aircraft and TRW on such federal defense projects as the F-20 Tigershark Supersonic Jet Fighter and the Peacekeeper ballistic missile.“I like to tell people that I am the only restaurateur who has secret clearance,” he says with a laugh.

But it was his love of food and desire to be his own boss that ultimately drew him to his new path. “I was very proud of [the aerospace jobs]… I just felt like I was more of an entrepreneur,” he says.

Affable, tan and fit, Huang, 52 — a past member of the Old Pasadena Parking Meter Zone Advisory Commission and, before getting termed out in 2008, a board member for the Old Pasadena Management District and Old Pasadena Business Improvement District — is quick to laugh and share stories about his experiences.

The La Cañada Flintridge resident was attracted to Old Pasadena because of its prosperous reputation and bustling consumer traffic. “I thought I must be able to make some money out of this crowd,” he recalls.

He opened his first restaurant, Wok ’n Roll, in 1994 with the help of his wife, Karen, and her parents. The fast-food concept was a nod to Huang’s Chinese

heritage (wok) and his wife’s Japanese heritage (roll, as in sushi). After a slow start, Huang had an epiphany.

“I finally figured out people aren’t going to pay $5 to park and come to a place where it’s $5 to $6 for a meal,” he recalls. “If they’re going to pay $5 or $6 to park, they don’t mind spending $20 to $40 to eat.” Huang calls it his wake-up call, and the lesson he learned — your location should dictate the concept you create — was invaluable when he opened subsequent businesses.

Within the first year, the Wok ’n Roll format was changed to “a fullservice, white-linen establishment,” becoming the first sushi bar in Old Pasadena — and business picked up considerably. When a larger property across the street, the floundering restaurant Sorriso, became available six years later, Huang grabbed it, envisioning it as Wok ’n Roll’s future home. His more immediate plan, however, was to revitalize Sorriso, which was started by Varo Angeletti in 1991. Huang bought the venue and recipes; he also inherited all its employees, including Raul Mercado, now the head chef at Villa Sorriso.

“People would ask me, ‘Why are you doing Italian?’” Huang recalls. “I told them, ‘Did you know that the Chinese invented pasta?’”

Huang updated the space, added a martini bar and soon had another hit on his hands. Then in 2003, the former Clearwater Seafood and Old Town Bakery properties became available on Old Pasadena’s western tail.

Huang decided to move Sorriso to what has become the crown jewel of Huang’s holdings — a 12,000-square-foot space that features seating for 300, banquet facilities, an outdoor courtyard and a fountain — and renamed it Villa Sorriso.

But they still had a long-term lease at the existing Sorriso location. What to do? “From our travels and living in New York City for a few years early in our marriage, my wife and I really grew to like tapas, the small plate dishes, which were kind of like sushi and dim sum,” Huang recalls. “So we said, ‘Let’s do Spanish.’”

Bar Celona opened during the July 4th weekend in 2004, two months after Villa Sorriso’s grand opening. It now features a bar lounge and perform-

Bar Celona

Villa Sorriso

ance area, where Spanish guitarists and flamenco dancers perform every Tuesday night.

Though Huang decided to close Wok ’n Roll to concentrate on his two new ventures, his mini-empire didn’t stop there. Last February, just when the economy was at its worst — with the AIGs and Lehman Brothers of the world collapsing left and right — another opportunity presented itself: The owners of Fred’s Mexican Café, on the corner of Arroyo Parkway and Colorado Boulevard, came to Huang and asked if he was interested buying them out.

He was. Huang took over the property in September, outfitted it with a dance floor and big-screen TVs and opened Ixtapa there in November, just in time for New Year celebrations and college bowl games. Despite a few slow nights, business has been generally brisk, and Huang is optimistic. “We’re showing a more than 50 percent increase [in revenue] compared to what the old operator was doing, so that’s a good sign,” he says.

While Ixtapa’s income is robust, the Huang empire hasn’t been completely immune to the economic downturn; business at Bar Celona and Villa Sorriso, while still strong, has had its ups and downs. “Two or three years ago when the mortgage companies were riding high and everybody was making money, I could count on mortgage brokers and banks — Merrill Lynch, IndieMac, Countrywide — doing all kinds of parties at Villa Sorriso,” Huang says. “They’d come for lunch, stay in the afternoon for drinks and return for dinner.”

Now, that industry is gone. Even so, the outlook is far from bleak. Villa Sorriso and Bar Celona still book company mixers and other special events on a regular basis. Last year, Villa Sorriso closed to the public to host the Michael Jackson family memorial dinner after the star’s funeral at Glendale’s Forest Lawn. “We had paparazzi across the street all day long and a celebrity security detail came in and checked the place out,” Huang says. “There were police, helicopters and news trucks everywhere.” In January, the restaurant hosted —CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 9

RESTAURANTS

Ixtapa Cantina

Bar Celona

ROCKET SCIENTIST-TURNED-RESTAURATEUR JACK HUANG HAS BUILT A MINI-EMPIRE IN PASADENA BY SEASONING HIS EATERIES WITH FUN, SOPHISTICATED AMBIENCE AND FOREIGN FLAVORS.

BY NOELA HUESO

Jack Huang

Villa Sorriso

8 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

BAR CELONA MODERN SPANISH TAPAS BAR 46 E. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.– 11 p.m. (bar open ’til 2); Sunday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

(626) 405-1000 barcelonapasadena.com Dinner entrée prices: $21–$25

VILLA SORRISO RISTORANTE & MARTINI BAR 168 W. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–11:15 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–1:15 a.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m.–11 p.m.

(626) 793-2233 sorrisopasadena.com Dinner entrée prices: $12–$34

IXTAPA CANTINA 119 E. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m.–2 a.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–11 p.m.

(626) 304-1000 cantinaixtapa.com Dinner entrée prices: $10–$18

Ixtapa Cantina

JACK OF ONE TRADE ONE DAY LAST YEAR, RESTAURATEUR JACK HUANG DROVE UP ARROYO PARKWAY WITH HIS 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, NICOLE, IN THE BACK SEAT. AS THEY TURNED THE CORNER ONTO OLD PASADENA’S COLORADO BOULEVARD, SHE NOTICED A FAMILIAR SIGN. “LOOK, DADDY!” SHE SAID. “IXTAPA!” DOWN THE STREET A LITTLE FURTHER, SHE SAW ANOTHER. “DADDY! BAR CELONA!” FINALLY, THEY REACHED THEIR DESTINATION AT THE EDGE OF OLD PAS. “LOOK! VILLA SORRISO!” SHE PAUSED FOR A MOMENT AND THEN ASKED A QUESTION: “DADDY, CAN WE HAVE ONE MORE?”

THE RESTAURANTS

Considering Huang’s track record, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the answer turns out to be yes. In the past 16 years, Huang — who owns the three establishments his young daughter named: the Italian Villa Sorriso; Bar Celona, a Spanish tapas bar; and the newest addition to the family, Mexican sports bar and nightspot Ixtapa — has become one of the area’s most successful entrepreneurs; he employs 250 people and has generated from $7 million to $10 million for each of the past several years, despite slower sales in a grim economy.

Yet despite his family’s roots in the restaurant business — his parents owned traditional Chinese eateries in the San Fernando Valley — Huang didn’t set out to follow in their footsteps. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in mechanical engineering, he lived in Hermosa Beach for a decade, employed by aerospace companies Northrop Aircraft and TRW on such federal defense projects as the F-20 Tigershark Supersonic Jet Fighter and the Peacekeeper ballistic missile.“I like to tell people that I am the only restaurateur who has secret clearance,” he says with a laugh.

But it was his love of food and desire to be his own boss that ultimately drew him to his new path. “I was very proud of [the aerospace jobs]… I just felt like I was more of an entrepreneur,” he says.

Affable, tan and fit, Huang, 52 — a past member of the Old Pasadena Parking Meter Zone Advisory Commission and, before getting termed out in 2008, a board member for the Old Pasadena Management District and Old Pasadena Business Improvement District — is quick to laugh and share stories about his experiences.

The La Cañada Flintridge resident was attracted to Old Pasadena because of its prosperous reputation and bustling consumer traffic. “I thought I must be able to make some money out of this crowd,” he recalls.

He opened his first restaurant, Wok ’n Roll, in 1994 with the help of his wife, Karen, and her parents. The fast-food concept was a nod to Huang’s Chinese

heritage (wok) and his wife’s Japanese heritage (roll, as in sushi). After a slow start, Huang had an epiphany.

“I finally figured out people aren’t going to pay $5 to park and come to a place where it’s $5 to $6 for a meal,” he recalls. “If they’re going to pay $5 or $6 to park, they don’t mind spending $20 to $40 to eat.” Huang calls it his wake-up call, and the lesson he learned — your location should dictate the concept you create — was invaluable when he opened subsequent businesses.

Within the first year, the Wok ’n Roll format was changed to “a fullservice, white-linen establishment,” becoming the first sushi bar in Old Pasadena — and business picked up considerably. When a larger property across the street, the floundering restaurant Sorriso, became available six years later, Huang grabbed it, envisioning it as Wok ’n Roll’s future home. His more immediate plan, however, was to revitalize Sorriso, which was started by Varo Angeletti in 1991. Huang bought the venue and recipes; he also inherited all its employees, including Raul Mercado, now the head chef at Villa Sorriso.

“People would ask me, ‘Why are you doing Italian?’” Huang recalls. “I told them, ‘Did you know that the Chinese invented pasta?’”

Huang updated the space, added a martini bar and soon had another hit on his hands. Then in 2003, the former Clearwater Seafood and Old Town Bakery properties became available on Old Pasadena’s western tail.

Huang decided to move Sorriso to what has become the crown jewel of Huang’s holdings — a 12,000-square-foot space that features seating for 300, banquet facilities, an outdoor courtyard and a fountain — and renamed it Villa Sorriso.

But they still had a long-term lease at the existing Sorriso location. What to do? “From our travels and living in New York City for a few years early in our marriage, my wife and I really grew to like tapas, the small plate dishes, which were kind of like sushi and dim sum,” Huang recalls. “So we said, ‘Let’s do Spanish.’”

Bar Celona opened during the July 4th weekend in 2004, two months after Villa Sorriso’s grand opening. It now features a bar lounge and perform-

Bar Celona

Villa Sorriso

ance area, where Spanish guitarists and flamenco dancers perform every Tuesday night.

Though Huang decided to close Wok ’n Roll to concentrate on his two new ventures, his mini-empire didn’t stop there. Last February, just when the economy was at its worst — with the AIGs and Lehman Brothers of the world collapsing left and right — another opportunity presented itself: The owners of Fred’s Mexican Café, on the corner of Arroyo Parkway and Colorado Boulevard, came to Huang and asked if he was interested buying them out.

He was. Huang took over the property in September, outfitted it with a dance floor and big-screen TVs and opened Ixtapa there in November, just in time for New Year celebrations and college bowl games. Despite a few slow nights, business has been generally brisk, and Huang is optimistic. “We’re showing a more than 50 percent increase [in revenue] compared to what the old operator was doing, so that’s a good sign,” he says.

While Ixtapa’s income is robust, the Huang empire hasn’t been completely immune to the economic downturn; business at Bar Celona and Villa Sorriso, while still strong, has had its ups and downs. “Two or three years ago when the mortgage companies were riding high and everybody was making money, I could count on mortgage brokers and banks — Merrill Lynch, IndieMac, Countrywide — doing all kinds of parties at Villa Sorriso,” Huang says. “They’d come for lunch, stay in the afternoon for drinks and return for dinner.”

Now, that industry is gone. Even so, the outlook is far from bleak. Villa Sorriso and Bar Celona still book company mixers and other special events on a regular basis. Last year, Villa Sorriso closed to the public to host the Michael Jackson family memorial dinner after the star’s funeral at Glendale’s Forest Lawn. “We had paparazzi across the street all day long and a celebrity security detail came in and checked the place out,” Huang says. “There were police, helicopters and news trucks everywhere.” In January, the restaurant hosted —CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 9

RESTAURANTS

Bar Celona

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Fox’s UpFront after-party, where Glee’s Lea Michele and other network stars partied with advertisers and media.

Huang’s continued success amidst an economic recession has as much to do with his knack for surrounding himself with loyal employees — some of them have been with him since his Wok ’n Roll days — and making personal connections with his guests as it does with his business acumen. On any given day, he can be found greeting guests at one of his three restaurants, making sure everyone is happy and their needs are being met — and he’s willing to do whatever it takes. He has been known to valet park cars and take pictures for partying customers.

“I like to think that when customers come to our places, we know –JACK HUANG which table they like to sit at and what kind of bread and drinks they like, and it’s on their table before they even ask,” Huang says. “You need that personal touch to make that connection with your customer.”

Steve Mulheim, Old Pasadena Management District’s president and chief executive officer, says Huang’s success stems from “his passion for his businesses.” On the board from 2002 to 2008, “Jack was always very involved, always very passionate about maintaining Old Pasadena as a premiere destination and making sure that we were putting our best foot forward,” he says.

For now, that zeal will remain focused on Old Pasadena. What’s next on Huang’s plate?

“Almost every day somebody suggests that I open another Wok ’n Roll concept,” Huang says. “Old Pas has too many sushi restaurants already; you can go to Alhambra and it’s cheaper, you can go to Panda and it’s a little faster. I’m looking for that niche, something that’s a little more unique. I’m thinking about doing a steakhouse next.” AM

“I’M LOOKING FOR THAT NICHE, SOMETHING THAT’S A LITTLE MORE UNIQUE.”

