Arroyo Monthly

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA DECEMBER 2012

THE BIG BANG THEORY ’S

MAYIM

BIALEK ON REAL SCIENCE GEEKDOM

FRESH IDEAS FOR SEASONAL CELEBRATIONS THE ART OF THE BRIDGE The Metro Gold Line’s Sculptural Span

HOLIDAY GIFT AND EVENT GUIDES

arroyo VOLUME 8 | NUMBER 12 | DECEMBER 2012

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48

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING AND ENTERTAINMENT 11 THE BIG BANG THEORY The sitcom’s Mayim Bialik knows how eccentric scientists can be — she is one.

—By Bettijane Levine

17 THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT! Here are some fresh ideas to make your holiday celebrations something to really remember.

—By Bradley Tuck

25 FUNCTIONAL ART The new Metro Gold Line bridge is an unprecedented collaboration between a fine artist and transit bridge builder.

—By Scarlet Cheng

PHOTOS: Top, Denise Herrick Borchert; bottom right, Vanessa Stump

41 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE From jellyfish tanks for the poop-scooping impaired to a gift package that would make an oenophile drool, we’ve got you covered.

—By Irene Lacher

DEPARTMENTS 10

FESTIVITIES Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Autry National Center and the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts

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ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX

45

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS What's a holiday meal without pastry Chef Carême's sugary creations?

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WINING AND DINING The Bico brothers, of The Original Tops and Gus’s Barbecue, know the secret ingredients of restaurant longevity.

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THE LIST Holiday happenings, from Dickens delights to “A Creole Christmas”

ABOUT THE COVER: Photo by Denise Herrick Borchert

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EDITOR’S NOTE

LET’S TURN TRADITION ON ITS HEAD THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. ENOUGH WITH ALL that red and green, and high time to save your loved ones from yet another heavy hunk of fruitcake. Wining and Dining columnist Bradley Tuck, who knows a thing or two about gracious entertaining himself, consulted several of Arroyoland’s most stylish purveyors of design and delectables to serve up fresh alternatives for truly memorable gatherings.

For our Holiday Entertaining and Entertainment issue, Bettijane Levine interviewed Mayim Bialik, a star of The Big Bang Theory, now in its sixth season and renewed for a seventh. Who knew that a sitcom about a bunch of quirky Caltech types would morph into the hottest comedy on TV? Out of the whole cast, perhaps the one person who knows what scientists are really like is former

Blossom star Bialik, who plays neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler. What gives her geek cred? She’s a neuroscientist in real life too, with a Ph.D. from UCLA and a specialty in obsessive-compulsive disorder in adolescents.

Big Bang isn’t the only place in Arroyoland where left and right brains meet. As Scarlet Cheng discovered, the new Metro Gold Line bridge going up in Arcadia is the result of an extraordinary collaboration between a fine artist and transit bridge builder. Find out how the project came together and the sources of artist Andrew Leicester’s inspiration on page 25.

Finally, whether you celebrate with a tree or a menorah, all of us here at

Arroyo wish you and yours a very merry happy holiday and a bright new year.

—Irene Lacher

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher ART DIRECTOR Kent Bancroft JUNIOR DESIGNER Carla Cortez PRODUCTION Richard Garcia, Rochelle Bassarear

arroyo FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Mandalit del Barco, Lynne Heffley, Noela Hueso, Carole Jacobs, Kathy Kelleher, Carl Kozlowski, Bettijane Levine, Brenda Rees, Margery L. Schwartz, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller, Bradley Tuck PHOTOGRAPHERS Claire Bilderback, Gabriel Goldberg, Christie Hemm, Melissa Valladares ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brenda Clarke, Joseluis Correa, Leslie Lamm ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Joanna Dehn Beresford ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Richard Garcia, Rochelle Bassarear

SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING V.P. OF FINANCE Michael Nagami V.P. OF OPERATIONS David Comden PRESIDENT Bruce Bolkin CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com EDITORIAL arroyoeditor@pasadenaweekly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker

MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105

BUSINESS MANAGER Angela Wang

ArroyoMonthly.com

ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Monica MacCree OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn 8 | ARROYO | 12.12

©2012 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

FESTIVITIES LACO Executive Director Rachel Fine (center) with Kantathi & Soparvan Suphamongkhon

Valerie Brown, Patricia Mabee and Agnes Lew Ken and Julia Guow, Roland Kato, and Mabee

K. Eugene Shutler and Ann Moore Mulally Greiman with her work

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra supporters converged on a private Pasadena estate on Nov. 17 for “China á la Carte,” a LACO fundraiser that featured a sumptuous banquet of Chinese food and baroque music performed

by LACO Principal Viola Roland Kato and LACO Principal Oboe Allan Vogel.

The event was one of five intimate dinners around metro Los Angeles that benefited LACO, chaired by board member Mahnaz Newman. The Pasadena event was hosted by East West Bank... The Autry National Center unveiled a new acquisition by prominent Native American sculptor Allan Houser on Nov.

Allan Vogel, Kenneth Munday, Fine and The Honorable Consul Che Zhaohe

3, during the museum's American Indian Arts Marketplace. The cast bronze of a man, woman and child, titled The Future, was donated by the Bank of America, whose charitable foundation also gave the Autry a $50,000 grant for economic development... More than 4,100 San Gabriel Valley fourth-graders heard the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra perform Ravel's Mother Goose Suite at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Nov. 1 during the 59th annual Youth Concert

Allan Houser, The Future (detail), 1985, cast bronze, 1/6, 46 x 32 x 26 in.

funded by the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts and The Green Foundation. "As more school arts programs are being eliminated due to cutbacks," said PHSA President Kathryn Hofgaarden, "Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts is more determined than ever to continue to raise funds for music enrichment programs throughout the community.”

Members of the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts

Marybeth Rehman-Dittu with fourth-graders from Ben Lomond School in Covina 10 | ARROYO | 12.12

Autry President W. Richard West, Jr. and JoAnn Anderson

PHOTOS: James Staub (LACO); Josh Tousey (Autry National Center ); Karol Franks (Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts)

Kathryn Hofgaarden (far right), poses with the cast and students from Barnhart School in Arcadia

Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialek on the set of The Big Bang Theory.

PHOTO:TOP: Michael Yarish/Warner Bros.©2012 Warner Bros.Television. All Rights Reserved. ;RIGHT: Denise Herrick Borchert

Proving The Big Bang Theory The sitcom’s Mayim Bialik knows how eccentric scientists can be, not just onscreen but in real life — she is one.

BY BETTIJANE LEVINE

ARROYOLAND HAS COME TO THE AID OF AMERICA,

viewers each week, runs almost constantly in syndica-

which definitely needs a few good laughs. Caltech,

tion and features a quartet of brainiac Caltech physi-

the illustrious science institution in our own front yard,

cists (and assorted friends) who spout abstract

is the unlikely inspiration for the season’s hottest hit

scientific theorems while exhibiting subpar emotional

comedy. The Big Bang Theory now corrals 19 million

IQs and hilariously eccentric behavior.

–continued on page 13 12.12 | ARROYO | 11

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FROM LEFT: The Big Bang Theory actors Kunal Nayyar, Melissa Rauch, Simon Helberg, Jim Parsons, Mayim Bialek, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco.

PHOTO: Cliff Lipson/CBS ©2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

–continued from page 11

Their antics may be par for the real-life course. The premise that all geniuses are a bit nutty is controversial, but if you read chat boards, blogs and even some scientific journals, you’ll find many physicists who appreciate the series (including Stephen Hawking, who made a guest appearance) and gleefully admit they see bits of their friends and themselves in the endearingly oddball characters.

And in a country berating itself for having too little interest in science education, this show (which has huge viewership among those much-sought-after 18-to 49-year-olds), might just prove that physics can be fun. At the very least, it has induced thousands — who’ve never heard of string theory, the Bernouilli equation, or anything even remotely quantum — to Google such esoterica as Schrodinger’s Cat. (Don’t ask. Look it up yourself ).

Mayim Bialik plays Amy Farrah Fowler, the love interest of lead geek Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons, who won a Golden Globe and two consecutive Emmy Awards for the role. But Bialik is the real deal, a cast member who actually has a Ph.D. in neurobiology from UCLA, where her doctoral dissertation was titled “Hypothalamic Regulation in Relation to Maladaptive, Obsessive-compulsive, Affiliative and Satiety Behaviors in PraderWilli Syndrome.” She earned her doctorate in 2007 after she’d already had a successful career as a child actor. (She received her undergraduate degree from UCLA as well. Although she’d been accepted by Harvard and Yale, she chose to stay on the West Coast.)

Born in 1975 in San Diego, Bialik made guest appearances throughout the ’80s and ’90s on such hit series as The Facts of Life, Murphy Brown, MacGuyver and Webster. She played the young Bette Midler in the 1989 film Beaches and starred in the title role on the TV sitcom Blossom from 1990 to ’94. She left acting to become a scientist.

As a child actress, she recently told The Daily Beast, “I never felt comfortable in the industry. I still don’t, but it’s much easier as an adult not to feel comfortable...”

Bialik earned her first Emmy nomination this year, for best supporting actress in Big

Bang. (Although she didn’t win, she blogged about the event breathlessly, as if delighted to have simply made it through the evening.)

The mother of two sons, ages 4 and 7 — she announced her pending divorce last month — Bialik is not what you might think of as a typical housewife. In a phone interview with Arroyo Monthly, she came across more as a real-life version of her Big Bang character, Amy: an eclectic intellect with a fast verbal draw and an outlook on life that challenges what is usually considered the norm.

On the show, you spout lines of complicated scientific theories. Is that easier for you than the rest of the cast because of your science background?

Yes, I think it’s easier to recite lines that are concepts I’m familiar with. But the others in the cast are equally capable. They are superb actors and can easily say whatever’s necessary.

Your look on the show is geeky, nothing like your style in real life. Did you help devise that, and what does it involve?

A lot of the look is decided by the producers. They have an idea of what Amy should look like. Frumpy, not showing any curves, which means dressing in lots of layers.

What about your posture, speech pattern, body language?

