Arroyo Monthly May 2008

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V A L L E Y

M O N T H L Y MAY 2008

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ARROYO VOLUME 4 ~ NUMBER 5

M O N T H LY

23 LIFE OF THE PARTY 20 A CHIC COCKTAIL PARTY The “Fabulous Parties” guide to getting your drink on with a splash of spring style –By Mark Held and Richard David of Mark’s Garden and Peggy Dark of The Kitchen

23 FLOWER POWER Since 1966, Jacob Maarse has staked a claim in the power of flowers to enhance our lives.

–By Jenine Baines

27 CHEF-ERTAINING The loneliness of the long-distance chef — or how to make a mean taco –By Leslie Bilderback

FEATURES 13 FITNESS RING AROUND THE ROSE BOWL: How one man dropped 140 pounds with daily treks around Pasadena’s fitness mecca –By Noela Hueso

30 ART TO THE GRAND MANOR BORN: The historic Huntington Art Gallery emerges from a $20 million renovation as a stunning showcase for one of the country’s finest collections of European art.

–By Caroline Cushing

50 DESIGN A RETRO HOME FOR A NEW START: Designer Erinn Valencich adds punch to a restored mid-century modern residence in Pasadena.

–By Michael Cervin

DEPARTMENTS 8 FESTIVITIES Autry National Center, Pasadena Arts Alliance, Elizabeth House 11 THE ART OF SCIENCE Knees are the new hips for Baby Boomers.

47 TRAVEL A Sojourn in Green Land – Boulder, Colorado, that is 53 THE LIST Art by Pacific Island youth, Museums of the Arroyo Day, “Living with Robots and Cyborgs” at Caltech and more

58 TASTE TEST Wine flights without air flights at the Vertical Wine Bistro ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 5

EDITOR’S NOTE

Forget about movie premieres with pretty strangers or galas with women in stiletto heels and men in starched tuxes (or is it starched men in tuxes?). What's your idea of a really good time? For me, nothing's better than having an intimate group of good friends over for crisp conversation, snappy cocktails and my own, needless to say, fabulous cooking.

Okay, so the truth is I could use some pointers. And who better to offer them than Pasadena culinary icon Peggy Dark? Dark, who opened the Kitchen for Exploring Foods takeout and catering company on Colorado Boulevard almost a quarter century ago, has a new coffee-table book out, a guide to throwing great parties which she coauthored with Mark Held and Richard David of Mark's Garden in Sherman Oaks. “Fabulous Parties: Food and Flowers for Elegant Entertaining” (Ryland Peters & Small; April 2008) comes out just in time. After all, cocktails are back, and believe me, you want to be there when they arrive. In this issue, Dark and company offer tips for a stylish way to serve them to your guests.

Also in this issue is Arroyo Monthly's own Leslie Bilderback confessing the woes of the professional chef whose aura intimidates potential party hosts from inviting her over. Jenine Baines profiles florist's florist Jacob Maarse and gathers tips from him about the best blooms to add a punch of color to your party.

Probably worth listening to, considering that Maarse's notable clients have included the Pasadena Tournament of Roses queen and her court and the Western White House during the Nixon era.

Probably the greatest temple for entertaining that the region has ever seen

Passion combined with experience results in perfection. For over

was the fabulous San Marino mansion built for Henry and Arabella Huntington in 1911. The villa is now the Huntington Art Gallery, which emerges this month from a $20 million renovation. Caroline Cushing tours the showcase for European art and looks back at the life of the famous couple who gave birth to the Huntington's extraordinary collection.

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher PRODUCTION MANAGER Yvonne Guerrero ART DIRECTOR Joel Vendette • JUNIOR DESIGNER Alex Prompongsatorn CONTROLLER Michael Nagami • HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker OFFICE MANAGER Joe Beauvais CONTRIBUTORS Jenine Baines, Joe Beauvais, Leslie Bilderback, Michael Burr, André Coleman, Steve Coulter, Caroline Cushing, Mandalit del Barco, Noela Hueso, Carl Kozlowski, Brenda Rees, Arlene Schindler, Kirk Silsbee, John Sollenberger COPY EDITOR John Seeley PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Germana, Christopher Rainone, Evans Vestal Ward ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Fred Bankston, Dana Bonner, Hilary Chen, Andrea Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Guzman, Leslie Lamm, Rochelle Reiff, Cynthia Wagner ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Maricela Estrada, Carla Marroquin, Julie Olson ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR Angela Wang ACCOUNTING Archie Iskaq, Tracy Lowe, Ginger Wang PUBLISHER Jon Guynn

CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com • EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 • FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105 www.ArroyoMonthly.com ©2008 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 7

FESTIVITIES

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Elizabeth House’s March 29 gala, dubbed “Era for Change: Breaking

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the Cycle of Homelessness,” was the most successful in its 14-year history, raising more than $80,000 for

The Autry National Center opened its new show, “All the Saints of the City of

the Pasadena shelter for pregnant

the Angels,” with a festive reception on Feb. 28. More than 800 guests were sere-

women and their children, the only

naded by Angela Correa of Correatown and entertained by Ballet Folkorico dancers

facility of its kind in the San Gabriel

as they arrived for the unveiling of J. Michael Walker’s paintings of Los Angeles

Valley, according to Angelina Coe,

street people, which borrow elements of Spanish religious art.

2

executive director of development

The show, which runs through Sept. 7,

and administration.

is the culmination of eight years of research

A main attraction at the benefit auction and dinner at Pasadena’s University

for Walker, who delved into city records,

Club was keynote speaker and nationally syndicated radio host Dennis Prager, who

history books and archival photographs

can be heard locally on KRLA 870 AM. Prager told the audience that the nonprofit’s

relating to every city street named after a

mission perfectly illustrated his topic, “How to Make a Better World.” “Almost all

saint. Walker was joined at the reception by

good is done on a one-by-one-by-one basis, just as Elizabeth House changes the

the Autry’s executive director and vice

lives of its residents one by one,” said Prager, who has recently made a change of

president for exhibitions, Jonathan

his own by moving to La Cañada Flintridge.

Spaulding; City Councilman Jose Huiza;

Also addressing the crowd of 230 supporters was Glendale High School freshman Calvin Blinkenberg, 15, whose mother, Wendy, brought the family to Elizabeth

and Louis Alvarado, the honorary mayor of Griffith Park, where the museum is located.

2

House when he was 3. “Our family was provided with a loving home and peace of mind, knowing the future was about to get brighter,” he said.

3 1. Susan Reed and Dennis Prager with Elizabeth House exec Angelina Coe 2. Fundraising gala co-chairs Valerie Leiva, Maritza Smith and Rosalie Halverson 3. Jeff Miller, Anne Hennessy and Walt Kaletsch

8 ~ MAY 2008 ~ ARROYO

3 1. An avid fan expresses her enthusiasm to “All the Saints” painter J. Michael Walker.

2. Darrel Wright, model for “St. Moritz Drive,” with his son, Caleb 3. Walker with famed Los Angeles muralist David Botello (right)

1

The Pasadena Arts Alliance awarded more than $250,000 in grants to Southern California visual arts groups at a festive lunch for 60 on March 26. The alliance’s president, Suzanne Zuber, and grant committee co-chairs Judy Brant and Robin Stever welcomed recipients to the annual grants luncheon at the Pasadena home of Alliance member Carol Henry, where they dined on chicken enchiladas and brownies catered by the Kitchen for Exploring Foods.

Projects supported by the grants include the Armory Center for the Arts exhibition “Jirayr Zorthian and Richard Feynman: A Collaboration in Art,” which opens June 29; the Pacific Asia Museum’s show “Chinaman’s Chance: Four Views of the Chinese-American Experience,” which runs through July 27; and Side Street Projects’ careersurvival workshops and public lec-

2

ture series for adult artists.

1. Robin Stever, Judy Brandt, Patty Zuber, Otono Lujan of Side Street 2. Robin Stever, Judy Brandt, Joan Marshall of Pacific Asia Museum 3. Karen Smits, Diane Cornwell, Phoebe Sievers, Jennifer Watts of the Huntington Library 4. Alfrida King; Carol Stakenas of LACE; Wendy Baker of Luckman Fine Arts, Cal. State LA; Debbie Richards 3

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THE ART OF SCIENCE

Joint Venture KNEES ARE THE NEW HIPS FOR BABY BOOMERS.

BY STEVE COULTER

When I think of Baby Boomers, one image pops into my head: a chubby, young and almost invincible Bill Clinton jogging down the streets of small-town America during his first term in office. That image plays on a loop in my head these days as he clumsily campaigns on behalf of his

climb to 3.4 million by 2030, estimates OtisMed, an orthopedic technology innovator based in the Bay Area.

“When I first started doing

wife, presidential hopeful Hillary.

orthopedic surgery out of residency, we did a lot of hip fractures,” says

Like most of his generation, he looks older now – his face is redder, his hair

Dr. Richard Vanis, an orthopedic surgeon at Methodist Hospital in Arcadia. “Now

is grayer and he moves a little more slowly, but there is still a defiantly youthful

we’re starting to see more and more Baby Boomers, and we are starting to see a

spring in his step. Clinton may not embrace the role of elder statesman as grace-

lot more knee procedures. The activity level is so much higher for retirement-aged

fully as his detractors (and many younger Democrats) would prefer, but there is

people these days. There is less bridge and less golf than 25 years ago.”

something about him that continues to define the Baby Boomer spirit in my eyes.

And if I’m ever lucky enough to interview him, this will be the first question on my list: “How are your knees holding up?”

The average retirement age in America today hovers somewhere around 62,

Last October, Vanis became the first surgeon in Southern California to use the cutting-edge OtisKnee technique, a custom-fit approach to knee replacement which helps surgeons precisely fit an implant to patients’ anatomy – a key task since even slight variations can lead to post-operative pain and instability. The

which is 10 years younger than it was during the first half of the 20th century, accord-

technique also enables doctors to preserve more bone and ligaments, ultimately

ing to the Brookings Institution. We’re also living well into our 70s, on average. The

creating a more natural fit for the patient. Vanis has performed 14 procedures

problem is that today’s retirees don’t have the good sense to enjoy that extra decade

using OtisKnee, and he finds that most of his patients spend less time in surgery

sitting still, and it’s wreaking havoc on their joints. More than half a million total knee

and rehab more quickly.

replacements are performed in the U.S. every year, and that number is expected to

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 11

THE ART OF SCIENCE

A side-by-side image of the pre-operative, patient-specific OtisKnee ShapeMatch planning picture, next to the post-op X-ray for the same patient. This shows how the technology enables the procedure to be customized for the particular patient. Courtesy Otisknee

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

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That’s because the new procedure eliminates much of the guesswork involved in fitting the patient with a new knee, Vanis says. That’s right, guesswork – a word most people probably prefer not to associate with a delicate surgical procedure involving their knees.

“You guess right most of the time if you’ve done enough of these proce-

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dures, but OtisKnee is so much more reproducible,” he says. “In most cases, the range of motion is about the same with OtisKnee as it is with other methods, but this procedure is a lot more precise.”

Have you ever seen one of those cheapo graphics programs contractors use to show you what your house will look like with a fancy new driveway? Well, this knee replacement technology is to that software what Halo 3 is to Pong. Did I

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lose you with the video game reference? Whatever. Moving on.

The OtisKnee technique involves only a few steps, starting with an MRI that takes precise measurements of the patient’s arthritic knee. Computer software is

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then used to create a 3D image of the knee, and if arthritis has deformed it, the software virtually corrects the joint. Next, the corrected 3D image is sent to OtisKnee’s Bay Area facility, where it’s used to create a cutting guide – which looks like a plastic facsimile of the corrected knee. On the table, the surgeon

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snaps the guide onto the patient’s bone, enabling the doctor to make more precise bone cuts so that the knee replacement is truly customized to the patient.

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Once the patient’s anatomy is mapped out, it takes only about 45 minutes to replace the cutting guide with the actual implant, according to Vanis. He adds

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that after the procedure, patients experience less pain and some can walk with a cane as soon as two weeks later.

“We are seeing more people who want to do things that are physically active after knee surgery,” Vanis says. “There are people back bicycling, playing some

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limited tennis and, in some cases, even skiing. We don’t always advise that, because if they break a prosthesis, there can be real problems. But basically, people are looking forward to doing the things they were too busy to do when they were raising kids 20 years earlier.”

