Arroyo October 2022

Get up close to sunbaked beaches and sparkling Pacific waters. Explore more of Mexico than ever b efore on a weeklong Navigator of the Seas ® a dventure. Unwind on the golden sands of Cabo San Lucas. W ander cobblestone streets in Old Mazatlán. And ride horseback through Puerto Vallarta’s jungles. A long the way, soak up splashier fun at the resort-style pool deck. Savor dining that satisfies every craving. And make your own legendary plays at Playmakers SM S ports Bar & Arcade. Sail 3, 4 and 7night cruises from our home port in Los Angeles for the best memory-making in the Mexican Riviera.

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Fall Arts Preview

Venues roll out the

By Bridgette M. Redman

12 S PARCs Fly

Organization ignites creativity and

By Morgan Owen

16 Rare Event

this

the arts

Iconic artworks come face to face at Norton Simon

By Bridgette M. Redman

20 Prayer for Ukraine

Irina Voloshina honors her country with music

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

22 Vroman’s Live

Bookstore boasts stellar lineup for October

By Arroyo Staff

26 Ode to American Cuisine

The George embodies northeast Pasadena

By Kateri Wozny

28 Culinary Art of Churrasco

Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão opens in Pasadena

By Kamala Kirk

30

32

Magic’

Nobu Hotel Caesars

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Hotel Indigo Los Angeles

Scianna Garcia

Kamala Kirk

Kamala Kirk

Fall Arts Preview

Venues roll out the red carpet for the arts this fall

By Bridgette M. Redman

live music series to musicals to world-premiere theatrical works to paintings classic and modern, the arts organizations in the Pasadena area are rolling out artistic works designed to comfort, challenge and entertain this fall and winter.

From

With the world a different place than it was even two years ago, arts organizations are inviting audiences in to take in art and to ask the questions great and small while connecting with others.

Here are some of the events taking place between now and the end of the year.

A Noise Within

3352 E. Foothill Boulevard, Pasadena 626-356-3100, anoisewithin.org

After the musical version of George Orwell’s “An Animal Farm” closes on October 2, A Noise Within is returning to August Wilson’s 10-play American Century Cycle, with the final installment, “Radio Golf,” from October 16 to November 13. Set in the 1990s, it examines the high price we pay for progress as Pittsburgh’s first Black mayoral candidate is faced with choices between his integrity and his personal aspirations.

Then, from December 3 to December 23, the theater’s co-artistic directors will bring back a Pasadena favorite — Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”

Alex Theatre

216 N. Brand Boulevard, Glendale 818-243-ALEX (2539), alextheatre.org

Alex Theatre brings diverse shows to its stage, from music to comedy to opera to musicals. This fall, it’s launching its programming with Lokillo

Florez on October 1, followed by the Domination Tour featuring Gigi de Lana and the Gigi Vibes on October 15.

Come November, it will be home to four events. November 5 will see the Wild Honey Foundation and Jody Stephens presenting “Big Star #1,” a benefit celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Big Star “#1” album that will support the Autism Healthcare Cooperative. Performers include Big Star drummer Jody Stephens and Mike Mills of R.E.M.

On November 12, the Asian Hall of Fame will induct new members including Hiroshima, Olympian Chloe Kim, Daniel Ho and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, among others.

Then, the Musical Theatre Guild will present “Brigadoon” on Novem ber 14, the musical about a mystical land that only appears once every 100 years for a single day. On November 16 and November 17 there will be a tribute concert to singer and composer Hayko.

December heads east with The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles presents “A Motown Holiday” on December 17 and December 18.

Antaeus Theatre Company

110 E. Broadway, Glendale 818-506-5436, antaeus.org

What happens when a modern playwright riffs on 15th century morality plays? Find out with “Everybody” through October 17 at Antaeus Theatre Company, a troupe that explores classics and new takes on classics. In it, five of the actors don’t find out what their roles are until a lottery takes place at the beginning of the play. In October they will also release a free podcast with three of their actors performing “Changeling” by Jennifer Rowland.

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Boston Court Pasadena

70 N. Mentor Avenue, Pasadena 626-683-6801, bostoncourtpasadena.org

Whether you want theater, music or film, Boston Court Pasadena is the place to be this fall. It is developing two new works on its stages, both in workshop stage. The first is “Escapegoat: A Workshop Presentation” from October 27 to November 6, which has three actors playing humans, tortoises and goats in an eco-parable set on Galapagos Islands.

