NEWS AND NOTES

NEWS NOTES

YOU’LL NEVER BAKE IN THIS TOWN AGAIN

SusieCakes is here to give your oven a rest.

Fifteen years ago, Susan Sarich debuted SusieCakes in Brentwood, and Westside birthday parties were never the same. In the years since, the Chicago native has built a national brand based on her grandmother’s traditional Midwestern recipes for seven-layer bars, whoopie pies, classic cakes like marble, lemon, carrot, and red velvet, and of course, the crowd-pleasing six-layer celebration cake, made from layers of confetti-infused vanilla cake and frosted with Tiffany-blue icing. Sarich has since opened 23 locations throughout California and Texas, and her 24th debuts this month at 264 South Lake Ave. The 2,400-square-foot shop features all of the company’s signature items, and as with all of the locations, everything is baked on site, from scratch, using the highest-quality ingredients. Look out for September specials like apple pie with crumble topping, iced molasses cookies, and German chocolate cupcakes. Wedding cakes, decorated birthday cakes, and bite-size caramels at the register will pull at your sweet tooth. Sure, baking at home has been a nice pastime during the pandemic, but it will never taste as good as Susie’s. Store opening slated for September 18; susiecakes.com —SAMANTHA BROOKS

CHALK IT UP

In partnership with Light Bringer Project, a Pasadena-based arts nonprofit, the Pasadena Chalk Festival returns October 16–17. The free, two-day festival will bring together over 600 skilled chalk artists from all over the world to create life-sized murals on the grounds of The Paseo. The weekend’s festivities will include a silent auction with works from select artists, live music, and the Pasadena Police Classic Car Show on Sunday. Proceeds will go toward vital arts and learning programs in schools and cultural opportunities in underserved local communities. lightbringerproject.org

—SARA SMOLA

GET YOUR GREENS

> The corner houseplant shop Leafy at Colorado and De Lacey has taken root in the community since opening in May. “Calls come in throughout the day from customers asking follow-up questions about their plants, and we encourage it,” says store manager Megan Marinchak, who worked for the brand’s original Palo Alto location before moving to Pasadena. She says she keeps 60–70 houseplants at her own home. Founder Ken Li has built the Leafy brand on customer service, hiring patient people with houseplant collections of their own. Li was given a fiddle fig tree when he moved to the Bay Area, and his apartment was soon filled with plants. In addition to phone calls, questions come in via Instagram and email, and the community continues to grow. leafypaloalto.com —JENNIFER ASHTON RYAN

> The sister of DTLA’s beloved The Last Bookstore, Lost Books has opened in Montrose. To find the shop, look for a collection of potted plants spilling onto the sidewalk. There’s no archway of books, a signature of the downtown location; rather, you enter beneath a leafy green archway revealing a labyrinth of 1,000 winding wooden book crates. The store mostly sells used books organized by genre, and you can also purchase new books, gifts, and plants. Co-owners Josh and Jenna Spencer envisioned an enchanted garden for the new location and reached out to The Last Bookstore’s neighbor downtown, Yuko Kitchen. From its artistry to the literary treasures at every twist, as good as Lost Books looks on social media, it’s truly a place to experience in person. 2233 Honolulu Avenue —J.A.R.

PHOTO (WORTHY) FINISH

For those needing extra motivation to work o their “quarantine 15,” lace up your sneaks on September 26 for the Rose Bowl Half Marathon, a road race that winds through Pasadena landmarks like the Colorado Street Bridge, Old Pasadena, and Caltech, before a photo-worthy finish at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium. Want to go the extra mile in supporting a worthy cause? Register for Team TMF with a $650 fundraising requirement that benefits The McCourt Foundation and its investments in neurological research, educational forums, and youth health and wellness programs. $100 to register; mccourtfoundation.org —S.S.

HOMETOWN HERO

America’s Got Talent host and actor (and former Pasadena cover star) Terry Crews just earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This summer, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce unveiled Crews’ star, dedicated in the category of Television, and the ceremony featured appearances by Tichina Arnold and Howie Mandel.

“Terry Crews is one talented entertainer and has delved into many aspects of the entertainment world quite successfully!” says Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “He is a fan favorite and his fans will be excited to be able to visit his star on Hollywood Boulevard for many years to come!” walkoffame.com —S.S.