Or too busy being President. Or both. AM

FITNESS

Ring Around the Rose Bowl HOW ONE MAN DROPPED 140 POUNDS WITH DAILY TREKS AROUND PASADENA'S FITNESS MECCA

BY NOELA HUESO

Ramon Villalobos is a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back — just don’t ask for the shoes off his feet. It’s not that he’s a stingy guy; it’s just that they’re a symbol of how far he has come in his quest for well-being.

For many San Gabriel Valley residents, walking, running or biking the 3.12-mile circumference of Pasadena’s Rose Bowl is a great way to stay in shape. For Villalobos, it’s a way of life. On any given morning, the trim, 165pound retiree can be found smiling and waving to passersby as he logs 15.6 miles, navigating the bowl five times by foot. It’s a well-worn path he has traveled for 16 years, ever since he decided he was tired of being obese. Back in 1992, the 5’6” Villalobos weighed a troubling 305 pounds. “I just woke up one morning and said, ‘I’m tired,’ because the weight was just unreal,” he recalls.

In that instant, Villalobos, now 63, decided to turn his life around. In the ensuing seven years, he went from a size 50 waist to a size 36, from being unable to find suits that fit to tearing through two pairs of walking shoes a year. While the weight loss plan he implemented isn’t unusual — healthy food choices and exercise — his dedication to the plan is. Unless it’s raining, he’s going out of town or he’s cheering on his 7-year-old grandson at a soccer game, Villalobos is, without fail, walking around the Rose Bowl perimeter every day of the year.

And yet, he wasn’t overweight as a child or a young adult. “I was 160 pounds until the age of 37,” he says. “Then something clicked in my head and I went crazy. I didn’t pay attention and the weight just kept increasing — and I didn’t really care. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that my thyroid was falling apart and this and that. No, no. It was me. Eating incorrectly.”

Villalobos approached his weight loss scientifically. Recalling lessons from a junior high science class years before, he reasoned that if he took the weight off a little at a time, his skin would stand a better chance of bouncing back to its original pre-obesity form. He started off slowly, walking around the bowl just once a day, every day, during the first year, before heading to his job as a postal worker at Pasadena’s Orange Grove station. He doubled his distance in 1993, then tripled it. His daily routine plateaued at 9.6 miles for a couple of years (by which time he had already lost 75 pounds), but then “it got to a point where that wasn’t enough,” Villalobos recalls. “The weight was coming off, but I was feeling stagnant, so I began walking four times around.

And then about six months later, I went up to five.” He’s been walking counterclockwise around the Rose Bowl five times a day, virtually seven days a week, since 1999.

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 13

FITNESS

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

The plan worked. Villalobos is proud that he doesn’t have the loose folds of skin that plague many who have undergone rapid weight loss. His skin is taut and youthful. “I don’t have any stretch marks on my stomach or legs because I gave my body the time to do what it needed to do,” Villalobos says. “The human body is an amazing mechanism. If you give the skin time to contract on its own, it will.”

When he encountered friends or family whom he hadn’t seen for a long time, “they’ve been just flabbergasted” by his new look, Villalobos says. “They were used to seeing old fat boy walking around. Fat boy left. He went away and he’s not coming back.”

Of course, a change in eating habits also contributed to his success.

Moderation is key, he insists. “I can eat anything I want, but I don’t sit there and eat two extra-large pizzas and drink four pitchers of beer with it — and then ask what’s for dessert,” he says.

Villalobos’ positive attitude is another key to his achievement. Starting between 4 and 5 in the morning, it takes him about four hours to do his 15 miles, “if I don’t talk too much, which isn’t usually the case,” he says with a laugh. Eager to share his story if it will serve as inspiration, he carries a picture of his former self on his daily walk, pulling it out to show those he encounters on the road.

His gregarious nature has endeared him to other Rose Bowl regulars. “It’s really trippy how everybody knows him,” says Villalobos’ son, Eduardo, 34.

“Everybody there just loves him, and they know him by name.”

The effect of Villalobos’ journey with weight loss has hit closer to home, too, motivating Eduardo Villalobos to stay on his own long path to weight loss even when his father was making more headway than he was.

“We both started losing weight at the same time, but he was losing it a lot faster than I because he was able to dedicate more time to it,” recalls the younger Villalobos, an administrative assistant at Caltech. “It took a while for his metabolism to get in tune with what he wanted his body to do. But once that happened it was like, ‘Wow, every time I turn around, you’re getting thinner.' He always told me, ‘You didn’t gain it in a day and you won’t lose it in a day.'” That was enough for the younger Villalobos to dedicate himself to losing weight by taking it one day at a time. He has since dropped more than 65 pounds. “I’m extremely proud of my dad,” he says. “He set a goal and he did it.”

Retired for five years, Villalobos says his days are full. “Starting out in the morning [at the Rose Bowl] is what gets the day going...I can’t retard the aging process. I’m going to age — but I refuse to get old. The only way I’m going to maintain this weight and decent health is doing my time [around the bowl]. And I will continue doing it until I can’t. It’s not that difficult. Once you get used to doing it, it becomes as automatic as breathing.” AM 14 ~ MAY 2008 ~ ARROYO

ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 15

Shaken or stirred?

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& elements

Entertaining

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Photo taken by: Chris Cuffaro

Where do you go for the comfort of old books? Try Around the World Books and Art in La Canada. Begun in 2005 with their personal library and augmented with gems from estate, library, and private sales, Priscilla, a former instructor of history and English, and her husband Mike, a science teacher, have something for everyone among their 40,000 volumes--and paintings and photographs, too. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 11 - 6. (Closed May 26 - June 2 for son John's wedding) 643 Foothill Blvd. in the Plaza de La Canada breezeway behind Zeli Coffee - 818-790-2329.

If your May/June calendar is overloaded with gift-giving events like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, School Graduations, Bridal Showers, Weddings, Birthdays and Anniversaries, head straight for FANCY THAT! where you’ll find an amazing selection of distinctive gifts for every budget: Heavenly Hostess Cocktail aprons feature a sumptuous combination of satin, velvet and organza; Heritage Irish Crystal Champagne, Martini and Rocks bar ware as well as breathtaking vases in the Cricklewood pattern; One of a kind jewelry pieces featuring Murano Glass and Swarovski crystals, Amber and Amethyst set in Sterling Silver and very unusual Beaded Necklaces & Bracelets from France; USC, UCLA, Cal Berkley and Notre Dame collegiate ornaments, hand blown and painted in Poland; Summer Shawls in gorgeous colors and patterns, Candles, Potpourri, Sachets, Bath Salts/Oils and Bubble bath for Her; Games, Desk Sets, Watch and Pen cases, Jewelry Boxes and Bar Ware for Him; Vintage Cookie Jars from the 50’s & 60’s and fully restored Zenith Radios from the 1930’s & 40’s. And there’s more! Stop by FANCY THAT! to experience one stop shopping at its very best: great gifts, great prices and gorgeous free gift wrapping. 838 1/2 Foothill Blvd., La Canada – 818-790-6525

revision

FANCY THAT!

Adobe Design carries a full line of MATCH brand Pewter! Keeping with Sue's goal in helping the environment, each piece is made with an alloy that is lead-free and food-safe. This classic form caters to all your needs, from entertaining to gift-giving....works beautifully in both a traditional and modern setting. If you don't see the piece you want, an extensive catalog is on the premises for orders, and monogramming is available. Compliment your table with something from Adobe's vast collection of environmentally-friendly beeswax candles, a pure form of nature’s candlelight. French fine linens, hand woven in Provence and unique lighting from Italy, Mexico and Spain are available to finish your table. Visit this pretty store and take some time to take in Adobe's unique atmosphere, stay awhile and have a cup of coffee and a cookie. Don't forget to bring in your forgotten jewelry to be re-designed by Sue, who’ll turn it into a piece you will enjoy wearing once again. 852 Foothill Blvd., La Canada – 818-952-2004.

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All new Just Cavalli Jewels have just arrived exclusively at Posh! Come see all new “bling for spring”, as well as the beautiful Adrienne Vittadini wicker clutch (see ad), hot summer totes from Plenty by Tracy Reese and gorgeous new belts by Washed Up Hollywood. Don’t forget about the latest sunglass collections by Ferragamo, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and more at Posh. See the cutest kids’ summer outfits with shorts, peddle-pushers, sundresses, hats and more at Baby Chique Boutique by Rabbit Moon, Mish Mish & Deux par Deux! See the latest styles of sandals by Jack & Lily, Pediped and Blue Bottle by Naturino, plus precious little sneakers and slippers by Converse and Kamara. Baby Chique Boutique is the place to shop for the new tot in your life, whether it’s for a gift of a new keepsake baby book, picture frame, or anything a new mom might need for the nursery. 838 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Call 818-952-1600 or 818-952-0133.

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LIFE OF THE PARTY

A Chic Cocktail Party THE “FABULOUS PARTIES” GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR DRINK ON WITH A SPLASH OF SPRING STYLE

BY MARK HELD AND RICHARD DAVID OF MARK'S GARDEN AND PEGGY DARK OF THE KITCHEN PHOTOS BY RYLAND PETERS & SMALL

As the famous American hostess Elsa Maxwell said about entertaining in the mid-20th century, “Serve the dinner backward, do anything — but for goodness sake, do something weird.” It is still a good point. Attempt something new each time you entertain.

As your guests gather, the momentum should begin immediately, and that is why we always allow a generous — but not overly extended — cocktail and hors d’oeuvres hour. Cocktails are back in a big way. We always try to create something unusual that fits into the theme of the affair and prepares the palate for the array of food that will follow. Hors d’oeuvres are something you can approach bravely with no holds barred. Tidbits of adventurous samplings not only whet the appetite before a meal, they offer entertainment to the palate so nobody makes a great commitment to a full portion of something. Most guests will try anything new in this way, when they wouldn’t imagine ordering it for a meal during a night out. Consequently, this is really the time to try to give them something new and unexpected — our constant pursuit.

STRAIGHT UP WITH AN AMERICAN TWIST The British invented the cocktail party (reportedly the author Alec Waugh in the 1920s), but it was probably the Americans who really perfected the art of cocktail mixing. Apparently, during the Prohibition period, mixing liquor with other liquids disguised the horrible flavor of bootleg alcohol. Although once out of fashion, cocktails today are more stylish than ever, and from that we take our cue to raise the art of the cocktail party to the highest level of chic.

Elegant black and white with a splash of yellow is what we have chosen to establish a mood of sophistication along with the unexpected.

Because yellow is an edgy color that works well as an accent, we like this combination along with the perfect complacency of black and white. Sleek, stark and sophisticated, this is a dramatic setting for the most glamorous array of guests.

Even the most modest can feel exceptional in this environment. Masses of black calla lilies, yellow freesia and yellow craspedia balls accented with large tropical leaves and trimmed horsetail become sculptural art pieces in this gorgeous showcase of light and shadow. Can’t you just imagine Audrey Hepburn standing in the corner in a little black dress? AM Reprinted with permission from “Fabulous Parties: Food and Flowers for Elegant Entertaining” (Ryland Peters & Small; April 2008), by Mark Held and Richard David of Mark's Garden and Peggy Dark of The Kitchen. Available from Vroman's Bookstore at www.vromansbookstore.com or call (626) 449-5230.

20 ~ MAY 2008 ~ ARROYO

MENU FOR 6 to 8 GUESTS APERITIF Cucumber Basil Gimlet Pear Side-Car TO BE PASSED Ahi Tuna Tartar on a Wonton Crisp with Wasabi Sauce Warm Brie in a Crispy Cup with White Truffle Honey and Toasted Almonds Chicken Tonnato served on a Crostini Beef Carpaccio with Rosemary Aïoli Crispy Fried Olives Stuffed with Sausage and Goat Cheese DESSERT Mini Lemon Napoleons CUCUMBER BASIL GIMLET Makes 1 drink

PEAR SIDE-CAR Makes 1 drink

BEEF CARPACCIO WITH ROSEMARY AÏOLI Makes 25 pieces

2 1/2 fluid ounces gin 1/2 fluid ounce preserved lime juice (Rose’s) or Angostura 5 basil leaves, torn 5 cucumber slices, chopped cucumber spear, to garnish

1 fluid ounce brandy 1 fluid ounce pear brandy 3/4 fluid ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice sugar, to serve thin slice of pear, to garnish

8-to-10-ounce beef tenderloin, using the tip end olive oil, to drizzle sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.

Add ice and shake to chill. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a cucumber spear.

Serve immediately.

