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4 ~ JULY 2008 ~ ARROYO
ARROYO VOLUME 4 ~ NUMBER 7
M O N T H LY
10 THE GREEN GARDEN 10 THE INCREDIBLE EDIBLE ESTATE Fritz Haeg brings his revolutionary idea for the front yard of the future to Descanso Gardens. –By Jana Monji
16 THE SECRET LIFE OF NATIVE BEES Watch out, European honeybees: 1,600 different homegrown varieties are waiting in the wings to take center stage in California’s horticulture. –By Brenda Rees
36 A NATIVE RETREAT South Pasadena landscape architect Amy Nettleton designed a leafy haven – and horticultural laboratory — for California plants in her serene backyard. –By Jana Monji
FEATURES 12 HOLLYWOOD ON THE ARROYO THE INCREDIBLE HURD: Action film producer Gale Anne Hurd leaps into the summer blockbuster fray with “The Incredible Hulk.” –By Caroline Cushing
29 BOOKS MURDER MOST FOUL: Best-selling crime novelist Robert Crais brings his brutal new tale about a serial killer to the unsuspecting Crown City. –By Jenine Baines
33 ARCHITECTURE BETWEEN THE FOOTHILLS AND HEAVEN: John Lautner’s footprint on the architecture of the San Gabriel Valley –By Michael Cervin
DEPARTMENTS 8 FESTIVITIES The HeART Project and KCET 39 THE ART OF SCIENCE A new Caltech study catches a glimpse of the brain’s surprising path from blindness to sight recovery.
43 THE LIST Americafest at the Rose Bowl, Esotouric skips through the “New Chinatowns” and much more
46 KITCHEN CONFESSIONS How to put some bang in your bun when you’re feeding fans of the boys of summer
48 TASTE TEST NeoMeze expands its menu of small dishes
ABOUT THE COVER: Photo by Johnny Buzzerio, www.johnnybuzzerio.com
ARROYO ~ JULY 2008 ~ 5
EDITOR’S NOTE
Looking for a tasty beach read this summer? Why not leave the bodice rippers home and break out a good, oldfashioned comic book? Better still, duck out of the sun and head for the cineplex, where comic-book characters currently reign in air-conditioned splendor. The blockbuster “The Incredible Hulk” comes to the big screen thanks to Pasadena producer Gale Anne Hurd, an action-movie veteran whose credits include “The Terminator” series, “Aliens” and “The Abyss.” Caroline Cushing visits her to find out why comics – and huge green monsters – are all the rage. By the way, don’t get us wrong about our appreciation for well-calibrated AC. We’re huge fans of the great outdoors. This month, Arroyo brings you a package of stories dedicated to the green garden – not flower-free, of course, but ecologically correct. Jana Monji introduces landscape artist/revolutionary Fritz Haeg, whose Edible Estate Demonstration Garden at Descanso Gardens is part of his campaign to change the way America looks at its front yards. And Brenda Rees talks to bee experts to explore solutions to a looming ecological threat – namely, the decline of pollinators needed for crops. What you can do about it? Two words: native bees. California has 1,600 different varieties, and planting a bee garden is something you can do for the environment in your own backyard. Literally.
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Michael Cervin goes back to the future to explore visionary modernist John Lautner’s architectural legacy in the San Gabriel Valley; Lautner’s work is the subject of an important exhibition at UCLA’s Hammer Museum, opening in midJuly. Also coming this month is “Chasing Darkness,” best-selling crime novelist Robert Crais’ latest entry in his much-lauded Elvis Cole series, which Jenine Baines discusses with the L.A. author over eggs and bagels. You might want to look over your shoulders, my friends. “Chasing Darkness” takes Cole to Pasadena, where terror apparently rules — at least in Crais’ imagination. — Irene Lacher
ARROYO MONTHLY 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 ASSISTANT Emma Luna CONTRIBUTORS Jenine Baines, 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, Anne Chavez, Hilary Chen, Rick Conti, Elizabeth Guzman, Leslie Lamm, Rochelle Reiff, Cynthia Wagner ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Maricela Estrada, Carla Marroquin ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR Angela Wang ACCOUNTING Archie Iskaq, Tracy Lowe, Ginger Wang PUBLISHER Jon Guynn
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LA Financial Credit Union 224 North Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena 800.894.1200 www.lafinancial.org
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.
6 ~ JULY 2008 ~ ARROYO
FESTIVITIES
1 1
The HeART Project's 16th annual Evening of Art on May 15 was aptly named, and not just because it raised $115,000 for an organization that puts the
KCET supporters got an
art into heart. Art lover and San Marino High School graduate Cynthia Campoy
eyeful of the latest venture
Brophy founded the group to expose at-risk youth to professional art and
of their honoree Timothy
artists via workshops, presentations and scholarships, in the face of dwindling
J. Leiweke at the public
opportunities for arts education in the public schools.
television station’s ninth annual Visionary Award Gala on May 27. The
At the California Science Center fundraiser, a casual crowd of 350 grazed on a savory buffet of Indian dishes, in honor of Brophy's recent trip to Varanasi, India.
2
massive dinner for 1,000
Guests bid on donated artwork
guests inaugurated the new private event deck of L.A. Live, the downtown Los
in a silent auction and warmly
Angeles entertainment hub developed by Staples Center parent AEG, where
celebrated accomplished stu-
Leiweke serves as president and CEO. He and his wife, Bernadette, received
dents from some of the 24
Visionary Awards in honor of their philanthropic contributions and role in help-
alternative area high schools
ing to revitalize downtown. Mary Hart emceed the dinner catered by Wolfgang
the project serves. Also hon-
Puck, which culminated in a performance by Lionel Richie. Guests included
ored were graffiti artist and
L.A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jane
muralist Man One, a HeART
and Terry Semel and Pasadena’s George and Susan Reardon, Lyn Spector
Project instructor; architect Ted
and Nancy Baxter. The evening raised a record-breaking $1.7 million for PBS’
K. Osborn, HeART Project
West Coast flagship station.
board chair; and arts supporter and L.A. City Councilwoman 2
Jan Perry.
22
1. HeART Project honoree Man One and HeART Project teacher Lorraine Alexander 2. (Left to right) Dr. Richard Diroll of Pasadena with HeART Project Executive Director Cynthia Campoy Brophy and Courtney Diroll Saavedra 3. (Left to right) HeART Project student Felipe Cuevas with Wendy Osborn of Glendale and HeART Project board member Lynne Thompson of Highland Park
3 1. KCET supporters got the first look at L.A. Live’s new event deck. 2. George and Susan Reardon of Pasadena 3. Surprise guest artist Lionel Richie performing
3
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THE GREEN GARDEN
The Incredible Edible Estate FRITZ HAEG BRINGS HIS REVOLUTIONARY IDEA FOR THE FRONT YARD OF THE FUTURE TO DESCANSO GARDENS. BY JANA MONJI
Want to make the local news? Dig up your front lawn and plant tomatoes. “Every single time I plant these gardens, the press is there,” landscape designer and artist Fritz Haeg said in a recent interview. “It’s hilarious to me that you can remove a lawn and plant food, and it can be news.” A few days later, Haeg is at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, signing copies of his recently published manifesto arguing for a tasty new suburban paradigm: “Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn” (Metropolis Books; February 2008). Sure, some home gardeners already have plots of vegetables and fruit in their backyards, but that’s not what Haeg is talking about. He’s proselytizing on behalf of nothing less than a landscaping revolution. He calls it “full-frontal gardening,” and to demonstrate his idea around the country and in London, he has asked people to dig up their conventional front lawn and plant a vegetable and herb garden instead. Haeg didn’t want people to think this was a project for “crazy hippies or radical environmentalists,” so he searched for “a respectable title.” Ergo, the name Edible Estates. He has documented these “edible estates” — seven in all — with blogs and photographs. Tall, with closely shorn hair and an unassuming, relaxed manner, Haeg, 39, seems an unlikely candidate to spawn a subversive idea challenging a basic building block of suburbia – the manicured green lawn. Back at Descanso, visitors pass by the man the Whitney Museum of American Art calls “one of 10 ~ JULY 2008 ~ ARROYO
the 81 most interesting contemporary American artists currently working today” without a second glance, more interested in studying the chickens penned in the Edible Estate Demonstration Garden he planted there. The chickens — Rhode Island Reds, Chinese Silkies and a Frizzle — are just passing through. The birds from Town and Country Carriage, a mobile petting zoo based in Lancaster, are making their monthly visit to do their part for the project by eating insects and contributing natural fertilizer. Several Edible Estates, which introduce a rural touch to urban and surburban landscapes, were commissioned by art institutes and sited at singlefamily homes as personal gardens. But the Descanso project was designed as a public space to show visitors how it can be done. Begun in January and running until November, the Descanso Edible Estate is built around the frame of a house to drive home the idea for potential private gardeners. On one side is a traditional lawn, planted for contrast. Haeg says that when the lawn went in, people came by and admired the perfect green surface. That, of course, was counter to his intention to bring a “shift in what we consider beautiful in terms of a landscape.” The suburban image of the immaculate lawn is “very limited and oppressive.” “Fritz is challenging you, if you own your own land, to grow your own food,” says Brian Sullivan, Descanso’s manager of horticulture. While some of the food grown there has been used in demonstrations, some is dropped off
Photos: Courtesy of Descanso Gardens
at Union Station to feed the homeless. Because no pesticides are used, Sullivan wants people to “pick, take and taste.” Lettuce leaves are ready to eat during Haeg’s visit, with strawberries and grapes coming down the pike. Herbs like chamomile, rosemary and various thymes are thriving, and pumpkins will mature by the fall. All the plants and seeds were bought locally and are watered by hand. Descanso recruited Haeg after an audience responded warmly to a talk he gave there last September as part of the garden’s GreenSpeak series. Sullivan says that the landscape artist “really tapped into something people are thinking about: how we spend our time, how we use our resources, how we use our land.” At the time, Haeg was also known for organizing artistic and intellectual gatherings called the Sundown Salon. He also taught classes in product and environmental design at CalArts, Art Center College of Design, Parsons School of Design and the USC schools of art and architecture — he studied in Venice, Italy, and earned his undergraduate architecture degree from Carnegie Mellon University. Indeed, Haeg is highly unusual as a landscape designer and environmental activitist who’s also considered an important artist at the highest levels of the New York art world, which recently gave him one of its most prestigious imprimaturs: an invitation to participate in the Whitney Biennial 2008. The exhibition is comprised of artwork the museum deems among the most significant currently being made. “It was extremely exciting to be included and especially to have a new project commissioned for the front of the museum,” he says. That new project is not an Edible Estate, but one that combines Haeg’s love of animals and his background in architecture – Animal Estates, model homes he has designed for wild creatures displaced by urban development. His Whitney installation consists of empty homes for a dozen animals native to New York, including a northern flying squirrel, barn owl, wood duck, bald eagle, bobcat and an opossum. Haeg consults with zoologists and conservationists to construct custom-made, ecologically sensitive and sitespecific dwellings, designed to invite the resettlement of native species (although it might be some time before a bobcat hops the Madison Avenue bus to the museum). As with his Edible Estates project, Haeg challenges people to approach the subject from a fresh point of view – in this case, the animals’: He says he “looks at animals as clients” and considers “how animals could live in cities in a more beneficial way — to actively design for them.” Animal Estates 1.0, which opened at the Whitney on March 6, has been extended beyond the Biennial’s June closing until Aug. 14. It’s the first of eight regional Animal Estates Haeg has planned for the U.S. and abroad this year.