Villa Sorriso

Here to help you in your time of need.

Traditional Funerals/Cremation Service Family Owned & Operated Since 1921

Newly Completed Reception Center and Chapel 27 Chestnut Street, Pasadena, CA 91103 626-793-7159 • 323-681-0776 www.cabotandsonsfh@aol.com 10 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

LIC # FD341

Ixtapa Cantina

You See...

Oh, Say Can Yourself In Your New Home?

FOODBITES

I CAN!

FROM PASADENA TO THE BIG ISLAND, SUMMER AND FALL BRING PLEASURES OF THE PALATE.

call Brett!

ISLAND HOPPING Care to dine in Hawaii with Roy’s Restaurant founding chef Roy Yamaguchi? Then eat something. The

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Hawaiian fusion cuisine chain has launched a frequent diners’ rewards program, dubbed “L.A. Ohana Tour,” running through Aug. 31, and the grand prize is a trip

w Call Brett For a FREE Consultation on:

for two to the Big Island, including airfare, five nights at an Outrigger Kohala Coast Collection villa and dinner with Yamaguchi at Roy’s Restaurant Waikoloa. To entice guests into sampling the different menus at Roy’s five SoCal locations — in Pasadena (641 E. Colorado Blvd.), Anaheim, L.A., Newport Beach and Woodland Hills — the restaurant is rewarding diners who visit any three of Roy’s eateries. On the first trip, pick up your Ohana Tour card to present at the next location; the second visit comes with a free chocolate soufflé (with an entrée purchase); and the

Purchase Loans K Refinancing K Loan Modifications K Other Debt Related Issues K

third earns you a $20 gift card (with entrée purchase) and entry into the sweepstakes.

Sweepstakes entry and information are also available online at roysrestaurant.com.

Tel: (626) 440-9430 | Cell: (626) 484-8275

www.brettstumm.com

TOASTING YOSEMITE As if changing leaves and roaring fireplaces weren’t enough to lure you to Yosemite this fall, the national park’s fourdiamond Ahwanee is bringing back its Vintners’

Licensed by CA Dept. of Real Estate, license #01146948 LOCAL AND PERSONABLE | CARING AND METHODICAL | SOMEONE YOU CAN TRUST

Holidays for the 29th year. From Oct. 31 through Dec. 2, guests will be able to taste the latest vintages and sometimes rare, limited-release wines offered by 32 top California winemakers, including returning boutique producer Tres Sabores and the well-known Mumm Napa and Robert Mondavi wineries. Newcomers this year include Carol Shelton Wines, Ancient Peaks Winery, Franciscan, Hidden Ridge Vineyard, Selen Wines, Hovey Wine and Freeman Vineyard & Winery.

THE 6TH ANNUAL GLENDALE OPEN STUDIO TOUR Saturday July 24, 12-6pm INCLUDES OVER 200 TALENTED AND AWARD WINNING ARTISTS AND ART ORGANIZATIONS

FREE TO PUBLIC

The schedule offers both novices and connoisseurs the opportunity to explore viticulture in eight two- or three-day sessions with various lineups of four winemakers.

Each session includes a reception with the winemakers, educational tasting seminars and a five-course candlelit dinner by Executive Chef Percy Whatley. Two- and threenight packages are available at the Ahwanee (starting at $996 and $1,245, double occupancy) and at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls ($744 and $867, double occupancy).

For details and reservations, call (801) 559-4903 or visit yosemitepark.com/vintners.

KABUKI LIGHTENS UP Kabuki Japanese Restaurant unveils its “Summer Fling” menu at its 10 SoCal locations, including two in Pasadena. The lighter fare includes Executive Chef Masa Kuriahara’s tuna poke with fresh avocado cubes and marinated seaweed; soba inari with edamame; Baja roll with tomato salsa on a spicy “krab” roll; and

experience the world of creation and imagination

Mediterranean sea bass with Kabuki tomato salsa, corn, asparagus and Japanese mint leaf. Also on tap are Master Sommelier Yuji Matsumoto’s seasonal specialty cocktails, many made with sake and soju.

In Pasadena, Kabuki is located at 88 W. Colorado Blvd., (626) 568-9310, and at 3539 E. Foothill Blvd., (626) 351-8963. Visit kabukirestaurants.com.

— Irene Lacher

Sponsored by the City of Glendale Community Service & Parks Department, Arts & Culture Commission and Brand Library, a division of the Glendale Public Library, and Associates of the Brand Library & Art Center

Brand Library Art Galleries Open Studio Tour Art Exhibition July 17-August 13, during library hours Opening Reception July 18, 3 - 5pm 1601 W. Mountain, Glendale 91201 For more information call (818) 548-2780 or visit us at www.glendaleartsandculture.org ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 11

RESTAURANTS

Above: Frederic Tudor, Francis Alexander (American, 1800–1880), about 1830, Oil on canvas, courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Dolores de P. Danniels, Katharine de P. Gilbert and S. Tudor Leland, heirs of Elsa Tudor de Pierrefeu, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Right: Michel Dozois

ICE — PURE, LONG-LASTING AND VIRTUALLY SCULPTURAL — HAS BECOME A LUXURY IN THE HANDS OF ARTISAN BARTENDERS LIKE MICHEL DOZOIS.

BY BRADLEY TUCK

As you reach into your cooler to grab a cold beer this 4th of July, spare a moment to reflect on the American hero who made that possible — Mr. Frederic Tudor. It seems hard to believe that something we take for granted like ice could ever have been an exclusive luxury, but indeed it was. In 1800, ice was cut from frozen Maine ponds in wintertime, shipped at great expense to the homes of the very wealthy and stored by them in covered wells. Harvesting it was labor intensive — involving cutting by hand, using large saws — and hazardous, with cutters running the risk of falling into frozen ponds. During shipment, wrapped in sawdustfilled crates, a large proportion of the product would of course thaw, so what survived was dear: In 1790, a ton of ice cost hundreds of dollars.

In 1805, one Frederic Tudor, scion of a wealthy Boston family, was sharing some cold beverages and ice cream with his brother, William, at a family picnic.

One of them joked that the plantationers in the sweltering Caribbean would give their arm to be enjoying cold drinks. And in the tradition of most incredible enterprises, from that tiny seed of a thought, an amazing industry was born.

Frederic convinced William to invest in a plan to send a shipload of ice from the pond on the family estate to Martinique, where, he was convinced, it would be greeted with something approaching hysteria, and their fortunes would be made.

INTERESTING ICE FACT NO. 1 The U.S. expends 10 million kilowatt hours per day on just making ice. The fuel this uses is equivalent to the daily gasoline consumption of a city the size of San Francisco.

On Feb. 10, 1806, Tudor’s first brig, dubbed “Favorite,” left Boston docks bound for Martinique in the French West Indies, some 1,500 miles away.

While Tudor was sure of his venture, others were less enthusiastic. In a

12 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

moment of foresight, the Boston Gazette declared the next day: “No joke. A vessel has cleared at the Customs House for Martinique with a cargo of ice.

We hope this will not prove a slippery speculation.” Unfortunately, while not a total failure, the ice did indeed get a cool reception. Tudor’s brother had procured orders and government contracts, but much of the frozen stuff melted during the three-week journey. And despite managing to sell much of what was left, the brothers suffered a loss of $4,500 — a huge sum in those days — and William left the business.

INTERESTING ICE FACT NO. 2 Homemade ice cubes are cloudy because of dissolved minerals and air in the water. To make clear ice cubes, use filtered water, boil it, allow it to cool and then boil again. Use this water, after cooling, to fill your ice cube tray. Freeze as slowly as feasible. Your ice cubes will be clear!

PHOTOS: Sidney McMullen (ice); Shane Soto (Michel Dozois)

COLD COMFORT

“He who gives back at the first repulse and without striking the second blow, despairs of success, has never been, is not and never will be a hero in war, love or business.”

— Frederic Tudor, 1805

The following year, after managing to raise funds for another ice shipment, Tudor attempted another run to the Indies. Again he lost money and, while in the past his wealthy upbringing had shielded him from the worst impact of these losses, family members were at the time experiencing some hardships of their own. And a series of such shipments landed Tudor in debtors’ prison three times from 1809 to 1813.

Displaying a mixture of stubbornness and true American grit, Tudor was — wisely or otherwise — undeterred. He was utterly convinced that ice would one day be his fortune. What was needed was demand for the product. Tudor traveled the country, convincing barkeeps to offer patrons a drink with ice at the same price as one without. He’d supply the ice for free. Sure enough, once drinkers had a few sips of the cool beverage, they were smitten.

The hot cities of the South were the hungriest for ice, and Tudor was even shipping to Havana, Cuba. But the process of harvesting ice was still expensive and laborious, involving a mountain of hand labor. In 1826, Tudor’s foreman,

Nathaniel Wyeth, came up with the idea of using horse-drawn plows to crisscross the ice with a large blade, cutting it into a huge grid that could then be lifted out, piece by piece, by men with crowbars. The huge pieces would then be sawed into manageable 300-pound blocks and floated downriver to icehouses, where they’d be arranged into stacks as much as 80 feet high. Needless to say, this wasn’t the safest industry in which to work, and injuries were common, with slippery blocks crushing workers and mangling limbs. The ice also lost considerable volume on its journey downriver, with up to 90 percent of it melting en route. Still, demand was strong, and Tudor’s business grew.

INTERESTING ICE FACT NO. 3 Shirley MacLaine once said: “I like playing Vegas or any of those places where there is ice in glasses. Soon as you hear ice, you know you stink. If they’re drinking, you haven’t got their attention.”

In 1833, now at the peak of his career and known as “The Ice King,” Tudor shipped 180 tons of ice to Calcutta, India, to supply the British colonists there.

The journey took four months and, despite elaborate insulation and storage procedures, only 100 tons remained. For the next 20 years, the colonists consumed as much ice as he could ship, leaving him with a profit over the period of more than $200,000 on that route alone. By this time, the railroads had started their progress across the U.S., making the shipping of ice faster and cheaper. Other entrepreneurs used Tudor’s methods to begin their own icedistribution operations, and Tudor became a less important player in the ice game. In 1864, he passed away, leaving behind a fortune estimated at $11 million in today’s dollars.

Meanwhile, the popularity of ice exploded, despite concerns about the purity of water supplies near rapidly expanding towns. It wasn’t until the 1900s that consumers, tired of messy deliveries and wary of increasingly polluted natural ice, began to shy away from the product. The introduction of —CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 13

RESTAURANTS

Above: Frederic Tudor, Francis Alexander (American, 1800–1880), about 1830, Oil on canvas, courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Dolores de P. Danniels, Katharine de P. Gilbert and S. Tudor Leland, heirs of Elsa Tudor de Pierrefeu, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Right: Michel Dozois

ICE — PURE, LONG-LASTING AND VIRTUALLY SCULPTURAL — HAS BECOME A LUXURY IN THE HANDS OF ARTISAN BARTENDERS LIKE MICHEL DOZOIS.

BY BRADLEY TUCK

As you reach into your cooler to grab a cold beer this 4th of July, spare a moment to reflect on the American hero who made that possible — Mr. Frederic Tudor. It seems hard to believe that something we take for granted like ice could ever have been an exclusive luxury, but indeed it was. In 1800, ice was cut from frozen Maine ponds in wintertime, shipped at great expense to the homes of the very wealthy and stored by them in covered wells. Harvesting it was labor intensive — involving cutting by hand, using large saws — and hazardous, with cutters running the risk of falling into frozen ponds. During shipment, wrapped in sawdustfilled crates, a large proportion of the product would of course thaw, so what survived was dear: In 1790, a ton of ice cost hundreds of dollars.

In 1805, one Frederic Tudor, scion of a wealthy Boston family, was sharing some cold beverages and ice cream with his brother, William, at a family picnic.

One of them joked that the plantationers in the sweltering Caribbean would give their arm to be enjoying cold drinks. And in the tradition of most incredible enterprises, from that tiny seed of a thought, an amazing industry was born.

Frederic convinced William to invest in a plan to send a shipload of ice from the pond on the family estate to Martinique, where, he was convinced, it would be greeted with something approaching hysteria, and their fortunes would be made.

INTERESTING ICE FACT NO. 1 The U.S. expends 10 million kilowatt hours per day on just making ice. The fuel this uses is equivalent to the daily gasoline consumption of a city the size of San Francisco.

On Feb. 10, 1806, Tudor’s first brig, dubbed “Favorite,” left Boston docks bound for Martinique in the French West Indies, some 1,500 miles away.

While Tudor was sure of his venture, others were less enthusiastic. In a

12 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

moment of foresight, the Boston Gazette declared the next day: “No joke. A vessel has cleared at the Customs House for Martinique with a cargo of ice.

We hope this will not prove a slippery speculation.” Unfortunately, while not a total failure, the ice did indeed get a cool reception. Tudor’s brother had procured orders and government contracts, but much of the frozen stuff melted during the three-week journey. And despite managing to sell much of what was left, the brothers suffered a loss of $4,500 — a huge sum in those days — and William left the business.

INTERESTING ICE FACT NO. 2 Homemade ice cubes are cloudy because of dissolved minerals and air in the water. To make clear ice cubes, use filtered water, boil it, allow it to cool and then boil again. Use this water, after cooling, to fill your ice cube tray. Freeze as slowly as feasible. Your ice cubes will be clear!