Then, on November 12 and November 13, it will host “Dojyoji: A New Opera Workshop” exploring the tragic Japanese love tale newly conceived by Kentaro Kameyama and featuring piano, two singers and Kameyama’s fashion designs.

Its live music series includes world-class cellist Anita Graef on

October 15 and the Nolan Shaheed Quintet on December 3. Boston Court is also hosting a series of National Theatre Live film screenings of British theatrical performances. October 1 features Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”) starring in Shakespeare’s “Henry V”; October 6 is “Jack Absolute Flies Again” by Richard Bean; and October 15, October 22, October 29 and October 30 are “Frankenstein” starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, who switch off the roles of monster and creator (Boston Court will alternate shows of Version A and Version B).

The Huntington

1151 Oxford Road, San Marino huntington.org

The Huntington has had a lot to celebrate this fall with the return of “The Blue Boy” by Gainsborough, one of its best-known pieces, which is now being paired with Kehinde Wiley’s modern interpretation of it. Also showing throughout the fall is “Gee’s Bend: Shared Legacy,” made up of quilts and prints celebrating the work of the Alabama Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers’ Collective. Another temporary exhibit on display throughout the fall is “Method and Material: Tempera Painting in Focus” that looks at the history of tempera.

Two new exhibitions open this fall. On October 22, The Huntington

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will open “Crafting a Garden: Inside the Creation of Liu Fang Yuan,” which explores the intricacies of Chinese gardens through models, photographs, tools and videos. On December 10, it will welcome the traveling exhibition “Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts,” which explores Walt Disney’s fascination with European art and the use of French motifs in Disney films and theme parks.

Luckman Fine Arts Complex

Cal State LA, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles 323-343-6600, luckmanarts.org

At the gateway to the San Gabriel Valley, The Luckman Fine Arts Complex sees the Yamma Ensemble visit on October 2. The internationally renowned musical group plays an array of music that sticks with the Middle East.

Singing fado — a traditional Portuguese genre — Mariza “embraces the new while never forsaking the old.” She comes to town October 7.

Legendary actress Isabella Rossellini brings her one-woman show “Darwin’s Smile” to the complex October 8 and October 9. The performance is said to “reconcile two worlds that are often at opposite ends: art and science.”

Diva Gloria Gaynor will offer a career-spanning set, including her Grammy-winning hit “I Will Survive,” on November 5. She has scored a hit in five decades.

CocoRosie blends indie, hip-hop, pop, blues, opera and electronica to develop an avant-garde sound. The group performs November 19.

Finally, Dionne Warwick will bring her hits — among them “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Walk on By,” “Say a Little Prayer,” “A House is Not a

Home,” “Alfie,” “Heartbreaker” and Déjà Vu” — on December 17.

MUSE/ique

300 E. Green Street, Third Floor, Pasadena 626-844-7703, muse-ique.com

An organization that travels Los Angeles to pioneer new musical experiences through curated live music events and outreach programs, its only show in Pasadena this fall will feature “Grand Avenue” at The Hun tington on October 6 in a concert that explores the worldwide influences of Downtown Los Angeles’ earliest days to now.

Norton Simon Museum

411 W. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena 626-449-6840, nortonsimon.org

From the masters to the moderns, Norton Simon Museum has memorable exhibitions planned for this fall. On loan from LACMA, Paul Gaugin’s “The Swineherd” will be on view until November 14 along with other pieces of post-Impressionist art. Opening October 14 and running through February 13 are the work of six women lithography artists working in ink, stone and paper. All six women visited Los Angeles in the 1960s on a two-month fellowship to study lithography.

From October 21 to January 30, “a” brings together for the first time (on loan from London’s National Gallery) Pablo Picasso’s “Woman with a Book” next to the painting that inspired it — Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ “Madame Moitessier.”

Open Fist Theatre Company

Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Avenue, Los Angeles 323-882-6912, openfist.org

A company that has worked to spread social awareness through art since its founding in 1990, Open Fist presents a “This Week This Week” sketch show about the week’s news every Thursday through November. Starting October 1 and running through November 5, it will present the world premiere of Catherine Butterfield’s “To the Bone” about the “hard girls” in high school — 20 years later when the party is over. Combining family, genetics and baseball, this is a dark comedy about the vagaries of life.