Pour all the liquids into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake to chill. Strain into a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass and garnish with a slice of pear.

Wrap the tenderloin in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 2 hours. To make the rosemary toasts, preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the bread squares on a baking sheet and brush with the melted butter mixture.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. To make the aïoli, put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the meat from the freezer, unwrap it and slice very thinly, using a meat slicer or sharp knife. To assemble, put a small dollop of aïoli on a toast square, followed by a slice of beef. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

AHI TUNA TARTAR Makes 20 pieces 5 wonton wrappers or skins, cut into quarters 1/2 cup good-quality prepared mayonnaise 2 tablespoons wasabi powder 6 ounces sashimi-grade ahi tuna

1 teaspoon sesame oil 3 dashes Tabasco sauce, or to taste 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, plus extra to garnish oil, for frying sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a wok to 350°F. Fry the quartered wonton wrappers until very light brown, about 3 to 5 seconds. Drain on paper towels. (You can do this in advance and keep the wrappers in an airtight container.) To make the wasabi sauce, put the mayonnaise and wasabi powder in a bowl and whisk to combine. To make the tuna tartar, finely chop the tuna and put it in a bowl. Add the sesame oil, Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chives and mix. Put a small amount of wasabi sauce on each wonton crisp, then spoon on a small mound of the tuna tartar. Garnish each with a few chopped chives and serve immediately.

WARM BRIE IN A CRISPY CUP Makes 20 pieces 5 wonton skins 1/2 cup butter, melted 8 ounces ripe brie cheese 2 tablespoons white truffle honey

1/2 cup toasted almond slivers 1 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter 2 x 12-cup mini-muffin pans

CRISPY FRIED OLIVES Makes 36 olives 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casing removed 1 cup firm goat cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon finely chopped flatleaf parsley 36 large brine-cured pitted green olives

1 cup all-purpose flour 3 large eggs, beaten 1 cup panko or other dried bread crumbs oil, for frying a piping bag fitted with very small tip.

Heat some oil in a skillet. Sauté the sausage, then drain the excess oil. Transfer the cooked sausage to a bowl, and add the goat cheese and parsley. Mix to combine, and spoon into a piping bag. The tip used should be small enough to fit into an olive. Stuff each olive with the mixture. Put the flour, eggs and panko into separate bowls. Taking a few stuffed olives at a time, coat them in the flour. Remove and coat completely in the beaten eggs, then remove and coat in panko. Heat some oil to 375°F in a wok or electric deep-fryer. Fry the olives until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

VARIATION 1 cup goat cheese 1 cup aged asiago cheese

1 cup cream cheese

Mix well and use to stuff the olives, then coat and fry as above.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut 1 1/2-inch rounds out of the wonton skins (cut 4 from each skin). Brush each with melted butter and place in the mini-muffin pans. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Remove the cups from the oven and fill each one with about 1 teaspoon of brie. Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes more or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, drizzle with white-truffle honey, and top with almonds. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN TONNATO Makes 20 pieces 1 can or jar (7-to-8-ounce) oil-packed tuna, preferably Spanish or Italian 2 tablespoons small capers, drained 1 1/2 cups good-quality prepared mayonnaise 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 canned anchovies

ROSEMARY AïOLI 3/4 cup good-quality mayonnaise 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

ROSEMARY TOAST SQUARES 3 slices white or wheat bread, crusts removed, each cut into 9 squares 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

a pinch of cayenne pepper 20 prepared crostini or small square crackers 2 x 6-ounce grilled or poached chicken breasts, thinly sliced, about 1/8 inch basil oil, to drizzle basil leaves, chiffonade or julienned, to garnish sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the tuna, capers, mayonnaise, lemon juice, anchovies and cayenne in a food processor. Process until well combined and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon about a teaspoon of the tuna mixture onto each crostini and top with a couple slices of chicken. Drizzle with basil oil. Garnish with small basil leaves or finely chopped basil and serve immediately.

MINI LEMON NAPOLEONS Makes 30 mini pastries 1/2 cup butter 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon sugar 1 package phyllo dough, thawed if frozen 2 baskets fresh raspberries 2 cups whipped cream confectioners’ sugar, to dust

FOR THE LEMON CURD: 15 egg yolks 1 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 pound cold butter, cut into cubes

To make the lemon curd, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice over a double boiler until thick and pale yellow, frequently scraping the mixture down the sides of the bowl. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter, one cube at a time. Refrigerate and let cool completely. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the butter and mix in the cinnamon and sugar. Lay one layer of phyllo on a sheet pan and brush with the butter mixture. Continue to layer phyllo and butter for six layers. Put the second sheet pan on top and bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool before cutting into 60 small squares (each one about 2 inches square). To assemble, lay out half the phyllo squares on a flat surface and spread with a little lemon curd. Arrange 4 raspberries on each square, add a dollop of cream and top with a second layer of phyllo. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.

ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 21

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22 ~ MAY 2008 ~ ARROYO

Join us for tea and enjoy this relaxing tradition in an elegant setting. Savory and sweet delicacies plus warm fresh scones accompany the perfect cup of tea. Our menu changes seasonally. Enjoy tea indoor or outside on our garden patio.

Private Space Available for any Special Occasion

LIFE OF THE PARTY

✽ FLOWER POWER LONGTIME FLORIST TO THE FLOWERS JACOB MAARSE PROVIDES THE BOUQUETS FOR THE PASADENA TOURNAMENT OF ROSES QUEEN AND HER COURT.

PHOTO: MICHAEL GERMANA

BY JENINE BAINES

Not many florists create centerpieces just so they can be blown up. But in 1984, Jacob Maarse Florists of Pasadena did just that…five times. The script for the film “Beverly Hills Cop” called for some of the actors to fire guns at a large floral arrangement during a jewelry store heist. “But the crew didn’t like how the flowers looked when they were shot,” Jacob Maarse recalls. “They kept filming and we kept rearranging.”

Ultimately, someone suggested they might get a better result by intertwining plastic explosives among the foliage and flowers. “It got a little dangerous,” Maarse says with a smile.

Fortunately for Maarse and his staff, the shop’s Hollywood assignments are usually more glamorous than hazardous.

The store has supplied flowers for the Academy Awards, numerous movie premieres – from 1962’s “Lawrence of Arabia” to last year’s “License to Wed” — and an eclectic cadre of celebrities, ranging from Liz Taylor to Tony Danza.

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 23

LIFE OF THE PARTY

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

But Hollywood royalty aren’t the only aristocrats to savor Maarse’s blooms.

He also supplies bouquets to the monarchs of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, which makes him something of a flower’s florist. Maarse has been providing arrangements for the tournament’s queen and her court for 35 years; for the past 12, Jacob Maarse Florists has been the preferred vendor. In that role, the shop supplies flowers for the coronation announcement, the Directors Ball, the Kickoff Luncheon for 800 at the Rose Bowl the day of the game as well as all publicity photos. The shop also decks the historic halls of the Tournament House — the former home of chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. on South Orange Grove Boulevard — for the holiday season.

Of course, Jacob Maarse’s artistry isn’t limited to the holidays. And a commission to handle flowers for a summer wedding in Catalina some 15 years ago sowed the seeds of yet another venture – Maarse’s 21/2-acre rose garden in his own backyard in Sierra Madre.

“The bride requested garden roses,” he recalls. “We ordered them from a nursery in San Francisco but saw that they didn’t ship well.” Maarse decided to plant “a couple hundred” roses strictly for bridal use. But the homegrown roses were soon such a success that the project snowballed. The garden now comprises almost 3,000 bushes, from which 500 to 1,000 blossoms are cut daily.

Maarse’s commercial rose garden separates him from most of his peers, says Hank Maarse, Jacob’s son, who joined the business more than 20 years ago.

“A few old-time florists in the Midwest and on the East Coast may still have their own greenhouses,” he adds, “but I don’t know of any out here who do.”

Jacob Maarse Florists also makes the requisite twice-weekly treks at dawn to the Los Angeles flower mart, but the exotic flowers and foliage, which are a trademark of the shop, require more resourcefulness. The shop carries close to 1,000 varieties of flowers – from French tulips and lilies to lisanthus and astromeria – and sells, Hank Maarse estimates, millions of blossoms yearly.

Some come from growers in California, Oregon and Washington, with whom the company works directly. The Maarses also order hydrangeas and what they call “interesting foliages” from Peru; tropical plants from Jamaica, Thailand and Hawaii; narcissus, peonies and eramuri from Israel; and roses – some as tall as 6 feet – from Ecuador.

“We’re always looking for fresher flowers, newer varieties,” says Hank Maarse. “We constantly seek ways for our design to reach a higher level.”

Sometimes those higher levels are literally…high. Maarse recalls designing a 30-foot cross of lilies for an Easter celebration in 2007 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles. Jacob Maarse got the commission after Cardinal Roger Mahoney praised the flowers he provided for a parishioner holding a funeral for her mother there. The cardinal’s pleasure inspired her to underwrite the cost of Christmas and Easter flowers for the cathedral. For Christmas, Maarse created a 40-foot-long garland of evergreens and bulbs for the building’s exterior and bedecked an altar with over 5,000 roses.

That wasn’t the first time a rave review led to work for a major institution.

Years earlier, the florist had supplied flowers for a party hosted by the then-president of Caltech, Lee DuBridge. One of the guests worked for Richard M. Nixon, and it wasn’t long before Jacob Maarse found himself the florist of choice for the 24 ~ MAY 2008 ~ ARROYO

Western White House in San Clemente. He says his most memorable commission was to design the floral arrangements that would greet Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev during his historic visit to San Clemente in 1973. “It was fun,” Maarse says simply.

It’s a long way from Alsmeer, Holland, where Maarse was born to a family of flower growers more than 70 years ago, to the Western White House. The young florist-in-training may very well have stayed in Europe, following the path well trod by his family for over a century, had World War II not intervened.

“I saw the handwriting on the wall,” Maarse says at his office, where a photo of his wife, Clara, two sons, two daughters and five grandchildren – two more have since joined the clan – has pride of place over his desk. Described by longtime customer and Pasadena resident Palma Vincenzi as a “well dressed gentleman sporting a wide grin, dazzling blue eyes and a comfortable air of European aristocracy,” Maarse still retains traces of his Dutch accent.

Eventually, Maarse accepted an invitation to visit an uncle in San Francisco, which led to a job at Prebles Produce in Old Pasadena. Although Maarse, then in his 20s, oversaw the flower side of the business, he was rapidly succumbing to what he calls “the American Dream to do your own thing.” In 1966, he opened the doors of Jacob Maarse Florists near the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, not far from the shop’s current location at 655 East Green St. in the Playhouse District, in what was once a Symes Cadillac showroom.

The neighborhood was rundown at the time, but that didn’t stop customers from making the trip. One of them was longtime client Bonnie Thomas, who says, “If I purchase something from Jacob Maarse, I know there will not be anything like it at someone else’s home. I love the unique arrangements the designers come up with, using huge peonies, roses in hues that I have never seen before, exotic, large leaves and beautiful mosses.”

Indeed, it sometimes seems as though Maarse and his blooms grace every major fundraiser in town. This past March, Hillsides presented Jacob and Hank Maarse with an “Angel Award” acknowledging their involvement in the community. The Maarses’ pet projects include the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, with which he has worked since the committee opened its first design house over 40 years ago. Showcase House vendor and artist Conchita O’Kane paints Maarse’s arrangements whenever she receives them. One of the paintings, an arrangement of roses and Casablanca lilies, is currently on display in the front window of Galerie Gabrie in Pasadena.

“Flowers from Jacob Maarse have a signature look,” says O’Kane. “There’s an elegance and aesthetic quality to Jacob’s work that is identifiable in the same way you can tell a Delacroix from a Sargent. His team of designers is

HOW TO HAVE THE LAST LAUGH AND TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF ORDERING FLOWERS “Earth laughs in flowers.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson IT’S NO LAUGHING MATTER, ORDERING FLOWERS, BUT FRET NO LONGER. YOU CAN HELP GET THE PARTY STARTED BY ADDING A SPLASH OF COLOR AND STYLE WITH THE RIGHT ARRANGEMENT. HERE ARE SOME POINTERS FROM FLOWER PROS JACOB AND HANK MAARSE: IF YOU HAD ONLY ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO SHARE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Let the seasons be your guide. For instance, in April, what’s more beautiful than a simple arrangement of tulips?