That’s a result of how I choose to deal with the character.

There’s been some controversy about how super-brainy scientists are portrayed on The Big Bang Theory. Some physicists have written that the show is insulting; oth–continued on page 15 12.12 | ARROYO | 13

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Mayim Bialek plays neurobiologist Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, Ph.D. on The Big Bang Theory.

–continued from page 13

ers see it as an exaggerated portrait of reality and say it depicts true aspects of extreme brilliance. Does it trouble you that genius individuals are portrayed as social and emotional misfits — as if anyone with a very high IQ is not quite normal? In other words, to be brilliant, do you have to be slightly nutty?

As a female scientist, I appreciate those aspects of my character. Amy tries really hard to fit in socially, and that’s something I struggle with, too… As a person, I am not very outgoing.

PHOTO: Warner Bros. Television Entertainment

So do you agree that many brilliant individuals often do have the same kinds of hilarious but limiting social and emotional dysfunctions?

I do know people in real life who are like all the characters in the show, male and female. So it’s not as wacky as it sounds.

Do you think the show stigmatizes such people?

No, not at all. I think we’re showing interesting types of individuals in science, with different styles of interacting. I think this is how most of these people are. They deal with their quirks. And there is no stigma. None of them need to be medicated, for example. They have fun and enjoy their lives. I think we’re showing viewers that these people, whatever their quirks, can have fulfilling relationships and fulfilling lives.

You’re saying that The Big Bang Theory is more akin to your actual life than other sitcoms?

I’m saying that most shows I grew up with were showing people in relationships that were nothing like those in my real life. Shows like 90210 and even Friends. That’s not what my world looked like.

Have you had much feedback from the Caltech crowd?

Yes. We get people in the live audience who stand up and say, “I’m from Caltech and we love the show and love how you portray us.”

Do you have any idea where the relationship between your character, Amy, and Sheldon will eventually wind up?

Not at all. It’s really kind of wait-and-see between the two. She definitely wants more, and he is a bit slower. It’s really sweet so far.

You’ve written a book about attachment parenting. Any more books coming up?

I’m writing a plant-based family cookbook that comes out in fall 2013, from Da Capo Press.

Has the show schedule affected your personal life and time spent with your children?

Not too much, but it definitely chips away at it. My husband is home with our kids, so they are taken care of. I’m home mornings, some afternoons, weekends and all summer.

We home-school our children, and we’re part of a large home-school community in the San Fernando Valley. I’ve also tutored junior high and high school students ever since I got my [Ph.D.] degree in 2007.

Do you have a favorite episode of The Big Bang Theory?

Not one in particular. Of course, I especially like the episodes that feature me and Jim Parsons. |||| 12.12 | ARROYO | 15

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That’s Entertainment!

Don t bore your guests with the same old red-and-green tablecloth, eggnog and fruitcake.

Here are some fresh ideas to make your holiday celebrations something to really remember.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY BRADLEY TUCK

HOLIDAY CHEER CAN BE FAR FROM CHEERY WHEN you’re pressed for time, money or both. Entertaining can be anything but, when the pressure to be the perfect host is enough to make one chew the edge off a wine glass. So, here at Arroyo, we’ve sought out the best possible advice for you from a designer, a mixologist and a top chef, all bringing their talents to the table so that you can get on with your job of being a host of note! You’re welcome.

DÉCOR For some, the most enjoyable part of preparing for holiday entertaining is getting the look right. For others, it’s a terrifying endeavor, a minefield of style gaffes, with the potential for public excoriation via the sideways look of a style-savvy friend. To give you some friendly guidance, lest ye be judged, we asked interior design maven Tamara KayeHoney for some tips. House of Honey, her store and design studio on Mission Street in South Pasadena, is a veritable jewel box of vintage finds lovingly repolished, and newer, eclectic objets d’art. With a background as a fashion buyer, she brings a stylist’s wit and eye to furnishings and décor.

What are the most common mistakes that people make in decorating for the holidays?

Probably over-decorating and being too theme-based. I like the unexpected and unique feel of mixing old and new, as opposed to pulling out actual holiday décor. Instead of spending money on Christmas decorations, rediscover your grandmother’s best china and mix it with some fresh branches from trees in your yard. It’s so much more interesting and personal. The holidays are about expressing your true selves and, most importantly, about family.

What are some good starting points, or design cues, that people can use when decorating for the holidays or for a party or dinner?

I don’t think there are any rules. Get the kids involved and make it fun. Mix and match things, and don’t look to trends. Go for the unexpected. Decorate with your heart and mind, not your pocketbook. Try to make designing a table a fun creative activity. It’s all about being festive!

Any time- and money-saving tips?

Repurpose what you have at home and found objects.

What colors and materials are on trend?

I’m a huge fan of metallics or anything with a sheen. Or all-white or all-black — monochromatic [pieces] can tie a table together beautifully.

Clichés to avoid?

Red and green, and store-bought decorations.

POTABLES If you’re going to the trouble of decorating the house, laying out a beautiful table and donning dapper attire, surely you’ll want to do a little more than deftly twist the screw-top from a bottle of Pinot. Guests will no doubt bring a bottle or two, and that’s all well and good, but you’ll score major entertainment maven points by greeting them with something glamorous and festive. How about a bowl of punch? Punch has a rich tradition, beautifully detailed by world-famous cocktail expert David Wondrich in his 2010 book, Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl (Penguin).

His recipe for Royal Punch (next page) uses Fonseca Bin 27 Port, rum and Cognac in a potent and delicious mix that will definitely put a twinkle in your guests’ eyes.

–continued on page 19 12.12 | ARROYO | 17

–continued from page 17

ROYAL PUNCH 3 lemons ¾ cup sugar ¾ cup fresh lemon juice 2 cups Cognac 1 cup Appleton Reserve Rum 1 cup Fonseca Bin 27 Port 4 cups water Grated nutmeg Block of ice The day before you serve your punch, place a quart-size bowl of water in the freezer. The next day, peel three lemons with a swivel-bladed peeler, trying to remove the peel in long spirals. Place the peels in a gallon-size punch bowl with threequarters of a cup of sugar, then muddle and let sit for 2 to 3 hours. (This will extract the sweet lemon oil from the peels). Add ¾ cup of freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Add 2 cups of Cognac, 1 cup of aged rum and 1 cup of Fonseca Bin 27. Stir. Add 4 cups of cold water, and stir again. Slide in your block of ice (you may need to run hot water over the bottom of the bowl to free it up) and grate a quarter of a nutmeg over the top. Ladle out in 3-ounce servings.

Bask in guests’ admiration, spiced with a dash of host envy.

BITES You’ve got 20 people coming for drinks, and you’ve spent way too much time on lastminute holiday shopping. How do you pull something together with panache, and without having a nervous breakdown?

Chef Bryant Wigger, of the recently opened and very elegantly appointed Trattoria Neapolis on Lake Avenue, has come to your rescue. And you won’t need Neapolis’ Italian wood-burning oven to pull these off. Both of these dishes are easy to make the day of your party with just a little preparation beforehand. The salmon crudo can be sliced up 2 to 3 hours ahead of time and kept cold. The crackers, citronette and pickled shallots can all be made the day before. So can the polenta dish, which can simply be assembled a couple of hours before guests arrive. Both of these great dishes will wow your next gathering.

18 | ARROYO | 12.12

SALMON CRUDO WITH BLOOD-ORANGE CITRONETTE AND PICKLED SHALLOTS ON A FENNEL CRACKER Blood-Orange Citronette 8 blood oranges 6 ounces olive oil 1 ounce white balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper Zest the blood oranges with a microplane and save the zest. Juice the oranges and slowly simmer to reduce by two-thirds, then cool. Whisk together the olive oil, orange reduction, white balsamic vinegar and half the zest. Season with salt and white pepper.

Pickled Shallots 3 cups water 2 cups white balsamic vinegar 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon pickling spice 6 shallots, unpeeled Bring all ingredients, except shallots, to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Let cool and strain. Peel and slice shallots to one-sixteenth of an inch and marinate in pickling liquid for a minimum of 3 hours.

Fennel Crackers 6½ cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon toasted fennel seeds, ground 2 teaspoons sea salt ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil 1½ cups cold water Sift flour and baking powder together; then mix in salt and ground fennel seed. Stir in olive oil, then cautiously add the water — you want a fairly soft, but not sticky, dough. Roll out with a rolling pin until dough is one-eighth-inch thick. Make sure to –continued on page 23

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HOLIDAY FROM A

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SAVINGS A TO Z

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–continued from page 18

use enough flour, so that the dough does not stick to the table. Prick the dough with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming. Place on wax paper and brush with olive oil.

Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top. Bake at 375° for about 10 minutes Salmon Crudo 8 ounces fresh sashimi-grade salmon Slice salmon into pieces one-eighth of an inch thick and place on cracker. Stir citronette with a small spoon and lightly drizzle over salmon along with the remaining zest. Place 2 rings of pickled shallots on top and season with a pinch of sea salt.

CRISPY TRUFFLE POLENTA WITH ROASTED PUMPKIN AND FONTINA CHEESE Polenta Cakes 1½ cups polenta 4½ cups water 1 teapoon salt 4 tablespoons butter ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano 1 tablespoon truffle oil 2 ounces canned truffle shavings, drained and chopped 1/8 cup Fontina Val d’Aosta Salt and pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil and whisk in polenta in increments; cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Mix in the butter, Parmigiano, truffle oil and truffle shavings, and season to taste. The mixture should be a little dry. Place on a cookie sheet and make as smooth as possible. Let cool, then cut with a ring cutter to desired size.

Roasted Pumpkin and Fontina 1 medium-size pumpkin 1 pinch fresh grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper to taste 3 cups water ½ teaspoon grated Fontina ½ teaspoon chopped chives Quarter pumpkin and remove seeds. Place sugar, butter, nutmeg and salt and pepper atop pumpkin pieces and lay skin-side-down in a deep dish with about 3 cups water in the bottom of container. Cover with plastic wrap and foil, and bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft. Let pumpkin cool for about 15 minutes, then scoop out pumpkin from the skin and mash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.