Pasadena Playhouse

39 S. El Mollino Avenue, Pasadena 626-356-7529, pasadenaplayhouse.org

The season opener, a new play by Martyna Majok, continues un til October 9. “Sanctuary City” explores the American Dream from the viewpoint of those who were brought here in their youth and must fight to become citizens in the only land they know.

Pasadena Symphony

Ambassador Auditorium

131 S. St. John Avenue, Pasadena 626-793-7172, pasadenasymphony-pops.org

Indoors and out, the Pasadena Symphony has a diverse menu of symphonic classic and pop music this fall, culminating in the ever-popular Holiday Candlelight Concert on December 17 at All Saints Church.

Leading up to that is the Symphony Series featuring Mozart and SaintSaens on October 22 and Tchaikovsky and Sibelius on November 12.

On December 3 and December 4, the Women’s Committee of the Pasadena Symphony Association will host the 55th annual Holiday Look in Home Tour, showcasing tours of the architecture and gardens of four homes with symphony musicians providing live holiday music in the background.

SPARCs

Organization ignites creativity and illuminates the arts

By Morgan Owen

South Pasadena Arts Council President Sandy Kitto sits in SPARC’s gallery space, shared with the South Pasadena Cham ber of Commerce. The exhibition “Slides and Lines” features solo artist Loran Calvin’s colorful work. “It’s not a big space, but the artists love it,” Kitto says.

That is part of SPARC’s charm. The volunteer-led nonprofit makes no claim to grandeur and instead focuses on bringing art directly to the streets of the South Pasadena community.

Community art projects

In 2015, SPARC started its Art Box Project, for which it commis sioned South Pasadena artists to paint the city’s 30 electrical utility boxes in three years.

The utility boxes feature imagery that reflects South Pasadena’s history and culture, ranging from Historic Route 66 to portraits of the city’s iconic wild parrots.

SPARC puts a spotlight on South Pasadena’s artistic heritage, col

laborating with the city to create more public art projects and advocat ing for more comprehensive arts funding. Their own funding comes largely from donations. South Pasadena, according to Kitto, is a very supportive community.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the city of South Pasadena and the South Pasadena Arts Commission requested SPARC elevate more than 1,000 square feet of K-rails along Mission Street with digitized paintings, photographs and poetry by established and emerging South Pasadena and Los Angeles artists.

For SPARC, putting a spotlight on art in South Pasadena also means focusing on music, poetry and spoken word. On October 12, SPARC will launch “Coffee Table Books Live,” which features author-artist performances and book signings. The inaugural event will feature well-known bass player Leeland Sklar.

SPARC Art Box No. 3 is “Route 66 Forever” by artist Don Bloom.

LOUVERS

Commitment to education

SPARC was founded in 2009 by Lissa Reynolds and a group of South Pasadena residents who were eager to preserve funding for the arts. As it has grown throughout the years, SPARC has maintained its commitment to supporting arts education.

Frequently, artwork from South Pasadena high school students is displayed in SPARC’s gallery. After “Slides and Lines” concludes, SPARC will display artwork from students who have advanced to the state level of the National PTA Reflections program, a student arts competition. This gives students the opportunity to learn what is required to participate in a gallery exhibition.

One important part of SPARC’s growth has been the ability to offer scholarship opportunities to high schoolers interested in the arts for the last three years. The first year, SPARC provided three $500 scholarships, but for the last two years it gave out four $1,000 scholar ships.

This will also be SPARC’s second year providing an arts grant fund for elementary and middle school teachers to implement special projects in their classrooms. Kitto says she hopes now that schools have readjusted to in-person teaching, more teachers will utilize the fund.

Strength through the pandemic

While many businesses slowed down during the pandemic, SPARC was busier than ever. In addition to the K-Rail Art Wrap Project, it also hosted South Pasadena’s Christmas tree lighting and coordinated the funding and painting of a mural.

SPARC also strived to quickly reopen its gallery space as soon as restrictions were lifted. Because it was able to easily control the number of people in the building, its gallery was quickly reinstated as an exhibition space for artists to display their work.

After the crush of the pandemic, SPARC was a refreshing fig ure in the community that brought back the comfort of community and creativity. “When people weren’t comfortable going to a movie theater or a play, this was something close by in their community that they were comfortable to come and experience,” Kitto says.

The Gallery Space: ‘Slides and Lines’

For the last eight years, SPARC has partnered with the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce to open a gallery space for artists to display their work. Exhibitions cycle through once about every eight weeks and allow the public an opportunity to view the exhibition through an opening event and by appointment.