PHOTOS: Sidney McMullen (ice); Shane Soto (Michel Dozois)

COLD COMFORT

“He who gives back at the first repulse and without striking the second blow, despairs of success, has never been, is not and never will be a hero in war, love or business.”

— Frederic Tudor, 1805

The following year, after managing to raise funds for another ice shipment, Tudor attempted another run to the Indies. Again he lost money and, while in the past his wealthy upbringing had shielded him from the worst impact of these losses, family members were at the time experiencing some hardships of their own. And a series of such shipments landed Tudor in debtors’ prison three times from 1809 to 1813.

Displaying a mixture of stubbornness and true American grit, Tudor was — wisely or otherwise — undeterred. He was utterly convinced that ice would one day be his fortune. What was needed was demand for the product. Tudor traveled the country, convincing barkeeps to offer patrons a drink with ice at the same price as one without. He’d supply the ice for free. Sure enough, once drinkers had a few sips of the cool beverage, they were smitten.

The hot cities of the South were the hungriest for ice, and Tudor was even shipping to Havana, Cuba. But the process of harvesting ice was still expensive and laborious, involving a mountain of hand labor. In 1826, Tudor’s foreman,

Nathaniel Wyeth, came up with the idea of using horse-drawn plows to crisscross the ice with a large blade, cutting it into a huge grid that could then be lifted out, piece by piece, by men with crowbars. The huge pieces would then be sawed into manageable 300-pound blocks and floated downriver to icehouses, where they’d be arranged into stacks as much as 80 feet high. Needless to say, this wasn’t the safest industry in which to work, and injuries were common, with slippery blocks crushing workers and mangling limbs. The ice also lost considerable volume on its journey downriver, with up to 90 percent of it melting en route. Still, demand was strong, and Tudor’s business grew.

INTERESTING ICE FACT NO. 3 Shirley MacLaine once said: “I like playing Vegas or any of those places where there is ice in glasses. Soon as you hear ice, you know you stink. If they’re drinking, you haven’t got their attention.”

In 1833, now at the peak of his career and known as “The Ice King,” Tudor shipped 180 tons of ice to Calcutta, India, to supply the British colonists there.

The journey took four months and, despite elaborate insulation and storage procedures, only 100 tons remained. For the next 20 years, the colonists consumed as much ice as he could ship, leaving him with a profit over the period of more than $200,000 on that route alone. By this time, the railroads had started their progress across the U.S., making the shipping of ice faster and cheaper. Other entrepreneurs used Tudor’s methods to begin their own icedistribution operations, and Tudor became a less important player in the ice game. In 1864, he passed away, leaving behind a fortune estimated at $11 million in today’s dollars.

Meanwhile, the popularity of ice exploded, despite concerns about the purity of water supplies near rapidly expanding towns. It wasn’t until the 1900s that consumers, tired of messy deliveries and wary of increasingly polluted natural ice, began to shy away from the product. The introduction of —CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 13

RESTAURANTS

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

electric refrigeration in the early part of the 20th century finally sank a pick between the shoulder blades of the natural ice industry, with ice finally available in a convenient form — the cube — at home.

INTERESTING ICE FACT NO. 4 Permanent snow and ice cover about 12 percent of the Earth’s land surface. Eighty percent of the world’s fresh water is in this form.

Névé is the name given to the snowpack that forms on mountaintops, eventually forming a glacier.

Someone else with a passion for ice is Michel Dozois. The Montreal-born bartender, who has shaken cocktails at forward-looking Los Angeles restaurants like Church and State, and Comme Ça, is obsessed with the stuff.

Standard ice cubes, he believes, are problematic. They dissolve too quickly in the shaker or the tumbler, overly diluting the drink. They don’t make the drink cold enough, until they’ve diluted it excessively, and they continue to water down your tasty — and these days, expensive — beverage as you nurse it. What’s more, cubes not made with purified water can leave behind foul odors and flavors.

Now, Dozois is not the first guy to have noticed this. That’s why mixologists and bartenders like Eric Alperin and Chris Bostick at downtown L.A.’s intimate lounge, The Varnish, have been carving huge cubes by hand for their immaculately crafted libations. But, points out Dozois, this is laborious and time-consuming. The solution, he believes, is larger chunks, frozen longer, that can’t be made with traditional ice-making apparatus. And in a move worthy of the aforementioned Frederic Tudor, he has started his own L.A.–based ice-manufacturing company, Névé Luxury Ice, whose Pasadena clients include such foodie-friendly establishments as Elements Kitchen and the Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa. Using a process as secret as the mys14 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

tery ingredients in Coca Cola, his company makes perfectly cut cubes of ice from ultra-purified water, stylish enough to be used on the set of Mad Men. But it isn’t just the clarity of the water that he says sets his ice apart from mere, well, ice. His cubes are frozen for 48 hours — which slows down their dilution rate — and fashioned into distinctively sized products: the “Rocks” cube and the “Collins” cube. The “Rocks” is a gorgeous cube, 2 inches across on every facet. It isn’t molded but cut instead from a much larger block. This gives it a brutal, sculptural quality as it nestles in a tumbler. Actually, it doesn’t so much nestle as crouch, with its corners almost touching the sides of the tumbler. The volume of the single cube is 50 percent of the volume of a rocks glass, which is the amount of “normal” ice you’d put in. And it takes forever to melt.

His cocktail-shaker cubes, with their corners cut off so as not to break in the shaker, add about 20 to 35 percent more liquid to a cocktail during the shake.

Regular cubes can add up to 75 percent of additional liquid to the drink.

The “Collins” cube, designed for tall drinks, is a fat spear of frozen water.

Also available for custom orders are ice “spheres” crafted in different colors and flavors, incorporating fruit, herbs or flower petals. A mixed 10-pound bag of Rocks, Collins and shaking ice retails for $20.

I watch as Dozois slowly drinks a Mint Fizz at the bar at Elements Kitchen.

He sips it for at least 25 minutes as he tells me all about the travails of enlightening bar owners about the importance of ice. It hasn’t necessarily been easy, especially in this economy, to get people to change from a familiar product to something as novel and seemingly exotic as his ice. So he spreads the word at occasional “The Art of Ice” evenings at restaurants around town. At the end he says, “I believe I’ve been put here for a purpose, and that is to teach people about ice, and make their cocktail drinking experience the best it can possibly be.”

I look at his glass, with the ice apparently still intact. The answer is clear. AM Névé Luxury Ice is available for purchase at Bar Keeper in Silver Lake.

Call (323) 343-1507 or visit neveice.com.

PHOTOS: Sidney McMullen

“I BELIEVE I’VE BEEN PUT HERE FOR A PURPOSE, AND THAT IS TO TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT ICE, AND MAKE THEIR COCKTAIL DRINKING EXPERIENCE THE BEST IT CAN POSSIBLY BE.”–MICHEL DOZOIS

Simply the Best in Retirement Living OUR BELIEFS DEPENDENCE VERSUS INDEPENDENCE • To provide heroic service • Our staff are real heroes; treat them well, expect a lot, and we will get extraordinary performance • Our actions will be guided by honesty, integrity and fairness • Our efforts will always match our passion for our daily responsibilities • Excellence in reputation; continuous self improvement; being part of something special • State of the art Wellness Room At Arcadia Retirement Village we are dedicated to building Community. Our community is a place where everyone, our residents, families and staff, interact and are committed to each other’ well being.

Our community is where friendships are MADE, LAUGHTER IS SHARED, AND GRIEVING IS NOT DONE ALONE.

607 West Duarte Rd. Arcadia, Ca 91007 Phone: 626-447-6070

Tony Gonzalez Mobile: 951-965-5197

RESTAURANTS

A FOREIGN STATE OF MIND WHERE TO GO FOR YOUR BO SATE OR BRUTTO MA BUONO FIX WITHOUT GETTING ON A PLANE STORY AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY NANCY SPILLER

A

Bistro de la Gare If there is a more charming, sensual, unpretentious French country restaurant in Southern California than South Pasadena’s Bistro de La Gare, s’il vous plaît, dites-moi.

The French chef/owner, Eric Ulmer, first beguiled Eagle Rock residents with Café Beaujolais, an authentic neighborhood Parisian café tucked into a string of nondescript storefronts on Colorado Boulevard. Stepping inside the door was like discovering a Perigord truffle in the desert as the eastside morphed into the Left Bank. The menu featured all the greatest bistro hits: onion soup, garlicky escargots, salade Niçoise and steak with frites, well prepared, affordably priced and served by actual French waiters. Then the troop moved their adorable Gallic selves to South Pasadena to a setting worthy of their charms. Their pretty street-corner location at 921 Meridian Ave. is near a Gold Line stop, thus the name, Bistro de la Gare.

Aiding in the seductive South of France illusion, every Thursday afternoon the street comes alive with a farmers’ market. Go sit yourself outdoors at a sidewalk bistro table or enjoy the terra-cotta– colored dining room. The waiters are still French and the food is still classic bistro fare, with lunch and dinner served daily and petit dejeuner weekends from 10 a.m. Completing the French country effect is Nicole’s Gourmet Foods next door, as well as the sensuous and seductive Barrister’s Garden Center. Quelle vie!

Bistro de la Gare is located at 921 Meridian Ave., South Pasadena. Hours are Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5–10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5–10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5–9 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Call (626) 7998828 or visit bistrodelagare.com.

Nepal. So you can imagine the horror I felt when I saw signs in front of restaurants at a Mexican seaside resort boasting “Our

Chef is from Texas,” or my lack of empathy for an anorexic American teen on our China tour who refused to eat Peking duck in Peking (she was later found snarfing peanut butter and crackers in her hotel room). On that same trip, the Chinese businessman perfecting hot dogs and hamburgers to dangle as power bait for American tourists further stirred my dark apprehensions.

I now find most travel a trial entered into less lightly. I’ve also lived in Southern California long enough to see it evolve into its own foreign food court, a place where enthusiastic diners get to imagine easily and often they are somewhere else. I no longer need to cook exotica at home or travel afar to enjoy the world’s pleasures. They’ve arrived in my backyard. Following are some favorite Arroyoland spots I visit to indulge my wanderlust when I’m not in the mood to shove my toiletries in a Ziploc bag or myself into a coach seat, or sleep anywhere other than my own bed.

16 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

Carousel This Middle Eastern party palace in the heart of Glendale leans toward the Lebanese and their love of large social gatherings. Its striped, upholstered booths invite a crowd, and Friday and Saturday nights that’s what turns out for live music and an endless parade of mezza plates (think Lebanese tapas) and kebabs.

The menu lists nearly 50 different mezzas, such as authentic hummus, eggplant-based mutabbal (also known as baba ghannouj) and the thickened yogurt cheese labneh served as labneh harrah (topped with jalapeños, tomatoes, herbs, spices and olive oil) or labneh khaleejhi (mixed with garlic, pickled peppers, diced tomatoes and olive oil). All make for fine pita scooping.

For those who believe an open flame makes any special occasion even more so, there’s a brandy-flambéed version of the housemade spicy Armenian sausage, soujuk. Once you’ve waded through the mezzas menu, you can navigate the kebab list, which includes chicken, lamb, beef, pork and even liver. Extra authenticity can be had with the Sultan Ibrahim — red mullet imported from Lebanon (served with a taratur sauce of tahini and parsley), Lebanese wines and Lebanese ice cream or pastries for dessert. Fully sated and perfectly happy, you can almost say you’ve been there and done that — sans the jet lag.

Carousel Restaurant is located at 304 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 a.m.; and Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m.; closed Monday. Call (818) 246-7775 or visit carouselrestaurant.com.

“I’VE BEEN TO ITALY A LOT AND GREAT ITALIAN FOOD, MORE THAN ANY OTHER, CAN MAKE ME WEEPY FOR THE JOYA.”

s a child, I cooked foreign foods to escape my dull suburban surroundings. As an adult indulging my traveling jones, I’ve made a religion of eating local when going global. I’ve enjoyed bangers and mash in London, oeufs à la neige in Paris and momos in

The exceptional, well-paired and affordable wine list was compiled with the help of Silver Lake Wine across the street. Non-alcoholic options include an amazing ginger limeade. Also offered is the traditional Vietnamese coffee, slowdripped into sweetened condensed milk. The buzz can last a week and will put you on par with the energy level displayed in the open kitchen.

Gingergrass is located at 2396 Glendale Blvd., Silver Lake. Hours are Sunday through Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Call (323) 644-1600 or visit gingergrass.com.

Gingergrass I’ve not been to Vietnam but became a fan of the cuisine eating often at San Jose’s abundant supply of immigrant restaurants before moving to Los Angeles. Gingergrass on Glendale Boulevard is my favorite here. Its roots go back to the defunct high-end Le Colonial, a stylish haute Vietnamese restaurant near the Beverly Center that proved unsustainable.

Its Vietnamese chefs now ply their cleavers for an always packed house in hipster heaven Silver Lake. I am addicted to their crispy whole shrimp, any of their fresh rolls with dipping sauces, green papaya salad, comforting coconut curry cod and their bo sate — cubed filet mignon with peanut sauce, yams and long beans — which makes me break my vegetarian vows all too often.

Up the health quotient by ordering brown rice to mollify any guilt over having the fried banana rolls with ice cream for dessert.

Señor Fish Even though the Eagle Rock location was less than 10 minutes from my Glendale home, it took lavish praise from New York Times Magazine food writer Molly O’Neill to send me racing there for fish tacos she claimed could “bring you to your knees.”