Sear the polenta at medium heat in a pan with a little olive oil for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Place on a cookie sheet and add a dollop of pumpkin on top, then sprinkle with grated Fontina. Bake at high heat for about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Top with chopped chives and enjoy. ||||

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FUNCTIONAL ART The new Metro Gold Line bridge is literally a

work of art — an unprecedented collaboration between a fine artist and transit bridge builder.

BY SCARLET CHENG

ART: TOP, Courtesy of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority; PHOTO: RIGHT, Gary Leonard for the Construction Authority

Final sketch by Andrew Leicester

DRIVERS ON THE 210 FREEWAY NEAR ARCADIA MAY HAVE CAUGHT AN UNEXPECTED SIGHT OUT OF THE CORNERS OF THEIR EYES: A CONNECTING BRIDGE WITH AN INCISED DIAMOND DESIGN ON THE SIDE, HELD UP BY SUPPORTS WITH A BASKET-WEAVE PATTERN. IT’S NOT A MIRAGE — IT’S THE NEWEST BRIDGE IN THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, PART OF THE METRO GOLD LINE EXTENSION FROM PASADENA TO ASUZA. IT LOOKS ELEGANT AND SCULPTURAL BECAUSE AN ARTIST, ANDREW LEICESTER, WAS BROUGHT IN TO CREATE THE BRIDGE’S CONCEPTUAL DESIGN BEFORE ENGINEERS DREW UP STRUCTURAL DETAILS. THE COLLABORATION MAY BE UNPRECEDENTED FOR MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, WHICH

Basket-weave detail

HAVE STRINGENT ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS. –continued on page 27 12.12 | ARROYO | 25

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Bridge construction progress showing the basket-weave and “kingsnake” details.

PHOTO: Gary Leonard for the Construction Authority

–continued from page 25

Recruiting an artist was the brainchild of Habib F. Balian, CEO of the Metro Gold Line Construction Foothill Extension Authority, the state agency charged with building the actual tracks, stations and bridges for the current phase of construction. “We thought it could be such a dominant statement,” he says, “and we wanted to do something unique by bringing in an artist. My vision for this was that it would be a sculpture, and that we could bring in an artist to work with engineers.”

In 2009, the agency sent out a request for submissions from interested artists nationwide. There were daunting requirements: the applicant needed to have worked on a construction project totaling $5 million or more, and to have had experience working with government agencies. The Authority received applications from 15 artists; six of them were interviewed by a group consisting of representatives from the 11 cities along this phase of the Gold Line, from Arcadia to Montclair.

The winning design is already earning applause from design experts. Barbara Goldstein, a former Arts and Architecture magazine publisher and editor-in-chief who’s considered an international authority on public art practice and policy, said it “evokes the great infrastructure designs of the 1930s Works Progress Administration and signals a new era of artist involvement in major public initiatives of our time — transportation systems for the 21st century… a poetic expression… that captures the time, place and history of its region.”

The winning artist, Leicester, hails from Birmingham, England, and is now based in Minneapolis, where he moved in the early 1970s to accept a teaching job in the University of Minnesota’s fine arts department. Leicester has had a long and distinguished career creating public art, with a number of projects in Southern California. Bauhinia Purpurea is a small memorial in Grand Hope Park in downtown Los Angeles, and Zanja Madre is a water garden in a nearby plaza at Figueroa and Eighth streets. For the latter he received awards from the California Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and

the Los Angeles Business Council. In the late 1990s he helped draw up the public art plan for the seven-block complex of the San Jose Civic Center, working with Richard Meier’s architecture firm and Sasaki Urban Planners.

During a recent site visit in Arcadia, Leicester was testing lighting for the sides of the bridge and for what he refers to as the “baskets” — the massive columns holding up the bridge, embellished with a basket-weave pattern, in a salute to the area’s indigenous Tongva Native American tribe. The columns swell upward like giant torches. Around us the ground is being contoured by bulldozers, and finishing touches are being applied to the textured concrete walls.

During a break for this interview, Leicester recalls how he got involved, noting that he was initially intrigued by reading about the Gold Line Bridge project. “I had never seen an opportunity like this before, for an artist to have a prime role like this,” he says. He researched the San Gabriel Valley and Arcadia in particular. “I put together this whole proposal and flew out at my own expense to present it,” he says.

Just as he was leaving town to head home, he received a call at the airport. “Funnily enough, they said, ‘We want you to do the bridge, but we hated your presentation,’” Leicester says with a laugh. “They said, ‘You made it too specific to Arcadia; we want something more applicable to the whole region.’” Leicester went back to the drawing board, looking at the local flora and fauna. The sinuous body of the California Kingsnake inspired decoration on the bridge’s underbelly and sides, though the specifics changed. “It’s a ubiquitous snake that’s in the San Gabriel Mountains,” he says, “and it’s beautiful, with bands around it, but then I introduced the diamond pattern.”

Leicester went through hundreds of concept drawings before he found the right design to mesh with some structural basics and earn the Metro Authority’s approval. He had –continued on page 29 12.12 | ARROYO | 27

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Bridge construction spanning the 210 freeway.

PHOTOS: TOP: Gary Leonard for the Construction Authority, RIGHT: Courtesy of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority

–continued from page 27

originally thought of using tile, for example, but there was the danger of it falling off. Elements could not protrude too much or cost too much or require too much maintenance, so in the end, the bridge became a structure in reinforced concrete. However, custom details have been molded onto the surfaces, and the two “baskets” are like giant torches that will be lit up at night.

After the overall design was approved, it was converted into construction drawings by the Los Angeles branch of the engineering firm, AECOM. Two years ago, Skanska International was hired to do the actual construction, with the understanding that Leicester would continue to advise them on the look of the project. He has worked with them via phone, email and in person, making regular trips to the area. “I made sure that they followed the concept,” Leicester says. “Of course, there are material limitations — all the spiky bits [from the original design] get chopped off.”

“You have to have the stamina and determination to bring out something that has integrity and its own soul,” he continues. It has been a long, sometimes arduous, process, but for a moment there’s a glow in his craggy face, and it’s clear he’s proud of what his creative vision has wrought. “It’s a gateway, isn’t it? It’s the gateway to the San Gabriel Valley. It’s the weaving interplay of force coming out of the ground, and the horizontal force moving around and creating the pot.”

The 584-foot bridge is an $18.6 million component of the $530 million Metro extension from Pasadena to Asuza.

The bridge is expected to be completed this month, but you won’t see trains running on it until the tracks and train stations are built, slated for completion in 2015. ||||

LEICESTER TURNS A PAGE Andrew Leicester’s work is also included in a group show at Art Center College of Design’s Williamson Gallery.

“Pages,” described as an exploration of “the terrain of the page, reaching into distant time as well as exploring the most contemporary of expressions,” continues through Jan. 13, 2013.

Art Center’s Williamson Gallery is located at 1700 Lida St., Pasadena. Admission and parking are free. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and noon to 9 p.m. Friday. Call (626) 396-2446 or visit williamsongallery.net/pages/

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~HOME SALES INDEX~ sept

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AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.

+4.0% ALTADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. ARCADIA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. EAGLE ROCK HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. GLENDALE HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. LA CANADA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. PASADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SAN MARINO HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SIERRA MADRE HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SOUTH PASADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. TOTAL HOMES SOLD AVG PRICE/SQ. FT.

SEPT ’12 36 $422,500 1478 SEPT ’12 39 $790,000 1861 SEPT ’12 19 $500,000 1606 SEPT ’12 117 $430,000 1374 SEPT ’12 26 $1,099,000 2379 SEPT ’12 125 $465,000 1354 SEPT ’12 11 $1,160,000 2149 SEPT ’12 13 $710,000 1805 SEPT ’12 21 $795,500 1532 SEPT ’12 407 $397

HOMES SOLD

ADDRESS

407 389

-4.4%

HOME SALES ABOVE $750,000 RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE ARROYO FOOTPRINT

HOMES SOLD

HOME SALES

OCT ’12 33 $489,000 1551 OCT ’12 33 $832,000 2394 OCT ’12 18 $460,000 1388 OCT ’12 119 $525,000 1513 OCT ’12 19 $845,000 1828 OCT ’12 127 $550,000 1524 OCT ’12 15 $1,700,000 3011 OCT ’12 5 $496,500 1429 OCT ’12 20 $845,000 1823 OCT ‘12 389 $413

CLOSE DATEPRICE

BDRMS.

SOURCE: CalREsource SQ. FT.

YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE

PREV. SOLD

ALTADENA 1035 South 5th Avenue

10/23/12

$750,000

3

2022

1957

411 West Altadena Drive

10/31/12

$785,000

2

2531

1922

$426,000

08/25/2011

1715 Meadowbrook Road

10/15/12

$830,000

3

2408

1949

$387,000

02/01/1994

2475 Tanoble Drive

10/15/12

$845,000

3

1714

1926

$925,000

06/08/2005

691 East Las Flores Drive

10/09/12

$850,000

2001 Midlothian Drive

10/01/12

$1,000,000

4

2815

1937

1978

1951

2525 North Altadena Drive

10/17/12

$1,010,000

2

2392 Morslay Road

10/25/12

$1,025,000

6

$0

$425,000

08/06/2007

$1,388,000

07/11/2006

$625,000

06/07/2012

$910,000

10/12/2007

ARCADIA 232 Genoa Street #A

10/04/12

$770,000

3

1520

1924

$800,000

10/04/2012

1432 Louise Avenue

10/16/12

$770,000

3

1642

1958

$745,000

05/21/2009

317 Laurel Avenue

10/09/12

$790,000

4

2198

1941

$635,000

09/30/2003

523 South 3rd Avenue #B

10/10/12

$790,000

3

2210

2008

$765,000

07/21/2008

225 East Floral Avenue

10/29/12

$832,000

4

2718

1946

$350,000

10/02/2002

160 Elkins Avenue

10/30/12

$838,000

3

1763

1953

615 South 2nd Avenue

10/30/12

$880,000

3

1851

1929

$720,000

09/09/2011

1728 Highland Oaks Drive

10/19/12

$1,050,000

3

2399

1952

$910,000

02/14/2008

151 Sierra Madre Boulevard

10/22/12

$1,088,000

4

2425

1948

314 East Floral Avenue

10/16/12

$1,105,000

5

3026

1998

$690,000

02/07/2003

1209 Oakhaven Road

10/16/12

$1,285,000

5

3092

1984

$1,220,000

04/22/2005

630 Hampton Road

10/19/12

$1,540,000

3

3088

1952

$510,000

12/27/1993

307 East Forest Avenue

10/18/12

$1,620,000

2

1337

1939

$599,000

08/23/2011

1208 Magnolia Court

10/23/12

$1,720,000

5

4136

2011

$1,648,000

08/22/2011

1310 Santa Margarita Drive

10/12/12

$1,810,000

3

2845

1953

$740,000

02/13/2003

1400 Rancho Road

10/11/12

$2,282,000

4

3845

1956

$695,000

04/30/1987

2428 South 2nd Avenue

10/15/12

$2,692,000

6

6592

2005

$2,688,000

11/15/2006

1085 Singing Wood Drive

10/09/12

$2,780,000

4

4324

1949

$1,080,000

09/06/1995

1108 Englemann Court

10/18/12

$3,050,000

5

4935

2003

$1,655,000

11/13/2003

753 Carriage House Drive

10/30/12

$3,420,000

6

5905

2003

$3,510,000

10/28/2010

980 Singing Wood Drive

10/26/12

$3,580,000

3

5627

1963

$150,000

01/15/1969

800 East Palmer Avenue

10/01/12

$760,000

4

2728

1950

$637,000

03/16/2009

3003 Kirkham Drive

10/26/12

$795,000

4

2650

1972

GLENDALE

633 Robin Glen Drive

10/25/12

$810,000

4

2780

1962

1746 Grandview Avenue

10/29/12

$822,500

3

1850

1935

$800,000

03/04/2011

3501 Buena Vista Avenue

10/19/12

$825,000

4

2166

1924

$275,000

10/06/2000

1241 Carmen Drive

10/25/12

$870,000

5

2630

1926

$426,870

11/17/1993

3189 Dragonfly Street

10/03/12

$885,000

3

2091

1985

$750,000

09/23/2009

612 Seclusion Lane

10/12/12

$901,000

8 06/13/1994

1918 Florena Court

10/12/12

$920,000

4

2671

1972

1354 J Lee Circle

10/01/12

$952,500

4

2797

1965

$535,000

5189 Sky Ridge Drive

10/05/12

$1,075,000

5

3024

1996

$650,000

06/15/2001

1610 Don Carlos Avenue

10/16/12

$1,155,000

4

2877

1948

$1,260,000

06/15/2006

$300,000

03/14/1983

$906,000

12/20/2002

514 South Adams Street #1

10/30/12

$1,180,000

10

6076

1965

1538 Hillcrest Avenue

10/01/12

$1,500,000

5

3471

1925

2736 Sleepy Hollow Place

10/17/12

$1,575,000

5

4311

2001

261 Spencer Street

10/12/12

$1,725,000

4

4240

1961

The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2012.

30 | ARROYO | 12.12

HOME SALES ABOVE $750,000 RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE ARROYO FOOTPRINT ADDRESS

CLOSE DATEPRICE

BDRMS.

SOURCE: CalREsource SQ. FT.

YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE

PREV. SOLD 06/01/2005

LA CAĂ‘ADA FLINTRIDGE 1715 La Barranca Road

10/11/12

$770,000

3

1722

1955

$805,000

5531 Stardust Road

10/04/12

$835,000

3

1586

1958

$1,005,000

02/07/2008

4930 Angeles Crest Highway

10/10/12

$845,000

3

1649

1956

$622,500

01/20/2012

4733 Angeles Crest Highway

10/29/12

$895,000

3

1690

1967

$389,000

03/21/1997

4348 Hayman Avenue

10/29/12

$1,087,500

3

1962

1950

$87,500

07/06/1976

5554 Vista Canada Place

10/11/12

$1,125,000

3

1828

1959

5140 Solliden Lane

10/24/12

$1,270,000

3

2518

1954

$555,000

04/08/1993

1239 Fernside Drive

10/29/12

$1,298,500

3

2370

2007

$279,000

03/25/1993

5180 Princess Anne Road

10/04/12

$1,360,000

4

2431

1951

$1,125,000

08/13/2012

750 Forest Green Drive

10/04/12

$1,750,000

4

4325

1987

$735,000

07/26/1996

812 Inverness Drive

10/24/12

$2,150,000

3

5389

1952

$890,000

06/20/1997

870 St. Katherine Drive

10/11/12

$3,100,000

5

5618

2004

$3,200,000

10/08/2004

PASADENA 1645 Poppy Peak Drive

10/25/12

$750,000

6

3017 Stoneley Drive

10/09/12

$750,000

2

1257

1948

998 Glen Oaks Boulevard

10/04/12

$755,000

1

1274

1955

$325,000

11/30/1999

1447 Glengarry Road

10/02/12

$760,000

3

1989

1955

$47,000,000

01/30/2012

257 South Hudson Avenue #110

10/29/12

$780,000

3

1530

2009

$740,000

11/22/2010

1965 Galbreth Road

10/05/12

$783,000

3

1961

1927

$798,000

05/06/2010

969 Mesa Verde Road

10/31/12

$790,000

2

1987

1941

$900,000

05/28/2004

2190 Brigden Road

10/23/12

$798,000

3

2157

1953

$860,000

09/12/2006

410 Bonita Avenue

10/31/12

$799,000

3

1476

1931

$810,000

04/08/2010

1295 East Orange Grove Boulevard 10/19/12

$800,000

4

3381

1923

655 South Catalina Avenue

10/12/12

$800,000

3

1844

1926

$222,000

04/22/1988

478 South Oakland Avenue #2

10/19/12

$805,000

3

1926

2004

$920,000

01/18/2008

1765 Paloma Street

10/16/12

$840,000

4

2280

1921

$880,000

05/20/2005

653 South Lake Avenue #5

10/02/12

$850,000

3

2240

2006

$825,000

03/16/2007

345 Redwood Drive

10/30/12

$890,000

3

3331

1989

3350 Yorkshire Road

10/30/12

$910,000

3

2092

1940

$750,000

02/27/2004

55 South Berkeley Avenue

10/19/12

$925,500

5

3090

1959

$247,000

08/07/1998

3275 Vosburg Street

10/05/12

$963,000

3

2117

1960

$900,000

03/10/2011

159 San Miguel Road

10/30/12

$990,000

3

1658

1937

$985,000

08/26/2011

1100 Glen Oaks Boulevard

10/10/12

$1,040,000

4

2637

1950

$1,595,000

02/09/2007

1113 El Campo Drive

10/12/12

$1,050,000

3

2619

1948

$595,000

11/14/2000

250 South De Lacey Avenue #407A10/15/12

$1,205,000

4

2190

2007

$1,330,000

12/17/2009

1890 Linda Vista Avenue

10/17/12

$1,270,000

9

$695,000

06/05/1995

1176 Afton Street

10/30/12

$1,300,000

$1,200,000

07/06/2009

3454 Barhite Street

10/11/12

$1,350,000

7

90 San Miguel Road

10/19/12

$1,351,000

3

2961

1930

$382,000

01/31/1995

$1,200,000

11/04/2004

100 Club Road

10/30/12

$1,375,000

4

2488

1936

$125,000

07/23/1976

1344 Marianna Road

10/26/12

$1,436,000

4

2975

1981

$735,000

04/24/2012

3379 Palermo Court

10/19/12

$1,965,000

5

4466

2011

$631,000

06/26/2009

670 Alpine Street

10/03/12

$2,250,000

3

2166

1954

$851,000

02/16/2010

635 Alegria Place

10/15/12

$1,070,000

6

$600,000

08/01/2000

1657 Hilliard Drive

10/10/12

$1,180,000

3

1861

1941

$500,000

02/15/1991

715 Winthrop Road

10/16/12

$1,244,000

3

2032

1934

$280,000

02/18/1981

2870 Somerset Place

10/26/12

$1,257,000

4

2430

1942

$189,000

02/28/1980

2895 Lorain Road

10/25/12

$1,380,000

4

3138

1946

1726 St. Albans Road

10/24/12

$1,525,000

2

2447

1948

1891 Windsor Road

10/25/12

$1,668,000

4

2584

1929

$710,000

10/02/1990

1296 Old Mill Road

10/10/12

$1,700,000

4

3056

1950

$1,200,000

08/04/1988

1284 Sherwood Road

10/30/12

$1,706,500

4

2966

1928

$613,000

11/18/1993

1217 Lorain Road

10/01/12

$1,950,000

4

3740

1950

$880,000

04/18/1990

855 Rosalind Road

10/26/12

$2,300,000

4

4690

1926

$1,922,000

02/14/2003

1270 Mesa Road

10/11/12

$2,950,000

8

1147 San Marino Avenue

10/25/12

$3,358,000

5

4228

1936

$2,188,000

06/15/2007

1375 Shenandoah Road

10/23/12

$3,750,000

4

5861

1926

1040 Oak Grove Avenue

10/23/12

$4,200,000

11

$4,500,000

05/27/2010

1129 Fremont Avenue

10/30/12

$766,000

3

1755

1132 Beech Street

10/16/12

$840,000

5

2590

1924

1931 Marengo Avenue

10/10/12

$850,000

4

1892

1910

$515,000

09/20/2002

2034 Crestlake Avenue

10/11/12

$850,000

4

1886

1950

$775,000

02/25/2005

2000 Alpha Street

10/18/12

$968,000

3

2372

1964

$915,000

09/27/2007

1100 Buena Vista Street

10/03/12

$1,135,000

3

1939

1940

$1,000,000

07/13/2004

1935 Marengo Avenue

10/26/12

$1,198,000

5

2684

1941

SAN MARINO

SOUTH PASADENA 1904

1720 Oak Street

10/16/12

$1,325,000

7

$887,000

08/30/2002

1041 Garfield Avenue

10/01/12

$1,339,000

10

$378,000

10/20/1994

203 Camino Del Sol

10/19/12

$1,400,000

3

3666

2006

1981 Oak Street

10/04/12

$1,800,000

4

2740

1948

$327,500

02/01/1985

1030 Buena Vista Street

10/09/12

$2,150,000

4

3706

1936

$2,100,000

08/12/2005

12.12 | ARROYO | 31

arroyo HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

KITCHENS, BATHS, THE US CENSUS BUREAU AND THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

BY JOANNA DEHN BERESFORD

AND FAMILY, GIFT-GIVING, REFLECTION AND THANKS.TO COMMEMORATE THIS TIME OF YEAR, THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU PRESENTS THE FOLLOWING HOLIDAY-RELATED FACTS AND FIGURES FROM ITS COLLECTION OF STATISTICS.” -UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU I don’t know exactly how to interpret this statement from the Census Bureau, but I suspect that someone there has a sense of holiday humor, and I’m delightfully surprised. I mean, I just don’t expect a statistician, especially one who works for the government, to demonstrate such insouciance. And I confess that I have discovered a newfound affection for these number-crunchers. I picture them, like bleary-eyed elves, hammering away at their keypads and paperwork with numeric glee. Then presenting their gifts with mirthful satisfaction.