None are yet scheduled for Southern California, but an edition commissioned by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is planned to open this month at various spots around the city. Haeg, a Minnesota native, isn’t a gardener, landscaper, horticulturist or botanist by training. When he moved to Los Angeles from New York in 1999, he experienced a lot of firsts: his first car, his first garden and his first dog. He dubbed his new home Sundown Gardens; there he constructed a dome for yoga classes and meetings of his salon. Haeg launched Edible Estates in 2005, planting the first garden in Salina, Kansas, at the home of a plant geneticist and an Indian-born artist. The prototype was designed to accommodate specific needs: to survive the extreme prairie climate and provide vegetables for Indian dishes. The next estate was planted in Lakewood the following year. Fritz Haeg The New York Times called Haeg an “ersatz Frederick Law Olmsted,” referring to the landscape architect who designed New York’s Central Park and Stanford University’s campus in Palo Alto. Compared to Olmsted, Haeg’s gardening concept is less grand and showy. He doesn’t like aspirational design, the kind of “glossy images you see in fancy design magazines of homes that look like nobody lives there.” Front lawns fit in that category, he says. “Any garden I do, I want to make any person walking down the street imagine that this is something they can do.” His gardening ideal is ever-evolving. In 2007, he planted an Edible Estate in London, Descanso’s demonstration garden where he found people “way ahead of us on these issues. There’s a huge community interested in urban agriculture.” He designed that project for a communal garden in the middle of London rather than a private home. Located in Southwark, the garden is a 10-minute walk from the Tate Modern, which commissioned it. This garden, regional prototype garden #4, is included in his book, “Edible Estates.” He has a new book, documenting his thought-provoking gatherings, coming out this fall — “Sundown Salon 2001-2006 in Words and Pictures: A Project by Fritz Haeg” (Evil Twin Comics). During those years, he invited a wide range of people to his salons. His approach may be iconoThe garden’s frame house clastic, but his reach is broad. Says Haeg: “Any garden I do, I want to make any person walking down the street imagine that this is something they can do.” AM Descanso Gardens’ Edible Estates Demonstration Garden is in the Center Circle area. Located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge, the gardens are open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission tickets cost $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students and $2 for children ages 5 to 12. Members and children under 5 are admitted free. ARROYO ~ JULY 2008 ~ 11
Photo: Johnny Buzzerio
HOLLYWOOD ON THE ARROYO
12 ~ JULY 2008 ~ ARROYO
The Incredible Hurd ACTION FILM PRODUCER GALE ANNE HURD LEAPS INTO THE SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER FRAY WITH “THE INCREDIBLE HULK,” WHO’S STALKING SCREENS AROUND THE COUNTRY. BY CAROLINE CUSHING
THE WOMAN WHO ANSWERS THE DOOR OF HER PASADENA HOME THIS MORNING LOOKS LIKE A SOPHISTICATED LADY OF LEISURE – PETITE, SLENDER AND ELEGANTLY DRESSED IN A BLACK WOOL SKIRT SUIT WITH MATCHING SHOES AND FLESH-COLORED STOCKINGS. BUT THAT SIMPLE PICTURE COULDN’T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH OF GALE ANNE HURD, WHO’S ONE OF HOLLYWOOD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL FILM PRODUCERS AND A RARE WOMAN IN THE MOSTLY MALE ACTION GENRE. HURD’S ARSENAL OF 28 MOVIES INCLUDES SUCH EPIC FILMS AS “ALIENS” (1986), “THE ABYSS” (1989) AND THE THREE “TERMINATOR” MOVIES, A KILLER ACTION FRANCHISE SHE CREATED IN 1984 WITH HER FIRST HUSBAND, DIRECTOR JAMES CAMERON. Her latest action hero, “The Incredible Hulk,” is currently stalking screens around the country – a smashing entry in a blockbuster summer populated by such comic-book titans as Iron Man, Batman (“The Dark Knight”) and Hellboy (“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”). “Punisher: War Zone,” her second film about the vigilante anti-hero, is slated to reach theaters in December. With audiences flocking to smash-pow! popcorn pictures — “Iron Man” pulled in $530 million worldwide in its first five weeks alone — this promises to be a banner year for Hurd and the comic-book heroes she’s bringing to the big screen. “Comic-book characters face real issues. The Incredible Hulk is a Jekylland-Hyde character, a scientist who transforms rage. I’m just 5 foot, 4 inches tall and weigh 110 pounds, so maybe it’s wish fulfillment on my part to punch someone out,” Hurd, 52, says with a laugh. “I loved comics like ‘The Hulk,’ ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ as a child. I find them iconic characters.” Hurd is chatting in the comfort of her 1930s Spanish Revival villa, which she recently moved into with her husband, “Armageddon” co-writer/executive producer Jonathan Hensleigh, and Lolita, her 16-year-old daughter with former husband and director Brian de Palma. The family moved there from San Marino so that Lolita could attend a nearby school. “I am discovering beautiful old tiles and exposing original walls,” she says, as she leads a visitor on a tour, pointing out period light fixtures waiting to be hung. She passes by rustic Monterey-style furniture and striking examples of Arts & Crafts pottery. Hurd developed a taste for it in North Idaho, where she discovered vintage Roseville Pottery during the filming of “Dante’s Peak,” a 1997 thriller about a volcanic eruption. Her perfectionism is being harnessed to fine effect as she gets the new home in order. Hurd is a native Southern Californian, who spent her childhood in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. She attended Stanford University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in economics and communications. There she studied the films of director Stanley Kubrick, whom she describes as “a huge inspiration. I saw Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ and realized this was the genre of movie I wanted to make. He had the same love for science fiction that I do. The other film of his I love is ‘Paths of Glory.’ He has inspired so many filmmakers.” She broke into the film industry in 1977 as an assistant to the legendary Roger Corman at New World Pictures. (The influential B-movie director also helped launch the careers of such notables as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin
Scorcese.) “She gave as much attention to handling details like placing a phone call as she did to larger matters like choosing directors,” recalls Julie Corman, Roger’s wife and producing partner. “Gale’s professional manner inspired confidence that at any level she would always deliver, and she did and does.” Hurd met Cameron through Corman, and the two went on to collaborate on a half dozen science-fiction films. Their breakthrough came with 1984’s “The Terminator,” which starred California’s future governor. Hurd and Cameron’s script gifted Arnold Schwarzenegger with such memorable phrases as “I’ll be back,” which entered the pop culture lexicon and helped burnish his stardom. “When principal photography wrapped on ‘The Terminator’ in 1984, Jim and I were just so thankful to make the movie, the rest was gravy,” she says. “Arnold was terrific. We thought he was joking in those days when he said he was going into politics.” Their collaboration continued with 1986’s “Aliens,” an unusually successful sequel which was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning two for sound and visual effects. Three years later came the underwater thriller “The Abyss,” which had unexpected ripples. After wrapping the film, she and Cameron found themselves owners of a dive-boat company. “When I become fascinated with something, I turn it into a business,” she says and smiles. She became an accomplished scuba diver in the process, reaching depths of 210 feet. But there was also a dark side to the connection between art and life in “The Abyss.” The action adventure written and directed by Cameron centered on the troubled relationship between the designer of an underwater oil platform, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and her estranged husband, the platform foreman (Ed Harris). The film mirrored the breakup of their own three-year marriage that year, but it didn’t dash their business alliance. They teamed up again in 1991 on “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” which Hurd worked on as an executive producer and Cameron directed, co-wrote and produced. (She was also an executive producer on 2003’s “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.”) During her brief, stormy marriage to Brian de Palma, the couple collaborated on the 1992 psychological thriller “Raising Cain.” That year also saw the release of Neil Jimenez’s “The Waterdance,” an uncharacterically offbeat work in her filmography which is nonetheless her proudest accomplishment. Jimenez’s semi-autobiographical drama about a group of physically handicapped men —CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 ARROYO ~ JULY 2008 ~ 13
HOLLYWOOD ON THE ARROYO
—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