LEADER OF THE PACK

Col. Angus P. McGruder, a 7-year-old Scottie from Pasadena, recently won Los Angeles magazine’s first annual PetFest Competition, earning the title of “L.A.’s Cutest Pet.” “Most people have never seen a real Scottie,” says owner Catherine Sha er. “Every person he meets is his friend.” The Pasadena pooch is no stranger to fame— his mother is a grand champion, his father is a champion, and his sister is an in-demand canine model—but to Sha er, he’s just her “baby boy.” Keep up with the canine via social media @Mc_Scottie. —S.S.

SQUASHING TIME

In the spirit of the spooky season, Descanso Gardens is hosting Carved, its annual fun-filled take on Halloween that will feature festive displays and family-friendly experiences for all ages. From October 11–31, thousands of carved pumpkins will line a one-mile walk through the Camellia Forest and Oak Grove; visitors can take part in pumpkin-carving demonstrations, visit the ever-popular pumpkin house, and explore the hay maze. Members $25–$28, Nonmembers $32–$35; descansogardens.org —S.S.

QUICK BITES

While we await the fall opening of Blossom Market Hall food court near the San Gabriel Mission, dining is back big time, and we are witnessing notable expansions and pop-ups turning permanent—which is a wonderful thing. BY CAROLE DIXON

One of the great comebacks in the making is at VROMAN’S BOOKSTORE on Colorado, which opened a wine bar six weeks before the pandemic shutdown. THE 1894 is slowly coming back to life for riveting happy hours surrounded by classics to read and imbibe. Order charcuterie and small bites to pair with craft beer, vino, and literary-themed cocktails.

Girl & The Goat

Originally from the O.C. and Arcadia, fast-casual NOODLE ST. has opened in Old Pasadena with a sleekly designed space and open kitchen, where you can watch all the action. Feast on Sichuan-style pulled noodles, pan-fried shrimp and

Bacari Silver Lake pork dumplings, kimchee fried rice, or crispy tofu.

LUCKY BIRD FRIED CHICKEN has expanded from Grand Central Market to a large space in Eagle Rock on Colorado. Chef Chris Dane (Providence, Connie & Ted’s) whips up cornbread, mac ‘n’ cheese, and sandwich platters or buckets for groups or parties to devour on the picnic tables out front.

Keeping the party going, the team from now-closed Block Party has opened a new vegan sports bar in Highland Park. PUT ME IN COACH brings several patios and televisions for watching games to York Blvd.

In Silver Lake, a nod to the Aegean Sea can be found at GREEKMAN’S, which has popped up on a front patio of the deliinspired comfort spot Freedman’s. Down the street, the old Cliff’s Edge space on Sunset Blvd., one of the top patios for a romantic meal or long brunch with cocktails, is breathing new life thanks to the expanding BACARI brand. The shrimp ceviche, lamb stuffed eggplant, Oaxacan pasta, and sea bass with grilled lemon are solid small-plate options.

Nan Yimcharoen made stunning bento boxes and chirashi bowls in her

The 1894

home during the pandemic and has now expanded with her rst brick and mortar, KINKAN, in Virgil Village near Courage Bagels.

In other preservation news, the iconic midcentury 101 Coffee Shop is back open as CLARKSTREET DINER, courtesy of the bread company that started in Echo Park. And the owners of Pasadena favorite Pit re Pizza have taken over the old Hearth & Hound, Cat & Fiddle space on Sunset for an outpost of their beloved SUPERBA FOOD + BREAD from Venice.

If you have been missing chef Lincoln Carson since Bon Temps in the Arts District closed, and he opened COAST RANGE in Solvang(as reported in our May/June issue “North by Northeast”), the chef is back in town with the opening of MES AMIS at the Thompson Hotel in Hollywood, which draws inspiration from the bustling cafés and brasseries from Paris to Lyon.

Matteo Street in the Arts District is seeing serious action with James Beard Award–winning Stephanie Izard opening GIRL & THE GOAT from Chicago. The garden atmosphere and central bar are perfect for day-drinking cocktails and food hits include the goat pâté with British-style crumpets, lamb skewers, salmon poke, and grilled street corn.

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