–continued on page 34

32 | ARROYO | 12.12

PHOTO: Courtesy of FANCY THAT!

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

“THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS A TIME FOR GATHERING AND CELEBRATING WITH FRIENDS

12.12 | ARROYO | 33

PHOTO: Courtesy of Jordi & CO

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 32 Here’s the most recent US Census Bureau Holiday Gift Sampler: •$27.2 billion in department store retail sales in December, 2011 – up 44% from November, 2011 •34 billion value of retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order houses in December, 2010 •$983 million value of US imports of Christmas tree ornaments from China between January and September of 2011 •$2.5 billion value of US toy imports from China •312 million: estimated US population as we ring in this New Near Additional research reveals that those nearly 312 million US citizens spent $1.7 billion on Christmas trees last year. All of this spending occurred during a period of relative economic anxiety, but I’m enough of an optimist to believe that the numbers represent more than a shallow, materialistic approach to the holiday. I believe that the spirit of those numbers glows, with a persistent desire to celebrate our homes, families and traditions in spite of personal or public uncertainties.

“Charity starts in a nest, the human breast;” writes English novelist Rumer Godden.“Like birds it needs no words but sings when it is given.” She may have added, as many do, that charity begins at home. The winter holiday season encourages us to make our homes a beautiful and living act of charity, and no one demonstrates this better than Jordan Stringfellow, owner of Jordi & CO, Event Planning and Party Décor for All Occasions.

“My heart lies in encouraging clients to open up their own homes,” says Jordi.“We work really hard to bring out the unique beauty of all of our clients’ homes, to let them shine in their house so that they can relax and enjoy the holiday with the people they most adore and appreciate.”

Jordi and her team create epic occasions for clients, often transforming an entire home in a day. She also offers advice to homeowners who want to experiment with their own design and décor abilities.

“A fun way to bring the holidays into your bath is simply to invest in a set of luxurious towels in a deep red or hunter green. Accent with a flower or two, a scented diffuser, and some holiday soaps. If your bathroom décor doesn’t lend to changing towels or incorporating traditional Christmas colors, adding a silver or glass bowl filled with pine cones, in natural brown, silver or gold will add instant holiday essence.”

A similar approach works in the kitchen, but here Jordi recommends “utilizing natural items that we can consume. Combine gorgeous seasonal fruit with a few potted blooms in your favorite copper cook pot or in a pewter or silver bowl and voila: the holidays! Add a few artisanal candy canes,” she adds, and keep some mulling spices on the stove to “allow holiday scents to waft through the space, creating an unmistakable feeling of holiday warmth.”

–continued on page 37 34 | ARROYO | 12.12

12.12 | ARROYO | 35

36 | ARROYO | 12.12

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 34 Sometimes it’s the little things that make a home radiant. Sherry Grossi opened her consignments boutique, P.E. Deans, in April and she is amazed at what passes through her front door every day.

“Beautiful things make me happy, make me tingle,” says Sherry. She marvels at the treasures that she discovers, and stresses that stunning furniture and décor is both a delight and an investment – and they don’t have to cost a fortune.

“People recognize value and they want nice things,” Sherry explains.“But they also want a great deal. They look in retail stores and then they come here and find beautiful, sophisticated, very expensive brands that are in perfect condition, for a fraction of the price they would pay elsewhere.”

In addition to luxurious furnishings PE Deans offers an array of accessories and gift items. Sherry recently received a collection of unique Santa Claus figures, for example. She also features ceramics, Italian vases, crystal objects, 18th century sterling silver candelabra, wine glasses, Rosenthal and Richard Ginori fine china. Sherry’s advice in almost all decisionmaking situations: “Never ask your husband. If you love it and you can afford it, buy it. These objects will make you proud and happy.” And, if you buy them as a gift, they will make someone you love proud, happy and grateful.

Jim and Paula English, co-owners of Fancy That!, have created and sustained a magical gift shop that resonates with seasonal cheer. They offer year-round traditional gifts for

PHOTO: Top, Courtesy of P.E. Deans; Bottom, Courtesy of Sierra Custom Kitchens

–continued on page 39

12.12 | ARROYO | 37

38 | ARROYO | 12.12

PHOTO: Courtesy of FANCY THAT!

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 37 bridal and baby showers, birthdays, etc., but they take special pleasure in reinventing their stores for special occasions throughout the year. They recommend thematic décor that includes special treasures for family, friends and acquaintances. This year, for example, they feature gingerbread houses – made of resin or ceramics, many of them twinkling with lights.

The gingerbread theme enhances kitchens, baths and every room of the house, and also provides a variety of options for nearly everyone on a holiday gift list.

“We serve three generations of customers,” says Jim. They return to Fancy That! because they encounter a new world every time they enter, and because they relish the traditionmade-fresh that distinguishes the shop.

Holidays may inspire a more ambitious design project. Eileen Atwood, owner of Sierra Custom Kitchens, has been in the kitchen and bath design business for nearly thirty years and launched Sierra thirteen years ago. Her clients have grown to love her cozy, intimate showroom, her experienced design staff and the premiere custom wood cabinetry in which they specialize. And Sierra offers a unique holiday gift idea: a beautifully renovated kitchen.

“One of our clients actually purchased a design agreement for his wife,” says Eileen. The gift included a comprehensive consultation, which was applied to the entire dream project.

Eileen also recommends sprucing up fabrics and pillows for the holidays, and suggests that certain color choices can suit every season. She describes a Sierra kitchen remodel, for instance, that featured wrought iron with red fabric bar stools, white cabinetry and a black island - a room that will dazzle throughout the year.

And 2013 should be a dazzling year indeed. Every resident, designer, collector, retailer and even the statisticians may agree with Kenneth Grahame who writes in his folkloric Christmas carol: “Villagers all, this frosty tide; Let our doors swing open wide; Though wind may follow and

snow betide; Yet draw us in by your fire to bide: Joy shall be yours in the morning!” AMHD 12.12 | ARROYO | 39

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

Education

& ENRICHMENT AND SUMMER CAMPS Barnhart School Barnhart School offers a private elementary and middle school education for children in kindergarten through 8th grade from the Arcadia, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and other San Gabriel Valley communities. Distinguished programs of Barnhart School are the Writers’ Workshop, the 7th grade Biotech project sponsored by Amgen, Spanish at all grade levels with a conversation club in 8th grade, early literacy emphasis, the Virtues character development program, and continued integration of technology, arts, and physical education. 240 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia. barnhartschool.org (626)446-5588 Drucker School of Management The Drucker School of Management in Claremont offers a world-class graduate management education through our MBA, Executive MBA, Financial Engineering, and Arts Management degree programs. Our programs infuse Peter Drucker’s principle of management as a liberal art along with our core strengths in strategy and leadership. We offer individualized, flexible course scheduling, an innovative curriculum focusing on values-based management, and the opportunity to learn from world-renowned faculty. To learn more, visit us at www.drucker.cgu.edu.

Mathnasium Mathnasium is a highly specialized learning center where kids go year-round to improve their math skills. Students attend as often as they like - for as long as they like. The goal is to enhance your child’s math skills, understanding of math concepts and overall school performance. At the same time, Mathnasium builds your child’s confidence and forges a positive attitude toward the subject, yielding overwhelming results. Independent studies

by EyeCues Education Systems found that Mathnasium students’ performance increased more than two letter grades in as little as three to six months. Visit mathnasium.com to find out more, or call (626)532-7587.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church School Our church welcomes all families and children to share the Word of God. We have a Youth Group and Sunday School.

Our preschool and K-6th classes emphasize reading and mathematics in preparation for the annual S.A.T. tests given to each grade. Computers are used by all the grades. Day Care is also available.

Please call (323) 255-2786 to arrange a tour. More details, and the tuition rates are on www.goodshepherdla.org.

Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 6338 North Figueroa St. LA 90042, www.goodshepherdla.org ■

Aa Bb Cc

40 | ARROYO | 12.12

Holiday Gift Guide

BY IRENE LACHER

S

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

her him for

for

Steal a little thunder from wardrobe and jewelry designer

Michael Schmidt’s high-profile clients — like Lady Gaga,

Any oenophile worth his salt will savor Mission

Wines’ holiday gift package pairing a bottle of the

Rihanna and Ozzy Osbourne (okay, maybe not Ozzy

2010 Sandhi Rita’s Crown Chardonnay Sta. Rita

Osbourne) — with his stunning chrome-spiked

Hills with a copy of Secrets of the Sommeliers by

cluster bracelet.Your lucky recipient can pair this

Rajat Parr, Sandhi Wines partner and wine director

dramatic piece with the simplest black dress,

for San Francisco celebrity chef Michael Mina’s

and vie with Deborah Harry for sheer fabulosity

restaurant group. And don’t forget to mention that

(the dress he created for her with 3,500 razor

Rita’s Crown Chardonnay received a hefty 94

blades is showcased in the Metropolitan

points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, which

Museum of Art’s Costume Institute). $1,100; Gold Bug, 22 E. Union St., Pasadena;

(626) 744-9963; goldbugpasadena.com.

lauded its “superb textural elegance.” $88.99; Mission Wines, 1114 Mission St.,

South Pasadena; (626) 403-9463; missionwines.com.