snared the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, two Independent Spirit Awards and a spot for Hurd on the Independent Feature Project/West’s board of directors. Her next big hit came in 1998 with “Armageddon,” co-written by husband Hensleigh, which starred Bruce Willis as an oil driller who saves earth from a collision with an enormous asteroid. It was the first film made under the banner of her production company, Valhalla Motion Pictures. In June 2003, Hurd’s first collaboration with the complicated green giant hit theaters with “The Hulk,” directed by Ang Lee and starring Eric Bana in the title role. The highly anticipated film had a smash opening weekend, taking in $62.1 million, the 16th highest opener at the time. But despite mostly positive reviews – the San Francisco Chronicle described the film as “more thoughtful and pleasing to the eye than any blockbuster in recent memory” — the second weekend take dropped nearly 70 percent, which would be, for the next three years, the biggest fall for any film that opened at more than $20 million. The worldwide total came to $245 million. For Universal Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ “The Incredible Hulk,” which opened June 13, Hurd returns with an entirely new team headed by French director Louis Leterrier (“The Transporter” [2002] and “Transporter 2” [2005]). It stars Edward Norton as genius scientist Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, who turns into the Hulk when enraged; Liv Tyler as his girlfriend, Betty Ross; William Hurt as her father, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who’s determined to capture the Hulk; and Tim Roth as the evil Emil Blonsky. Norton also has a writing credit on the Hulk’s newest adventure, which finds him battling the Abomination, a monstrous new opponent on a destructive rampage who’s stronger than even the Hulk. Hurd’s casting choices of consummate actors may seem counter-intuitive – a lot of action films pin their appeal on special effects, not acting — but Hurd leans toward more character-drive scripts. She recently discussed her picks with Superhero.com: “You look at Edward Norton, a guy who defines duality from ‘Primal Fear’ to ‘Fight Club,’ and he’s so smart. It was great being able to go after him and have him say ‘Yes.’ And then Tim Roth in terms of villains, he’s Oscar-nominated for the villain he played in ‘Rob Roy,’ 14 ~ JULY 2008 ~ ARROYO
and going back to ‘Reservoir Dogs.’ This is a guy who is interesting regardless of the role that he plays.” “The Incredible Hulk” stands out in another way as well: Not only is the title character green, so is the entire $125 million production. The Environmental Media Association sent a “green coach” to the set to advise on ways to promote carbon offsetting and generally make the production more eco-friendly. “Edward Norton told me he wants ‘The Incredible Hulk’ to be ‘the greenest movie ever,’” EMA president Debbie Levin told Variety. “So we’ve been working with [producer] Gale Anne Hurd and her team, just trying to see what we can do to push the envelope a little bit.” Hurd, who has worked with environmental organizations like EMA and Heal the Bay, is quite a green warrior herself. In 2004, she received Global Green USA’s Entertainment Industry Environmental Leadership Award. “We had this big green guy and we wanted to make a very green film,” she says of her latest venture. “And Universal and Marvel went along with our proposal.” Hurd chats easily as if she has all the time in the world, but the reality is that she’s in a hurry to get to a screening and begin her 14-hour workday. Yet another task on her plate is overseeing the Vertical Wine Bistro, an Old Pasadena wine bar and restaurant she took over two years ago. Her chef is native Angeleno Sara Levine, who has worked in the kitchens of the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Whist in Santa Monica and L.A.’s Opus Bar & Grill. Levine’s menu of small plates, designed to complement the restaurant’s ample list of 400 wines, reflects her style, which she describes as simple, earthy and market driven. Hurd invested in Old Pasadena in part because it brings back fond memories of her youth in Palm Springs. “I like the central core and character of Old Pasadena, and when the bar came up for sale I bought it,” she says. Outside the window, her one-acre garden is abloom with roses, and magnolia and orange trees are in flower; a waterfall empties into a koi pond and cherubs pose amid trickling fountains. Hurd herself appears as serene as her garden statues — which seems incredible in light of all the action in her own life, between making epic films, running a restaurant and keeping the home fires burning. Hurd’s life may be complicated, but her main operating principle is simple. “I love what I do,” she says, and smiles. AM
Photos: Courtesy Universal Pictures
“COMIC-BOOK CHARACTERS FACE REAL ISSUES. THE INCREDIBLE HULK IS A JEKYLL-AND-HYDE CHARACTER, A SCIENTIST WHO TRANSFORMS RAGE. I’M JUST 5 FOOT, 4 INCHES TALL AND WEIGH 110 POUNDS, SO MAYBE IT’S WISH FULFILLMENT ON MY PART TO PUNCH SOMEONE OUT.”
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THE GREEN GARDEN
A yellow face bumble bee — California’s most common bumble bee —with large pollen loads on a gumplant flower
The Secret Life of Native Bees WATCH OUT, EUROPEAN HONEYBEES: 1,600 DIFFERENT HOMEGROWN VARIETIES ARE WAITING IN THE WINGS TO TAKE CENTER STAGE IN CALIFORNIA’S HORTICULTURE.
Bees have been unfairly stereotyped for years. Most people think that if a bug sports yellowand-black stripes, lives in a hive and makes honey, it’s a bee. That’s true to a point — you’re probably dealing with a typical honeybee. But lurking in our backyards, public gardens and open wild lands are buzzers of different colors, shapes and sizes. From metallic and green to enormous and black or tiny and fuzzy, California’s diverse native bee populations have been whizzing along, foraging flowers for sustenance as they keep us larger creatures well fed. “People don’t realize that we have 1,600 different species of native bees in California scattered all over the state, with 4,000 species nationwide,” says Gordon Frankie, a bee behavior specialist at UC Berkeley who has spent nearly 40 years researching and recording the habits of nature’s most proficient pollinators. “These native bees are incredibly important to the health of not only the wild lands but our entire ecosystem,” he says, adding that without native bees, there would be no chocolate, vegetables, nuts, coffee or fruit. One of their California hot spots is Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge; since 2006, Frankie has been studying urban native bees in the field there, noting which bees go after which plants and at what time of the year. In all, he has recorded 73 species of bees at Descanso.“Descanso has done a good job of planting things that attract natives,” says Frankie, adding that the diversity of flowering plants – both California native and European exotic – attracts the bees and keeps them there. 16 ~ JULY 2008 ~ ARROYO
On July 19, Frankie will lead a one-day seminar at Descanso exploring his studies on urban bees, discussing their value and instructing gardeners on how they can lure the little busybodies into their yards. Joining Frankie is Robbin Thorp, a bee biologist from UC Davis, who has also spent most of his life entranced by the workings of these winged wonders — which include bumblebees, sweat bees, carpenter bees, leaf-cutting bees, mining bees and mason bees, to name a few. Just don’t add honeybees to that list, warns Thorp. “Honeybees are not native. They came here in the 1700s,” he says, noting that these illegal insect aliens were brought to the New World for their honey- and wax-making abilities. Honeybees didn’t show up in california until about 1853. They are certainly Johnny-come-latelys in the bee world.” While honeybees are social, most native bees live a solitary life with just three things on their mind: pollinating, nectar and sex. Native bees generally have a short life span. During the female’s mere two weeks on earth, she mates and then spends most of her time eating and preparing nests for her eggs. Nest building illustrates another difference between honeybees and natives: Natives usually make nests in the ground. Near soil cracks or hidden beneath the edge of plants, you may find what looks like an anthill without the ants: Little mounds of dirt in a perfect circle may very well be a bee nursery. Ground-nesting is one reason why Frankie is on a mission to stop gardeners from what he calls “mulch madness.” “Going crazy with mulch is just as bad as putting down pesticides when it comes to native bees” because it can suffocate them, he says. “If you must mulch, do so lightly.” Since bees prefer to build nests in compacted soil he advises leaving a little space for them away from foot traffic. Here’s another astonishing native bee fact: Baby bees can hibernate in their nests for up to a year — even longer if there’s a drought or the weather is other-
Photo: Rollin Coville
BY BRENDA REES
Photo: Rollin Coville
MEDITERRANEAN
TRANQUILITY
Planting an urban bee garden Interested in attracting some beneficial native bees to your garden? It won’t take much, say bee experts. The first step toward a successful bee garden is planning for the seasons. Since native bees are seasonal, it’s important to plant a garden that blooms throughout the year so that the buzzers will always be happy and productive. A small plot with groupings of similar plants or patches is perfect for a bee garden. “I have a 10-by-10-foot plot at home with 15 different plants, and I’ve recorded 13 different species of bees,” says Gordon Frankie, UC Berkeley professor and bee aficionado. Native bees enjoy both exotic plants and those native to California. Some native flora to consider: manzanitas, wild lilacs, buckwheats, penstemons, California sages, morning glory, California poppy, multiflowered snapdragon, yarrows and willows. Recommended exotics include: catmint, coreopsis, cosmos, lavender, rosemary, Russian sage and sunflowers. In addition to plants, bee gardeners should leave mulch-free spaces in the ground where native bees can nest. The more compact the soil, the better. For more information about creating an urban bee garden, visit http://nature.berkeley.edu/urbanbeegardens.