THAT TAKES CARE OF APRIL. WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR? Actually, we suggest tulips throughout the spring season. Use the tall French varieties for a great burst of color — and keep it simple! Tulips stand alone and don’t need other flowers with them.

In summer, it’s time for field or country blooms. Nothing is better than a tall vase of hybrid delphinium or a beautiful bowl of peonies.

For fall, we suggest mums. Yes, they’ve had a bad reputation, but, with the new varieties now available, nothing says autumn like them. Simply mix them with fall leaves for a great look.

For winter, Ilex or winterberry stems have a great vase life. They’re also the perfect colors the holidays.

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HOW ABOUT ROSES?

UNIQUE BOUTIQUE

Oh, how can we forget to talk about roses? Whether from your own garden or the garden

FOR

roses we grow for you, the fragrance and beauty of roses can’t be beat. Cut some gardenia or camellia foliage, and mix them with roses for that casual but classic look. You can also float the open roses in a bowl if the stems are too short. Garden rose season is roughly from April

BABIES AND CHILDREN

through November, depending on the weather. Fortunately for those of us who need a rose fix

COME CELEBRATE OUR 1ST BIRTHDAY ON SATURDAY, MAY 24TH. THERE WILL BE A CLOWN, BALLOONS, SNACKS, GIFTS AND SPECIAL PROMOTIONS.

year-round, roses are always available from greenhouses in Ecuador, Holland and California.

HEMLINES CHANGE. DOES FASHION PLAY A ROLE IN THE FLOWER WORLD AS WELL? Absolutely. When the shop first opened, carnations were de rigueur. They’re used much less

• Babies’ and Children’s Products from newborn to size 8 • Nursery and Children’s Room Design • Baby Shower Registry • Gift Baskets and Gift Wrapping

frequently now, although we created a wonderful poodle of white carnations with a collar of red roses for Tiffany recently.

Lately, too, we’re seeing a change from the very tight arrangements that have been in vogue for the past 10 years or so. People are getting tired of that and arrangements are loosening up.

IF YOU HAD TO PICK A FAVORITE FLOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

$20 OFF

Our favorite flowers seem to change a lot, but right now Hank’s favorites are tulips and

Every purchase of $100.

Jacob’s are roses. — Jenine Baines

among the best anywhere in the country. I have a friend who recently flew one of Jacob’s designers to San Francisco for a wedding. Their work is always a source of inspiration to me.”

But will it continue to inspire generations of flower lovers to come? Hank Maarse has three children; will any follow him into the business?

“My middle son is named Jacob,” Hank Maarse replies. “So maybe he’ll take after his grandfather in other ways as well. Who knows? I hope we continue. This is a great business to be in.” AM

Valid until May 31st on regularly priced items.

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LIFE OF THE PARTY

Chef-ertaining THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CHEF — OR HOW TO MAKE A MEAN TACO.

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK

Chefs love entertaining at home, right? Yeah, sure. And lawyers like to spend their vacations sitting on a jury.

Don’t you know that all chefs ever do is entertain? For some, it is doubtless a calling. But even a James Beard–nominated-rising-star-top-galacticchef needs a break.

Personally, I don’t really mind entertaining on a small scale. It’s the big affairs that wipe me out. Once a year, we throw a big bash; then, being a consummate over-achieving control freak, I need a week to recover from it.

I don’t really mind the cooking, which happens to be of epic proportions. (Yes, I admit it. I tend to overdo it.) It’s everything that goes with it.

Guests should ideally leave your party feeling well cared for and, as any restaurateur knows, that means making sure every detail they encounter at your home is tip-top, from the shrubs on the curb to the toilet paper. After the party, if the toilet paper ends up on the shrubs by the curb, you know you’ve done your job right.

While such endeavors are satisfying, I would much rather be entertained by others. But alas, I rarely get invited out. Perhaps people are too intimidated to cook for a chef. I think I speak for all chefs when I urge you to, please, invite us to dinner once in a while. Don’t be shy. I, for one, will promise not to refer to your efforts as neophyte or banal. In fact, I am surprisingly easy to please. Sure, I am a classically trained chef. But I’m not snooty about it.

I enjoy Ruffles just as much as truffles, especially when accompanied by California onion dip. I adore a beautifully arranged salade niçoise or a wellmade croque monsieur, but I am equally happy with grilled Kraft Singles on Wonder Bread (two slices of cheese, please). You’d expect me to go gaga over crispy sweetbreads and flip for a perfectly executed steak tartare. But I find little on earth as sumptuous as a good tuna casserole topped with crumbled potato chips.

Even with my baking credentials, I cannot produce anything quite as pleasurable as a box of Girl Scout cookies. (Samoas! Oh, yeah! I have been known to sit in the supermarket parking lot and down a whole box.) I may have apprenticed under great European chefs, but I’m still the girl who was raised on Hamburger Helper and Jell-O salad, served on a leaf of iceberg lettuce and topped with a dollop of Miracle Whip.

You can rank the food you eat and assign it social status, but the most important aspect of your meal is the people you are eating it with. True, Hamburger Helper is no Veal Prince Orloff, but serve it to a table full of family and friends, and it’s a feast fit for a king.

Because my simple tastes are at odds with my field of expertise, it seems that the only folks inviting me to dinner are related to me. My family does not try to impress, and they do not care what I think. I am expected to clear, dry and keep my opinions to myself. Considering it is one of the few meals prepared for me and not by me, I am happy to do so.

These dinners are made from common ingredients: a smidgeon of drama, a dash of sibling rivalry, a splash of martyrdom and a pinch of...well, just a lot of pinching.

At one recent gathering, my sister-in-law revealed that I serve tacos every time she and my brother come over to eat. Funny, it seems like such a clever idea every time I think of it. It would appear that my memory is fading as I become well aged, like a premium porterhouse.

I’ll keep making them, though, because I love tacos, especially on a buffet. They’re easy, and everyone can create the taco of his or her liking. This is important, as half of my guests are vegans, and the other half are on Atkins.

Best of all, the entire thing can be done in advance. This way, I can avoid the kitchen — and spend more time monitoring the pinching. AM ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 27

LIFE OF THE PARTY

GRILLED MARINATED FLANK STEAK This is my version of carne asada. Serve it with warm tortillas, salsa fresca, guacamole, sour cream and grated cheese. Tougher cuts of flank or skirt steak are the norm, but the recipe works great with well marbled chuck and round steaks, too. If you are sans grill, this dish can be prepared easily — and usually more quickly — under the broiler. Serves 4 to 6 Ingredients 1 bunch cilantro, chopped 5 cloves garlic, chopped 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1 to 3 jalapeño chilies, chopped 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup white wine vinegar 2 cups olive oil Zest and juice of 6 limes Zest and juice of 1 orange 1 can beer 2 to 3 pounds beef skirt, flank or chuck steak

In a large bowl, stir together cilantro, garlic, onions, jalapeños, cumin and pepper. Add wine, oil, lime, orange and beer. Submerge the steaks in marinade, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill on high. Grill over direct high heat for 5 minutes with the lid down. Reduce heat to low, flip meat over and move off direct heat. Close cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from grill. Cover with foil and rest 5 minutes. Slice thin strips against the grain and place in a covered serving dish. Place in a 150°F oven, along with tortillas wrapped in foil, 30 minutes before you'd like to eat.

SALSA FRESCA The name means “fresh sauce,” and there is nothing better with tacos, chips or even your breakfast eggs. You can add any number of additional ingredients to give your salsa personality. Try cucumbers, radishes, avocados or jicama. Serves 4 to 6 Ingredients 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped 3 scallions, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch cilantro, chopped 2 jalapeño chilies, chopped

Juice of 3 limes 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon Tabasco 1 teaspoon kosher salt

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix well and store in refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. For the most intense flavor, bring to room temperature 1 to 2 hours before serving.

GUACAMOLE There are many versions of guac, but this is the basic. I like its rough texture and simple seasoning. If you’d like to jazz it up, add chopped onion, tomatoes, chilies or cilantro. Serves 4 to 6 Ingredients Juice of 1 lime 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoon hot pepper sauce 4 ripe avocados

In a large bowl combine the lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper and pepper sauce, and mix well. Cut the avocados in half by slicing them lengthwise around the pit,then open by twisting. Remove the pit by hacking it with a knife and twisting. Scoop out the green avocado meat and add it to the bowl. Use a fork to mash it into a fine paste. Store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent oxidation.

28 ~ MAY 2008 ~ ARROYO

ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 29

ART

To the Grand Manor Born THE HISTORIC HUNTINGTON ART GALLERY EMERGES FROM A $20 MILLION RENOVATION AS A STUNNING SHOWCASE FOR ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S FINEST COLLECTIONS OF EUROPEAN ART.

BY CAROLINE CUSHING

Above: John Murdoch Opposite: (clockwise from top left) South façade, circa 1911; “Diana the Huntress” (1782), Jean-Antoine Houdon, bronze; Loggia, circa 1918; 18th-century French art gallery.

30 ~ MAY 2008 ~ ARROYO

The house was first opened to visitors in 1928, a year after Henry Huntington’s death at the age of 77.

And on May 28, the “veritable palace” now known as the Huntington Art Gallery will open again, giving visitors a glimpse at the finest fantasybedecked home this side of the Pacific.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens sprang out of the remarkable collection of art and fine books Huntington spent 17 years amassing after making a fortune in the railroad industry. “Huntington’s personal determination, unlimited means and fortunate timing created this vast collection, a testament to both careful planning and generosity,” library science scholar Donald C. Dickinson writes in “Henry E. Huntington’s Library of Libraries” (Huntington Library Press; May 1995). The original 96,000-square-foot library building was constructed eight years after the villa, in 1919.

Huntington divorced at 50, and when it came time to retire three years later, in 1903, he opted for the simple life — relatively speaking. He left his grand homes in San Francisco and New York and moved to the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles. With his LA-based urban rail network and utilities booming apace, Huntington resumed the chase after fine books and art. “Huntington becomes one of the serious art collectors of his generation,” says John Murdoch, the Hannah and Russel Kully Director of Art Collections at the Huntington.

Murdoch, formerly the director of London’s Courtauld Institute Gallery, oversaw the newly concluded grand restoration, expansion of gallery space and consolidation of the Huntington’s European art collections under one roof.

The refurbished mansion will include 5,300 additional square feet of public space, with new gallery presentations of approximately 1,200 objects of European art. “While greatly expanding the viewing and educational opportunities surrounding our collection of European art, this restores the historic core of the Huntington,” says Steven S. Koblik, the institution’s president. Koblik funded the project through private donors, led by a $10 million grant from the LA-based Rose Hills Foundation, as well as a gift from Geneva and Charles B. Thornton Jr. to restore the Portrait Gallery.

Architect and general contractor Bert England of Irwindale’s Earl Corp. led the project in collaboration with preservation architect Stephen Farneth of the San Francisco-based Architectural Resources Group. The venture included seismic strengthening and infrastructure overhaul in addition to the expansion of public space. The gallery, previously 26,126 square feet with 900 works of art on display, is now 31,431 square feet. It showcases 1,200 paintings and sculptures from the 15th to the early 20th centuries, including some previously on view or in storage elsewhere at the Huntington. Highlights include the refurbished 2,900-square-foot portrait gallery, featuring the collection’s most important full-length British portraits, and a wing devoted to the Arabella D. Huntington Memorial Art Collection of Renaissance and French 18th-century paintings, sculpture and decorative arts. The renovation also offers an enhanced picture of the Huntingtons’ domestic lifestyle; the loggia, a large porch with a view of the San Gabriel Mountains, has been reconfigured and furnished with wicker chairs and tables, as it was during their time.

Not long ago, Murdoch led a guest on a tour of the villa’s 22 new upstairs galleries and original rooms downstairs, which he has lovingly restored and restyled. “The downstairs entertaining rooms and libraries are meant to seem as they would have been 97 years ago,” Murdoch said, as he led the way through the two-story house. “My vision is that the visitor —CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Photos: Tim Street-Porter and courtesy of the Huntington

A LOCAL JOURNALIST RAVED ABOUT A NEW HOME UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SAN MARINO IN 1910, CALLING IT “THE MOST SUMPTUOUS HOUSE IN THE WEST...A VERITABLE PALACE.” THAT BREATHLESS DESCRIPTION REFERRED TO THE GREAT HOUSE OF HUNTINGTON: A BEAUX ARTS MANSION COMPLETED IN 1911 FOR HENRY AND ARABELLA HUNTINGTON. NEARLY A CENTURY LATER, THE LEGENDARY VILLA HAS AT LAST RISEN FROM A TWO-YEAR, $20 MILLION RESTORATION TO REVEAL ITSELF IN ALL ITS REFURBISHED FINERY — A BEAUTIFUL INTERPRETATION OF AN ITALIAN RENAISSANCE VILLA, SURROUNDED BY FAMOUS BOTANICAL GARDENS, ACRES OF LAWN, ROMANTIC STATUES AND EXOTIC FOUNTAINS.