My knees are now well bruised from years of enjoying its grilled fish tacos every chance I get, which is often, since first-generation Mexican-American siblings Enrique and Alicia Ramirez now have five locations (including one in South Pasadena), after starting with a Highland Park kiosk and their mother’s native Guadalajara recipes. Raves are also heard for the various seafood burri—CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 17

RESTAURANTS

A FOREIGN STATE OF MIND WHERE TO GO FOR YOUR BO SATE OR BRUTTO MA BUONO FIX WITHOUT GETTING ON A PLANE STORY AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY NANCY SPILLER

A

Bistro de la Gare If there is a more charming, sensual, unpretentious French country restaurant in Southern California than South Pasadena’s Bistro de La Gare, s’il vous plaît, dites-moi.

The French chef/owner, Eric Ulmer, first beguiled Eagle Rock residents with Café Beaujolais, an authentic neighborhood Parisian café tucked into a string of nondescript storefronts on Colorado Boulevard. Stepping inside the door was like discovering a Perigord truffle in the desert as the eastside morphed into the Left Bank. The menu featured all the greatest bistro hits: onion soup, garlicky escargots, salade Niçoise and steak with frites, well prepared, affordably priced and served by actual French waiters. Then the troop moved their adorable Gallic selves to South Pasadena to a setting worthy of their charms. Their pretty street-corner location at 921 Meridian Ave. is near a Gold Line stop, thus the name, Bistro de la Gare.

Aiding in the seductive South of France illusion, every Thursday afternoon the street comes alive with a farmers’ market. Go sit yourself outdoors at a sidewalk bistro table or enjoy the terra-cotta– colored dining room. The waiters are still French and the food is still classic bistro fare, with lunch and dinner served daily and petit dejeuner weekends from 10 a.m. Completing the French country effect is Nicole’s Gourmet Foods next door, as well as the sensuous and seductive Barrister’s Garden Center. Quelle vie!

Bistro de la Gare is located at 921 Meridian Ave., South Pasadena. Hours are Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5–10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5–10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5–9 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Call (626) 7998828 or visit bistrodelagare.com.

Nepal. So you can imagine the horror I felt when I saw signs in front of restaurants at a Mexican seaside resort boasting “Our

Chef is from Texas,” or my lack of empathy for an anorexic American teen on our China tour who refused to eat Peking duck in Peking (she was later found snarfing peanut butter and crackers in her hotel room). On that same trip, the Chinese businessman perfecting hot dogs and hamburgers to dangle as power bait for American tourists further stirred my dark apprehensions.

I now find most travel a trial entered into less lightly. I’ve also lived in Southern California long enough to see it evolve into its own foreign food court, a place where enthusiastic diners get to imagine easily and often they are somewhere else. I no longer need to cook exotica at home or travel afar to enjoy the world’s pleasures. They’ve arrived in my backyard. Following are some favorite Arroyoland spots I visit to indulge my wanderlust when I’m not in the mood to shove my toiletries in a Ziploc bag or myself into a coach seat, or sleep anywhere other than my own bed.

16 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

Carousel This Middle Eastern party palace in the heart of Glendale leans toward the Lebanese and their love of large social gatherings. Its striped, upholstered booths invite a crowd, and Friday and Saturday nights that’s what turns out for live music and an endless parade of mezza plates (think Lebanese tapas) and kebabs.

The menu lists nearly 50 different mezzas, such as authentic hummus, eggplant-based mutabbal (also known as baba ghannouj) and the thickened yogurt cheese labneh served as labneh harrah (topped with jalapeños, tomatoes, herbs, spices and olive oil) or labneh khaleejhi (mixed with garlic, pickled peppers, diced tomatoes and olive oil). All make for fine pita scooping.

For those who believe an open flame makes any special occasion even more so, there’s a brandy-flambéed version of the housemade spicy Armenian sausage, soujuk. Once you’ve waded through the mezzas menu, you can navigate the kebab list, which includes chicken, lamb, beef, pork and even liver. Extra authenticity can be had with the Sultan Ibrahim — red mullet imported from Lebanon (served with a taratur sauce of tahini and parsley), Lebanese wines and Lebanese ice cream or pastries for dessert. Fully sated and perfectly happy, you can almost say you’ve been there and done that — sans the jet lag.

Carousel Restaurant is located at 304 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 a.m.; and Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m.; closed Monday. Call (818) 246-7775 or visit carouselrestaurant.com.

“I’VE BEEN TO ITALY A LOT AND GREAT ITALIAN FOOD, MORE THAN ANY OTHER, CAN MAKE ME WEEPY FOR THE JOYA.”

s a child, I cooked foreign foods to escape my dull suburban surroundings. As an adult indulging my traveling jones, I’ve made a religion of eating local when going global. I’ve enjoyed bangers and mash in London, oeufs à la neige in Paris and momos in

The exceptional, well-paired and affordable wine list was compiled with the help of Silver Lake Wine across the street. Non-alcoholic options include an amazing ginger limeade. Also offered is the traditional Vietnamese coffee, slowdripped into sweetened condensed milk. The buzz can last a week and will put you on par with the energy level displayed in the open kitchen.

Gingergrass is located at 2396 Glendale Blvd., Silver Lake. Hours are Sunday through Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Call (323) 644-1600 or visit gingergrass.com.

Gingergrass I’ve not been to Vietnam but became a fan of the cuisine eating often at San Jose’s abundant supply of immigrant restaurants before moving to Los Angeles. Gingergrass on Glendale Boulevard is my favorite here. Its roots go back to the defunct high-end Le Colonial, a stylish haute Vietnamese restaurant near the Beverly Center that proved unsustainable.

Its Vietnamese chefs now ply their cleavers for an always packed house in hipster heaven Silver Lake. I am addicted to their crispy whole shrimp, any of their fresh rolls with dipping sauces, green papaya salad, comforting coconut curry cod and their bo sate — cubed filet mignon with peanut sauce, yams and long beans — which makes me break my vegetarian vows all too often.

Up the health quotient by ordering brown rice to mollify any guilt over having the fried banana rolls with ice cream for dessert.

Señor Fish Even though the Eagle Rock location was less than 10 minutes from my Glendale home, it took lavish praise from New York Times Magazine food writer Molly O’Neill to send me racing there for fish tacos she claimed could “bring you to your knees.”

My knees are now well bruised from years of enjoying its grilled fish tacos every chance I get, which is often, since first-generation Mexican-American siblings Enrique and Alicia Ramirez now have five locations (including one in South Pasadena), after starting with a Highland Park kiosk and their mother’s native Guadalajara recipes. Raves are also heard for the various seafood burri—CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 17

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tos and tostadas, and some swear by their ceviche— but I can’t get enough of the tacos. The atmosphere is authentic seaside small-town Mexican and the food is fresh, affordable and surprisingly fast. You place your order at the counter and there’s barely enough time for a full survey of the salsa bar — everything from mild green tomatillo to pico de gallo to dusky, fiery red salsas — before your order is up. But all these years later, on the subject of knees and being brought to them, I’ve got a question for Molly — did you ever try the scallop tacos?

Señor Fish is located at 4803 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 257-7167, and at 618 Mission St., South Pasadena, (626) 403-0145. Hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m.–9 p.m.

Visit senorfishonline.com.

Eagle Rock Italian Bakery & Deli I’ve been to Italy a lot and great Italian food, more than any other, can make me weepy for the joya.

So you can imagine my thrill at finding a sob sister in Gemma of Eagle Rock Italian Bakery & Deli. It was their perfect pine-nut–studded almond cookies tender as a Tuscan sunset that first set me off. Subsequent to my initial moist-eyed moment at the place, I discovered it was a mecca for SoCal Italian food fanatics. One food writer and instructor I know traveled all the way from Orange County to buy pastries for his wedding. Gemma and her husband, Nick, are Italian natives who’ve been baking in Eagle Rock for decades.

Their core following is an enthusiastic post–World War II Italian immigrant population. Stand in front of the counter filled with the finest Italian cookies this side of the Ligurian Sea — chocolate nut meringues, almond or pistachio biscotti, unsightly but divine nuggets of cornflakes bathed in milk chocolate called brutto ma buono and, of course, the almond–pine-nut cookies — and maybe you’ll hear a neighborhood elder speaking Italian with the counter help and imagine for a delicious moment you’re in a small Italian hill town. Fa bene, grab a hankie and tell Gemma I sent you!

Eagle Rock Italian Bakery & Deli is located at 1726 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles.

Hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m., and Sunday, 9:30 a.m.– 1 p.m. Call (323) 255-8224 or visit eaglerockitalianbakery.com. AM Nancy Spiller is the author of Entertaining Disasters: A Novel (with Recipes) (Counterpoint Press).

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HEALTH & BEAUTY Dance Conservatory of Pasadena Dance Conservatory of Pasadena offers the highest quality dance instruction with the utmost commitment and care for each student. For children, DCP has a comprehensive ballet curriculum as well as Mommy & Me, hip-hop and tap classes. For adults, DCP offers classes in ballet, Zumba, hip-hop, ballroom, tango, salsa, modern dance and Pilates. Our new facility provides an amazing environment with vaulted ceilings and sprung floors that will enhance the students’ experience. 496 Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena. Call (626) 3961744 or visit danceconservatorypasadena.com Dr. Marilyn Mehlmauer Having smooth, youthful skin is the first step to feeling great about your appearance. Dr. Marilyn Mehlmauer offers a wide variety of solutions for any problem areas on your face.

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Dr. Ruiz Dr. Ruiz was named one of the top 100 U.S. clinicians in continued education by IT, a leading dental journal, and is highly respected amongst his peers as one of the top clinicians and educators in cosmetic dentistry. He is currently an instructor at USC and a course director for the Esthetic Continuum. Dr. Ruiz’s makeovers have been featured on ABC, NBC, Telemundo and Univision. Dr. Ruiz offers the latest in treatment, veneers, lumineers and bonding to achieve consistently great results. Call (818) 558-4332.

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—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 How do you find the materials, the decor, the designers who can help you transform your home?

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“Our clients come from far away and from right here in the neighborhood,” says Debbie Kowalski, owner of Modern Lighting, in Temple City. “Many of our clients have become friends, and they return to us over the years. Maybe they’re building a second home, or they tell other people about us. Other professionals refer to us, or ask us to work on emerging properties.”

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—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 The Modern Lighting showroom opened in 1946. Debbie worked there as a high school student in the 1970’s. The original owners were like family to her, and when the store became available in 1986, Debbie’s husband said, “Why don’t you buy it?”

They marshaled their financial resources, Debbie postponed the caesarian section that would bring her second daughter into the world -

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Debbie says, “Yes, we are, and welcome.”

It doesn’t take two decades to develop a reputation, however. Carrie Davich opened Maude Woods, Artful Living, on Holly Street in —CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

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—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 Pasadena seven months ago, and she’s already attracted a crowd of admiring clients. Carrie wanted to create a store full of cool, unique objects for patrons, women especially, who love beautiful things, but may not know where to find them beyond the west side of Los Angeles. Clearly, she’s meeting a need in the San Gabriel Valley.

“People come into browse, or because they’re looking for something special for a hostess or a baby shower,” says Carrie. “Some women want beautiful decor, but they don’t know what to do with it. And one gentleman came here recently and told me, ‘this is the only place my wife says I can shop for her for Mother’s Day.’” Some retail design and decor outlets provide expert interior design services and consultation. If you’re searching for collaboration in your pursuit of home design and decor, seek out someone who can keenly visualize, and help you to realize, your concepts. Paula English, owner of Fancy That, in San Marino, has learned to listen carefully to her clients.

“The first thing I do is try to get a feel for what the client’s home is like. Is it contemporary?

Traditional? What colors schemes interest them? I listen carefully, and I try to steer them toward ideas that aren’t necessarily trendy (here today, gone tomorrow), but ‘au courant.’ Ideas that reflect the evolving nature of the aesthetic marketplace.”

“I LIKE TO CREATE LITTLE VIGNETTES THAT ARE FUN, SENSIBLE, SURPRISING. IT MIGHT BE RE-LACQUERING AND PUTTING NEW FABRIC ON A CHAIR FROM THE 1960S, OR IT MIGHT BE RENOVATING AN ENTIRE HOUSE WITH PIECES FROM VARIOUS DECADES AND GENRES. BUT THE RESULT IS ALWAYS FRESH AND UNUSUAL.” — TAMARA KAYE-HONEY Tamara Kaye-Honey, owner and principal designer of House of Honey in South Pasadena, offers design services ranging from recovering a special chair to complete residential and commercial renovations. House of Honey is an ode to Tamara’s signature style, something she calls The New Vintage. Tamara takes joy in bringing new life to vintage pieces of furniture, accessories and decor.

“It’s hard to believe how you can put pieces together in unexpected ways,” Tamara explains. “I like to create little vignettes that are fun, sensible, surprising. It might be re-lacquering and putting new fabric on a chair from the 1960s, or it might be renovating an entire house with pieces” from various decades and genres. But the result is always fresh and unusual.

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

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—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 Fresh and unusual is what it’s all about in home design today. Specific genres have been displaced to some extent by more eclectic expressions. Unique shops and design services, like those provided by Maude Woods, Fancy That, Modern Lighting and House of Honey, cater to a new aesthetic of individualism.

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ARROYO

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Since 1994, James V. Coane, has specialized in: custom residences, estates, historic renovations and expansions, residential and apartment interiors, multi-family residential, corporate interiors, retail and small commercial building design. American Institute of Architects award winners, and named Best Architect

by Pasadena Weekly, their projects have been in Architectural Digest and other magazines and used as locations for filming and fashion shoots. Well-versed in historical and modern architecture and design and known for attention to detail on all projects. Visit jvca.com or call (626) 584-6922.