wise in hospitable. Frankie says he has heard of bees refusing to come out of their nests for 11 years because the weather wasn’t to their liking. These strong and strong-willed critters may evolve into greater helpmates to humans, whose food supply is threatened by “colony collapse disorder” — a recent scenario in the U.S. and abroad in which honeybees fly off to search for food but don’t return to their hives. The New York Times reported in 2006 that without pollinators, more than $14 billion worth of seeds and crops could be at risk annually. Frankie believes natives can step up to the pollinating plate. Recent studies have shown that farms near wild lands have had success relying on nearby native pollinators. Natives may be introduced to almond orchards in Central California impacted by the disappearance of honeybees. In addition to advocating natives for agricultural areas, Frankie is a vocal proponent of urban gardeners nurturing bees in their backyards. In Frankie and Thorp’s perfect world, native bee gardens would be as popular as butterfly or hummingbird gardens. Frankie is also writing a guidebook, much like the Audubon handbook, which would provide bee watchers with information and pictures for identification. Perhaps the biggest obstacle the professors may encounter as they spread the gospel of the natives is the public’s primordial fear of bees, says Brian Sullivan, Descanso’s manager of horticulture. “It’s just a knee-jerk reaction we hear from our visitors when there are ‘too many bees’ in the garden,” Sullivan says, although he acknowledges that Frankie’s visits have been eyeopening experiences. “I simply had no idea about the diversity of our natives,” he says. “I wish people wouldn’t be so afraid of them. These natives are not defending a hive; they’re not going to attack. “Most of these bees are so small, some even the size of ants. And they’re so beautiful — all different colors and shapes, and all so important. We need them now more than ever in our gardens, private and public.” AM
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ARROYO
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design and lighting to each one-of-a-kind project. Barry specializes in the lusty organic with original water features of metal, glass, wood and fire. The clean, understated elegance of Melissa’s artistic studies are reflected in her brilliantly layered foliage, flowers and trees for the deepest and most subtle impact. A strong focus on the details includes a compassionate philosophy with special emphasis on sustainability in design and materials. Together they create the most extraordinary masterpieces of mystery and romance. Barry Magness and Melissa Carson were selected as designer advisors at the 2006 Pasadena Showcase House of the Arts. For more information call (818) 241-2128, or visit www.carson-magness.com. CRAYPO’S POOL & SPAS 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
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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 and 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) 799-9701. FERGUSON BATH & KITCHEN Make sure to visit the Ferguson showroom, which has been serving Pasadena for 15 years. Let Ferguson showroom staff Sarah and Antaya help 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 us at 157 Vista Ave. or at www.ferguson.com or call (626) 795-9551. GARDEN VIEW LANDSCAPING, NURSERY, POOLS Specializing in landscaping, nurseries and pools, Garden View Inc. can take you from a design idea or concept to a fully
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bar stools and lamps. Prior to setting up shop, Brian and Barbara Proper had each acquired extensive familiarity with antiques and decorating sense. Brian, born and raised in England, grew up around quality pieces and the people who know their every detail, including when and how to repair and care for them. Barbara, in addition to a professional career, practiced interior decorating, balancing the unusual with the practical. Finally, in 1974, their personal collection and love for wonderful objects blossomed into a business concern named after Brian’s mother’s home in Surrey, England. Celebrating our 35th year in our new location in Pasadena, 165-175 S. Fair Oaks Ave., or call (626) 356-3100. HOME MATTERS Style, comfort and warmth are always considered at Home Matters. We feature tasteful and unique furnishings that reflect your elegant yet casual lifestyle. Featuring living room, dining room and bedroom furniture for both traditional and eclectic tastes. Thinking about a new entertainment center on which to place that flat screen? Home Matters specializes in creating custom-made entertainment consoles to fit your every need! Beautiful selection of wrought-iron pieces and accessories, as well as a wide selection of slipcover sofas. We offer in-home consultations. No interest financing. Come see us today. Home Matters, 45 E. Foothill Blvd, Arcadia. (626) 574-0433 KITCHEN TUNE-UP is one-stop shopping if you’re looking to change your kitchen a little or a lot. A Tune-Up is a process in which we refurbish existing wood cabinets to look as close to new as possible. We also offer refacing, custom cabinets, bathroom vanities and cabinets as well as home entertainment centers and closets. We have a wide selection of —CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
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the most popular countertops, including Livingstone, Corian, Caesarstone and Silestone. If you like your existing layout but want some changes, we can add pullout drawers, spice cabinets and roll-out trash drawers, even that island you’ve been dreaming about. We can help change your kitchen and bath as simply or dramatically as you like and have in-house designers who can help transform your vision into reality. So if your kitchen’s in need of a Tune-Up or it’s time for new cabinets or a remodel we can help you every step of the way. We are Steve and Megan Morelock. We are Kitchen Tune-Up. Please call for a complimentary consultation at (626) 533-4402.
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achieve your exact goals, dreams and beyond. Our huge supply yard features acres of building materials for all phases of building and home improvement, with a specialty showroom featuring a host of interior and exterior products. From formal residential landscapes and masonry to large, track home developments, Prime Building Materials can provide all the materials to create the perfect living environment. 5 locations to serve you. Call us at (626) 284-2222 for a free consultation or estimate on your next project. RISCHE CABINETS - Specialized Remodeling Services, Entertainment Centers, Custom Cabinetry, Crown Molding. Contact us in Monrovia for remodeling services, including custom cabinetry and entertainment centers. With more than 20 years of experience, our friendly, professional staff offers custom woodwork that is built and made to order. Whether you’re in the market for a nice fireplace mantel or a new wood countertop, Stephen Rische Cabinets has the services you’re looking for. We are conveniently located on the corner of Kruse and Myrtle Avenues, so contact us at www.rischecabinets.com today for all your custom woodwork needs. (626) 357-8413. SNYDER DIAMOND The long-established neighborhood resource for kitchen and bath has moved to the historic former Thomasville building at Arroyo Parkway and Bellevue, across from Whole Foods Market. Discover the latest built-in appliances, decorative bath and fine hardware . . . everything from distinctive personal solutions to best buys on popular national brands. Here you’ll find 17,000 square feet of ideas and inspiration, including The Living Kitchen, California’s first store-within-a-store experience created exclusively by Sub-
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BOOKS
Murder Most Foul BESTSELLING CRIME NOVELIST ROBERT CRAIS BRINGS HIS BRUTAL NEW TALE ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER TO THE UNSUSPECTING CROWN CITY. BY JENINE BAINES
Photo: Julie Dennis Brothers
CRIME NOVELIST ROBERT CRAIS, WHO’S SOMETHING OF AN EXPERT ON THESE THINGS, CONSIDERS PASADENA AN IDEAL PLACE TO SET A TALE ABOUT BLOODY MURDER. SURE, THE REST OF THE WORLD MAY LOOK AT THE CROWN CITY AND SEE AN ARCADIA OF BLUE SKIES, ART MUSEUMS AND SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. FAR BE IT FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR TO SAY THAT PASADENA IS DARK AT ITS VERY HEART. QUITE THE OPPOSITE. “‘Chasing Darkness’ is about the invasion of horror into an unsuspecting life,” the Los Angeles-based writer says of his new novel, which he will sign at Vroman’s Bookstore on July 2. The murder victim and her family serve as “a metaphor for normal life,” he says. “So of course they live in a place like Pasadena, which I’ve always thought of as idyllic. It strikes a Middle American chord.” For more than two decades, Crais – an architecture aficionado who appears as comfortable discussing modernist homes by Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman as his latest whodunit – has taken his protagonist, private eye Elvis Cole, to communities throughout Los Angeles, places like Glendale, Hollywood and Santa Monica. The detective’s trip farther east has been eagerly anticipated by his fans. “For years, I’ve harbored a fantasy of running into Elvis Cole somewhere,” says Anne Edkins, visual merchandising manager of Vromans. “So I love it that Elvis visits Pasadena during his investigations in ‘Chasing Darkness.’ Maybe he’ll swing by for a cup of coffee and a good book to help him take his mind off things.” In the latest novel, published this month by Simon & Schuster, Pasadena is the hometown of character Deborah Repko, whose death catapults private eye Cole in search of her killer. She’s one of seven victims whose grisly deaths are recorded in a fistful of photographs found in the hands of a dead man the LAPD names as a serial killer – a few years after Cole staked his reputation on clearing the man of suspicion. It’s the eleventh in Crais’ lauded series of novels featuring Cole. Not surprisingly, Cole is, in part, a stand-in for his creator, who led his own family through a difficult chapter in the Craises’ life. That aspect of the detective’s personality is developed in “Chasing Darkness.” —CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 ARROYO ~ JULY 2008 ~ 29
BOOKS
—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29
“The darkness frightens me, but what it does to us frightens me even more,” [Cole] confesses. “Maybe this is why I do what I do. I chase the darkness to make room for the light.” Why is a private eye with such a mission named Elvis? Crais, 54, wanted his protagonist to have a burden of his own to bear. As the books reveal, Elvis was Philip James Cole until he was 6 years old, when his mother changed his name in homage to the rock ’n’ roll icon. “It’s a lunatic path,” Crais explains. “A normal parent doesn’t do that.” The name also adds an element of humor and unexpectedness to the novel. “I wanted it to indicate that this series is perhaps going to be a bit more wide-ranging and open than other private-eye novels you might read,” Crais says over eggs and bagels at Art’s Deli in Studio City, where Cole also likes the breakfast. The athletic writer — whose speech is still tinged with a slight Southern drawl, despite decades in Southern California — is easy to spot in a blindingly bright Hawaiian shirt, the kind Elvis favors too. Cole and Crais have captured a blizzard of awards, including the 2006 Ross Macdonald Literary Award, which honored the California writer for raising the standards of literary excellence. But before the detective could swing by any bookstores anywhere, his creator had to get published. And before the successful 1987 publication of Crais’ first Elvis Cole novel, “The Monkey’s Raincoat” (Bantam) – which won the Anthony and Macavity awards, an Edgar Award nomination and inclusion on the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association’s list of its “100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century” – Crais had two failed works to his credit. “They were among the worst manuscripts ever created by anybody,” he says cheerfully. “They failed, I think, because I didn’t have a story to tell.” But he always had the desire to tell one. Crais’ Baton Rouge, Louisiana, roots – as well as his childhood enthusiasm for comic books – left him with a passion for larger-than-life storytelling. “We lived behind a drive-in movie theater, so I was always climbing onto our roof to watch these terrible films kids weren’t supposed to see,” he recalls. “It was real grindhouse stuff – ‘The Brain Eaters,’ ‘Mondo Cane,’ ‘Hell’s Angels on Wheels’ – that fired my imagination. So I sought out more by reading.” He devoured works by Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Ernest Hemingway and moved to Los Angeles in his early 20s to try his luck as a screenwriter. In the next decade, Crais became an Emmy-nominated writer for such shows as “Hill Street Blues,” “Cagney and Lacey” and “Miami Vice.” But the entertainment industry wasn’t a good fit for the independent Crais, who bridled at being “one of the poodles of Hollywood – often pampered but 30 ~ JULY 2008 ~ ARROYO