SPARC’s current exhibition is “Slides and Lines.” The artist, Loran Calvin, uses outdated slides to communicate a “shared past in which we are all similar, but also strange.” Her bright, linear works are impactful from a distance and poignant up close, with family por traits and beachside landscapes shining through each individual slide.

“SPARC’s support of local artists is a showcase for the incredibly talented artistic community and a defining part of what makes South Pasadena a special place to live,” Calvin says. “They do incredible work fostering a connection between our community as a whole and the artists who live (there).”

As a lifelong appreciator of art, Kitto attests to the value SPARC’s gallery space has for the community at large. “Working with SPARC has exposed me to new things as well. Every time I walk in here, there’s a different impact. I’ve learned to come in and just let it speak to me.”

South Pasadena Arts Council Gallery, South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce

1121 Mission Street, South Pasadena 626-789-5605, sopasartscouncil.org

Senon Williams paints for the SPARC K-Rail Art Wrap Project.

The “Slides and Lines” gallery opening features artist Loran Calvin.

History is being made at Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum this month, as two masterworks — one that inspired the other — will come together for the first, and perhaps only, time in the United States.

Pablo Picasso had long been inspired by the work of JeanAuguste-Dominique Ingres, par ticularly the portrait of Madame Moitessier, which the French artist completed in 1856 after spending 12 years creating it.

While Picasso had only seen the work once as it was still in private hands, in 1932, he cre ated his own painting that was inspired by it, “Woman with a Book.”

Now, in 2022, those works are being shown together as part of an exchange between Norton Simon, the owner of the Picasso, and London’s National Gallery, which houses the Ingres. “Picas so Ingres: Face to Face” opened in London in early June and will be there until October 9. It will move to Pasadena from October 21 to January 30.

The Norton Simon and National Gallery have had an ongoing exchange program, but this one represents something a little different, according to Emily Talbot, the Norton Simon museum’s chief curator.

“We had these two paintings that had this close relationship

RareEvent

By Bridgette M. Redman

with each other, and we were both interested in showing them togeth er,” Talbot says.

“It made sense to do it as an ex hibition with two venues. There was just such a rich story to tell about these two pictures about their rela tionship with each other and about the importance of one artist looking at another.”

The story was so rich that the two institutions jointly published a catalog exploring the relationship between the two works.

The catalog includes articles by Talbot; Christopher Riopelle, the Neil Westreich Curator of Post-1800 Paintings at the National Gallery; and Susan L. Siegfried, the Denise Riley Collegiate Professor Emerita at the History of Art and Women’s Studies at the University of Michi gan.

That National Gallery is the publisher, and Yale University Press is distributing it.

“It tells you a lot about the rela tionship between the two paintings,” Talbot says. “It’s full of historical information and has a timeline and really wonderful images.”

The 72-page catalog will be available in the gift shops of both museums.

Talbot says they are uninstalling one of the Norton Simon galleries in the 19th century wing to make room for this exhibition. They’ll install the two paintings side by side on the main sightline wall.

They’ll adopt a variation of the

Iconic artworks come face to face at Norton Simon

graphic design that the National Gallery created for its version of the exhibition, which lifts the profiles from the mirror reflections in both paintings and has them face off with each other.

“We’re installing them alongside the entryway,” Talbot says. “You have this moment of looking at the paintings and then when you turn around to leave the gallery, you’ll see these two profiles ex tracted from the paintings looking at each other. I hope it’s a moment that people are encouraged to look back again at the paintings and think about the ways they’re speaking to each other.”

Talbot visited the London exhibition, where they have dedicated an entire gallery to this display, showing just the two pictures.

She says they painted the gallery a deep purple and encourages guests to look at the relationships between the two pieces.

The texts at the National Gallery focus on the two women in the paintings. Madame Moitessier was the wife of a wealthy merchant, and while Ingres was turning down portrait work at that time in favor of historical work, he was impressed by her beauty.

The woman in the Picasso painting was his lover at the time, Marie-Thérèse Walter. She was 17 when they became lovers — Pi casso was 45 and living with his first wife. He and Walter share a child, Maya Widmaier-Picasso.

Ingres’ work was highly naturalistic, but he was known to inspire many modernists, including Picasso. Picasso’s “Woman with a Book” shows Walter in the iconic Moitessier pose, but he abstracted the palette and made the picture more erotic. The mirror reflection, which had appeared in several of Ingres’ works up to that point, was recreated in the Picasso, except it doesn’t reflect his lover; it shows an androgynous profile that is said to represent Picasso.