Photos: Tim Street Porter and courtesy of the Huntington

ART

Left: Entrance through loggia, 1940s. Right: Large drawing room wall with “The Van der Gucht Children (1785), by Joshua Reynolds; French fall-front secretary by Martin Carlin (circa 1775); and a pair of French mounted vases (circa 1785).

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

is like the camera lens looking at the fantasy of reality.” Upstairs in the freshly painted galleries (bedrooms in a former life), walls of sky blue, plum and lichen green show off the art works, illustrating the history of European art and design from the 15th to the 20th centuries.

Murdoch and Huntington scholar Malcolm Baker climbed the grand curved staircase on their way to recording an audio tour for visitors. To the left was the glorious Jean-Antoine Houdon bronze of “Diana the Huntress,” complete with bow. Tall and balanced on one toe, she flies into the hall running toward observers, with arms outstretched as if in motion — “a manner that was manifestly modern for the period,” Baker said. “It is almost impossible to cast a bronze so delicately. Diana is a Houdon masterpiece that caused a scandal in Paris in 1782.”

Baker stopped to examine a Houdon marble bust. “He did many French Enlightenment figures and was especially good at women,” he explained. He gazed admiringly at the statue of Madame de Vermeneux lying on its side, awaiting installation atop a pedestal. “The likeness of her face, the effect of hair, carved chemise and lace create a lifelike portrait bust of heightened realism.”

Murdoch and Baker continued on to stunning terracotta sculptures, Clodion’s draped figures of fine clay, brightly colored Sèvres china and Wedgewood vases, and French painting and furniture. In the west wing, which features 19th-century English art and design, paintings by John Constable and J.M.W. Turner point toward the founding of the decorative arts and furnishings firm of Pre-Raphaelite designer William Morris in 1862. The style forms a striking contrast to the decorative ormolu mounted pieces of the French rooms, culminating in an incredible two-story-high stained-glass window of the Virtues (“Humility, Mercy, Generosity...”) with the inscription “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” The window, designed by Edward Burne-Jones for Morris in 1898 for a Unitarian chapel 32 ~ MAY 2008 ~ ARROYO

in Lancashire, England, is part of the Huntington’s recently acquired Morris collection. No need to travel to London or Paris museums to see some of the finest examples of the British Arts and Crafts movement; here they are in the shadow of palm trees, citrus groves and the snowy San Gabriel mountains.

Murdoch was clearly relishing the task of recording the tour. “This is a fantasy house designed for entertaining,” he said. The curator has meticulously arranged the downstairs decorative arts rooms as if the Huntingtons were still in residence, bearing in mind the rooms were often rearranged by the couple and their decorators, as noted in the museum’s new catalog, “French Art at the Huntington.”

The small, oak-paneled library housing Huntington’s desk is a cozy Renaissance-inspired study modeled after the J. Pierpont Morgan Library.

Across the hall, overlooking the immense back veranda, is the “large library”: The 64-foot-long, L-shaped room with striped awnings is considered the country’s only remaining grand interior designed to display 18th-century French tapestries, typical of millionaires’ taste during Huntington’s time. The library is furnished with Savonnerie carpets from Morgan’s collection, which were made in the 17th century for Louis XIV’s refurbishment of the Louvre palace; also on view are François Boucher’s famous Beauvais tapestries, which the Huntingtons purchased for a sum greater than the cost of the entire building.

English portraits and Louis XV desks and chairs complete the design, intended to project the family’s own grandeur. “The appearance of dynastic rootedness to articulate family lineage” is the way Murdoch put it. The proportions of the San Marino villa, designed by Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey, are similar to those of the Elms, a residence they designed in Newport, Rhode Island. The fresh stone-colored exterior walls and pillars now show off the French doors and windows, which are painted gray. The interior palette is basic blanc du roi (the king’s white), so called because it was often chosen for the apartments of French royalty.

From left: Small drawing room, south terrace

Before Huntington acquired it, this jewel of San Marino was the 600-acre De Barth Shorb Ranch, where the tycoon stayed one weekend in 1892. The CEO of the Union Pacific Railroad was a cultured cowboy who fell in love with the panoramic views and the majestic oaks out West. And when he decided to marry wealthy art connoisseur Arabella Duval Huntington, the widow of his uncle Collis, in 1913, memories of those times prompted him to buy the ranch for their connubial nest.

The Huntingtons both adored great art and books, and their expensive tastes were catered to by Joseph Duveen, a fashionable art dealer with showrooms in London, Paris and New York. He had initially collected treasures for their New York mansions and French chateau. The couple continued to entertain in San Marino, so they needed an impressive collection for their California retirement home as well. (The Crown Prince of Sweden was among their dinner guests during a period when Europe was at odds and America was the promised land.) The sweeping entrance halls, hung with portraits, set the stage for entertaining in grand style. Guests walked arm in arm to the dining room in the west wing. During dinner, one could feast one’s eyes on great British artworks — portraits by Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds and landscapes by J.M.W. Turner and John Constable. (No nudes in this dining room.) Visitors retired after dinner to one of two exquisite salons filled with the finest art and furnishings from Europe. British dukes had been selling their estates to pay taxes, and Duveen shrewdly understood the market.

“Joseph Duveen was a pied piper,” Murdoch said. “He had his hands on every square inch of this house.” Duveen Brothers, as his family business was known, often used decorators, such as Baumgarten & Co., as subcontractors.

Baumgarten had decorated Arabella’s house at 2 East 57th Street in New York, where Tiffany & Co. now stands.

Her collecting reached its zenith between 1909 and 1913, when she bought 20 splendid examples of French decorative art. The villa’s ground

floor was decorated by White Allom & Company, whose founder, Sir Charles Allom, was knighted for redecorating Buckingham Palace as interior designer and antiques advisor to Queen Mary. For 13 years, the Huntingtons lived in high style, dividing their time among New York, London and Paris, with relatively little time left for the villa. But there they remain, buried side by side in a beautiful mausoleum designed by John Russell Pope, who later designed the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC. A year after Huntington’s death in 1927, the villa opened its doors as the first public art gallery in Southern California. His business planning for the villa, library and gardens had been impeccable. By 1933, the villa’s kitchen had been demolished, and the 87-foot-long Portrait Gallery was added (inspired by the grand gallery at London’s Wallace Collection). The gallery walls, which have been re-hung in green damask, display aristocratic portraits in the English “Grand Manner” style – Gainsborough’s famous “Blue Boy” and Sir Thomas Lawrence’s “Pinkie,” among them.

“The big hits are the 14 portraits on each side of the long gallery,” said Murdoch, who had placed white marble busts between each portrait. “It is [Sir Anthony] Van Dyck who sets the grand tone in the anteroom with Madam Kirke, 1630, showing off the power of full-length court portraiture of Charles I.” The unveiling of such great portraits by Gainsborough, Lawrence, Reynolds, George Romney and others — which have hung for three years in the Huntington’s Lois and Robert F. Erburu Gallery built in 2005 by Frederick Fisher — is a secret Murdoch is guarding until opening day. The green room is waiting for its close-up.

For five years now, teams of connoisseurs under the direction of associate curator Melinda McCurdy have worked on packing and crating each of these treasures. Artworks will be positioned and hung until the last hour before the big opening day in May. Plastic bags will come off to reveal polished chandeliers, and chairs will emerge from beneath muslin covers. Dust will blow away as crates disappear. The party begins again in the Grand Manner. AM ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 33

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CHANDLER SCHOOL SUMMER Chandler offers both a co-ed day camp and enrichment classes for children who will be entering grades K-8. The camp runs for six fun-filled weeks from 6/16/08-7/25/08 and aims to create a relaxing, trusting, and fun atmosphere where all children are encouraged to pursue their own interests, develop friendships, and grow in confidence, independence, and respect for themselves and others.

Any combination of days is possible: one day, one week, all six weeks. The myriad enrichment classes take place Monday through Thursday from 6/23/08-7/24/08 and foster creativity and self-expression by giving students a chance to explore subjects that are of interest to them, yet are often only touched upon during a regular school year, and by giving them an opportunity to use their small and large motor skills along with their minds. Additional classes in core academic subjects and sports provide an opportunity to review and improve basic skills. Afternoon hikes offer a refreshing breath of fresh air and a chance to cool off in the nearby foothills. Additional campus programs include a beach volleyball program, chess camp, flute lessons, and moviemaking.

SUMMER SPREE 2008 Summer Spree 2008 at Clairbourn School. The Preschool and Kindergarten Programs (9:00am 12:00pm) include games, arts, crafts, music, science activities, story time, free play and water play.

1st through 8th graders can choose their own summer adventure by selecting from over 50 workshops between 9:00am 3:00pm. Go online to www.clairbourn.org/summer for a list of classes and an application form or call (626)286-3108. Register by June 23rd, 2008.

DAYJAMS DayJams is heading into its 10th Season! Never played an instrument? This is a fun way to jumpstart. Experienced player? It’s your chance to study with the best musicians in town. Our friendly and creative curriculum-based environment guides campers in songwriting, instrument lessons, clinics, art and Concert performance. Ages 8-15. Call 800-295-5956 for free brochure. Or visit our website www.dayjams.com.

GLENDALE ADVENTIST ACADEMY SCHOOL Glendale Adventist Academy School - Founded in 1907, Glendale Adventist Academy (GAA) is a college preparatory school located in the Los Angeles area. The school has a distinguished history that spans more than one hundred years as a center for providing quality Christian education that seeks to develop young people of character. GAA, including both its elementary and secondary divisions, is fully accredited by both the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Seventh-day —CONTINUED

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Adventist North American Division Commission on Accreditation. In addition to compliance with WASC accountability requirements (action plans, evidence boxes, student/parent surveys, etc.), teachers work together with the principal and the Conference Education Department for evaluation, mentoring, and self-monitoring. GAA’s Academic Standards Committee, composed of Administration and teachers, oversees curriculum development to monitor class content and indirectly monitor teacher effectiveness. The educational opportunities provided at GAA—from honors and Advanced Placement courses to Fine Arts and computer technology—prepare students for college and career by offering three diploma programs (Basic, College Preparatory, and Advanced College Preparatory) from which to choose. GAA’s Visual and Performing Arts program is one of the finest amongst North American Adventist schools. Student involvement in religious life is encouraged in all classes, in community service activities, in daily devotionals, and in such courses as Practical Ministry, which develops skills in leadership, digital video production, and outreach. GAA students consistently score at or above grade level and above the national average on the ITED, ACT, PSAT, and the SAT, and earn recognition as National Merit Scholar finalists, semi-finalists, including recognition as Hispanic and African-American Scholars. Ninety percent of GAA graduates continue on to college and university.Recently voted Glendale’s Best Private School, GAA strives to promote responsible citizens who have a life-long love of learning and a commitment to local and global communities.

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. Parents who would like additional information, or who are concerned about a specific aspect of their child's academic performance, are encouraged to contact the Huntington Learning Center at 1832 E. Washington Blvd in Pasadena or call (626) 798-5900.

INSTITUTE FOR GIRLS' DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCING: MIND, BODY, SPIRIT ADVENTURES AT THE INSTITUTE FOR GIRLS’ DEVELOPMENT. Families looking for fun, empowering summer experiences for girls can look to the Institute for Girls’ Development. Elementary and middle school girls attending Mind, Body, Spirit Adventures enjoy indoor and outdoor activities, yoga, arts/crafts, journaling, friendship skills, skits & theater games and fun with expert guests. ANNOUNCING: STEPPIN’ UP ADVENTURES AT THE INSTITUTE FOR GIRLS’ DEVELOPMENT. Girls entering 9th and 10th grades will appreciate Steppin’ Up Adventures. This cool, sophisticated workshop helps teens stretch into their strengths; gain confidence; learn about fun, safe internet relationships; challenge media messages; and be empowered.

Creative writing, yoga, art and collage, and conversations with expert guests. Visit the Institute’s resourceful website: www.InstituteForGirlsDevelopment.com. 626.585.8075, EXT. 120.