The ASID Pasadena Chapter (American Society of Interior Designers) is hard at work planning upcoming events. Our Annual Designer Parking Lot Sale scheduled for Saturday, May 22nd in the parking lot of Cisco Furniture on Arroyo Parkway will be a fun day for the public to buy bargains. Look for more detailed information on these events and others on the chapter website: ASIDPasadena.org

CYNTHIA BENNETT Cynthia Bennett & Associates has been a celebrated design and build firm for almost 30 years. They specialize in innovative kitchen and bath design, general construction, historical renovation, project management and interior design. With all areas of residential design and construction being taken care of by Cynthia Bennett and Associates, Inc., each detail will be thought of and coordinated. Call for a consultation at (626) 799-9701.

MARBLE ARCHITECTURE Since 2001, Tom Marble has worked with clients to complete a variety of projects, including the renovation of a Queen Anne Victorian, the revitalization of a neighborhood retail center and the recasting of a bland ‘60s office building as Hollywood Regency.

His goal is to negotiate the territory between people and place, creating an environment that reflects the uniqueness of both. His own home was featured in a recent issue of the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Visit tommarble.com

ELLEN BAUM DESIGN Interior Designer, Ellen Baum, helps clients create spaces that are truly theirs. She brings 36 years experience into each project. Her ability to transform unworkable spaces into functional, practical and beautiful living and working environments is amazing. She really listens to her clients’ ideas and requirements and incorporates those along with their favorite pieces into a new, fresh design plan. She has been published in numerous publications and appeared in two HGTV “Designer’s Challenge” episodes.

STEPHEN NUETZEL ARCHITECTS “I believe that architecture should be of its time and place; simple, tactile materials used in a manner that honestly expresses their inherent structural qualities, allowing the work to reveal its full potential. Architectural design should respond to all that a site has to offer, in a way that is at once beautiful and pragmatic, tailored to its user’s sensibilities and needs. Precise craftsmanship and honest structural expression are the soul of good architecture.” Call (323) 254-3262 or visit nuetzelarchitect.com

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ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 35

DESIGN

DESIGNERS’ CREATIONS FOR THE FUTURE CULL THE BEST OF THE PAST IN THE PASADENA MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA ART’S FOURTH CALIFORNIA DESIGN BIENNIAL, OPENING THIS MONTH.

PHOTO: “Where does it go?” courtesy of Ellen Keith and Indhira Rojas

BY B.J. LORENZO

WE’D NEVER GIVE UP OUR SMARTPHONES, APPS OR ANY OF THE OTHER STUFF THAT CONNECTS US INSTANTLY WITH EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING WE NEED TO KNOW. BUT IF WE COULD STEER PARTS OF THE UNIVERSE BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS –– BEFORE TAINTED OCEANS AND ECO-SYSTEMS, BEFORE ECONOMIC CHAOS AND GLOBAL UNREST –– WOULD WE EVEN WANT TO TRY? Most people would probably say, “Yes, but it can’t be done.” Others would ask, “Why not?” And they’d all be right. The planet’s biggest problems (like its biggest advances) have been caused by human action. And for each of those actions, there’s a reaction that could make even the wrongest path traveled turn in the right direction.

That’s the optimistic message of the fourth California Design Biennial exhibition, aptly themed “Action/Reaction.” It opens July 18 at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, and it’s a groundbreaker for the institution: the first biennial to have a theme, the first to include architecture and the first to enlist outside curators for the show’s five categories –– fashion, graphic design, transportation and industrial design as well as architecture.

“Since the museum opened in 2002, our world has changed radically,” says PMCA Executive Director Jenkins Shannon. “Our economy suffered collapse, an election reshaped presidential politics and campaigns, our social connectedness exploded as many trusted institutions melted away.”

Shannon says being “green” became essential to good citizenship as environmental issues heated up; remaining solvent became a problem; finding products made in America became an almost hopeless quest.

“Where does it go?”

by Ellen Keith and Indhira Rojas

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 38 ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 37

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

“Emerging architects and designers have responded to these challenges in ways that may influence the future and what happens next,” she says. The biennial focuses on a number of California talents, places their work in the context of everyday life and points toward solutions for all of us in the years ahead.

The exhibition’s guest curator of architecture is Frances Anderton, Los Angeles editor of Dwell magazine and host of KCRW’s “DnA: Design & Architecture.” Anderton’s section focuses on recently built public and private spaces chosen for their “beneficial environmental and cultural effects. There are so many different forms of innovative design,” she says. But in this case, the spotlight will be on inspirational ideas selected for function more than form –– ideas that react to current economic and social needs.

The EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park in southeast San Francisco is one of them. “It’s a beacon of idealism in a sort of toxic environment, a building devoted to environmental justice,” Anderton says. The facility, used for educating the public on environmental issues, is the first in its region to be 100 percent off-grid, with solar power, alternative wastewater technology, a green living roof, wind turbines and native landscaping.

Architect Lorcan O’Herlihy’s 11-unit West Hollywood condo complex is another highlight of the show. The project was honored by the American Institute of Architects for its “airy and uplifting design,” its bold use of color (red) and, especially, the pocket park the architect designed alongside the complex. The condo dwellers all face this verdant splash of open space, which is also open to other residents of this densely packed neighborhood.

If you’ve ever visited a fashion museum (or a wealthy dowager’s closet), you’re likely to see vintage Chanels, Norells and Balenciagas with fabric, workmanship and style as exquisite now as when they were new, treasures that will last a lifetime or more. Fast forward to today and Rose Apodaca, the biennial’s guest fashion curator. She has focused on a new generation of young designers attempting to achieve those same goals of fashion sustainability –– not because of the elitism that existed in the 1900s, but because of environmental, economic and social imperatives facing us today.

Apodaca is a pop culture critic, journalist and former West Coast bureau chief of Women’s Wear Daily. “What I find exciting, provocative –– even maverick –– is the new mood of designers who create in response to today’s challenges, not with trendy or superficial ideas, but in more deeply meaningful ways,” she says. Use of organic textiles, for example, may be new, but it leaves major problems unsolved, she continues. “If you want to be really green, how about designers who make clothes that won’t fall apart in a few weeks, clothes crafted with integrity and workmanship that will endure?”

Clothing, shoe and handbag designers she chose for the biennial represent only a small segment of a larger group concerned with fashion sustainability, she says. Many are employing older artisans to teach younger workers their skills. “Of course these products are higher priced, but they’ll live long, useful lives and consumers can factor that in. “The issue of where to produce is often a matter of conscience for these entrepreneurs. Their profit margins would be higher if they made their goods in China or Mexico rather than here in California, but they’re willing to sacrifice greater profit to enhance the greater good.”

Will the message spread? Apodaca hasn’t a clue. “I’m hopeful it’s the start of a shift in consumers’ consciousness,” she says.

Alissa Walker, guest curator for industrial design, writes on the subject for Dwell, Fast Company and Good, among other publications. She says there has been a shift in product design from its longtime focus on trendy, futuristic and eye-catching retail “objects” to categories that offer experience and interactivity.

38 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

“I chose for the show only designs that have meaningful impact, that transform a category, solve a problem or provide tremendous benefit to the user and society,” she says.

Google Maps, for example, has added bicycle routes to its webpages.

“Cyclists can now input starting and ending addresses and find nearby routes for pleasure cycling or to get them where they want to go,” she says. Better yet, the mapping tool offers turn-by-turn directions, estimated travel time, estimates of exertion needed for hills and advisories about dangerous crossings.

Another Walker favorite is a new product designed to monitor health and fitness. “It’s really fabulous –– this tiny little black clip you attach to your clothes can track your vital functions, calories burned, can work as a pedometer or tell how well you sleep at night,” she says. “You can sync it with your computer, to track progress or regress. For someone with diabetes or blood pressure issues, it can help in such a dramatic way. There’s been nothing like it to monitor health and lifestyle.”

She offers equally ardent praise for makers of new environmentally sound cleaning solutions and laundry products. “They’ve been able to condense the product, reduce the contents of the bottle by basically eliminating the water and they’ve created these tiny, adorable bottles to package them in. The product is less costly to ship to the retailer, the consumer has a smaller bottle to carry and store –– and the environment benefits greatly from all this,” she says.

Walker believes emerging designers “are at their best when given terrifying, outrageous problems to solve. They want to do more than just branding for major corporations. They have the tools to make things visually understandable to a large audience, and I think they’re out to help solve a lot of big issues we face.”

Louise Sandhaus, guest curator for graphic design, describes her category as “words and pictures that make meaningful messages.” It’s a tool of communication that appears on posters, diagrams –– all types of informational visuals, she explains, and it plays a critical role in everyday life.

“Graphic design connects people with what they urgently need to know,” says Sandhaus, who teaches at California Institute of the Arts and has her own L.A.–based design firm, LSD. One recent favorite example is a signage project titled “Where Does It Go,” created in response to general confusion over what to recycle where. “It was done by two students at California College of the Arts, and it’s essentially a little diagram –– a kind of game that led to different recycling bins. It helped people figure out which bin is for garbage, compost, plastic, paper.”

Another favorite is the proposed better bikeway signage designed by Joseph Prichard for Fourth Street in Santa Monica. “He worked with the community to learn their needs and came up with a great system for safer, more functional roads that includes new navigation signs, with connections to Metro stops and points of interest to bikers,” Sandhaus says. “The goal is to encourage people to use bikes as transport and also to alert drivers that bikers are on the road.

Graphic design is critical in shaping lives and public perception. Designers emerging now have the skills and ability to get the message out for the time and place we live in.” AM The Pasadena Museum of California Art hosts an opening reception for the California Design Biennial: “Action/Reaction” on July 17 from 7 to 10 p.m. Event admission costs $5 (free for members). RSVP by calling (626) 568-3665, ext. 14. The exhibition continues through Nov. 1. The museum is located at 490 E. Union St., Pasadena.

Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Regular admission costs $7 for adults and $5 for students with ID and seniors 65 and older (free for members and children under 12). Call (626) 568-3665 or visit pmcaonline.org.

PHOTOS: “Fat Fringe” by Art Gray; Bluelounge Studio Desk courtesy of Bluelounge; “Papillion Moonlight” courtesy of Raven Kauffman; Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook courtesy of Safdie Rabines Architects; Linea grey and pink shoes courtesy of George Esquivel; Time Travel Mart goods courtesy of 344 Design

DESIGN

“I CHOSE FOR THE SHOW ONLY DESIGNS THAT HAVE MEANINGFUL IMPACT, THAT TRANSFORM A CATEGORY, SOLVE A PROBLEM OR PROVIDE TREMENDOUS BENEFIT TO THE USER AND SOCIETY.” –ALISSA WALKER

BY DESIGN INSETS (clockwise from top left): Bluelounge Studio Desk, “Papillion Moonlight” by Raven Kauffman, Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook by Safdie Rabines Architects, Linea gray and pink shoes by George Esquivel, Time Travel Mart goods by Stefan Bucher for 344 Design MAIN: “Fat Fringe” by Layer (Emily White and Lisa Little)

ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 39

EDUCATION& SUMMER CAMPS Cooking Camp from Summer Art Academy The Cooking Academy invites your child to take an exciting hand’s-on culinary journey during one of our 10 one-week COOKING CAMPS this summer for ages 7 to 16! Our professionally trained chefs teach campers how to read a recipe, prepare and cook healthy delicious dishes, from blueberry muffins to cheese raviolis. Camps run June 28th to September 3rd in Pasadena and Duarte and are wonderful opportunities to experience the creativity of preparing your own meals! Call (866) 507-COOK. Enroll online at summerartacademy.com

PASADENA

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C A L L Y O U R L O C A L C E N T E R T O D AY !

40 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

Delphi Academy Delphi Academy is a K-12 school on a beautiful 10-acre campus surrounded by equestrian trails that offers an exciting summer program of fun and enrichment. Activities include adventurous camping & day trips to the beach, aquarium, Imax, Greyhound Rescue, Castaic Lake, a wild animal show, hiking, sports, cultural theme weeks, movie making, urban outdoor survival week, music cafe and more. A wide range of challenging courses include study skills, science, math, literature, and SAT & college prep. Call (818) 583-1070.

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High Point Academy Summer is particularly exciting because of the wide range of classes this year. We will be offering a number of enrichment classes including mock trial, woodworking, water games, computer games, movie making, and cinematography. Sports include golf, bowling, basketball and volleyball. Arts and crafts will include painting, jewelry making, and mini-soldier painting. We have expanded the options for incoming kindergarteners this summer as well.

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Huntington Learning Center The Huntington Learning Center is a nationally recognized leader in the field of improving a child’s basic study skills through remediation and enrichment programs. Students are given individual attention by certified teachers using personalized programs tailored to improve skills in a child’s trouble areas. Huntington offers individual testing and tutoring in reading, math, study skills, writing and SAT/ACT preparation to students of all ages.

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—CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

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ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 41

EDUCATION& SUMMER CAMPS —CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

La Cañada Preparatory Focuses on each student’s needs through an individualized curriculum. Low teacher-tostudent ratios have led to outstanding results with students learning at an accelerated pace. Classroom work is accompanied by enrichment programs that include art, music, Spanish, computer science, physical education and the performing arts. Each campus features a state-of-the-art computer lab along with a fully equipped art room. 4490 Cornishon Ave. in La Cañada. Please visit thelearningcastle.com

The Camellia Lounge Meet your friends at the Camellia Lounge, a hip location in the Japanese Garden where guests can sample signature cocktails and appetizers under starry skies. Visit Tuesday–Thursdays from 3–8 p.m. until Sept. 9.