“Madame Moitessier,” 1856 Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (French, 1780-1867) Oil on canvas 120 by 92.1 centimeters

© The National Gallery, London

Because Picasso figures so heavily in the Norton Simon collec tion, it’s handling the exhibition differently than its British counter part.

“We’re really using this moment to delve deeply into the history of our painting and the exciting moment to bring it together with the work that inspired it,” Talbot says. “We’re installing those two with a number of other works by Picasso from our collection. We’ll have a few works by Picasso from the 1920s and even afterward from 1965.”

Talbot says that showing the works together gives visitors the chance to deeply study their similarities and differences and the way the two works speak to each other. She gives the example of the gazes of the women.

“Madame Moitessier looks you right in the eye and she’s half smiling, kind of a Mona Lisa smile,” Talbot says. “There’s a moment of familiarity between you as the viewer and her.”

When Picasso reinterpreted the painting, he pivoted the face of the female figure, so she is looking past the viewer.

“He gets at more this kind of internal state of thinking,” Talbot says. “She’s sort of withdrawn, and we’re not given access to what she might be thinking about. There’s that little bit of distance that he introduces. … There’s just a number of really wonderful, compli cated, interesting, troubling dimensions to the way that relationships between viewer and sitter are set out and the ways that Picasso sort of plays with that and takes it in a different direction.”

Guests can immerse themselves and ask a lot of questions, Talbot says. She also hopes they will understand that Picasso was not just about breaking boundaries and surprising people. He was really im mersed in the history of art and was deeply inspired by it.

“It’s a story about the way that art inspires art,” Talbot says. “Our art comes from somewhere. For Picasso in particular, it was so much about a dialog with artists that he admired — both his contemporaries and the people that had come before him.”

The Picasso, which is an icon of the Norton Simon collection, hasn’t traveled much, nor has the Ingres portrait. It’s why it offers people in Pasadena the rare opportunity to see these works together.

“We’re able to really enrich the story that we’re telling about (the Picasso) by bringing it together with this painting that inspired it,” Talbot says. “It’s such a unique opportunity to see them together. … It’s the first time they’ve ever been seen together. They have once been exhibited in the same city, but never in the same room. This op portunity won’t come again.”

With the pairing, she says, viewers get a rich history of art mak ing in the 19th and 20th centuries and a look at the values of art over a 100-year period.

While the works are at the Norton Simon, there will be a series of three lectures by the authors of the catalog in October, November and January.

“Picasso Ingres: Face to Face”

WHEN: Friday, October 21, to Monday, January 30

WHERE: Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena COST: $15 adults; $12 seniors 62 and older; free children 18 and younger, students with valid ID and museum members

INFO: nortonsimon.org

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Prayer for Ukraine

Irina Voloshina honors her country with music

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Anative of Odessa, Ukraine, violinist Irina Voloshina has watched Russia decimate her country.

She will honor Ukraine and its fight against evil dur ing the Freedom Philharmonic’s debut concert, “Freedom for All!,” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 29, at Pasadena Civic Audi torium. The 70-plus musicians will be led by music director and principal conductor Maestro Clyde Mitchell.

The second half’s centerpiece is the Ukrainian Anthem & Prayer, featuring concertmaster Voloshina. It is joined by Verdi’s Overture to “Nabucco” conducted by Ruth Orellana-Wheeler and “Va, pensiero” from “Nabucco” conducted by Orellana-Wheeler and the SoCAL Chorale, conducted by its director, Marya Basaraba.

The first half will begin with Strauss’ “Sunrise” (theme for “2001: A Space Odyssey”), followed by Orff’s “O, Fortuna” from “Carmina Burana,” Skoryk’s “Melodie” featuring associate conductor Ruth Orellana-Wheeler, Foster’s “The Prayer” with mezzo-soprano Anna Pflieger and lyric tenor Barry Johannson, and Schönberg’s “Bring Him Home” from “Les Misérables” with Johansson.

“Freedom for All” continues with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Masquerade” from “Phantom of the Opera,” Dvořák’s “Song to the Moon” from “Rusalka” featuring soprano Erin Wood, Verdi’s “Anvil Chorus” and “Stride la Vampa” from “Il trovatore” featur ing Pflieger, Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette,” Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” from “Turandot” featuring tenor Timothy Gon zales, and “Te Deum” from “Tosca” with baritone Ben Lowe.

Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” from the 9th Symphony closes the concert.

Longtime friends, performer Barry Johansson and Chris Bes kar, CEO of Stavatti Aerospace, founded the nonprofit Freedom Orchestra to share their love of music. Their dream includes start ing a youth orchestra.

Voloshina has lived in Altadena for 12 years and made news when she and her Melodia Mariposa performed in her driveway during the COVID-19 quarantine. On July 24, 2021, she received the Congressional Leadership Award: Hometown Heroes of the Pandemic for outstanding contributions to the people of the 27th Congressional District.

The Freedom Philharmonic is just as special.

“I’m excited because every time something is created, it’s

Violinist Irina Voloshina has performed on more than 600 films scores including those by John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner and Hans Zimmer, to name a few. She performed for “American Idol” and the “MTV Music Awards” and was a member of the Academy Awards orchestra.

exciting,” Voloshina says. “The pandemic has gone on for a long time. All of our concerts were canceled, and we were devastated. We didn’t work at all. It was pretty crazy time, and that’s when I decided to perform on my driveway. I did 65 concerts. We missed our performances so much. Then I heard about this orchestra. I think it’s beautiful.”

For other shows, she plays fundraising concerts for Ukraine, helping the only way she says she can.

“I used to play with the philharmonic in Odessa,” she says. “When the war started, I thought, ‘How can I help?’ You feel so helpless. You want to help but how do you help?

“My friends are fine. At one point, they were in a really bad situation and needed to help. I play violin. I didn’t know how to raise money. I could donate some, but it’s not that much.”

She learned about GoFundMe and other fundraising platforms. She held a benefit concert for Ukraine at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Altadena in August with Melodia Mariposa.

She has raised $13,000 for the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra to travel to Musikfest Berlin via bus to the Republic of Moldova and then plane to Berlin.

“They didn’t have money to stay in the hotel,” she says. “They couldn’t fly because of the war. They asked if I would pay for the hotel, which was about $5,500. It was such a nice break for them to leave that horrible place. They were just crying. That was so touching. It is a very emotional subject. I can’t even say how I feel.”

The war and year have been trying to Voloshina. Her mother

died in February, and she visited the cemetery the first day of the war.

“I could not even imagine how she would feel,” Voloshina says.

“Her two sisters are still in Ukraine. I’m helping their family, too. I never even met them. I left the country when they were 3, and now they have kids. They wanted me to help them find a spon sor. They’re safe now in England.”

Voloshina’s resume is impressive. She moved to the United States in 1993 without knowing English. She has performed on more than 600 films scores including those by John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner and Hans Zimmer, to name a few. She performed for “American Idol” and the “MTV Music Awards” and was a member of the Academy Awards orchestra. She has joined the Pasadena Symphony and Pops Orchestra.

“Every time I perform for John Williams, it’s a historic mo ment,” she says. “I have to pinch myself. It’s magic, magic every time I’m there. He is absolutely amazing. Everybody has such a huge respect for him. When the actors come, it’s really special.”

Freedom Philharmonic

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 29

WHERE: Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena

COST: Tickets start at $32

INFO: freedomphilharmonic.org or ticketmaster.com

Vroman’s Live

Bookstore boasts stellar lineup for October

By Arroyo Staff

The renowned bookstore Vroman’s is hosting more top-notch virtual and in-person programs throughout October. Register through vromansbookstore.com. Anyone with questions is asked to email email@vromansbookstore.com.

Vroman’s Virtual events will be presented through Crowdcast. Registration link below.

Virtual event

Vroman’s Live presents Lee Geum-yi in conversation with Heather Morris discussing ‘The Picture Bride’ 6 p.m. Thursday, October 13

A matchmaker lied to Willow before she left home as a picture bride in 1918. Never one to be deterred, Wil low does all that she can to make the best of her unexpected circumstance. But it isn’t long before her dreams for this new life are shattered, first by a husband who never wanted to marry her in the first place and then by the escalation of the Korean independence movements, unified in goal but divergent in action, which threaten to split the Hawaiian Korean com munity and divide Willow’s family and friends.

Braving the rough waters of these tumultuous years, Willow forges ahead, creating new dreams through her own blood, sweat and tears and working tirelessly toward a better life for her family and loved ones.