still expected to do what you are told. I wanted an avenue of selfexpression where I could create something that was wholly mine.” Crais’ 2001 novel, “Hostage,” became a movie starring Bruce Willis in 2006, but he has declined to sell the film rights for the Elvis Cole series. The fictional detective emerged during a difficult chapter in Crais’ life after his father’s death in 1985. An only child, he found himself parenting his mother. After many years of traditional marriage, she had no idea how to pay bills or write a check. Her son had to teach her. Readers of “The Monkey’s Raincoat” may recognize Crais’ mother’s influence on the character of Ellen Lang. “See the parallel?” he says. “Ellen’s husband is missing. She’s desperate to have him back – not because she loves him but because she’s helpless without him. Elvis helps this woman grow so she can become an adult and take care of herself and her children.” “The Monkey’s Raincoat” also introduces Cole’s enigmatic partner, the ex-Marine, ex-mercenary and excop, Joe Pike. Crais dedicated the book to his wife, Pat, “who met Joe Pike and decided to hang around.” So is Joe Pike really Robert Crais? “I’m all the characters,” Crais replies. “I’m the good guys, the bad guys, the men, the women. I think that to create a believable character, you can’t help but cannibalize little bits and pieces of yourself.” With the publication of his eighth novel, “L.A. Requiem” (Doubleday; June 1999), Crais amped up his assault on detective genre conventions. He combined the traditional first-person narrative of his previous Elvis Cole novels with multiple points of view, diverse story lines and flashbacks. The book was a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and a multiple award winner. Crais says he simply wanted to tell a bigger story and explore the relationship between Cole and Pike – described by Publisher’s Weekly as “one of the strongest characters in modern crime fiction.”“I knew that Joe’s personal story was very deep and complicated,” Crais says, who gave Pike a book of his own in “The Watchman” (Simon & Schuster; Feb. 2007). “The new format provided me with a much broader canvas to paint on.” Critics agreed. The Literary Review said: “Crais creates plots as lucid as blueprints and strong enough to build cities on.” With “Demolition Angel” (Doubleday; May 2000), Crais introduced L.A. bomb squad veteran Carol Starkey into the Elvis Cole mix. When we meet her, Starkey has been brought back to life after a bomb accidentally detonates during an earthquake, killing her. “Demolition Angel” takes place three years after the blast, when Starkey is attempting to recover from what Crais calls “the worst case of post-traumatic stress disorder ever,” with help from a steady diet of Tagamet and gin. “When Carol came to me, I was fascinated by her,” Crais says. “By the time I got to the end of the book, I was in love with her. She was too good to let go. I had to put her in a room with Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.” The team’s first meeting took place in Crais’ next book, “The Last Detective” (Doubleday; Feb. 2003). They reunite in “Chasing Darkness.” “I write about characters who struggle to rise above themselves,” says Crais, who’s working on his 16th novel. “Are we simply the victims of our past or can we control our destinies? I absolutely believe we can.” AM
VERDUGO MONTHLY July 2007 31
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ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2007 ~ 32
ARCHITECTURE
Between the Foothills and Heaven
JOHN LAUTNER’S FOOTPRINT ON THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY BY MICHAEL CERVIN
Photo: Sam Buchanan
JOHN LAUTNER ONCE SAID OF LOS ANGELES THAT IT WAS A PLACE THAT MADE HIM “PHYSICALLY SICK.” NOT HIGH PRAISE FROM ANYONE, MUCH LESS AN ARCHITECT WHO EVENTUALLY SET UP SHOP THERE. LOS ANGELES BECAME LAUTNER’S HOME DESPITE HIMSELF — IT WAS THE BASE FOR HIS PRACTICE FOR 50 YEARS AND THE PLACE WHERE HIS MODERNIST DESIGNS RECEIVED BOTH ACCOLADES AND CRITICISM. AFICIONADOS WHO CONSIDER LAUTNER A VISIONARY INCLUDE THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS’ LOS ANGELES CHAPTER, WHICH AWARDED HIM A GOLD MEDAL FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN 1993, THE YEAR BEFORE HIS DEATH AT 83. OTHERS AGREE WITH BRITISH ARCHITECTURE CRITIC REYNER BANHAM, WHO ASSERTED THAT LAUTNER WAS MERELY A FABRICATOR OF “ONE-OFF DREAM HOUSES.” Many of Lautner’s buildings have been destroyed, and his work has often been eclipsed by that of his mentor, Frank Lloyd Wright. Yet he still has many devotees, drawn to the sheer originality of his buildings. Lautner himself expressed his disregard for following the pack: “I always had a horror of any kind of routine, and that’s one of the reasons that I ultimately chose architecture.” His oeuvre can be assessed in a new retrospective at the Hammer Museum in Westwood. “Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner,” which opens on July 13 and runs through Oct. 12, attempts to peel back the layers of thought spun by a man who was decidedly hard to pin down. The exhibition, curated by architect Frank Escher and historian Nicholas Olsberg, will travel to other cities in the U.S. and Europe. The show examines some of Lautner’s best-known work, including the Chemosphere on Mulholland Drive (1960; a circular home resembling a space—CONTINUED ON PAGE 35 ARROYO ~ JULY 2008 ~ 33
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With views of the surrounding mountains, Lautner’s three-bedroom, two-bath home feels more like groundskeeper’s quarters in a botanical garden ship, atop a single support) and the Arango residence on Acapulco Bay (1973). than it does a private residence. But then, that was the point. “My designs His futuristic designs have been darlings of Hollywood, used as backdrops for have practical reasons for being as they are, embracing emotional, human and movies like Brian De Palma’s “Blow Out,” McG’s “Charlie’s Angels” and the site needs,” Lautner said of Gantvoort, according to Escher, who described the James Bond films “Moonraker” and “Diamonds Are Forever.” architect as “an artist who does land art.” Lautner was known to sit on a site Away from what he considered the toxic sprawl of Los Angeles, Lautner also and contemplate it for days. “He has a poetic approach to nature, and [he] designed a number of residences and commercial buildings in the San Gabriel designed from the inside out,” Escher said. foothills — Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Burbank and La Cañada Flintridge. Lautner worked on nearly 20 projects in and around the foothills, includFrom a Lincoln-Mercury car dealership in Glendale to a lab and living quarters ing Henry’s Restaurants in Glendale, Pasadena and Arcadia, where he built a for Caltech’s Owens Valley Observatory in Pasadena (designed but never built), 21-year relationship with the chain. Lautner-Peterson recalls feeling “overLautner seemed to find inspiration in this area. As Karol Lautner-Peterson, the whelmed” when her father took her to see the Glendale restaurant for the first architect’s eldest daughter, said in a recent interview, “My father would have pretime. “I will never forget it," she said of the curved-wood interiors, trellised ferred jobs outside L.A. proper, because he hated L.A.” walkways and homey feel. Though they have since been demolished, the Certainly Lautner had a complex relationship with the City of Angels, restaurants had, as Escher said, “an appeal in the but, according to Escher, he had compelling same way residences do: They are shelter. reasons to practice in Southern California. Architecture should help the occupant tran“L.A. has a tradition of experimentation, scend the world they know.” ranging from the utopian ideals of politics to Lautner apprenticed under Wright at the arts,” Escher said. More important, the Taliesin, his mentor’s Wisconsin estate, where region was awash in new money and residents Lautner undoubtedly learned more than any who could afford to hire someone to design a professional schooling could have provided. unique home as a personal statement. There he was responsible for multiple chores, “My father was fortunate to have clients who which included cooking and building a small were open to new ideas and new places, not runhome by hand. “Architecture should be conof-the-mill boring subdivisions — interesting cerned with everything in life,” he once said. clients with interesting sites to build unique “So when you know how to build physically, structures,” Lautner-Peterson said. Unfortunately, then you know what stone or wood is good Lautner — like Wright — was a poor businessfor; you know how to plan; you know what to man. “Time and time again, he would pour so design. The typical architecture school, they much of himself into his projects that he was don’t even know what the materials are good constantly on the verge of bankruptcy,” Escher for. They’re making sketches and plans, but said. “At times, he wouldn’t get paid.” they have absolutely no meaning.” That didn’t stop his curiosity from being That was never a problem for Lautner. ignited by the technologically superior buildNonetheless, much of his work is unknown ings materials that came out of World War II Opposite and this page: John Lautner’s Gantvoort residence in La Cañada Flintridge has outside of architectural circles. “There’s a lot of — concrete, steel, aluminum, malleable wood, large glass walls that bring in plenty of light. Wood-clad curved-steel trusses span the length of the house. interesting architecture in L.A.,” Escher said, “but plastics and glass. “As far as structure is conit’s drowned out by a sea of mediocrity.” What’s cerned, I think we should continually experimore, many of Lautner’s works are private residences, inaccessible to the general ment and discover every new material and method and use it," Lautner wrote. public. As for his better-known buildings, many evoke a futuristic world, with His Gantvoort residence in La Cañada Flintridge, built in 1947, used a designs that appear derived from space-age imagery. Yet Lautner’s focus was pre-fabricated roof frame and radiant-heated, ochre-colored concrete floors. always on making habitats more hospitable for his contemporaries. “Technology Overhangs provided shade in the summer and protection during the winter. will give us more command, more knowledge of information,” he wrote in notes The large glass walls bring in plenty of light, connecting denizens to the outlater found at his mountain cabin in Three Rivers, California. “But if we do not side. Lautner preferred earthy materials like brick, wood and concrete, and he concentrate on the social and human values, the world will be better for the sited the house to take full advantage of its serene environment. “The simplicmachines than for humans.” AM ity of the plan shows real livability, in spite of regular factory-type construction,” Lautner once said, according to Frank Escher’s 1998 book, “John Lautner, Architect” (Princeton Architectural Press). “Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner” runs from July 13 through Oct. 12 at the Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. Tickets cost $5 for Gantvoort sits on a one-acre lot surrounded by oak and fruit trees and adults and $3 for seniors. Admission is free for museum members, students and visitors visited by the occasional deer. Wood-clad curved-steel trusses span the length under 17 who are accompanied by an adult. The museum is free to all on Thursdays and of the house, curved elements that contrast with the squared, built-in benches is closed Mondays and July 4. For more information, call (310) 443-7000 or visit next to the brick fireplace. (As of press time, the home was on the market www.hammer.ucla.edu. with an asking price of of $2.2 million.)