Mathnasium Mathnasium is a highly specialized learning center where kids go year-round to improve their math skills. Students as often as they like - for as long as they like. The goal is to enhance your child’s math skills, understanding of math concepts and overall school performance. At the same time, Mathnasium builds your child’s confidence and forges a positive attitude toward the subject, yielding overwhelming results. Independent studies by EyeCues Education Systems found that Mathnasium students’ performance increased more than two letter grades in as little as three to six months. Enroll today to find out. Call (626) 510-6284 or visit mathnasium.com Upstage Upstage is a part-time theatre arts school in South Pasadena that runs an afterschool program during the school year and a summer camp in July and August. Today, more than ever, theatre skills are vital for a young person’s development. At Upstage students learn how to speak more clearly, move more easily, act more naturally and become self-aware.

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MERRIMENT

Secrets of a Winery’s Grill Master ROSENBLUM CELLARS’ SID STAFFORD MANS THE GRILL AT THE ALAMEDA WINERY, WHERE RED ZINFANDELS AND BARBECUE GO TOGETHER LIKE BEES AND HONEY.

BY IRENE LACHER

If you’ve ever suspected that heaven is actually a winery, you’re probably right. Most people in the wine business are passionate foodies, and pleasures of the palate are part of their everyday life.

When Sid Stafford joined Rosenblum Cellars in the Bay Area 15 years ago, the boutique winery’s employees happily savored a tasty tradition — sitting down together for a home-cooked lunch and a glass of wine. The Alameda-based winery had a kitchen, so each Monday, every worker would chip in $15 to fill the refrigerator with that week’s meals, which one or another of them would prepare. Eventually, the local health department got wind of the fact that they were, in essence, operating a commercial kitchen without a license. So lo and behold, they took the cooking outdoors. Stafford was so naturally savvy about barbecue that he kept getting asked to do the cooking.

Now Stafford is king of the grill at Rosenblum, where he works as the facilities manager and maintains the winemaking equipment. Over the years, the company has outgrown its homey lunches, but Stafford still does the honors when there’s something special to celebrate, like a quarter with no injury-related work losses. With more than 600 injury-free days behind them, winery employees have enjoyed quite a bit of Sid’s barbecue. “In September, after two years of no work-loss injuries,” he says, “we’ll probably cook a pig.”

Why is barbecue held in such high regard at Rosenblum?

Because the winery’s specialty is red Zinfandels and Rhône varietals, and its 25 different Zins and food prepared on the grill are indeed a match made in heaven. “Barbecued meats and vegetables are smoky and can handle a big, fruity wine,” Stafford says.

The winery’s founders, veterinarian Dr. Kent Rosenblum and his wife Kathy, launched the company in 1978, and during the next decade, red Zins were out of style; most Zin grapes grown in California were used in blush wines, says current —CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 43

MERRIMENT

Grill Master Sid’s Secret Recipes Also a world traveler and photographer, Stafford cooks by instinct, so he isn’t wedded to recipes with precise measurements. It’s probably better to throw caution to the winds and be as willing to experiment as he is.

That’s how he arrived at his ideal barbecue rub base after starting his reign at the grill using Paul Prudhomme’s K-Paul’s Magic Barbecue Seasoning. “I used it for a long time and got bored with it, so I started changing it,” he says. “I’m really fond of paprika, and there are so many different paprikas out there.

I like their earthiness and fruitiness; you can get smoky Spanish paprika and sweetness from Hungarian paprika. Like with salmon — you can just do a light dusting with paprika and salt, and that’s all you need. Just keep it simple, but if you want to make it complicated, you can go crazy with it.”

Stafford also recommends customizing the rub for your meal.

“You just have to experiment with different herbs and spices and find out what you like. Sage and rosemary are great with poultry, and herbs of Provence with lavender is great with lamb. For fish, you have dill and mustard.” He also suggests ground coffee with beef. For best results, barbecue over charcoal.

SID’S BASIC RUB Sid says ingredients are listed in descending order of volume – in other words, sea salt is the most plentiful and black pepper is the least. Calibrate amounts to your taste, and try to use organic ingredients wherever possible.

Sea salt Paprika Granulated garlic Sugar Mustard seeds Granulated onion Black pepper

GRILL MASTER SID’S PORTUGUESE CHICKEN (FRANGO NO CHURRASCO)

GRILL MASTER SID’S SMOKED SALMON

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken 2 tablespoons sea salt 4 cloves garlic

3 whole lemons 3 tablespoons olive oil A few sprigs of fresh rosemary

Salmon filets Extra virgin olive oil Cherry or alder wood planks

Sea salt Whole mustard seeds Dried dill

METHOD

METHOD

1. Butterfly the chicken and place it in a plastic bag with the salt and garlic.

Squeeze the lemons and add the juice and rinds. Marinade overnight.

2. Rub the salt off the chicken and dry it. Coat with olive oil and place on the grill, skin side up. Lay the rinds and rosemary sprigs on top of the chicken. Cover and cook on high-medium heat (without flipping) for an hour, until the skin gets brown and crusty.

1. Soak the planks in water overnight. Leaving skin on, coat filets with olive oil and place on plank skin side down. Lightly dust fish with sea salt, whole mustard seeds and a bit of dried dill.

2. Set smoker at 250 degrees and smoke fish for about 2 hours. Serve on the plank.

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43

for $105 million in 2008 to Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, one of the world’s

winemaker John Kane. Rosenblum sourced grapes from mountainside, head-

largest beverage makers.

pruned, old vines planted by early immigrants in Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara,

Highlights include Rockpile Road Zinfandel ($35), made from grapes grown in

Paso Robles and beyond, and he paid for the extra labor involved in making his

volcanic red soil above Lake Sonoma; Rosenblum’s flagship wine earned 90 points

Zins red.

in the Oct. 21, 2009, issue of Wine Spectator Insider, which said, “Ripe and lush, this

“He likes fruit-forward wines,” says Kane. “Zinfandel can be drunk young. It

is loaded with zesty lingering flavors of licorice that follow aromas of black raspberry,

has vibrant acidic red fruits, dark fruits, spiciness associated with it. It really pops

pepper and toasty sage.” Also noteworthy is the Monte Rosso Reserve Zinfandel

in your mouth. It’s not something you lay down for 20 years. You can drink it three

($45), which is made with grapes grown on the Sonoma side of Mount Veeder; Wine

to four months after bottling, and it’s a nice fresh, clean wine.”

News declared the 2006 vintage one of the “Top 10 Zinfandels of the Year” for 2008.

Rosenblum’s quest to fine-tune the winemaking process has resulted in an

The winery, a few steps from the Alameda-Oakland Ferry terminal, opens its

arsenal of barrels from 55 different coopers in the U.S., France, Russia, Hungary

doors periodically to wine club members and the public for fetes filled with wine

and Australia and more than 30 strains of yeast from around the world. And with

tastings, music and barbecue. For the upcoming schedule and online shopping,

his top sellers scoring more than 90 points in wine reviews, he sold the company

visit rosenblumcellars.com. AM

44 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

DINING

Let’s Dish AT DISH BISTRO & BAR, YOU CAN ENJOY THE COMFORTS OF HOME –– PROVIDED YOU LIVE IN A WORLD FOODIE CAPITAL.

BY BRADLEY TUCK

A FRIEND AND I WERE PIPE-DREAMING RECENTLY ABOUT OPENING A NEIGHBORHOOD BISTRO. WE UMMED AND AAHED ABOUT WHAT KIND OF FOOD WE’D SERVE, THE TYPE OF BUILDING IT WOULD OCCUPY AND HOW WE WOULD RUN IT. WE BOTH AGREED ON ONE THING IN PARTICULAR: AS OWNERS, WE WOULD HAVE TO BE THERE ALL THE TIME. EVERY RESTAURANT NEEDS A WELCOMING FIGURE THAT GREETS YOU AND TREATS YOU AS THOUGH YOU ARE A GUEST IN HIS OR HER HOME. CLEARLY THIS IS A PHILOSOPHY SHARED BY DAVID JOHNSON, THE AFFABLE OWNER OF DISH BISTRO & BAR IN OLD PASADENA.

Duck confit

Dish is tucked into a nice brick-walled space with lofty ceilings and a big bar in the corner to which regulars, of which there seem to be plenty, can cozy up for a glass of wine. A dark wood banquette lines another wall, and rows of bistro tables are packed with chatting diners by 7 o’clock on a Tuesday night. Johnson is bobbing around and greeting diners, chatting to regulars at the bar. The next thing to greet me at my table is a slab of moist, fluffy, homemade focaccia with a bowl of chunky pistachio pesto. That’s a great start.

The chef, Job Carder, was enlisted by Johnson on a visit to the now-shuttered Manzanita Restaurant in the Sonoma County foodie capital of Healdsburg. Carder had been at Manzanita since 2007, after a career at some of Los Angeles’ most popular restaurants, including Café Bizou and La Scala.

Mini booya

Dish Bistro & Bar 53 E. Union St., Pasadena (626) 795-5546 Dishbistroandbar.com Tuesday through Thursday: 11.30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Sunday: 4 to 11 p.m.

Closed Monday

In Sonoma, he’d developed a love for the region’s rich abundance of wild seafood, seasonal produce and farm fresh meats. When Johnson

regional cuisine made with locally farmed produce and livestock. He makes his

jumped at it. The menu at Dish, revolving as it does around these ingredients,

own charcuterie for the restaurant. These are the kinds of touches that you almost

wouldn’t look out of place on any Sonoma tablecloth.

trip over in Sonoma, but less so in Southern California. At Dish, you can eat a

Hog Island Oysters, from Tomales Bay north of San Francisco, are served with

charcuterie plate of house-made lamb terrine, duck prosciutto and a torchon of

a Bloody Mary sorbet and Champagne mignonette. Popping one near your nose is

foie gras with some grilled bread. I had slivers of the duck prosciutto with straw-

like that moment when you step out of the car next to the ocean on a cold morn-

berries, drizzled with 25-year-old balsamic vinegar.

ing. Santa Barbara spot prawns are in season, and here they sit in all their ruddy

Strawberry shortcake with vanilla cream and a crisp shortcake bonnet was

glory in a broth spiced with chili oil, with pea tendrils and plump, sweet fresh

something I didn’t think I could manage, but the berries were so juicy and sweet, it

English peas. You should ask for another slab of bread to mop up the sauce.

would have been churlish not to at least try.

House-made lobster ravioli is delicate but headily fragrant with Perigord truffle PHOTOS: Vanessa Stump

Carder is a big proponent of the “slow food” movement, which promotes

offered him the chance to bring that passion back to Southern California, he

Service was friendly, efficient and I was allowed to nurse a glass of rosé for

shavings; a brandied lobster “bisque” sauce provides a rich velvety coating that

two hours without being pressured to glug it down and order more. In the corner

will have you scraping your fork over the china so as not to waste any of it. Had I

of the bar, a television was beaming a baseball match. Normally, I’d resent its

been dining alone, I might have surreptitiously run a finger around and licked it.

presence, but here it looked at home, unintrusive. A group of regulars sat watch-

Half a braised Jidori chicken came in a delicious jus, bedecked with tiny baby

ing, sipping their wines, slapping shoulders as they chatted, clearly feeling at

vegetables. Soft globs of half-melted garlic cloves nestled under the skin. If you’re

home. And that’s the best compliment that David Johnson and the staff at Bistro

on a date, make sure you share this dish, just to be on the safe side.

could ask for. AM ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 45

TASTE Savoring Szechwan Salubrity FORTUNE CHINESE CUISINE PROVIDES RARE TREATS

BY DAN O’HERON This unique restaurant provides all the positive indulgences of which taste in refined Chinese food is susceptible—but does so in a very healthy manner—a quality not often shared by others in the business.

As the delicious color and aroma of an entree for two like beef with broccoli reaches the eye and the nostrils, it presages a grand taste, despite the fact that it contains only 22O calories and 1.5 grams of saturated fat.

While the kitchen builds on the rich, ageless traditions of classic cuisines from Szechuan, a province tucked away in the southwestern corner of China—yet operates under optimal modern health guidelines—you’d think the chefs are wearing lab coats along with their slippers, silk pantaloons and toques.

It’s remarkable that most every healthful dish seems to match the taste standards set

by Chinese Mandarins, once the country’s tradition-conscious high officials and aristocrats. Today’s huge, variegated Fortune menu FORTUNE should please the fussiest palates of the manCHINESE CUISINE darins of Greater Pasadena.

60 N. Raymond Ave, Old Pasadena While the kitchen offers classic “kung pao” (626) 577-1888 shrimp that goes “pow” with Szechuan hot sauce, it balances the books with a hot and spicy orange flavor shrimp of 150 calories and one gram of saturated fat. Other light dishes that are both flamboyant and bold include a steak—filet mignon, a cut of meat seldom found in Chinese restaurants—with just 370 calories, five grams of saturated fat. A specially brewed soy sauce reduces the level of sodium in most dishes by 40 percent.

Although located on Pasadena ’s exclusive Raymond Avenue Restaurant Row, the prices invite the hoi polloi. At lunch, there are a score of specials that include soup, egg roll, entree and a pot of tea, for only $6.90, tax included. ■

QUADRUPEL

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CUISINE

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From juicy hamburgers to tender filet mignon to fresh seafood, fans get all the fixin’s: enormous baked potatoes, signature cheese bread, tangy red cabbage slaw and creamy blue-cheese green salad.