Located at 95 N. Marengo Ave., Suite 205, Pasadena, CA. 91101

36 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM Japanese American National Museum - Come and explore at the Japanese American National Museum! Join us for Target Free Family Saturdays and celebrate shared Asian American traditions with fun, theme-filled activities for kids of all ages (see insert for dates). Admission is FREE all day from 11 AM-4 PM. Target Free Family Saturdays are a great way for families to learn, play, and grow together. Your visit to the National Museum will inspire you to discover your own cultural heritage. Located in historic downtown LA’s Little Tokyo, the National Museum is dedicated to promoting a better understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by preserving and sharing the Japanese American experience.Visit janm.org for more information, or call 213.625.0414.

MARANATHA HIGH SCHOOL’S SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM Maranatha High School’s Summer School Program is designed to further students’ preparation for four-year colleges and universities. The school’s summer course offerings span the academic disciplines of Mathematics, Laboratory Sciences, Social Sciences, English and Theology, with Honors courses offered in Mathematics and Laboratory Sciences. The environment provided during the summer program allows for optimal focus on course content, giving students an opportunity to increase their proficiency.

MATHNASIUM Mathnasium is a learning center where kids go year-round to improve their math skills. They are highly specialized and teach only math. Students attend two to three times a week - or as often as they like - for as long as they like. Like at a gym, members can drop in anytime. Their goal is to enhance your child's math skills, understanding of math concepts and overall school performance.

At the same time, they build confidence and forge a positive attitude toward the subject, yielding overwhelming results. Independent studies by EyeCues Education systems found that Mathnasium students' performance increased over two letter grades in as little as three to six months. Enroll today to find out.

MAYFIELD JUNIOR SCHOOL'S SUMMER PROGRAM Mayfield Junior School's Summer Program offers students from all schools ages 3-14 the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of academic, creative and athletic activities.

Mayfield provides a warm and welcoming environment that encourages creative expression, scientific discovery and the uncovering of hidden talents.

MONTECITO FINE ARTS COLLEGE OF DESIGN Back by popular demand, Montecito Fine Arts College of Design is pleased to announce the reopening of Montecito Fine Arts Children’s Center in Arcadia. The MFA Children’s Center offers classes in ceramics, creative development, digital manga, drawing multi-media, Japanese anime and painting for children aged between 4-12. The courses offered at the center follow structured sequen-

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tial programs where the children learn the skills necessary to gradually transition to more advanced portfolio programs at our main campus in Monrovia. For more information, contact 877 DO DESIGN or visit us at 524 S. First Ave., Arcadia, CA 91006.

PLAY SMARTER BASKETBALL For the past ten years, Coach Marquis has been actively coaching throughout China while training their men’s and women’s Junior Olympic teams and also training at two different universities.

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NOW ENROLLING K – 8 for our new location!

2008 — 2009 school year RENAISSANCE ACADEMY Renaissance Academy is a private non-profit school that services all families of the Foothills area.

We offer grades early Kindergarten and Kindergarten through 12th. Renaissance Academy has an award winning Basketball team, the Wildcats. We also offer art, dance, drama, sewing classes, ESL and tutoring. Our students have individual academic programs and we accept International Students on I-20 Visas. We are located on a safe spacious campus at 4490 Cornishon Ave. in La Canada, Ca 91011. Our phone number is 818-952-3055. You can also visit us at our web site to get more information: www.renaissanceacademy.com.

COOKING CAMP June 23rd - August 29th 10, One Week Sessions 866-507- COOK Ages: 7-16 The Summer Art Academy invites your child to take an exciting hand's-on culinary journey during one of our 10, one week COOKING CAMPS this summer! Using fresh ingredients and time-tested culinary techniques, our professionally trained chefs teach campers how to read a recipe, prepare and cook healthy delicious dishes. From Blueberry Muffins to Cheese Raviolis, Quiche to Double Chocolate Fudge, COOKING CAMP is a wonderful opportunity to experience the creativity of preparing your own meals! Enroll online at www.summerartacademy.com WESTMINSTER ACADEMY CHRISTIAN DAY SCHOOL Since 1953, our purpose has been to maintain an educational institution of high academic quality in conformity with the principles in our Statement of Faith. We believe the overall purpose of our Christian school is to provide a means by which a child can grow and become inspired to live the Christian life. We provide a strong academic program, a family atmosphere and work that not only build academic skills but good character as well. Parents who would like additional information are encouraged to contact Westminster Academy Christian Day School at 626-398-7576 or email us at westminsteracademy1953@juno.com.

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ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 37

ARROYO

HOME&DESIGN Carol Cobabe Design With a philosophy of “good design resulting in the creation of harmony in one’s environment,” Carol’s goal is to enrich, inspire and instill feelings of comfort. With an extensive career since 1988, her disciplined usage of the basic elements of space, color, texture, light and nature succeeds in reflecting the unique style and purpose of each client. Carol’s work has been published in Designers West, Better Homes and Gardens, Window and Wall Ideas and F. Schumacher’s Classic Directions. She has participated in several showcase houses, the Los Angeles Assistance League Design House, the Venice Family Clinic Design House and Little Company of Mary Design House in Palos Verdes. Carol is also a winner of the coveted First Place Award of the L.A. Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. Call (626) 441-6052.

She specializes in converting existing homes and buildings into eco-friendly, energyefficient, comfortable dwellings with style. One of her lastest projects in Pasadena will be aired as an episode of ‘Greenovate’ on Discovery Channel’s new Planet Green.

626.826.9580 Craypo’s Pool & Spa We have been in the swimming pool business for more than 16 years. We understand all phases of construction and maintenance. We also understand that your yard is an extension of yourself and we will treat your project with the dedication and attention to detail you deserve. Call our office , (626) 355-6145 , to make an appointment. We look forward to making your backyard your own private oasis!

Carousel Floors This family-owned, 38year-old company provides a superb selection along with remarkable service. For hardwood, select from all the top names, including Appalachian Hardwood Floors, pre-finished or finished by expert craftsman. For linoleum, Marmoleum is a natural, eco-friendly, stylish flooring with multiple patterns. Carousel is a Mohawk Color Center, carrying Fabrica, Karastan, Masland and Schumacher to name a few.

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Cynthia Bennett and Associates This

celebrated designer and general contractor, along with her staff of 11 designers, architects and project managers, have created some of the most beautiful spaces in the San Gabriel Valley. The term “Full Service” does not give them enough credit. They will take any project from concept, plans, lighting, construction through furnishings and accessories, using the best materials, and an exacting eye for detail.

The design and build focus of Cynthia Bennett’s team is the iconic Southern California lifestyle of light, open spaces, accessible patios, garden areas, and kitchen great rooms. Using modern Green Design products and techniques, this 28 year old design firm provides clients with unsurpassed service and quality. 501 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena. (626) 7999701.

Carson-Magness Landscaping From the

overall exterior vision to the implementation and construction, this magnificent team makes a name for itself with its handcrafted, hands-on detailed approach. Complete exterior design services include horticulture to structures, such as pergolas, loggias, outdoor kitchens, pool house, bar and bath and even outdoor furnishings! In the spirit of being commissioned to create a piece of artwork, Melissa Carson, Barry Magness and their team bring their rich and varied backgrounds in painting, sculpture, water design and lighting to each one-of-a-kind project. Barry specializes in the lusty organic with walkways, walls and original water features of metal, glass, wood and fire. The clean, understated elegance of Melissa’s artistic studies reflect her brilliantly placed foliage, flowers and trees for the deepest and most subtle impact. Together they create the most extraordinary masterpieces of mystery and romance. Barry Magness and Melissa Carson were selected as designer advisers at the 2006 Pasadena Showcase House of the Arts. For more information call (818) 241-2128, or visit www.carson-magness.com.

Charisse Dunn of Healing Spaces by Design is a Certified Green Building Professional, Green Point Rater and Home Performance Tester as well as a Designer.

38 ~ MAY 2008 ~ ARROYO

Ferguson Bath & Kitchen Make sure to visit the Pasadena Ferguson showroom which has been serving Pasadena for 15 years. Let Ferguson showroom staff, Sarah and Antaya helps you with your appliances, sinks, faucets, tools, accessories, environmentally safe tankless water heaters, and commercial and residential lighting needs.

Ferguson Pasadena is your one stop shop from underground, to finish. Ferguson Pasadena is small, but flexible. Visit www.ferguson.com or call (626) 795-9551.

Garden View Landscape, Nursery & Pools has been working in the “Spirit of

Constant Improvement” for 30 years. Founded by Mark Meahl in 1978, the company has grown into a complete family enterprise. Julie Meahl joined the company managing the Nursery in 1982. Blake Meahl started working in the Gardening division and is now operations manager, Tyler Meahl is in charge of Technology. The real family is the

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talented long term employees who are the heart of the operation. Over half of Garden View’s employees have worked for the company over 15 years. Garden View has won 60 awards from the California Landscape Contractors Association and specializes in quality Design/Build landscape and pool construction. Please visit our web site at www.garden-view.com or call us at 626-303-4043.

Garocco Pools A world-renowned designer and a legend in custom pools and design, Gary Sewell Jr. began at the youthful age of 15. He was the son of the only custom pool designer and builder in the San Gabriel Region at the time. To Gar, a USC School of Design graduate, there are three key components to his passion: First and foremost is communication with the client, as this is the key to providing them with their own outdoor paradise that remains in keeping with both the architecture and landscaping of their home. Second, Gar consistently strives to make timeliness a top priority for clients. Gar handpicks each member of his team and only hires those individuals that prove a genuine commitment to the art of design and build. Finally, Gar ensures clients that he can work with any budget. From entire estates to simple fountains, gar and his team greatly enjoy the process, and their passion is revealed in the finished result. Additionally, Don Engle, Gar’s VP of Sales and Marketing, has recently developed a unique program for local realtors. $75 charge after the second For those sales that contain beautiful homes accompanied by lackluster lawns, revision Garocco Pools is offering free designs –valued at $2,500-$5,000 to aid realtors in the selling process. Any interested parties can contact Don at 1-866-Garocco. For more information about Garocco Pools, log on to Garocco.com.

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individual pieces not readily available elsewhere. Lighting and interior design services are available. Working from architectural plans and photographs or actual site visits, we can assist clients with their Craftsman and Bungalow-style projects, both old and new. Historic Lighting is located at 114 E. Lemon Ave., Old Town Monrovia, (626) 303-4899.

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TRAVEL

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– Boulder, Colorado, that is LUXURY COMES GUILT FREE AT THE ECO-FRIENDLY ST. JULIEN HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN’S GOOD-LIFE HUB.

BY IRENE LACHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ST. JULIEN HOTEL AND RICK HODGES Take a quick turn around the St. Julien Hotel & Spa, and you could be forgiven for thinking that the dominant color is a sandy brown, as if the rugged bathroom tiles and gleaming blond marble in the lobby were chipped off the rusty hills near its home turf in Boulder, Colorado. In truth, however, the luxury auberge – the first built downtown in a century — is green through and through. Indeed, while green living is finally catching on in Southern California, it’s old news in Colorado – but endlessly compelling to its many true believers.

So naturally, St. Julien’s twist on its good-life offerings include a green element or 12, and I couldn’t resist sampling the latest entry — the first zerocarbon-footprint wine dinner, co-hosted by Jason Rogers (the executive chef of the hotel’s restaurant, Jill’s) and Chris Benziger, national sales manager of Sonoma’s biodynamic Benziger Family Winery. More on that later.

Rogers is a crunchy kind of guy who opened the Aspen location of Todd

Insets (clockwise from top left): St. Julien guest room, Executive Chef Jason Rogers; Jill’s restaurant; zero-carbon wine dinner.

Background: Spa entry

English’s acclaimed Olives restaurant empire. Rogers may be a Chicago native, but he took to Colorado’s active lifestyle as if he was born to it, and his new ventures also include a “Boulder biking and BBQ” package for intrepid guests who prefer working off their calories before they consume them. It’s the kind of luxury experience that calls on guests to work for their indulgences – and leaves them with no regrets, possibly the greatest luxury of all. Rogers leads guests on a bike ride, where he solicits dinner requests. On their return, the riders present themselves to the spa for a massage, while the chef cooks up their customized reward.