The Italian luxury goods If the way to your man’s heart is through his

house Campo Marzio Design makes sleek Moda

stereo system, you may need to break out

laptop cases in a stunning

the defibrillator when you present him

array of colors, from pumpkin

with these sleek Klipsch Gallery G-17 Air

to raspberry, and their con-

AirPlay Speakers. This beauty, deemed

struction of nylon with leather

“excellent” by pcmag.com, streams

handles makes them sturdy —

music wirelessly from his iPhone, iPad and iPod, boasting Tractrix Horn tech-

but light as a feather — even if

nology for powerful audio. And check out

her computer isn’t. $140; Colori, 2639 Mission St.,

this baby’s horizontal array of drivers. $499; Best Buy, 3415 E. Foothill Blvd.,

San Marino; (626) 793-0554;

Pasadena; (626) 351-9516; bestbuy.com.

colori-usa.com.

If your giftee is a beautyholic, which pretty much covers every female over

Take care of your guy with a Garmin Forerunner 110

12, consider M. Steves’ new line of skin care drenched in RHSO — rose hip

GPS Bundle Fitness Watch, which does some of the

seed oil. Mally Steves Chakola, the collection’s creator, describes RHSO’s

heavy lifting on his daily runs. It has a GPS so he’ll

delights as a veritable fount of antioxidants and essential fatty acids that

never get lost, a heart-rate monitor, Garmin Training

combat scarring, stretch marks, UV dam-

Center software compatible with enhanced training,

age and burns, as well as the usual sus-

HotFix satellite prediction for speeding up GPS posi-

pects of dry skin, wrinkles, fine lines and

tioning and more. Long live the king (of your castle).

skin tone that’s simply manqué.

$169.98; Dick’s Sporting Goods,

From $34 for the RHSO Power-Packed

3359 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena;

Purifying Cleanser to $68 for the RHSO Power-Packed Anti-Aging Serum; visit msteves.com.

42 | ARROYO | 12.12

(626) 351-1843; dickssportinggoods.com.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

for

kids pets for

(and pet people)

Are your little ones eager to get the show on the road?

Who’s a good dog? You know exactly who I’m talking

They’re (practically) never too young for an Easy-Ride First

about. Wouldn’t he/she enjoy chowing down on

Trike, scaled just for toddlers. It has a low 11-inch seat and

some Vanilla Woofers, Ciao Wow Cheese Pizzas, Itty

pedals that are easy to push. And if pedal-pushing isn’t

Bitty Scary Kitties and Beagle Bagels? There’s all that

your toddler’s cup of tea just yet, it can also be used as a

and more in the Dottie Delectable Gift Boxer. Good

“scoot-along.” Recommended for 1- to 3-year-olds.

human. Now, sit. Stay. Pay.

$169; Lakeshore Learning Store, 3848 E. Foothill Blvd.,

$39.95; Three Dog Bakery, 36 W. Colorado Blvd.,

Pasadena; (626) 356-3848;

Suite 3, Pasadena; (626) 440-0443;

lakeshorelearning.com.

threedogla.com.

It’s never too soon to train your kids for the

Does your recipient love animals but cringe at the

new economy. Let them think Programmable

thought of taking them for walks or scooping their

Robot Rover is just a toy. With this beauty,

poop? A mesmerizing Jellyfish Art tank might be just

they can prep for a career as a robot engi-

the answer. These truly beautiful creatures perform an

neer by giving it instructions, testing it and

endless aquatic ballet, earning them Wired Magazine’s

then sending it off to deliver cocktails to Mom

praise as the “most hypnotic office/dorm room/studio

and Dad. For ages 8 and up.

decoration ever.” The 3 Jelly Kit, with a desktop tank,

$69.95;

two small moon jellyfish, one large moon jellyfish and

shopnationalgeographic.com.

six ounces of food, gets him/her started. $499; Jellyfish Art, 2575 Third St., San Francisco;

(888) 660-6476; jellyfishart.com

There’s a reason the words “cool” and “cat” go together, and it can be summed up in two other words: Hepper Pod. This “modern cat cave,” lionized by the Give the grandkids a taste of the good old

Pratt Institute’s School of

days — the Lucy in the Sky ’60s, that is

Art and Design, offers

— with this double-barreled kaleidoscope.

comfy hidability for the fe-

The main body is a chrome tube contain-

line in question and terrific

ing glass prisms. The perpendicular tube

atomic style for his/her

is filled with free-floating geometric metal-

Eames-fan parents. Choose

lic shapes. Hold it up to the light while

from a green shell lined with

twisting the tube and voilà! You’ve got all

white microfiber or gray lined

the tangerine trees and marmalade skies

with orange.

you could ever wish for.

$110;

$125; Fancy That!, 2575 Mission St.,

hepper.com

San Marino; (626) 403-2577; fancythat.us.com.

12.12 | ARROYO | 43

44 | ARROYO | 12.12

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Just Choux’t Me

I know you have indulged in my favorite pastry dough at least once in your life. But chances are that unless you are an avid baker, you know very little about it.Therefore, I am taking it upon myself to enlighten you to the wonder that is pâte à choux. A choux tutor, if you will. Making this dough is not that complicated, but because it requires two separate cooking processes, most home cooks throw up their hands in frustration. Why cook something twice when you can easily crack open a container of Ben & Jerry’s or a pack of Chips

What’s a holiday meal without dashes of sugar and sadism, à la pastry chef Marie-Antoine Carême?

Ahoy? As a chef, my answer to that is “because it’s fun.” But I under-

STORY BY LESLIE BILDERBACK

stand the sentiment. If I replace pâte à choux with, say, house cleaning, I would ask, why bother to clean all those rooms when you can just meet people at their house?

The truth is that nowhere in the culinary realm can you find a recipe more wonderful than pâte à choux. It is incredibly versatile and used regularly in both sweet and savory applications.You probably know it best as cream puff or éclair dough. Choux has made its trendy-hipster debut at a mall near you at the Beard Papa’s cream-puff stand --- a brilliant scheme that needs only some ’60s go-go--style employee uniforms to give hot dog on a stick a run for its money. But pâte à choux is more than cream puffs.There are so many uses, in fact, that by the end of this article I guarantee you will be heading to the kitchen. (Or out to a Beard Papa’s.)

First, let me correct your pronunciation. It is pronounced PAHT-ah-ZSU. Not Patty shoe. Not PAT-ay-chu. Pâte is French for “paste,” which is what this dough looks like raw.Thick and goopy, its mashed-potato--like consistency takes a bit of practice to wrangle into submission on a baking sheet. Choux is the French word for “cabbages.” One story claims the name is derived from the finished puffs’ appearance.Though it is basically cabbage-shaped, I reject the idea that such a glorious pastry is named for such a pedestrian vegetable. I prefer to believe the name came about because chou is a French term of endearment. (And because “mon petit chou” is exactly the feeling I get inside when I eat it.)

The history of this dough is as apocryphal as its name, supposedly originating (as all foods with a sketchy past do) with Catherine de Medici’s Italian chefs in the mid-1500s. From there it evolved into its current form, credited to Marie-Antoine Carême in the 19th century.

(He was a cat known to his buddies as “the Chef of Kings and the King of Chefs” --- no small egos in France.) I’ll buy that Carême had a hand in it, because he practiced a particularly sadistic style of pastry art, creating architecturally ornate desserts and centerpieces out of sugar, and basically making everything much harder than it needed to be.

As mentioned earlier, the cream puff and éclair are the most common American uses for pâte à choux.The two are essentially the same thing in different shapes.The éclair is long and usually filled with pastry cream.The cream puff is round, and here in the States it is often split horizontally and overfilled with fluffy whipped cream.The European version (and the one Beard Papa’s sells) is injected from the bottom with pastry cream.This version is sometimes called a popelini, and in France it is meant to replicate a boob, complete with a cherry or other nipple-esque decoration on top. (This, right here, is why French cuisine is awesome.)

–continued on page 46 12.12 | ARROYO | 45

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

–continued from page 45 Regular restaurant-goers might also recognize the profiterole.This choux dessert consists

pastry, and they are baked together, creating a tart shell. The center is filled with crème

of three small cream puffs on a plate, each filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with

Chiboust, a gelatinized pastry cream with Italian meringue gently folded in. Around

dark chocolate sauce. If it does not have ice cream, it is not a profiterole, although many a

the rim are cream-filled choux puffs, glued on with caramelized sugar; the whole thing

chef has tried to pass off generic cream puffs as such. When you see this on a menu and it

is decorated with crème Chantilly (whipped cream to you and me) piped in a very

is not ice cream, then you know the chef just learned a fancy French word, but no actual

specific pattern and topped off with spun sugar. I told you it was awesome!

information to go with it.

The croquembouche (also croque-en-bouche, which means “crunch in the mouth”) is

The Paris-Brest is another old-timey choux concoction.Though its name suggests boobs again, it was created to commemorate a classic bike race, begun in the 1890s, from Paris to

another fairly well-known choux creation.This towering pyramid of puffs is an awesome sight

the port city of Brest on the coast of Brittany. Choux is piped in a large ring (like a bike

to behold --- until people start eating it, at which time it looks like the Jersey Shore after Hurri-

wheel) and, once baked, is filled with hazelnut-praline--flavored cream. If Lance Armstrong

cane Sandy. It’s shaped like a Christmas tree, which is why you see it a lot over the holidays.

had only opted to prime his pump with this stuff instead, he could have avoided that whole

However, it’s not a Christmas dessert at all (silly Americans), but a traditional French wedding

career-imploding mess.

dessert. (So much more civilized than a stack of buttercream-covered sponge cake topped

La religieuse, or “the nun,” is a coffee-flavored cream puff with a smaller filled puff stacked

with plastic dolls.) Also credited to Carême (I told you he was sadistic), it consists of small

on top, like a head. It is drenched in coffee icing and meant to resemble the brown habits of

pastry-cream--filled choux puffs glued together with caramelized sugar, then decorated with

the Carmelite nuns. It is, excuse the pun, a heavenly creation.

spun sugar and pulled sugar flowers.True classic versions rest on a decorative base of cro-

Pâte à choux has savory incarnations too.The Burgundians folded Gruyère into choux

quant, a molded, sculptable almond brittle.The croquembouche is often constructed on a

and baked it into the original cheese puff, called gougère, first served as an accompani-

metal cone-shaped mold, but good chefs can tower it free-form. Fun fact: The world record

ment to wine tastings. (Gotta soak up all that booze with something.) Pommes Dauphine is

for tallest croquembouche, built with 185,000 puffs, is credited to the chefs of the Dubai

the original tater tot, made by deep-frying an ethereal blend of choux and mashed pota-

World Trade Center.

toes. And caterers have long turned to the tiny choux puff as an easy vessel to hold all man-

There are several antiquated choux pastries I would like to revive. Not just because they are delicious, but because I think American foodies are ready for the next level of

ner of savory salads for an easy passed hors d’oeuvre.