Registration link: crowdcast.io/e/picturebride

In-person events

Vroman’s in-person events are no longer ticketed but are free and open to the public. Masks are strongly encouraged for those attending our events. All in-person events will all be held at Vroman’s at 695 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, unless noted otherwise.

Info: vromansbookstore.com/event/2022-10

Elin Hilderbrand discusses ‘Endless Summer: Stories’ 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 4

In this dazzling collection, Elin Hilderbrand offers nine delicious sto ries — prequels, sequels and “missing chapters” from her cherished books — some of which have never been pub lished, until now.

With a foreword by Hilderbrand about the writer’s reluctance to leave treasured characters behind and a

prefatory, “behind-the-scenes” note included with each story, this book answers the prayers of both new and seasoned readers everywhere.

Alexa Donne discusses ‘Pretty Dead Queens’

7 p.m. Thursday, October 6

Seaview High’s homecoming queen is dead — and she’s not the first. From the critically acclaimed author of “The Ivies” comes a nonstop thriller about a decades-old mystery, a copycat killing, and the teen who won’t stop until she discovers the truth.

After the death of her mom, 17-year-old Cecelia Ellis goes to live with her estranged grandmother, a cel ebrated author whose Victorian mansion is as creepy as the murder mysteries she writes. On the surface, life is utterly ordinary in the California coastal town, until the homecoming queen is murdered. And she’s not Seaview’s first pretty dead queen.

With a copycat killer on the loose, Ellis throws herself into the investigation, determined to crack the case like the heroines in her grandmother’s books. But the more Ellis digs into the town’s secrets, the more she worries that her own mystery might not have a storybook ending.

Bruce Davis discusses ‘The Academy & The Award: The Coming of Age of Oscar and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’

7 p.m. Friday, October 7

The first behind-the-scenes history of the organization behind the Academy Awards.

Bruce Davis, executive director of The Academy for more than 20 years, was given unprecedented access to its archives, and the result is a revealing and compelling story of the men and women, famous and infamous, who shaped one of the best-known organizations in the world.

Gary Phillips, Naomi Hirahara, Jeri Westerson and Désirée Zamarano discuss ‘South Central Noir’

7 p.m. Wednesday, October 12

The Akashic Noir Series’ forensic study of Southern California sharpens its focus on one of Los Angeles’ most recognized neighborhoods.

“South Central Noir” features new stories by Steph Cha, Nikolas Charles, Tananarive Due, Larry Fondation, Gar Anthony Haywood, Naomi Hirahara, Emory Holmes II, Roberto Lovato, Penny Mickelbury, Gary Phillips, Eric Stone, Jervey Tervalon, Jeri Westerson and Désirée Zamorano.

From South Park to East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, from the borderlands of Watts to the one-time Southern Pacific railroad tracks paralleling Slauson Avenue, take a tour of a section of Los Angeles that may be unfamiliar to you but that you will get to know, at least a little, by the time you finish reading this entertaining and engaging anthology.”

page

Susan Hertel (1930-1992) Oil on Canvas Artists Denis O’Connor & Martha Underwood at work on a mural in the Millard Sheets Studio, c. 1962.

SOLD $8,125

Christopher Rivas discusses ‘Brown Enough: True Stories about Love, Violence, the Student Loan Crisis, Hollywood, Race, Familia, and Making It in America’

7 p.m. Friday, October 14

At a time when disinformation, hate crimes, inequality, racial injustice and white supremacy are on the rise, “Brown Enough,” part memoir and part social commentary, asks readers to put their bodies, their identities, into the conversations of race. “Brown Enough” is a roller coaster of find ing one’s true self while simultaneously having a racial awakening amidst the struggle to be “perfectly” Latino, woke, and as brown as possible to make it in today’s America.

It explores love, sex, fake-it-till-you-make-it ambition, bad Spanish, color, code switching, white washing, scandal, Hollywood and more.

“Brown Enough” opens with a moment that forever changed Christopher Rivas’ life, the night Ta-Nehisi Coates shared, in an intimate gathering in DTLA, the brown man’s role in the race conversation.

Gary Goldstein discusses ‘The Mother I Never Had’

7 p.m. Monday, October 17

LA landscape designer Nate Cronin suffers when his professor father, Jim, who raised him alone since birth, dies, leaving Cronin an orphan at 30 years old. But when the provocative and mysterious Amy enters Cronin’s life soon after, it sends him on a devastating journey to unravel the truth about his past, the veracity of Amy’s claims, and the history of the father he adored.