The extensive list of fresh mouth-watering ingredients allows you to build your own gourmet burger. Our 312,120+ different combinations make every burger as unique as each customer. Rarely is the same burger made twice in one day.

Chef Levoe puts a new spin on French bistro food. Serving over 60 eclectic wines and a late night menu featuring our "Nordli" Burger, there is definitely something for everyone.

DINERS’ FAVORITES 1. Roasted bone-marrow salad with pancetta vinaigette ($11) 2. Honey-braised pork shank with parsnip potato puree ($19) 3. Croissant bread pudding with flambeed bananas ($7)

DINERS’ FAVORITES 1. Cheesebread Sliders ($7.95) 2. Fried Chicken Dinner ($19.95) 3. Australian Rock Lobster Tail & Filet Mignon Supreme ($49.95)

DINERS’ FAVORITES

VIBE

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Generations of Southern Californians have headed to this snowcapped dining destination for its hunting lodge ambiance, sawdust on the floor and lumberjack-sized portions of fun and food.

Not the classic burger joint. A fresh era of industrial decor, laid back vibe, today’s music, and burger options only limited by your imagination. Happy Hour 3:30–6:30 M–F featuring 1/2 off starters excluding mini-burgers & $1 off beer/ wine.

1. Counter Burger ($10.50) 2. Old School ($8.50) 3. Unique Veggie ($8.50)

VIBE A quiet, romantic spot during the early hours of the week, but a fun and festive restaurant in this Old European setting surrounded by wall to wall mahogany wood.

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46 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

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PHOTOS: Evans Vestal Ward (Fortune Chinese Cuisine; The Counter Burger)

CUISINE

T H E

F L A V O R S

O F

A R R O Y O

Ugo’s Café: A Treasure in Sierra Madre GOURMET ITALIAN CUISINE WITH CHARM FOR DESSERT

BY DAN O’HERON Guests here will have you believe that it’s Italian cookery, not French, that is the standard by which all other cuisines are measured. But perhaps it’s the young Italian’s ties to “mamma mia” that make the difference.

While most boys who tug on their mother’s apron strings often grow up to be Oedipus wrecks in their own kitchens, Chef Cesare Grossi loved to watch his mother cook at his home in Rome and relives the memory today in Sierra Madre.

“An outstanding cook,” said Grossi, “mother used to walk to an open-air market everyday to buy fresh vegetables, and later at other markets, hand-pick cheese, meat and fish for our dinner.” Said Sherry, his wife and co-owner, "We’ve built Ugo’s menus on his mother’s ethos: fresh quality ingredients, prepared from scratch — no shortcuts.”

All Ugo’s dishes taste like they come directly from farm to fork – except for the artichokes,.an Italian specialty. After the rough outer leaves of this flower bud are snapped off, the stem, with choke, is braised in olive oil and UGO’S CAFE spices and shipped from Italy in a can. “You can’t 74 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., make them any better,” said Sherry.

Sierra Madre While hand-me-down fish dishes are Ugo’s (626) 836-5700 forte, nothing smacks more of mother Grossi’s inspiration than the lasagne entree. Stratified by six tiers of rich semolina, interspersed with layers of sweet ricotta, buttery mozzarella and aged Parmigiano — all immersed in a meaty Bolognese sauce – it melts in your mouth, literally. Priced at $15.99, like all entrees, it comes with salad and house-baked bread.

With 12 tables, and an intimate bar crannied in a room marked with family-and-friend memorabilia, plus fine wines, and a romantic classical Spanish guitarist on weekends, Ugo’s charm fits the picture of Sierra Madre — a toy town under glass, defended from all calamities and cares. ■

NEW MOON RESTAURANT & BAR

PLATE 38

ZUSHI RESTAURANT

2138 Verdugo Blvd., Montrose (818) 249-4393 newmoonrestaurants.com

2361 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 793-7100 Plate38.com

133 W. California Blvd., Pasadena (626) 578-9191 ZushiRestaurant.com

CUISINE

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New Moon’s contemporary take on classic Chinese cuisine is a happy balance of traditional asian flavors and fresh ingredients that have been re-imagined for contemporary tastes. Impressive wine list and a full bar.

Comfort food with a twist! A few mouth-watering entrees include Brioche French Toast, Slow Roasted Baby Back Ribs & a Smoked Mozzarella Burger. Open for breakfast, lunch & dinner & til 1am Fri & Sat. Serving Peet’s Coffee.

Zushi does Western Sushi, the increasingly popular fusion sushi of North America. Fueled by invention of the California roll, a wide variety of popular rolls has involved since.

DINERS’ FAVORITES

DINERS’ FAVORITES

DINERS’ FAVORITES

1. Chloe Shrimp ($14.95) 2. Filet of Sole in a Blackbean Sauce ($13.50) 3. New Moon’s Dragon Beef ($12.95)

1. Brioche French Toast ($8.50) 2. BBQ Short Rib Sandwich ($10) 3. Mushroom Burger ($9.50)

1. Baked Salmon roll ($10.95) 2. Pepper sheared tuna sashimi ($12.95) 3. Spicy Tuna Salad ($9.95)

VIBE

VIBE

VIBE

Casual, yet sophisticated atmosphere and attentive service has gained Zagat-rated New Moon a dedicated following.

The newly opened bar has already proved a popular spot with special happy hour drink prices and menu.

Eat a quiet breakfast out on the patio or come for dinner & drinks while listening to live music! Upbeat, entertaining, amazing food! Open daily. Sun–Thurs 6am–10pm, Fri & Sat 6am–1am.

“Zushi is a subtle harmony of great food, good service and contemporary décor. Once experienced, this charming snuggery is yours forever.”

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ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 47

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48 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Sea Salt SEASONING FLEET WEEK WITH THE SALT OF THE EARTH: A CULINARY PRO PUTS A BRIGADE OF NAVY GALLEY GUYS THROUGH THE PACES.

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK | PHOTOS BY TERI LYN FISHER

I like sailors.

Not in a hot-to-trot, looking-for-action way. In a professional culinary-instructor way.

I mention this because I have just returned from 10 days aboard the U.S.S. Philippine Sea (CG 58), a guided missile cruiser where I was invited on board to train its cooks and participate in New York City’s Fleet Week. This is my eighth training trip for the Navy, but the first time that I was attached to such a nice (and handsome) group of sailors. They were thinks you’re a big shot. I am confident that, at the sight of my escorts, my fellow

professional, conscientious, polite, respectful, fun and eager

passengers felt bad for treating me like doo doo on the flight, seated as I was in the very last seat on the aisle, where it is perfectly acceptable to bump me, elbow

to learn. (The handsome part is probably because they were

me and casually lean on my seat as you wait in line for the lavatory. (And feel free to speak loudly to strangers about your pregnant cousin’s foot trouble. Yep, I’d

dressed up most of the time. I may not have felt that way if

much rather listen to that than to the movie.)

I saw them in real life, say, buying diapers at Costco.)

the latest technology. Super Navy Perk No. 2 was getting to see the combat control

From Norfolk, the ship set sail for a five-day test drive after being upgraded with I feel strangely at home on board Navy vessels. Perhaps it’s because cooks in

center, which closely resembles NASA’s mission control, only it’s darker, rocks back

a kitchen, like sailors on a ship, are confined to small workspaces, rarely see the

and forth and has better-looking nerds. Super Navy Perk No. 3 was visiting the bridge,

light of day and must accomplish repetitive, tedious tasks. Or maybe it’s because

where they let me steer. (Just relax! It was for only a couple of minutes. I didn’t run her

the great Auguste Escoffier (king of chefs, chef of kings… look him up, people)

aground or anything. It was like when I was 9 and my dad let me sit on his lap to steer

modeled his kitchen brigade system on the military.

the Ford LTD. Hard to believe I’m not running Daytona with training like that.)

The brigade is a kitchen hierarchy, with each station assigned to a specific

The real reason I was there was to improve the galley’s culinary skills. The

taskmaster, such as saucier, garde manger, poissonnier, etc. The brigade is not seen

culinary specialists (CS’s) were a great group, eager to rejuvenate their Navy

much in American kitchens, but we borrow from it here and there. For instance, most

menus. They had lots of requests for recipes and demonstrations, so the first five

fine restaurants employ a sous chef, who is essentially the XO (executive officer) of

days were non-stop cooking, trouble-shooting and fitting lessons in between meal

the kitchen. (You may be familiar with the brigade if you have seen the movie

prep. Few chefs I know could hack the schedule these sailors keep. When they

Ratatouille. And now, Escoffier is turning in his grave as I mention him in the same

leave the Navy, they will be better prepared for restaurant life than most culinary

paragraph as an animated rat. Of course the dead Escoffier reads this column.)

school graduates. Sure, they may not know how to make rillettes de lapin (yet), but

Yes, we are kindred spirits, the sailors and I.

they will never shudder at a 15-hour workday. (Super Navy Perk No. 4 is that at the

So off I flew to Norfolk, Virginia, to meet up with the ship. Super Navy Perk

end of a long day I sleep like a baby. Sleeping while underway is like being in a

No. 1 is getting picked up at the airport by high-ranking sailors in khakis. Everyone

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 50 ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 49

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRY BARS Celebrate America on July 4 with this nutty, fruity, cheesy-cake treat. It tastes great with any ripe summer fruit, including peaches, cherries and plums. Share them with friends on Independence Day or, better yet, bake them for your favorite sailor or soldier.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup rolled oats 3 /4 cup all-purpose flour 1 /3 cup brown sugar 1 /4 cup walnuts, chopped 1 /4 teaspoon baking soda 1 /4 teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened /4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pint fresh raspberries 1 pint fresh blueberries 3

METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with pan spray. In a large bowl, mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, walnuts, baking soda and salt. Add melted butter and stir to moisten. Press into prepared pan and bake 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

2. Beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in eggs, one at a time, and add vanilla, then flour. Spread on top of crust. Distribute berries evenly across the surface and press gently into cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is set and just begins to brown. Cool completely, then chill at least 2 hours before cutting and serving.

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49

Our day ended with the royal treatment at the French Culinary Institute, which

giant cradle. Plus, a week after being home I can still occasionally feel the rocking.

is surely the cream of the culinary school crop. The sailors were in awe. Their

Actually, this might be more of a disorder than a perk.)

future in culinary school was the main topic of conversation as we headed out to a

The night before we arrived in New York, we held an Iron Chef competition.

Mets game. (Super Navy Perk No. 8 — free tickets to stuff.) We got back to the

Ten teams from all over the ship were invited to the galley and given an hour to

ship just before curfew and, despite my credentials, the Marines thought the

create a dish using specified ingredients. It was a hoot. The results were (mostly)

sailors were trying to smuggle me on board. (Me! I look like their moms. I am old

terrific. (I learned that boot camp does not include a unit on rice cookery. FYI, you

enough to be their moms. I am quite possibly older than some of their moms.)

need to add water.) I served as a judge along with the CO (commanding officer),

The next day was spent preparing for a reception of 300 guests, featuring the

XO, CMC (command master chief) and SUPPO (supply officer). I think the event

Navy band, bagpipers, a silent drill team and lots of speeches from admirals and

brought new appreciation for the galley (or at least made the other sailors thankful

commanders. The helicopter hangar bay served as our buffet line, festooned with

for the jobs they had).

banners and flags. We even had an American eagle ice sculpture (which, for future

The next day, after an awesome parade of ships into New York Harbor (Super

reference, is best disposed of after such an event by tossing overboard). The day

Navy Perk No. 5 is sailing past Lady Liberty while manning the rails), I took the cooks

was spent carving fruit, arranging platters, decorating cakes, poaching seafood

on a culinary tour of the Big Apple. Our first stop was the James Beard House. These

and roasting meat to perfection.

young men had barely heard of Julia Child, let alone James Beard, and I was worried

A ship’s galley is not built for such an event, but as any caterer can tell you, it

they would be bored. But the staff gave us a warm welcome and a fascinating tour.

is not the venue but the organizational skills that count. The event went off without

When the sailors learned of Beard’s impact on American cooking and realized the

a hitch and, to top it off, two admirals gave me their coins (Super Navy Perk No. 9

number of world-class chefs who had stood at his stove, they were impressed. The

is collecting coins. Ships and sailors have personalized coins that are exchanged.

James Beard staff was impressed by the sailors too. (Super Navy Perk No. 6 is all the

I have amassed a nice little collection, including a coin from the secretary of the

warm attention. The sailors were repeatedly stopped and thanked for their service.)

Navy, which I like to brag about. I am told that whoever has the highest-ranking

Afterward we walked through Greenwich Village to Chelsea Market, stopping to shop at various specialty food stores. That week sailors swarmed all over New York… except Greenwich Village. I am confident ours was the first group of sailors

coin at the bar gets a free round. I have never witnessed this personally, mind you.

I am strictly business.)