Just in case you’re thinking I’m trying to turn you into a Francophile, the French are not

culinary nerddom. The gateau Saint Honoré is my absolute favorite. Saint Honoré is

the only ones with a line on pâte à choux. Indonesians have a cream puff they call kue sus,

often touted as the patron saint of pastry chefs, although I question the validity of this

the Spanish and Latin Americans fry choux into churros and Austrians poach apricot-filled

claim, because I have never seen his image on a dashboard ornament. (Yes, I have

choux into dumplings called marillenknödel. We are the world. We are the cream puffs.

looked. I’d like one on top of my Kitchen Aid to help protect my cream from being over-

I hope I have sparked your choux-riosity.You really choux’d give it a try. ||||

whipped.) I’m partial to the story that this dessert was created by a pastry chef named Chiboust, whose Paris shop was on Rue St. Honoré. For a time, this dessert was

Leslie Bilderback is a certified master baker, chef and cookbook author. Watch for her on

commonly used as a test for pastry chefs, as it contains all the classic pastry tech-

Food Network’s Sweet Genius game show on Dec. 20. A South Pasadena resident, she

niques you must master to get the job. A choux rim is piped on a circular base of puff

teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

Pâte à Choux The puff in these puffs is created when the moisture in the eggs is turned into steam by the heat of the oven.To make this happen, the eggs need to be fully absorbed into the batter, and the oven needs to be hot enough to create a good steam explosion.Therefore, the two steps that are crucial to the success of pâte à choux are the mixing and the baking. Don’t shortcut them!

VARIATION: Cheese Puffs: To make gougères, fold 1 cup of grated Gruyère cheese into the batter after adding the eggs, then bake as directed.

METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 400°, and coat a baking sheet with pan spray.

2. In a large saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar and salt, and set it over high heat. At the boil, add the flour and stir vigorously with a sturdy spoon for at least 3 minutes, until all the flour is absorbed and the mixture resembles smooth mashed potatoes. (You’ll be tempted to skimp on the 3-minute mixing time, but don’t. It is very important!)

3. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Still off the heat, stir in the whole eggs one at a time, blending each in thoroughly before adding the next. Some chefs like to use a mixer for this step. That works fine, but use caution. Overmixing can make the dough soupy and unable to hold its shape on the baking sheet. If you have the arm muscles, stirring in eggs by hand is preferable.

5. Use a 1- or 2-inch–diameter ice cream scoop to shape puffs, and space them out evenly on the baking sheet. Make an egg wash with the yolk and a dash of water, and brush it lightly over the top of each puff.

6. Bake puffs at 400° until they are puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325° and bake until firm and dark brown, about 10 minutes more. (It’s important that they turn dark brown, or they will collapse when cool.) Cool completely before filling with whipped cream, pastry cream, chocolate mousse or even chicken curry salad. Get creative!

46 | ARROYO | 12.12

PHOTO: Leslie Bilderback

INGREDIENTS 2 cups water 5 ounces (1 1⁄4 stick) unsalted butter 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour 7 eggs 1 egg yolk

12.12 | ARROYO | 47

WINING & DINING The Original Tops 3838 E. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena (626) 449-4412 theoriginaltops.com Sunday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to midnight

Gus’s Barbecue 808 Fair Oaks Ave. South Pasadena (626) 799-3251 gussbbq.com Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Pastrami Burger

They’re the Top!

THE PERIOD BETWEEN THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS CAN BE A MAGICAL TIME, WHETHER YOU’RE CLEARING SNOW FROM YOUR DRIVEWAY UP NORTH OR PUTTING AWAY THE GRILL HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. IT’S A TIME FOR SHARING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND REFLECTING ON THE YEAR PAST AS YOU PREPARE FOR THE ONE AHEAD. IT HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING FEW MONTHS LEAD-

Chris and John Bicos, owners of two of Pasadena’s oldest casual eateries — The Original Tops and

ING UP TO THIS YEAR’S HOLIDAYS, AS THE RECENT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HAS FORCED PEOPLE TO PONDER THEIR IDEA OF THE

Gus’s Barbecue — know the secret ingredients for

BY BRADLEY TUCK

AMERICAN DREAM. ONE RECURRING THEME IS THAT THE LIFEBLOOD OF AMERICA IS ITS SMALL BUSINESSES — IT’S THE INGENUITY AND HARD WORK OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THAT HAVE HELPED THIS COUNTRY TO GROW.

48 | ARROYO | 12.12

PHOTO: Vanessa Stump

restaurant longevity.

Stephan Bicos flanked by his sons, John (left) and Chris

there was understandable neighborhood trepidation, but the locals had nothing to worry about. The buyers were Chris and John Bicos.

Over time, Gus’s had developed the patina of age. And while a bright vintage neon sign out front blared the word “Bar-B-Q,” in reality the menu focused more on traditional diner fare. Tuna melts, anyone? Now, a big smoker behind the restaurant, with the apt brand name Southern Pride, handles as many as 150 racks of ribs a day, smoking them over pecan wood for 4 1⁄2 hours, until they melt off the fork. Framed black-and-white photographs of Gus’ family hang in the dining rooms. Shiny darkwood floors grace the expansive room at the back of the restaurant, while a gleaming bar serves guests watching the game on a big flat-screen TV. The brothers divide their time between Gus’s and The Original Tops, sharing responsibility for the businesses. “We’re so hands-on that we’re always together and just taking care of whatever needs to be done,” says John. They instill in their staff the lessons they learned from their father. “When we’re hiring, we can tell right off the bat if someone is going to be that person who rushes over to hold open the door for a guest or not,” John says. “You have to care, and it takes a specific type of person to work in our restaurants.” Case in point: “If there is a mistake in an order, I’ve had the order remade and personally hand-delivered it myself to someone’s home. Because of the level of service we provide and the fact that it’s a family-owned business, we go above and beyond.”

I’m reminded of my own days working in an Italian family café in London, where A prime example is a gentleman named Stephan Bicos, who in 1949 (at age 15)

PHOTO: Top and Bottom Left, Vanessa Stump; Top Right, Courtesy of Original Tops

arrived in Chicago, leaving behind his native Greece. He worked hard and saved his

elder customers’ eyes widened in disbelief if you had to ask them what they’d like to drink or eat, because they’d been going there for 30 years or more. Where every cus-

money and, soon after, headed west to Pasadena where, with his uncle, he opened

tomer was greeted with bongiorno. Where the owner gave you a discreet nod when

up a little coffee shop called Tops, which served up burgers and breakfasts. By the

customers were to have their espressos “courtesy of Antonio.”

time Bicos was 19 he had bought out his uncle, becoming a teenage sole proprietor.

Says elder brother Chris, “Our father built the business on the basic principles of

Over time, the business grew and became a pioneer of casual dining, with a drive-

hospitality and service — create a welcoming environment, reach out and go above

through. He raised a family, and sons John and Chris gradually took over the reins.

and beyond, and have a family atmosphere. Having a business in operation for so

This year The Original Tops, as the restaurant is now known, celebrated 60 years in

many years has given our dad a chance to see kids grow up, have a family of their

business. No mean achievement in a world of chain eateries and ever-shortening

own and share the restaurant experience with their kids.”

customer attention spans.

That’s not all. A different crop of relatives — Gus, Jack and Mike — had already emi-

Interestingly, when I asked Chris and John whether their dad was tougher on them than on other employees, Chris had this to say: “He actually tried to push us away from

grated to the U.S. before him. Leaving a family-owned bar in Cleveland, they did what

the restaurant business because it was a hard business. Like most immigrants coming

so many others had done and would do: They headed down Route 66, stopping at

to America, he thought it would be easier for us to have an office job than to be a

diners in the Midwest and South, finally settling in South Pasadena. They bought a

restaurant owner. But he saw the passion that we had for the business and the com-

diner named Hamburger Mac’s and re-opened it as Gus’s Barbecue. Over the next 40

mitment to it. And we saw the opportunity. I’ve actually been tougher on John than my

years, Gus’s became a neighborhood institution. So when the place was sold in 2007,

father was, like a big brother should be.” |||| 12.12 | ARROYO | 49

THE LIST

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

PASADENA SYMPHONY LIGHTS UP THE HOLIDAYS Dec. 1 — The

HUNTINGTON HOLIDAYS OFFER MEDIEVAL MUSIC, TRADITIONAL TALE

Pasadena Symphony

Dec. 5 — Holiday music by the a

rings in the holidays

cappella group Vox Feminae, whose

with a special can-

members will dress in elaborate period

dlelight concert of

costumes, includes medieval and Renais-

Old World holiday

sance works and traditional carols from 2

music at All Saints Church in Pasadena,

to 3 p.m. in the grand hallway of the Hunt-

starting at 7 p.m. Grant Cooper conducts

ington Art Gallery. Free with Huntington

the orchestra, with Lisa Vroman as fea-

admission.

tured soprano and appearances by the

Dec. 15 — Holiday

Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, the Don-

storytime features “A

ald Brinegar Singers and the L.A. Bronze

Visit from St. Nicholas”

Handbell Choir. Tickets cost $30 to $125.