A group of us converged on the St. Julien recently to give Rogers’ new ventures a test ride, although a gym injury kept me from joining in the maiden bike run. Fortunately, I wasn’t too impaired to surface for dinner after a brief swing through the nearby Pearl Street Mall, Boulder’s crunchified equivalent of Santa Monica’s Third Street Mall. This BBQ truly was a case in which the race – or should I say entrée – was to the swift. The women in the group were walloped by Boulder’s altitude (5,363 feet above sea level), so Rogers took suggestions from the only guy in the group able to keep up with him. In the T-Zero Bar’s private room, lined with a circular banquette, he served up an impressive spread of braised beef brisket, barbecued baby back ribs and masa polenta with charred scallions and andouille sausage.

The next day, I recovered from all that effort with one of the spa’s signature treatments – the Rock On! Massage. Bobby, my masseur, told me that he and other massage therapists had hand-selected the smooth river rocks from Basalt, Colorado, which were warming in a rock-cooker on the counter.

I’m not sure what else he said after that; I slipped into semi-consciousness as he dotted my chakras with semi-precious stones and pressed and slid the rocks down my oiled limbs (a plus, by the way, in the dry mountain air).

I returned to my room, which was decorated with such eco-friendly materials as cork (it makes a fabulous wall covering). I’d been told that the —CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 47

TRAVEL

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—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 47

200-room St. Julien was aiming to become a zero-waste hotel by 2010, which would mean, in practice, a 90-percent reduction, from 33 tons a month to 3.3 tons. The hotel was already proudly composting 8,000 pounds of food waste a month, recycling 16,000 pounds of paper, plastic and the like, and sending its used kitchen oil to a company that converts it to bio-fuel. Could a zero-carbon wine dinner be far behind?

The event’s 55 guests had come from as far away as Atlanta, so pulling off a zero-carbon bottom line would take some doing, after the fuel required to get there and stay overnight was factored in. Diners were asked to fill out forms next to their place setting, asking how many miles they’d traveled and by what means of transportation. The hotel later bought 100 metric tons in carbon offsets to compensate. (The hotel’s eco-consultant, Rick Hodges, estimated the cost to the St. Julien at around $15 per person.)

The organic food served that evening, all sourced from within a 100-mile radius, hadn’t traveled nearly as far as the guests. Even the menu was ecologically correct, printed on handmade paper embedded with wildflower seeds, which diners, who’d paid $100 for the five-course meal with wine pairings, were invited to take home and plant.

We started with parsnip sformato, a savory custard served with roasted beets. Rogers’ taste for eclectic cuisine was reflected in his multi-culti “hoppin’ john,” a Tuscany-meets-Tokyo-meets-Tennessee concoction of house-cured ham and black-eyed peas with braised leeks, shiitake mushrooms and Tuscan kale. Lamb-filled ravioli was followed by a “tribute roast” — a rare beef flatiron steak macerated in Benziger’s 2004 Tribute Sonoma Mountain Estate wine, which also accompanied the dish.

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Benziger’s showpiece red, a Bordeaux blend laced with deep berry and chocolate flavors, was a perfect metaphor for the evening. The 2001 vintage was the winery’s first release that was fully biodynamic, a sustainable farming technique that treats a farm as a complete ecosystem, according to Wine Spectator. Benziger Tribute also scored 92 points on the magazine’s 100-point scale, which is none too shabby. Indeed, the trick for green purveyors of luxury is to do good without compromising standards of quality. The St. Julien, which is planning another zero-carbon wine dinner in October, pulled that rabbit out of its hat – and that’s the only bunny you’re likely to see at the restaurant. After all, fur bearers are banned from the menu. AM

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A Retro Home for a New Start

DESIGNER ERINN VALENCICH ADDS PUNCH TO A RESTORED MID-CENTURY MODERN RESIDENCE IN PASADENA.

BY MICHAEL CERVIN | PHOTOS BY JOE SCHMELZER

KIMBERLY BUFFINGTON, A BRIGHT, YOUNG ATTORNEY FOR A DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES LAW FIRM, WAS FRESH OFF A DIVORCE AND LOOKING FOR A CHANGE WHEN SHE BOUGHT HER TWO-BEDROOM PASADENA HOME IN 2001. SHE ARRIVED WITH AN UNINSPIRED COLLECTION OF FURNISHINGS — “A HODGEPODGE OF COLLEGE AND SEMI-ADULT FURNITURE,” AS SHE PUTS IT. “NOTHING MATCHED. I NEEDED AN ADULT HOUSE.” THE TIME HAD COME FOR IN WITH THE NEW – OR RATHER, THE NEW OLD. “I knew I wanted to keep the retro vibe,” says Buffington, who culled the choice pieces from her possessions and sold the rest. Helping her make the transition was former Pasadena resident Erinn Valencich, a Los Angeles–based interior designer and HGTV host whom she met through a friend. “I felt a vintage, ’50s modern design would go well with the house, and Erinn totally understood my vision.”

Mid-century modern design, which has seen a recent upsurge in popularity, grew out of the postwar design boom; it was driven by prominent architects who moved into the realm of interior design, using basic shapes and forms.

Furniture became moveable and interchangeable, more functional and less static. Sleek organic lines replaced the highly stylized Art Deco movement.

Buffington’s 1,200-square-foot home, built in 1952, is a simple box design. A small entryway leads into the living room, a long rectangular space with views of the street, surrounding hills and the 134 Freeway. The dualsided fireplace that bisects the living and family rooms was initially crafted with brick on one side and stacked flagstone on the other. Since the fireplace dominates both rooms, Valencich and Buffington decided to soften its presence by hiding the red and ochre of its components.

“Painting it white gave us a clean, blank slate to work with,” says Valencich, whose clients have included Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jaime Pressley. The designer also wanted to paint each room a different pastel color — blue, yellow and cream. “I thought she had lost her mind,” Buffington says with a smile. But there was a method to Valencich’s madness: The sky-blue walls of the family room suggest the backyard and openness of the outdoors. The kitchen’s warm yellow balances the dark stain of the cabinets.

No strict purist, Valencich uses mid-century modern style as a base, then playfully incorporates other design ideas. “I like a mix of styles,” she notes. “Eclectic is always more interesting.” A Le Corbusier chaise designed in 1928 is visually paired with a wood sunburst clock, one of the most iconic images of the 1950s. “We found two vintage chairs for the family room which had already been upholstered, and the fabric was perfect for what we were doing,” Valencich says. In fact, the chairs, the draperies, the TV cabinet,

even some of the light fixtures, all embrace biomorphic design, a quintessential mid-century style inspired by the forms of living organisms. Pod-shaped motifs embellish the vintage chairs, the draperies and the rugs.

“The atelier table gives the room a throwback flair,” Valencich says of the rectangular clear glass piece which can be pulled away from the wall and used as a dining table seating eight. Buffington still wants to find a Warhol lithograph to hang above the table, if she can find one at a reasonable cost.

Indeed, budget is always a concern. “I had to be brought along slowly on that,” Buffington says, “but ultimately, I’m just so happy. It was totally worth the money.” Valencich, whose firm is called Omniarte Design,

believes in working closely with her clients on the bottom line. “I’m very upfront about cost,” she says. “I put together a rough budget for each room and all the pieces that need to go into it. I assign a dollar figure, then ask if they are comfortable with that. If not, we edit.” The designer acknowledges that the cost is almost always higher than the client expects. “There are so many pieces required — all the accessories, the fabric, the sewing, the delivery charges,” she says. “It adds up quickly.”

But the payoff is evident. After taking a guest on a tour of her home, Buffington smiles warmly as she takes in her new digs. Good design “changes how you live in your home,” she says. “It expands your life and makes you feel energized and inspired to conquer whatever it is you want to do.” AM ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 51

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THE

LIST COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS

HOME TOUR SUPPORTS PTA May 2 — The 2008 La Cañada High School 7/8 PTA Home Tour features four exquisite homes in La Cañada Flintridge and benefits the middle school PTA. Crowds will view notable architecture, beautiful décor and a boutique at one of the homes. The homes include: a modern Asian home, designed by Jack Simonson and built by master craftsmen in 1965, which sits on a private knoll in Flintridge with a 270° view stretching from the San Gabriel Mountains to the ocean; the Gainsburg House, designed by Eric Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, in 1946 — an upscale version of the elder Wright’s Depressionera Usonian homes (it’s based on a diagonal grid, reflecting the architect’s geometrical investigations of the period); the Jarvis Earl house (designed in 1927 by Everett Phipps Babcock) which exemplifies the golden age of Southern California’s Spanish Colonial/ Mediterranean Revival style; a plantation-style estate designed and built in 1927 by Paul Williams (the first African-American member of the American Institute of Architects and the designer of the Beverly Hills Hotel), evoking Southern hospitality and gracious living (the property’s barn was the former La Cañada Township’s fire station).

Participating boutique vendors will donate 25 percent of sales to the LCHS 7/8 PTA. In addition, the Apple Cart Store on May 2 and ShelRae Designs in La Cañada on May 2 and 3 will also contribute 25 percent of sales. Tours run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. A poolside luncheon is provided by the Corner Bakery. Tour tickets are $40; luncheon tickets are $15. Tickets are available online at www.albrooks.com and by calling (818) 790-0419.

Tickets are also available May 2 at the tour’s headquarters in Descanso Gardens, open during both tour sessions (headquarters closes at 7 p.m.). Those who ordered tickets online but didn’t receive them in the mail should check in at Descanso, and visitors are encouraged to meet there and carpool as parking will be limited on-site. Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge.

PRAYER WITH THE MAYOR May 1— The 2008 Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, part of the National Day of Prayer, includes Pasadena’s civic, business, religious, educational and community members at the Pasadena Hilton. This year’s theme is “Prayer — Our Common Ground.” The keynote speaker is William Deverell, professor of history at USC and director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West. The event runs from 7 to 9 a.m. and is open to all members of the community.

Tickets, which cost $24, are available online at www.workingfaith.com.

The Pasadena Hilton is located at 168 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena.

A STEINBECK CLASSIC AT THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE May 2— John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” opens at the Pasadena Playhouse. The play, which was produced twice on Broadway, is a multi-generational classic. The drama examines the universal themes of loneliness and longing centered on 1942 California, when thousands of migrant workers crossed borders to pursue better lives. Paul Lazarus directs. The play continues through June 8.

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-PLAY or visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/2008.

are Steven S. Koblik, president of the Huntington, and Richard Koshalek, president and CEO of Art Center College of Design. Artists include painters Jim Morphesis, Laddie John Dill, Lynn Gertenbach, Karl Dempwolf, Peter Adams, John Budacin, David Gallup and Bonita Helmer as well as sculptor Marlene Louchheim and ceramicist Roy Hamilton.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (626) 578-8510 or visit www.sanmarinoleague.org.

SALE BENEFITS HOMELESS MINISTRIES May 3 — The parking lot of Pasadena’s All Saints Episcopal Church is the scene of a gigantic sale benefiting homeless ministries and refugees from Iran and Iraq living in Southern California. The sale runs 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and donations are accepted from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the north lots as well as in the church’s Sweetland Hall. Pickup service is available for heavy items on Friday, May 2, on a limited, first-come-first-served basis.

The church seeks useable clothing, shoes, furniture, books, household items (including pots and pans), children’s items (including good used car seats, toys, high chairs and clothing) and small appliances and electronics in working condition. Volunteers are also needed to help with the sale.

All Saints Episcopal Church is located at 132 N. Euclid Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 796-1172.

THE BEST OF BROADWAY ART MATTERS May 2, 3 and 4 —A juried fine art exhibition and sale, titled “Art Matters,” runs over the weekend at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. Presented by the nonprofit, philanthropic San Marino League, the event opens with a gala reception, dinner and first crack at purchasing art from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Friday at the Huntington. The exhibition and sale are open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Honorary chairmen

May 3 — The San Gabriel Valley Music Theatre presents “The Best of Broadway: A Musical Revue” at 8 p.m. at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. Danny Michaels, starring as Will Rogers, takes the audience through a showcase of some of Broadway’s greatest hits, including the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Kander and Ebb, Jerry Herman and others. Musical accompaniment is by Richard Allen and the —CONTINUED ON PAGE 55 ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 53

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Music Theatre Orchestra. Reserved seats cost $20, $30, $40 and $60.

The San Gabriel Mission Playhouse is located at 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel. Call (626) 282-1440 or visit www.sgvmusic.theatre.org.

SOME TASTY CLASSES The California School of Culinary Arts hosts cooking classes open to the general public this month.