Photo: (top) Sam Buchananj, (center) Julius Shulman
—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33
ARROYO ~ JULY 2008 ~ 35
THE GREEN GARDEN
A Native Retreat
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AMY NETTLETON DESIGNED A LEAFY HAVEN — AND HORTICULTURAL LABORATORY — FOR CALIFORNIA PLANTS IN HER SERENE BACKYARD. BY JANA MONJI
WHEN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AMY NETTLETON BOUGHT HER SOUTH PASADENA HOME IN 2002, SHE WAS AN EAST COAST TRANSPLANT. BUT SHE DIDN’T WANT OTHER NEWCOMERS TO DOMINATE HER SHADY 10,000-SQUARE-FOOT BACKYARD. INSTEAD, SHE DESIGNED A WOODLAND HIDEAWAY MOSTLY PLANTED WITH CALIFORNIA NATIVE FLORA. HER BUSINESS, ELEMENTAL LANDSCAPES, IS BASED THERE, SO NETTLETON’S OWN GARDEN IS SOMETIMES THE FIRST THING CLIENTS SEE. NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE MESSAGE IT SENDS IS IMPORTANT TO HER ECOLOGICALLY FOCUSED PRACTICE, DEDICATED TO HELPING STEM THE DECLINE OF CALIFORNIA NATIVES THREATENED BY URBAN DEVELOPMENT, PESTICIDES AND OTHER HAZARDS OF CONTEMPORARY LIFE.
Above: Hand-cast concrete birdbath with iron bird sculpture and bench beside a clump of bamboo Muhly Opposite (from top): Mexican palo verde, Majorcan Teucrium, chaparral bush mallow, blue fescue, variegated dwarf century plant, Catalina live-forever and variegated pittosporum Pool with gray rush and floating watercress Dark Star California lilac, Chinese elm trunk and pink melaleuca
36 ~ JULY 2008 ~ ARROYO
Nettleton kept the mature non-native trees (Victorian boxwood, European sycamore and the drought-tolerant podocarpus) but took out most of the shrubs and the original lawn. From there, she designed her garden so that it could “interact with the natural landscape,” reinvigorating the older landscaping by incorporating California natives. More than 100 species – including beach aster, “moody blue” Idaho fescue, Concha California lilac, “pumpkin” monkeyflower and coyote mint — grow in partial shade. Such a wide array of plants is “more than I might typically use for a client,” she says. But her garden also doubles as a horticultural laboratory: She says she’s “always interested in learning how these [full-sun] plants would perform” in the shade and uses her own garden to test them out. What might not be apparent to visitors is that this serene haven, outfitted with a tempting hammock, a pond and tall metal bird sculptures, must also survive the onslaught of two yellow Labrador retrievers: an older, mellow gentleman and a younger, almost frenetic, 4-month-old female. Nettleton, who worked as a sub-consultant on the Mayor’s Discovery Park in La Cañada Flintridge, explains that she had to plant strategically to accommodate the dogs as well as the relative lack of sunlight. Knowing that they like to patrol the borders of their territory, she plants nothing against the walls and fences, leaving space for a natural dog run. Stones line the garden’s pathways, and she protects new plants by surrounding them with unobtrusive sticks or piles of rocks. Some plants have inevitably fallen under canine paws, including some of the irises and a mature clump of fortnight lilies. But that’s only natural: No one expects perfection in a forest. AM
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THE ART OF SCIENCE
Second Sight RESEARCHERS CATCH A GLIMPSE OF THE BRAIN’S SURPRISING PATH FROM BLINDNESS TO SIGHT RECOVERY IN A RECENTLY PUBLISHED CALTECH STUDY. BY STEVE COULTER
IF YOU REMEMBER THE ’80S AND ’90S TELEVISION SERIES “STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION,” YOU’RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THE USS ENTERPRISE-D’S CHIEF ENGINEER, GEORDI LEFORGE. THE POPULAR CHARACTER, PLAYED BY “ROOTS” ACTOR LEVAR BURTON DURING ALL SEVEN SEASONS OF THE SHOW, WAS BORN BLIND BUT WORE A PROSTHETIC VISOR THAT ALLOWED HIM TO SEE.
Saenz and her team found that people with recovered sight have a sort of “hybrid brain,” which combines the cognitive abilities of a blind person’s brain with those of a sighted person. Does this mean that we are on the road to creating a race of super-
These days, that fantastic bit of science fiction is rapidly becoming science fact, thanks to a partnership between USC’s Doheny Eye Institute and Second Sight Medical Products. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a clinical study for the team’s new device, called the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System. The Argus II – a complex device involving a tiny digital camera built into glasses
humans? Not necessarily, but it does shed some light on just how adaptable the human brain is. In order to study this phenomenon, researchers scanned the brains of two individuals whose sight had been recovered decades after they lost it. The first subject was blinded in a chemical accident at age 3 but recovered partial sight in his left eye at 46
that project images received by a retinal implant via radio waves — was designed for
through a corneal stem-cell transplant. The second had been blind since birth but
patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration, according to
gained partial sight in her right eye through cataract removal.
Mark Humayun, professor of ophthalmology at USC’s Keck School of Medicine. “We
Using an MRI, researchers first used visual stimulation to map out the appropriate
have successfully implanted six patients in the trial, and we have found that the
subregion of the visual cortex and then used aural stimulation to see how the cross-modal
devices are indeed electrically conducting and can be used by patients to detect light
sound responses mapped onto the regions. Ahem…First the researchers showed them
or even to distinguish between objects such as a cup or plate,” he said.
pictures, and then they had them wear headphones and listen to motion sounds (like a
Giving sight to the blind is nothing less than miraculous, but these developments are begging a lot of questions about how the brain responds to blindness and how it
siren going by or a plane flying overhead). The brain region in question is called MT+/V5 and is specifically involved in
handles regained sight. That brain “plasticity” (or “adaptability”) was the focus of a
visual motion processing. What they found is that this region of the brain — which
study conducted by Caltech postdoctoral researcher Melissa Saenz and Christof
usually processes sight motion — had adapted to process sound motion.
Koch, the Lois and Victor Troendle Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology and
So what does all of this mean? Well, for starters the brain is freakin’ awesome (as
professor of computation and neural systems. Their findings were published in a recent
if you needed more proof). But even so, the road to sight recovery is not simply a mat-
issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
ter of putting on a visor.
“When a person goes blind, a major question is what happens to the region of
“Individuals with sight recovery can face great difficulties in learning to use
the brain that is responsible for processing vision,” Saenz said. “Several studies previ-
vision because of the brain plasticity that occurred during their years of blindness,”
ous to our own have shown that when a person goes blind — especially if they go
Saenz said. “Because their brains have adapted to blindness, being able to see
blind when they are very young and the brain is very adaptable — that region doesn’t
again is not simply a matter of fixing the eyes, but also requires a functioning visual
go wasted. It starts to become responsive to the other senses.”
system in the brain.” AM ARROYO ~ JULY 2008 ~ 39
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HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER The Huntington Learning Center is a nationally recognized leader in the field of improving a child’s basic study skills through remediation and enrichment programs. Students are given individual attention by certified teachers using personalized programs tailored to improve skills in a child’s trouble areas. Huntington offers individual testing and tutoring in reading, math, study skills, writing and SAT/ACT preparation to students of all ages. 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.
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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THE
LIST COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER
A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS
CAL PHIL HEATS UP JULY July 12, 13, 26 and 27 — The California Philharmonic sets off musical fireworks in performances Saturdays at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Sundays at Walt Disney Concert Hall. On July 12, the orchestra presents “Andrew Lloyd Webber Meets Puccini,” which features excerpts from Webber musicals (“Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats” and “Evita”) and Puccini operas (“La Bohème,” “Madame Butterfly” and “Tosca”). Broadway singer Valerie Perri and tenor Robert MacNeil join the orchestra for this performance. The concert repeats July 13 at 2 p.m. at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. On July 26, the Cal Phil brings the sounds of Broadway’s Rodgers and Hammerstein to the Arboretum. Mezzo soprano Suzanna Guzmán and baritone Kevin Earley perform excerpts from “Oklahoma,” “South Pacific,” “The Sound of Music,” “Carousel,” “The King and I” and “State Fair.” Gates open at the Arboretum at 5:30 p.m. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. It repeats at Disney Hall on July 27 at 2 p.m. The Los Angeles County Arboretum is located at 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. For tickets, call (626) 300-8200 or visit www.calphil.org. The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Call (213) 365-3500 or visit the company’s website.