(a.k.a.“Twas the

All Saints Church is located at 132 N. Eu-

Night Before Christ-

clid Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 793-7172

mas”) and a craft

or visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.

session by Little Junebugs for children ages 3 to 12. Cost is $15 for one child and

BLING, BEER, BRUNCH AND BOTANY AT DESCANSO

one accompanying adult ($12 for members). Call (626) 405-2128 to register.

Descanso Gardens

The Huntington Library, Art Collections

offers fun holiday

and Botanical Gardens is located at

events all month

1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call

long.

(626) 405-2100 or visit huntington.org.

Dec. 1 and 2 — “Winter Botanic Bling,” a trunk show of botanic-themed jewelry and accessories, features handmade and one-of-a-kind items by a host of vendors and craftsmen, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days at the Boddy House. Entry is free with Descanso admission.

Dec. 7 — The Patina Group hosts a Belgian beer-tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. at the

A NOISE WITHIN DELIVER DICKENS Dec. 8 — The company presents Charles Dickens’“A Christmas Carol,” in a new adaptation by Co-Artistic Director Geoff Elliott, who co-directs with fellow Artistic Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott. The production opens at 8 p.m. and continues

TAKE TEA, OR TASTE OF TENNESSEE Dec. 12 — The company presents a free reading of Tennessee Williams’ Period of

Adjustment, a play about two couples on Christmas Eve and the playwright’s only comedy, at 7 p.m. Reservations are recommended.

through Dec. 23. Tickets cost $40 to $52.

A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena.

Call (626) 356-3100 or visit anoisewithin.org.

Boddy House, featuring distinctive brew

Dec. 16 — “Fezziwig’s Festive Holiday Tea” benefits A Noise Within’s Classics Live education outreach program, serving 10,000

pairings with fine foods. Cost is $50 per

students a year in some 130 schools. The

person. Reservations are available at pati-

Descanso” offers tips for last-minute gifts

await, run every 20 minutes, from 4 to 8:40

fundraiser offers freshly baked scones,

nagroup.com/descanso.

and decorating with botanicals, starting

p.m. both days. Guests can experience a

finger sandwiches, pots of hot tea and a

Dec. 8 and 15 — The California Shake-

at 2 p.m. in Van de Kamp Hall. No admis-

retelling of Dickens’“A Christmas Carol,” as

matinee performance of “A Christmas

speare Ensemble stages readings of the

sion charge, as part of Descanso’s Free

costumed ghosts and Scrooge accom-

Carol.” The event starts at noon. Tickets

Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” at

Third Tuesdays.

pany them from house to house. Visitors

cost $300.

1:30 and 3:30 p.m. both days. Tickets cost

Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Des-

can enjoy a cup of warm cider and treats

A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foothill

$15 and are available at ticketweb.com.

canso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818)

at the end of the tour and shop for holi-

Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-3100 or

Dec. 15 and 16 — “Santa’s Brunch” by the

949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org.

day gifts at the museum store. Tour tickets

visit anoisewithin.org.

Patina Group includes a gourmet breakfast and a visit from Santa. A jolly elf will be on hand for photos, and children can

cost $20 for adults ($15 for members)

GHOSTS GREET GUESTS AT HERITAGE HOLIDAY TOURS

and $10 for children 6 to 12; the tour is not

DECEMBER FUN FOR KIDS

suitable for children under 6. Call the box

Kidspace Children’s Museum in

decorate cookies. Seatings are at 10 and

Dec. 1 and 2 — The

office for reservations, which are required;

Pasadena hosts holiday-themed fun for

11:30 a.m. both days. The cost is $46 ($38

open-air Heritage

no tickets are available at the door.

kids, free with regular admission.

for members) and $19 for kids 4 to 12;

Square Museum

The Heritage Square Museum is located

Dec. 8 — The Bob Baker Marionettes put

children 3 and younger are admitted free.

hosts its popular

at 3800 Homer St., Los Angeles. Call (323)

on a special holiday show at 2 p.m. Chil-

Visit patinagroup.com/descanso for

“Lamplight Celebra-

225-2700, ext. 223, for reservations and in-

dren can also create their own puppets

reservations; deadline is Dec. 11.

tion.” One-hour tours

formation. Visit heritagesquare.org for in-

at a workshop from noon to 4 p.m.

Dec. 18 — “Get Dirty: A Garden Series by 50 | ARROYO | 12.12

of its Victorian homes, where parties

formation.

–continued on page 53

52 | ARROYO | 12.12

THE LIST

Ariana Grande , Neil Patrick Harris and Charlene Tilton

A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS AT PASADENA PLAYHOUSE Dec. 13 — The Pasadena Playhouse and Lythgoe Family Productions present

A Snow White Christmas, directed by Bonnie Lythgoe (So You Think You Can Dance), with choreography by Spencer Liff (Emmy nominee for So You Think You Can Dance), musical direction by Michael Orland (American Idol) and starring Curt Hansen as The Prince, Ariana Grande of Nickelodeon’s Victorious as Snow White, Neil Patrick Harris as the Magic Mirror and Charlene Tilton (Dallas) as the Wicked Queen. The updated classic features family-friendly magic with a comedic twist, dancing, a live miniature pony and music by Katy Perry, Huey Lewis and the News, Michael Jackson and more. An hour-and-a-half prior to each performance, an onsite “winter wonderland” offers holiday music, crafts, activities, games and photo opportunities. Performances are at 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 30. Tickets cost $32 to $100 for adults and $22 to $47 for children.

Children’s Golden Tickets, an additional $100 each, allow holders to participate in a special onstage experience during the production.

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.

–continued from page 50 Dec. 26 through 30 — “Snow Days” take

at 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena. Call

place from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

(626) 449-914 or visit

The white stuff will be trucked in to enable

kidspacemuseum.org.

kids to make snow angels and snowmen ture. Also planned are traditional winter

“CHORAL CHRISTMAS” TO SAMPLE CLASSIC COMPOSERS

crafts.

Dec. 16 — Pasadena Pro Musica Artistic

Dec. 31 — “Noon Year’s Eve” runs from

Director Stephen Grimm leads the group

9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kids can celebrate

in “Choral Christmas,” a 4 p.m. concert at

New Year’s with live music, sparkling cider,

Pasadena’s Neighborhood Unitarian Uni-

a balloon drop and more. Guests can ar-

versalist Church. Selections include works

rive early to make party hats and noise-

by Bach, Brahms, Poulenc and Distler. Tick-

makers, dance and count down to “Noon

ets cost $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

while learning how snow is formed in na-

Year” at 12 p.m.

The Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist

Kidspace Children’s Museum is located

Church is located at 301 N. Orange Grove –continued on page 55 12.12 | ARROYO | 53

54 | ARROYO | 12.12

THE LIST

–continued from page 53

Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 628-2144 or

will recite holiday poems. Tickets cost

visit pasadenapromusica.org.

$33.50 to $87.

N’ORLEANS-STYLE NOEL WITH VETERAN JAZZ BAND

S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Call (323) 850-

Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 2000 or visit laphil.com.

Dec. 15 — The New Orleans--based

PRE--ROSE PARADE EVENTS

Preservation Hall Jazz

Dec. 28 through 31 —

Band has traveled

Check out fabulous

the world for some

parade floats in the

50 years promoting

final stages of deco-

the venerable tradition of New Orleans

ration as the work is

jazz. Tonight, the group visits Caltech’s

being done. Loca-

Beckman Auditorium at 8 for a perform-

tions include the Rosemont and Brook-

ance of “A Creole Christmas” --- holiday

side pavilions near the Rose Bowl, with

classics with a Louisiana twist. Tickets

viewing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and

cost $10 to $38.

Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and

Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium is located

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday; floats are also

on Michigan Avenue south of Del Mar

on display at the Rose Palace from 9 a.m.

Boulevard, Pasadena. Call (626) 395-4652

to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday and

or visit events.caltech.edu.

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday. Tickets cost $10.

A HULA HOLIDAY WITH HOT HAWAIIANS

Seco St., Pasadena. Brookside Pavilion is

The Rosemont Pavilion is located at 700 located at Lot I on the south side of the

Dec. 20 — The Hono-

Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena.

lulu neo-exotica

The Rose Palace is located at 835 S. Ray-

group, Don Tiki, pre-

mond Ave., Pasadena.

sents a “Hot Lava

Dec. 29 and 30 — Bandfest showcases

Holiday Show” at

the bands that will march in the New

8 p.m. at Walt Disney

Year’s Day parade, with shows from 1:30

Concert Hall. The lounge masters, led by

to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon

composer and keyboardist Kit “Perry

and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at

Coma” Ebersbach, include some of

Pasadena City College’s football stadium.

Hawaii’s top musicians, vocalists and

Tickets cost $15, free for children 5 and

dancers performing an exotic twist to

younger.

holiday music. Tickets cost $38 to $98.50.

Pasadena City College is located at 1570

The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at

E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena.

111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Call (323)

Dec. 29 — Equestfest offers a chance to

850-2000 or visit laphil.com.

see the parade’s majestic horses and their riders, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the

SING-ALONG WITH JULIE ANDREWS AT DISNEY HALL

Los Angeles Equestrian Center. The show includes roping exhibitions, precision

Dec. 22 — At the

team events, jousting, exhibits, visits to the

popular “Holiday

paddock area, food, music and more.

Sing-Along” at Walt

Tickets cost $15 for regular admission, $35

Disney Concert Hall,

for a VIP package including early admit-

the public is invited to

tance at 10:30 a.m., a goody bag and a

sing along to holiday

souvenir seat cushion.

and Christmas songs, with shows at 11:30

The Los Angeles Equestrian Center is

a.m. and 2:30 p.m. David Prather hosts

located at 480 Riverside Dr., Burbank.

the event, featuring the Angeles Chorale

Call Sharp Seating for tickets to all these

conducted by John Sutton, and a special

Rose Parade events at (626) 795-4171 or

guest appearance by Julie Andrews, who

visit sharpseating.com.

11.12 | ARROYO | 55 12.12