All in all it was a successful trip. I showed them some useful skills, and they

that neighborhood had seen since the Village People. Still, they were showered

impressed the heck out of me. They were sweet and fun and smart and, with

with thanks and random free stuff, including hot dogs, beer and T-shirts. (That is

proper care and feeding, will grow into a fine batch of culinarians. I thank my lucky

Super Navy Perk No. 7.) I had hoped to get them into the Food Network studio,

stars (and my patient family) that I got the opportunity to meet them. That was

but the doorman was apparently a communist and had no love for the boys in uni-

Super Navy Perk No. 10. AM

form. So instead, we watched baguette production through the window at Amy’s Breads, shopped for truffle oil and dried mushrooms at an Italian grocer, ogled the

Leslie Bilderback is a certified master baker and chef, a cookbook author and a former

shelves of an international spice purveyor, drooled over beautiful fresh produce

executive chef of Pasadena’s California School of Culinary Arts. A South Pasadena

and fish and bought too many cooking gadgets.

resident, Bilderback teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

50 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS

THE

LIST COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

PHOTOS: Kristin Korb by Steve Anderson; “Mummies of the World” by Martin Rattini/American Exhibitions, Inc., http://www.mummiesoftheworld.com; Masanga Marimba by Hugh Stegman; Cubensis band by Ken McTaggart

HAPPY MUMMIES’ DAY July 1 — The world premiere of “Mummies of the World” opens at the California Science Center. The exhibit blends state-of-the-art science, culture and history in a never-beforeseen display of mummies and artifacts from South America, Asia, Oceania, Egypt and Europe, including an Egyptian antiquities gallery with mummies and objects dating back to 6,500 BC. Other items include the oldest infant mummy ever discovered, the first presentation of an entire mummified family, an ancient friar from the Sicilian catacombs and more. The exhibition runs through November.

The California Science Center is located at 700 Exposition Park Dr., Los Angeles. Call (323) 724-3623 or visit californiasciencecenter.org.

A GEM OF A SHOW July 2 through 4 — The International Gem and Jewelry Show comes to the Pasadena Convention Center Friday through Sunday. Industry professionals and consumers can view and purchase a large selection of diamonds, silver, gold, rubies, watches, earrings, necklaces, rings and more. Onsite sizing, repairs, setting and jewelry cleaning are offered at affordable prices. The show runs from noon to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission costs $8 (free for children under 2).

The Pasadena Convention Center is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Visit intergem.com.

SALUTING AMERICA AT THE ROSE BOWL July 4 – “Americafest 2010,” the Rose Bowl’s annual 4th of July celebration, offers a chummy way to celebrate the holiday with family and friends. Festivities begin at 2 p.m. with the opening of the Family Fun Festival and Food Court in Area H. Later, the celebration moves inside the stadium, with Drum Corps International performances by five units and a military tribute starting at 7 p.m. At 9 p.m., Southern California’s biggest fireworks display closes the day’s activities. Tickets cost $13 (free for children ages 7 and under and active military personnel with ID).

The Rose Bowl is located at 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena. For tickets, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000; for information, visit rosebowlstadium.com.

MUSIC AT THE ZOO

COOL JAZZ FOR HOT SUMMER NIGHTS Descanso Gardens offers a summer jazz program, “The Evolution of American Jazz,” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursdays through July: July 1 — Robert Kyle plays Brazilian jazz.

July 8 — Mitchell Long sings in Portuguese, performing Latin and Brazilian jazz.

July 15 — Reynolds Brothers with Ralf Reynolds perform classic Tin Pan Alley jazz.

July 22 — Kenny Sara performs New Orleans blues and gospel.

July 29 — Kristin Korb (pictured) plays “California Cool” jazz.

The concerts are free with Descanso admission.

Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge.

Call (818) 949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org.

The LA Zoo hosts “Music at the Zoo” in July and August, benefiting the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association’s efforts to fund exhibits and activities: July 9 — World Music Night starts at 6 p.m., with John Bilezikjian (Middle Eastern), the Marieve Harrington Band (French), Billy Mitchell Presents World Music featuring Marisa Kosugi (Japanese), “Cui Cui” Rangel (Mexican), Incendio (Latin salsa), Paddy’s Pig (Irish), Espino (Latin) and Masanga Marimba, pictured, top, (Zimbabwean).

July 23 — Classic Rock Night, starting at 6 p.m., features tribute bands playing the music of iconic rockers. The lineup is Cubensis, pictured, bottom, (Grateful Dead), The Heist (music of The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Who and Creedence Clearwater Revival), We Are the Eggmen (The Beatles), Bad Animals (Heart), Heartache Tonight (the Eagles), On the Rocks (the Rolling Stones, Bad Company and Jimi Hendrix) and David Vito Gregoli & the Moulin Bros. (James Taylor, America, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Dan Fogelberg).

Admission costs $16.50 for adults ($12.50 for GLAZA members) and $10.50 for children ages 6 to 15 ($7.50 for GLAZA members); free for children 5 and under.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Dr., Griffith Park. Tickets are available at the zoo, by calling (323) 644-6042 or by visiting lazoo.org/mitz/.

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 52 ARROYO ~ JULY 2010 ~ 51

A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS

THE

LIST COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

July 17 — The Pasadena Museum of California Art hosts an opening reception from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday for three exhibitions on display from July 18 through Nov. 1. In addition to the California Design Biennial (see page 38), the museum unveils “Desire: Six Los Angeles Artists,” showcasing work that exemplifies the contemporary state of desire in the city, not only as an expression of love and pleasure, but as an aspect of alienation, spiritualism, consumerism and cultural and gender identification. “Megan Geckler: Every Move You Make, Every Step You Take” is a site-specific architectural installation assembled from thousands of strands of multicolored flagging tape, resembling an updated, three-dimensional version of string art. The work shares aspects of the Op Art and Light+Space movements. Admission costs $5 (free for museum members).

The Pasadena Museum of California Art is located at 490 E. Union St., Pasadena. Call (626) 568-3665 or visit pmcaonline.org.

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51

ART ON THE HILLSIDE July 10 — The city of Montrose welcomes art and art lovers during the Montrose Art Walk and Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can watch artists work and purchase their wares on the street along Honolulu Avenue. Also scheduled is live music.

The Montrose Art Walk and Sale takes place in the 2300 and 2400 blocks of Honolulu Avenue, Montrose. Call (818) 249-7171 or visit montrosechamber.org.

NEW CALIFORNIA ART + DESIGN tunes from West Side Story, Ragtime and The Lion King. Broadway singers Lisa Vroman and Doug Labrecque are featured vocalists. Music Director Rachael Worby conducts.

Gates open for picnicking at 5:30 p.m., and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $25 to $90 for adults, $10 for kids under 14.

The Rose Bowl is located at 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena. Call (626) 793-7172, ext. 16, for tickets or visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.

Southwest Chamber Music comes to the loggia of the Huntington Art Gallery for four July performances: July 10 and 11 — The ensemble performs works by Karl Friedrich Abel, Benjamin Britten, Thea Musgrave, William Grant Still and Antonin Dvorák at 7:30 p.m.

July 24 and 25 — A program of works by contemporary Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz is included in a program with music of Silvestre Revueltas and Beethoven at 7:30 p.m.

Guests may bring a picnic or purchase dinner at the Huntington’s Rose Garden Tea Room. Tickets cost $45 for loggia seating, $28 for the lawn; advance reservations are required. The series continues in August.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens are located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (800) 726-7147 or visit swmusic.org.

COSMIC THUNDER AND A STRING QUARTET The Norton Simon Museum hosts two vastly different music events this month: July 16 — Taiko master Koji Nakamura directs “Cosmic Thunder,” a 7 p.m. performance of Japanese Taiko drumming

by Makoto Taiko Ensemble. The percussion style is known for its precisely articulated rhythm and movements meant to celebrate life achievements, awaken spirits and intimidate enemies.

July 30 — The California String Quartet presents “Ravel and Bartok: Two Quartets Shaping the Music of the 20th Century” at 7 p.m. Ravel’s String Quartet lost to its Paris Conservatory competition and critics gave it low marks, although his Quartet in F is now considered a chamber music masterpiece. Bartok’s String Quartet won the Philadelphia Music Society Award and is one of the most frequently performed chamber music works.

Both events are free with museum admission.

The Norton Simon Museum is located at 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena.

Call (626) 449-6840 or visit nortonsimon.org.

LOVING NEW YORK July 17 — The Pasadena POPS season continues in its new home in the Rose Bowl– adjacent lawn with “I ♥ New York” –– selections from Broadway hit makers such as Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter and George Gershwin. The concert includes 52 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

July 17 — The 17th annual Glendale Cruise Night Car Show and Street Party takes over Brand Boulevard in downtown Glendale from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. More than 450 pre-1979 classic cars and trucks will be on display. Classic rock will rule the night, with Chubby Checker, the hit singer who invented the Twist, headlining the bill. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the dance and, during the event, dancers will try to set a Guinness Book World Record for the most people doing the Twist at one time. Other scheduled acts include Surfin’ Safari, “The Ultimate Tribute to the Beach Boys,” and The Icons, with former members of The Standells, The Troggs, Quicksilver Messenger Service and We Five. Returning as emcee is KRTH-FM (101.1) DJ Brian Beirne.

Call (818) 548-6464 or visit glendalecruisenight.com.

GLENDALE OPENS WIDE TO ART LOVERS The city of Glendale hosts its sixth annual Open Studio Tour, as dozens of local artists and art organizations open their doors to the public.

July 18 — A public opening reception runs from 3 to 5 p.m. at Brand Art Galleries.

July 24 — The self-guided Open Studio Tour runs from noon to 6 p.m. at various locations around Glendale.

Brand Art Galleries is located at 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale. Visit glendalearts.org or call (818) 548-2780.

COOL CARS SHINE AT CONVENTION CENTER July 24 — The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) presents its annual “Show ‘N Shine” car show from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. at the Pasadena Convention Center.

More than 150 vehicles –– including hot rods, classics, muscle cars, special-interest vehicles and trucks –– will be on display. Award-winning automotive designer Chip Foose, returning as grand marshal, will display vehicles from his personal collection.

To show your car, sign up at sema.org/shownshine. The $75 vehicle entry fee includes a T-shirt and a chance to win four nights’ hotel accommodations for the trade-only SEMA show in Las Vegas. Proceeds benefit the children’s charities Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. Admission costs $5 for adults (free for children 12 and under).

The Pasadena Convention Center is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (909) 3960289 or visit sema.org. AM

PHOTOS: Makoto Taiko Ensemble courtesy of the artist; Cruisning Brand Boulevard by Jessica Maria Alicea-Covarrubias/Courtesy of Heritage Square Museum

CRUISING BRAND BOULEVARD CHAMBER MUSIC AT THE HUNTINGTON

ART, ANTIQUES &JEWELRY Arnold’s Fine Jewelry Arnold’s Fine Jewelry is celebrating 120 years of serving Pasadena area families. From stunning engagement rings, engraved sterling baby gifts, watches for grads to spectacular evening baubles, Arnold’s is a destination for those seeking the very finest. Bruce Arnold’s personal joy is to suggest designs that respectfully restyle your cherished heirlooms. Thirdgeneration jeweler Arnold invites you to bring jewelry for repair or cleaning. Professionalism, trust and friendliness are why Arnold’s will be the choice for generations to come. 350 S. Lake Ave., suite 110, Pasadena. Call (626) 795-8647 or visit arnoldsfinejewelry.com Canada Jewelry Family-owned and –operated, with over 28 years of experience in design and manufacture of fine jewelry. Our knowledgeable staff will offer you the best service to create your special occasion jewelry. Come in and see our exquisite array of diamonds, gold, and silver jewel—CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

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ART, ANTIQUES & JEWELRY —CONTINUED FROM PAGE 53

ry. We also carry a large selection of writing instruments, watches, and gifts. We are an authorized dealer of Citizen and Lladro. Visit us at 965 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada-Flintridge.

Call (818) 952-2021 or visit canadajlry.com.

Fancy That!

Kick off your summer celebrations at FANCY THAT! We have everything you need to make your home decorating and entertaining efforts fun for you and memorable for your guests.

Whether you’re shopping for traditional accents or something with sparkle and pizzazz, you’ll find an impressive collection of tabletop decorations, centerpieces, candles, table linens, place settings, napkins, party favors and hostess gifts to complement your style!

Fancy That! 2575 Mission St., San Marino. fancythat.us.com

Fancy That!

Gifts, Home Accents & Seasonal Décor 2575 Mission Street | San Marino | CA 91108

www.fancythat.us.com

John Moran Auctioneers A full-service auction house for over 40 years, John Moran Auctioneers is internationally recognized as a leader in sales of exceptional antiques, fine art, jewelry and eclectic estate items. In addition to monthly Estate Auctions, Moran’s conducts tri-annual California and American Art auctions featuring top 19th and 20th century Impressionist and Western artists. Clients value Moran’s for expertise and dedication to top-quality personalized service. For information about consigning, purchasing at auction, estate services, appraisals, and free walk-in Valuation Days, please call (626) 793-1833 or visit johnmoran.com.

G.H. Wilke Our story began when Gilbert H. Wilke purchased a jewelry store in Arlington Heights, Illinois at the onset of the Great Depression, October 1929. But we’re not finished yet! Now celebrating our 80th year, we’ve been here for you in great times and greater times, customizing beauty for your every occasion. For personalized designs as well as a fantastic collection of estate, antique and contemporary styles, come see us! Contact Tracy R. Wilke, Dario Pirozko or Mila Banez. Call (626) 284-9444 ■

Cañada Jewelry & Gifts Life has it’s moments... make it Memorable

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Jewelry and Watch Repair • Personalized Engraving • Specialize in custom design

We carry GIA + EGL Certified diamonds

La Cañada Town Center 965 Foothill Blvd. www.canadajlry.com 54 ~ JULY 2010 ~ ARROYO

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