CalPhil photo: Armando Arorizo, The Perfect Exposure Gallery
AMERICAFEST AT AMERICA’S STADIUM July 4 — Southern Californians can celebrate July 4th at the Rose Bowl, where Americafest 2008 takes off with a bang. The stadium has hosted this celebration – a full day of music, food and fireworks — since 1926. The stadium parking lot opens at 8 a.m., and at 2 p.m., the Americafest Family Fun Zone gets under way, with barbecue and other tasty treats, beverages, crafts, product exhibits, inflatable rides and more. Stadium gates open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. concert, preceded at 6:55 p.m. by the opening ceremony and the national anthem. Drum Corps International presents five of the country’s top drum and bugle corps, including the Academy from Tempe, Arizona; the Blue Devils from Concord; Diamond Bar’s Pacific Crest; the Phantom Regiment from Rockford, Illinois; and the Santa Clara Vanguard. The evening also includes a tribute to Americans in military service. At 9 p.m., the event culminates in a fireworks display by Pyro Spectaculars by Souza. General admission tickets cost $13 but are free for children 7 and younger; reserved seats cost $25. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and at Rose Bowl ticket booths. Parking costs $15 per car. The Rose Bowl is located at 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena. For tickets, call (213) 480-3232 or visit www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.rosebowlstadium.com.
MUSIC IN THE ZOO July 8 and 22 — The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) hosts after-hours music under the stars. “Music in the Zoo” helps the organization support animal exhibits and its work as an educational resource and center for the conservation of endangered wildlife. July 8 is “Latin and Jazz Night”, featuring the Susie Hansen Latin Band, Grupo Acertijo, Sentimiento Andino, Los Mezcaleros del Norte, the Elliott Caine Quintet and others. The concert is sponsored by Que Buena 105.5/94.3 FM. On July 22, “World Music Night,” sponsored by 104.3 FM, comes to the zoo, with the Masanga Marimba Ensemble from Zimbabwe, Russian music performed by the Balalaika Rascals, African drummers and dancers from Kenny Hudson’s World Beat, Caribbean
From left: Robert MacNeil, Valerie Perri and Kevin Earley Background: Victor Vener with the California Philharmonic
music by Tropical Punch, Klezmer music from Oy! Stars and more. Both concerts run from 6 to 9 p.m. Members’ ticket prices are $12.50 for adults and $7.50 for children ages 6 to 15; for nonmembers, tickets cost $16.50 for adults and $10.50 for children ages 6 to 15. There is no admission charge for children age 5 and under. The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Dr. in Griffith Park. Call (323) 644-6042 to reserve tickets.
BEST OF THE SUMMER WINE AT DESCANSO The Patina Group’s Summer Wine Tasting Series is in full swing at Descanso Gardens. The elegant events pair fine wines with tapas in various locations around the gardens. Each tasting runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and costs $54 ($47 for Descanso members). Here’s what’s on tap for July: July 10 — “Hot Nights, Cool Crisp White” offers Viognier, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio at the Spanish Fountain. July 24 — “Red, Red, Red!” celebrates Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel on the Boddy Terrace. Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call Patina at (818) 790-3663 for reservations.
A MULTIMEDIA FEAST FOR THE SENSES July 11, 12, 24 and 25 — The Glendale Community College Planetarium continues performances of “Spontaneous Fantasia,” J. Walt Adamczyk’s one-man show. The artist and Cal Arts graduate blends theater, music and visuals in a multi-media event. Adamczyk created the score and special effects and performs a show that defies easy categorization. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and 6:30 p.m. Saturdays. Glendale Community College is located at 1500 N. Verdugo Rd., Glendale. Call (626) 688-0778 for reservations; visit www.spontaneousfantasia.com for details and future performance dates. —CONTINUED ON PAGE 45 ARROYO ~ JULY 2008 ~ 43
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THE
LIST
A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS
MINGEI EXPLORED AT
PACIFIC ASIA
—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43
Fine music and fine art go hand in hand as the Norton Simon Museum hosts a pair of performances in July, starting at 7 p.m. Concerts are free with museum admission. July 11 — The Kodály Duo of violinist Armen Anassian and cellist Garik Terzian are joined by flautist Salpy Kerkonian in a display of musical fireworks, performing works by Satie, Debussy and Ravel in an evening celebrating the ongoing exhibition “Marcel Duchamp Redux.” July 25 — The Harmonia Baroque Players perform Baroque chamber music and medievaland Renaissance-era works on period instruments in the early Renaissance gallery. The Norton Simon Museum is located at 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-6840 or visit www.nortonsimon.org.
TOURING THE “NEW CHINATOWNS” BY BUS July 12 — Esotouric, the company known for its quirky bus tours of low-profile yet historically interesting parts of the greater Los Angeles area, departs from Philippe the Original restaurant on the edge of Chinatown to tour the San Gabriel Valley’s “New Chinatowns” — areas evolving from sleepy suburban communities to booming business centers, thanks to a large influx of money from Hong Kong and Taipei. Cities on the receiving end, such as Monterey Park, Alhambra, Rosemead and San Gabriel, have come to reflect the Asian flair of their investors. Stops include Rosemead’s Paradise Trailer Park, a tree-lined reminder of mobile home living in postwar Southern California; Thornton Abell’s Case Study House #7 in San Gabriel; the site of the former Wham-O factory ( operated by the company that produced the Hula Hoop and Frisbee) in San Gabriel; the Venice Room steak bar; Browning Realty; and El Encanto in Monterey Park. Esotouric founder Richard Schave hosts the tour. The cost is $68, which includes a dim sum and wine pairing and tea tasting at Wing Hop Fung restaurant. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Philippe the Original restaurant is located at 1001 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles. Visit www.esotouric.com for tickets and information.
RECOGNIZING BASEBALL GREATS July 20 — The Baseball Reliquary, a Pasadena-based organization dedicated to preserving the history, art and culture of the great American pastime, has announced the 2008 class of inductees to its Shrine of the Eternals, the organization’s equivalent to the Baseball Hall of Fame. On July 20, the Reliquary will induct Buck O’Neil, the top first baseman in the former Negro Leagues; Emmett Ashford, the first African-American to umpire in the minor and major leagues; and Bill Buckner who, despite chronic and crippling injuries, produced impressive statistics in 22 seasons, mostly with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. The induction ceremony, co-sponsored by the Pasadena Public Library, will be held at 2 p.m. at the library’s central branch. The Pasadena Public Library is located at 285 E. Walnut St. Call (626) 791-7647 or visit www.baseballreliquary.org.
NEW “GULLS” ROOSTING AT BOSTON COURT July 26 — The Theatre @ Boston Court presents the opening of “Gulls,” a free adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” reset in 1959 Greenwich Village and Hollywood. The play examines a group of troubled dreamers — Irenie, a glamorous Broadway star; her novelist/screenwriter lover Gore; her Beat poet son Conrad; and Nina, a lovely young African-American woman. The “Gulls'” book and lyrics are by Nick Salamone; Maury McIntyre composed the music and Jessica Kubzansky directs. Ticket prices for preview performances through July 25 are $17; regular tickets cost $32 and senior tickets are $27. “Gulls” continues through Aug. 24. Boston Court is located at 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 683-6883 or visit www.bostoncourt.com.
Photo by Julian Bermudez
ART MEETS MUSIC AT THE NORTON SIMON MUSEUM
Sake bottle (tokurri); motif by Hamada Shoji; Japan, early 20th century; stoneware and glaze; Pacific Asia Museum Collection Gift of Mrs. Lawrence Shepard.
Through Jan. 6, 2009 — Japanese folk art, or mingei, seems to be uniquely Japanese, although it’s been shaped by the English Arts & Crafts Movement. “Mingei East and West,” currently on display at Pacific Asia Museum, explores the form's contradictory elements, comparing pieces considered to be mingei or new mingei to works made in Southern California during the past century. Literary scholar and art critic Yanagi Soetsu coined the term in 1927, referring to the anonymous, handcrafted pieces that disappeared as Japan entered the age of mass production and modernization. Cultural cross-pollination went in both directions: Japanese designs found their way into American Arts & Crafts as well. Pacific Asia Museum is located at 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-2742 or visit www.pacificasiamuseum.org.
A UNIQUE ART EXPERIENCE July 31 — Pasadena’s Steen Art Study hosts tours of artists’ studios and other artistic destinations as part of its 2008 Summer Salon. Art historian Ron Steen leads class members on visits to two high-end artists’ studios, a top private art collection, selected art galleries and an architectural site normally closed to the public. The fiveweek class runs from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, starting July 31, and ends Aug. 28. The salon includes an orientation lunch at 11:30 a.m. July 31 and an extra morning session Aug. 7. Destinations include stops from downtown Los Angeles to Glendale, Culver City, West Hollywood and Long Beach. After orientation, the class heads to the studios of Sandow Birk and Marina Moevs. Call (818) 790-2328, visit www.steenartstudy.com or e-mail steenartstudy@sbcglobal.net.