May 3 — “Farmers Market” includes a tour of the Pasadena Farmers Market, followed by a class at the school. Students will learn how to choose the freshest produce and maximize seasonal flavors. The class runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to adults 18 and over at all experience levels. The cost is $135.

May 31 — “Egg Cookery” features chef instructors demonstrating the preparation of a variety of egg dishes, including scrambled eggs with herbs, a cheese omelet, classic egg salad and more. The class runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to those 18 and older. The cost is $105.

The California School of Culinary Arts is located at 530 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 683-1353 or visit www.csca.edu.

MUSIC IN THE MANSION May 6 — Pasadena’s historic and elegant Fenyes Mansion at the Pasadena Museum of History is the scene of a special program, “Music in the Mansion,” performed by the Repertory Opera Company. In a pre-Mother’s Day celebration, “The Wonderful Women of Opera” features duets and arias focusing on women in the works of Mozart, Puccini and Verdi. The 7:30 p.m. performance is inspired by salons presented by Eva Scott Fenyes more than a century ago. Tickets cost $40 for members, $50 for non-members.

The Pasadena Museum of History is located at 470 W. Walnut St., Pasadena. Call (626) 577-1660, ext. 10, or visit www.pasadenahistory.org.

ENDANGERED SPECIES AS ART Through May 17 — The Folk Tree’s current exhibition, “Endangered Species,” presents the work of 12 local artists working in printmaking, painting, assemblage, papier-mâché, mixed media, ceramics and more. The exhibition focuses on the related themes of extinct, endangered and threatened species; the beauty of nature and its fragility; the impact of humans on the environment; and current threats to the “ethnosphere,” defined as the sum total of all thoughts and dreams, myths and institutions brought into being by the human imagination since the dawn of consciousness.

The Folk Tree is located at 217 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 795-8733 or visit www.folktree.com.

MUSEUMS OF THE ARROYO HAVE THEIR DAY May 18 — Six museums along the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena and Los Angeles open their doors for a joint celebration of Arroyo culture from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Museums of the Arroyo (MOTA) Day, visitors can observe period costumes, watch Native American performers, see a Spanish-American War encampment and more. The Gamble House features mannequins in period clothing as it celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. At Heritage Square Museum, take a tour of “Fashion on a Plate,” featuring more than 40 rare fashion images, vintage clothing and accessories from the 1880s through the 1930s. The Los Angeles Police Historical Society Museum features private collections and historical memorabilia dating back to the late 1800s. Kids can inspect a retired police helicopter and get locked in a real jail cell as parents snap their “booking” photos.

The Lummis Home and Garden tours include sculptures by local artists, with musicians and dancers providing entertainment. Guests can participate in a multigenerational workshop on cyanotypes (sunprints). The Pasadena Museum of History offers tours of its current exhibitions — “Souvenirs from Mt. Lowe” and “Curator’s Choice” — while guests make their own Pasadena souvenirs in the craft area. At the Southwest Museum, guests can watch Native American performers and storytellers or tour the botanical gardens while kids make crafts. The Gold Line serves Heritage Square and Southwest museums. Two free shuttles will operate among the museums.

Call the MOTA hotline at (213) 740-TOUR (8687) or visit www.museumsofthearroyo.com.

PACIFIC ISLAND YOUTH ART ON DISPLAY Top: Tangatu Manu May 1 — Southern Easter Island (Rapa Nui), 20th century California youth of Rubbing of paint on canvas Pacific Islander origin Pacific Asia Museum Collection Gift of Francis D. Reider represent many different cultures, and Left: Necklace (lei niho palaoa) the stories of their Hawaii, 19th century Human hair, sperm whale tooth, backgrounds come coconut fiber and fabric to life at the Pacific Pacific Asia Museum Collection Asia Museum startGift of Carl S. Dentzel Estate Photos by Julian Bermudez ing Friday. “Pacifika: Young Perspectives on Pacific Island Art” features works by students of Carson High School’s Pacific Islanders Club, most of whom live in the South Bay. They explore what it means to be a Pacifika youth and examine issues including migration, ceremonial tattooing, costumes and adornments in photographs, videos, costumes and oral histories. The term “Pacifika” comes from New Zealand and denotes anyone who considers his or her homeland to be the South Pacific. The works will be displayed along with traditional Pacific Island art from the museum’s collection through Oct. 1.

The Pacific Asia Museum is located at 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena.

Call (626) 449-2742 or visit www.pacificasiamuseum.org.

LIVING WITH ROBOTS May 25 — The Skeptics Society presents a 2 p.m. lecture, “Living with Robots and Cyborgs,” at Caltech’s Baxter Lecture Hall. Greg Benford, UC Irvine physicist and science fiction writer, and Elisabeth Malartre, UC Irvine biologist and environmentalist, explore the ways in which robots, artificial intelligence and cyborg parts, once considered the stuff of science fiction, are being mainstreamed into 21st century life. Topics include robots that perform surgery, fight fires, handle heavy loads and more.

Caltech’s Baxter Hall is located at 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 794-3119 or visit www.skeptic.com.

AN INTIMATE NIGHT OF BACH May 31 — Musica Angelica concludes its 2007-08 season with a recital by the orchestra’s concertmaster and resident artistic director, Elizabeth Blumenstock, and guest harpsichordist Corey Jamason at 8 p.m. at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church. “Intimate Bach” is an all-Bach program featuring several of the composer’s violin and harpsichord sonatas, selections from “Notebook for Anna Magdelena Bach” and a sonata for unaccompanied violin. A lecture takes place 40 minutes before the concert. Programs and artists are subject to change. The program repeats at 4 p.m. June 1 at All Saints Church, Beverly Hills.

The Pasadena Presbyterian Church is located at 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena.

Call (310) 458-4504 or visit www.musicaangelica.org. AM ARROYO ~ MAY 2008 ~ 55

A R T, ANTIQU ES & J EW E L RY Art and Antiques on Lake- Our shop is an all-inclusive place where experienced dealers will help customers in all aspects of art and antique purchases. With the focus these days on remodeling kitchens, baths and living spaces, average homeowners lose touch with what makes their house a home, its individuality. At Art & Antiques, we present fine art, furnishings, lighting, etc., in a way that will give the homeowner a choice of quality vintage items that have stood the test of time. Our dealerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are also always interested in buying and handling fine estate items, with expertise of over 50 years. Combined to help you with all your selling and estate questions in regards to evaluation and selling. 60 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena; (626)356-0222 John Moran Auctioneers- Expertly serving clients since 1969, John Moran Auctioneers is a full-service auction house offering quality objects and complete personalized dedication. Monthly estate and fine furniture auctions are where collectors, dealers, decorators and others gather to buy the finest antiques, silver, American Indian, oil and watercolor paintings, jewelry, unusual accessories and much more. They also hold an auction (three times per year) for exceptional California and American paintings. Consignment and the purchasing of estates. 735 W. Woodbury Road, Altadena. Call (626) 793-1833 or visit www.johnmoran.com.

Whites Art, Framing & Restoration- Serving the community since 1944, Whites offers the most complete and comprehensive fine-art framing and restoration services in the San Gabriel Valley. Nestled in the charming town of Montrose, Whites specializes in archival conservation and custom framing, sophisticated matting, shadow boxing and other creative display solutions for unique and unusual works of fine art. You can also experience an exquisite collection of fine art on display. 2414 Honolulu Ave., Montrose. Call (818)957-4071.

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A R T, ANTIQU ES & J EW E L RY Art and Antiques on Lake- Our shop is an all-inclusive place where experienced dealers will help customers in all aspects of art and antique purchases. With the focus these days on remodeling kitchens, baths and living spaces, average homeowners lose touch with what makes their house a home, its individuality. At Art & Antiques, we present fine art, furnishings, lighting, etc., in a way that will give the homeowner a choice of quality vintage items that have stood the test of time. Our dealer’s are also always interested in buying and handling fine estate items, with expertise of over 50 years. Combined to help you with all your selling and estate questions in regards to evaluation and selling. 60 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena; (626)356-0222 John Moran Auctioneers- Expertly serving clients since 1969, John Moran Auctioneers is a full-service auction house offering quality objects and complete personalized dedication. Monthly estate and fine furniture auctions are where collectors, dealers, decorators and others gather to buy the finest antiques, silver, American Indian, oil and watercolor paintings, jewelry, unusual accessories and much more. They also hold an auction (three times per year) for exceptional California and American paintings. Consignment and the purchasing of estates. 735 W. Woodbury Road, Altadena. Call (626) 793-1833 or visit www.johnmoran.com.

Whites Art, Framing & Restoration- Serving the community since 1944, Whites offers the most complete and comprehensive fine-art framing and restoration services in the San Gabriel Valley. Nestled in the charming town of Montrose, Whites specializes in archival conservation and custom framing, sophisticated matting, shadow boxing and other creative display solutions for unique and unusual works of fine art. You can also experience an exquisite collection of fine art on display. 2414 Honolulu Ave., Montrose. Call (818)957-4071.

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Wine Flights Without Air Flights VERTICAL WINE BISTRO LAUNCHES AN ECLECTIC “FLIGHT OF THE MONTH” PROGRAM.

BY IRENE LACHER

IT’S ONE OF THE DISCONNECTS IN THE WORLD OF WINE THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT DRINKING IT HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT PRODUCING IT. I’M TALKING ABOUT THE CONUNDRUM FACED BY BOUTIQUE WINERIES: WHETHER THEY’RE FAMILY TRADITIONS OR THE CULMINATION OF A WINE MAKER’S DREAM, SMALL WINERIES ARE OFTEN THE PRODUCT OF THEIR OWNER’S SINGULAR VISION. THEIR WINE-MAKING TECHNIQUES MAY BE UNDILUTED BY THE CORPORATE CONCERNS OF LARGER, BETTER-KNOWN LABELS, BUT THEY OFTEN HAVE A HARDER TIME GETTING DISTRIBUTION. That can be a tough nut for aficionados. You can go to Northern California

Vertical Wine Bistro Upstairs at 70 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena (626) 795 – 3999 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; evening hours variable, Tuesday through Sunday

First up was the New York–based importer

or Washington or New Zealand on vacation and cruise the local wineries, but

Frederick Wildman & Sons, whose western regional

you’ll probably need a few lifetimes to taste as many worthy varietals as you’d

sales director, Adam LaPierre, worked with Teruya

like. That’s where the growing crop of wine bars comes in. Order a flight and

to come up with the program’s maiden flight.

close your eyes, and you could be a character in the oeno-movie “Sideways,”

LaPierre poured the tastes himself and parsed the

tasting your way from one Santa Ynez winery to the next.

selections for interested guests. He started with a

Vertical Wine Bistro has been one of Pasadena’s more sophisticated entries

fine, crisp 2006 Hugel Gewurztraminer from Alsace,

in the field since it opened in 2005. The restaurant and busy bar are dimly lit

then moved on to a velvety, complex 2003 Museum Real Reserva from the

and bathed in richly textured earth tones. Lst year, owner Gale Anne Hurd, who

Cigales region of northern Spain. Last came an aromatic 2006 Paul Jaboulet

produced the “The Terminator” films as well as the upcoming “The Incredible

Parallele 45 Côtes du Rhône.

Hulk,” brought in sommelier Scott Teruya to fine-tune its list of offerings.

The eclectic flight was an excellent accompaniment to chef Sara Levine’s

(Teruya’s previous turn at Pinot Province Restaurant in Costa Mesa garnered

menu of small plates designed for sharing. If you stay for dinner, try her unusual

four Wine Spectator awards.) He presides over a list of more than 400 wines

take on mini grilled cheese sandwiches, with creamy gorgonzola, walnuts and

from around the world — nearly 100 of which are available by the glass — and

honey on buttery date-nut bread. Other standouts include the generous serving

culls from it a menu of 14 different flights of three, which he edits weekly.

of seared foie gras on brioche, the tender all-day-long pulled pork and the rus-

Last month, Vertical Wine Bistro made it even easier to sample new wines by launching its “flight of the month” program. The first Thursday evening of each

tic apple galette with prunes, brandy and crème fraiche.

And don’t forget the other plus to lettting Vertical Wine Bistro search out great

month, guests are offered a free flight from a featured wine maker or importer (the

wines for you: You get the chance to sample a wine flight without the bother of an

wines continue to be available throughout the month, but you’ll have to pony up).

air flight. Just think of all the carbon emissions you won’t be producing. AM

58 ~ MAY 2008 ~ ARROYO

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