A CULTURAL HIGH AT THE SOUTHWEST MUSEUM Through Aug. 20 — Throughout the summer, the public can get a cultural high with “Cultural Elevations” from 6:30 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday at the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. The series includes a mix of local and Native American artists and performers, music and cinema. Here are some highlights: July 2 — Music by Jack Wilson, Jr., and a band to be announced. July 9 — Native Cinema presents “Miss Navajo” and the short “Ramona Band of Cahuilla Indians.” July 16 — Native Performances features Ben Hale (Navajo) and Rodney Howard (Maricopa) with Intertribal Dancers. July 23 — World Cinema presents “Plagues and Pleasures of the Salton Sea.” July 30 — Improv Extra features improv theater. The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is located at 234 Museum Dr., Los Angeles. Call (323) 667-2000, ext. 250, or visit www.autrynationalcenter.org. AM ARROYO ~ JULY 2008 ~ 45
KITCHEN CONFESSIONS
In the Dog House HOW TO PUT SOME BANG IN YOUR BUN WHEN YOU’RE FEEDING FANS OF THE BOYS OF SUMMER. BY LESLIE BILDERBACK
Welcome, summer! The kids are out of school, the homework has mercifully stopped and baseball is back. Baseball, glorious baseball. I welcome you with open glove.
the Colorado Rockies and the Houston Astros), because no one names stadi-
As a native of the Bay Area (where, unbeknownst to most Angelenos, we are
ums after teams anymore. (Beverages, yes. Teams, no.)
bred to hate everything to do with L.A.), I should be a loyal Giants fan like my
The Dodger Dog was created by the late Thomas Arthur, who ran Dodger
husband, true to his team regardless of personal longitude and latitude. But I
concessions at the Coliseum from 1961 until 1991. Arthur’s dog was originally
blow with the wind, so since the kids were born here and we’ve lived here for 15
called a “footlong,” but then a smart-alecky fan with a ruler called him out. The
years, I’m a Dodger devotee. Also, I look better in blue.
10-inch dogs were renamed, and the rest is history. Despite the size issues,
My husband is such a Giants fan that he roots for any Dodger opponent. He wears his Giants gear proudly and, as you might imagine, the Orange and Black
Arthur consistently sold about 50,000 dogs per game. Over the years, menu diversity has complicated the ballpark experience. I do
Monster is fodder for every wisenheimer in Chavez Ravine, where the Dodgers
not go to the ballpark for pizza or Chinese food. I go to watch the game, have a
hang their caps. People hurl peanuts and insults, but he takes them in stride.
hot dog and maybe a chocolate malted. Oh yeah! Frozen chocolaty goodness
Truth be told, we are secretly proud of him. He represents the pinnacle of loyalty.
you eat with wood.
It is only occasionally that the ride home must include discussions about why,
Sadly, I cannot make every game. I do have a television, though, and I can
despite what that mean man said, daddy doesn’t really “suck," and that, regard-
successfully approximate the ballpark experience in the comfort of my own home.
less of what adults do, children should never ever extend certain fingers in public.
In fact, I can improve on it. I make wicked-good dogs and have even been known
Regardless of our team preferences, we all agree that the ballpark is the place to be, especially for a food-loving American family like ours. Yes, we bring
to stuff my own sausages with exquisite results. (That was not a euphemism.) Here is a hoity-toity recipe for a somewhat pedestrian condiment. Once you
in our own sodas, because there is nothing fun about a $5 Coke. But I will not be
unlock the flavor potential of homemade mustard, you’ll discover that the varia-
denied my Dodger Dog (grilled, please). You can argue about the quality of the
tions are endless. Try making it with different spices and herbs, or add some
Dodger Dog until you are blue in the face, but I will not listen. I know it is not
horseradish or honey. Then slather your creation liberally onto your favorite hot
Nathan’s or Pink’s, or the manna of any other current hot dog–spot. I know the
dog. If you really want the ballpark experience, buy a beach ball at the 99¢ Store,
snap of the Dodger Dog is not the greatest, the condiment assortment is subpar
let your floors get sticky and do the wave between bites. AM
and the price is outrageous. But when you are at the ballpark, it is not about quality. It’s about baseball. It’s about tradition. It’s about America, dammit. I am not alone in my opinion. Did you know that the Dodgers sell more hot
Bilderback is a South Pasadena resident and the author of four cookbooks in Alpha Publishing’s” The Complete Idiot’s Guide to...” series — “...Good Food from the
dogs than any other ballpark in America? We out-dog Wrigley Field and even
Good Book” (March 2008); “...Spices and Herbs” (Dec. 2007); “...Comfort Food”
Yankee Stadium, located in America’s top dog-eating city. (I guess New Yorkers
(Sept. 2007); and “...Success as a Chef” (Feb. 2007). A former executive chef of the
prefer their dogs on the curb, not in the bleachers.) Lagging behind in ballpark
California School of Culinary Arts, Bilderback teaches her techniques online at
dog sales are Coors Field and Minute Maid Park, which I had to look up (home of
www.culinarymasterclass.com.
46 ~ JULY 2008 ~ ARROYO
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Ingredients 3 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds 3 tablespoons brown mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds 1 whole allspice berry 1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns
CASH for DIAMONDS
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 shallot, minced 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
Directions 1. In a small coffee grinder, grind yellow mustard, brown mustard, caraway, allspice and peppercorns to a fine powder. Transfer to a blender, and add salt, shallot and thyme. Blend. 2. In a small bowl, combine wine and vinegar, and add to the running blender very slowly. Continue to purée until the mixture is a smooth paste. Store in a glass or plastic airtight container in the refrigerator. HEADS UP! I prefer to use a coffee grinder to grind my spices. It is small, which forces the spices through the blade more often than a larger food processor or blender does, producing a finer, more even grind. I recommend you get a separate grinder just for spices. I have had some mighty weird coffee after a particularly spicy kitchen escapade. When I am feeling historically inclined, I enjoy grinding in a mortar. The result is rougher, but more satisfying.
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TASTE TEST
NeoMeze Goes Global PASADENA'S HIP EATERY BRINGS IN A NEW CHEF AND EXPANDS ITS MENU OF SMALL MEDITERRANEAN DISHES TO INCLUDE PLATES OF EVERY SIZE AND NATIONALITY. BY IRENE LACHER
SUZANNE GOIN AND CAROLYNE STYNE UNLEASHED A TORRENT OF TAPAS AROUND TOWN SEVERAL YEARS AGO WITH THE SUCCESS OF A.O.C., THEIR LOS ANGELES RESTAURANT. GOURMET MAGAZINE ANNOUNCED TO THE CITY’S RESTAURATEURS THAT IT WOULD BE “WISE TO FOLLOW THEIR LEAD,” AND FOLLOW IT THEY DID. SUDDENLY, EVERY THIRD ESTABLISHMENT WAS SERVING TASTY LITTLE DISHES OF MEDITERRANEAN WONDERFULNESS — CRAMMING THEM BETWEEN DINERS’ PERSONAL PLATES — AND INVITING GUESTS TO DIG IN. For those whose eyes are generally bigger than their stomachs, tapas have been a dream come true: Their Mediterranean flavors can be bold, beautiful and bountiful. You want some of this and some of that and the other thing too? Go for it – take a taste and move on. But woe be to the carnivore who dines with the vegan, or the squid lover who sits down with someone on a tentacle-free diet. And if a simple meat-and-potatoes man is part of the mix? Don’t even think about it. Sometimes, when you think you’re sitting down to a great meal, the one thing you don’t want to see on the menu is compromise. Now Pasadena’s NeoMeze is bringing a wider array of choices to the table, thanks to new chef Doug Weston. Since its opening in December 2006, the sleek
NeoMeze 20 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena (626) 793-3010 5 to 11:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5 to 11:30 p.m. Sunday
Colorado Boulevard restaurant-lounge, tucked away at the end of a long corridor, has done well with the tapas model. Here small dishes are called meze, as they’re
crostini, parsley aioli, Dijon and
known in the eastern Mediterranean (“neo” is the Greek word for “new”). That style
fleur de sel. Weston is adding a
of cuisine is particularly fitting in light of the eatery’s pedigree – NeoMeze’s five
lovely Arctic char for summer
young owners, who all grew up in Southern California, form something of a cultural
with a garlic-honey purée and an
stew themselves, with backgrounds spanning Iran, Armenia, Iraq and India.
earthy grilled succotash ragout,
With Weston in the kitchen, all geographical bets are off. The 30-year-old
and I’m coming back for the
graduate of Pasadena’s California School of Culinary Arts, who has cooked for
pan-seared foie gras with
L.A.’s Ortolan, is widening the parameters beyond the sunny Mediterranean to
Riesling-peach purée and chili-
include spicy Asian cuisine. So don’t be surprised if you see Szechuan-glazed
almond crunch. NeoMeze has a
short ribs with kimchee salad on the menu – or even entree-size portions of good,
well-edited cheese platter with Humboldt Fog and a triple cream Brie. As for the
old-fashioned steak. Weston calls his menu “world eclectic,” and he prepares his
surprisingly light chocolate bread pudding with Frangelico and Bourbon-vanilla
no-fuss, no-muss dishes with seasonal, locally sourced foods. “Food is better at
sauces, it’s worth every stinking calorie.
being food than you are at being a cook,” he likes to say. “Keep it simple.” Start with cold meze — perhaps the tender octopus salad served over
In other NeoMeze news: The restaurant offers a revamped wine list selected by consulting sommelier David Haskell, which emphasizes European and
couscous with a tomato-squash vinaigrette — and work your way up the ther-
American boutique wineries. The lounge launched a weekday happy hour in the
mometer. For hot meze, don’t miss the spicy African prawns with a purée of
spring, with half-price drinks and $5 plates from 4:30 to 7 p.m. And the restau-
cayenne, tarragon and persimmon or the savory duck rillette, which comes with
rant has begun opening for Sunday brunches of egg dishes and salads. AM
48 ~ JULY 2008 ~ ARROYO
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ART, ANTIQU ES & JEWELRY
“Flag”
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A Recent work by Lisa Tucker
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Art & 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 dealers are also always interested in buy-
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