At the same time, Cronin must come to terms with his commitment to his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer, a dance instructor whose patience with the resistant Cronin frays as she attempts to help him navigate the psycho-

Attend our in-person Open House on November 2 at 6:30 pm to learn about our international community and global classrooms.

The whole world in your classroom

Rosemary Pine Nut Shortbreads

Dessert teeters between savory and sweet

By Emily Chavez

Buttery and crumbly shortbread cookies are delicious on their own and satisfy a sweet-tooth craving.

Yet a simple shortbread also provides the perfect base for the addition of various flavorings. As the season changes and we traverse into cooler temperatures and changing leaves, herbaceous and nutty seasonings fluctuate between savory and saccharine.

For example, this recipe’s flavor stars are rosemary and pine nuts. However, rosemary is also a welcome addition to such savory items as oven-roasted chicken, and pine nuts pop up in pesto. I recommend experimenting with herb and nut combinations to suit your tastes and experience how each individual ingredient interacts with each other, such as lavender with walnut and sage with pistachios.

ROSEMARY PINE NUT SHORTBREADS

ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES | TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR YIELDS 24 COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

1/2 CUP FINELY GROUND TOASTED PINE NUTS

1 1/2 TEASPOONS FINELY CHOPPED FRESH ROSEMARY 1/2 TEASPOON SALT

1/2 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED

1/2 CUP PACKED DARK BROWN SUGAR

1/4 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR

1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT RAW SUGAR, FOR DECORATING

INSTRUCTIONS

WHISK TOGETHER FLOUR, NUTS, ROSEMARY AND SALT IN A LARGE BOWL.

CREAM BUTTER AND SUGARS WITH AN ELECTRIC MIXER ON MEDIUM SPEED UNTIL LIGHTENED, ABOUT 3 MINUTES. MIX IN VANILLA AT LOW SPEED.

ADD FLOUR MIXTURE AND CONTINUE MIXING UNTIL DOUGH COMES TOGETHER AND IS SMOOTH, ABOUT 3 MINUTES.

TURN OUT DOUGH ONTO PARCHMENT PAPER, AND PAT INTO A ROUND. COVER WITH PARCHMENT PAPER AND ROLL INTO A 12-INCH ROUND, 1/4 INCH THICK. TRANSFER TO A BAKING SHEET; REFRIGERATE UNTIL FIRM, ABOUT 30 MINUTES.

USE A COOKIE CUTTER OF CHOICE TO CUT OUT COOKIES, AND TRANSFER TO A PARCHMENT PAPER LINED BAKING SHEET. CAREFULLY PRESS RAW SUGAR ONTO EDGES OF COOKIES.

BAKE UNTIL JUST GOLDEN AT 300 DEGREES, 15 TO 18 MINUTES. LET COOL ON THE BAKING SHEET SET ON A WIRE RACK.

Luis Chavez/ Staff photographer

Ode to American Cuisine

The George embodies northeast Pasadena

By Kateri Wozny

Richard Brent has a vision to make northeast Pasadena vi brant as a place for everyone to enjoy. That’s why he chose it for the location for his new restaurant, The George.

“There is not much in northeast Pasadena, and I want to bring back the neighborhood quality that’s accessible for everyone,” Brent says.

The George, which opened in April, is Brent’s second owned restaurant, with his first being Latin American restaurant Dia blo that closed after 10 years in Silver Lake. It is also an ode to Brent’s grandfather, George Brent, who was a film actor during the 1930s and 1940s. Inside the restaurant are photos of his grand father, actress Lucille Ball, past Rose Parades and other vintage products.

“I wanted something that was classic, old Hollywood with a westside New York vibe and greenery throughout the building,” Brent says.

Brent explains that every item on the menu is from scratch, and he even butchers his own meats. In fact, he’s currently the head chef.

“I wanted the menu to sample different regions of America on what’s popular,” Brent says.

Beginning with refreshments ($8-$20), some libations include George’s Cadillac with blanco, lime and orange honey reduc tion; Inauguration with fino sherry, vermouth blanc, black cherry reduction and bitters; Jambone Sour with Han Smoked, Han Cin namon, pineapple, lemon, cardamom bitters and egg white; Lady in Red with red ale, Han Smoked, raspberry, orgeat and lime; and the Lover Come Back with Lillet Rouge, Sabe Clear, lime, cane reduction and muddled strawberry.

Spritz’s include the Fiero with Fiero L’Aperitivo, sparkling wine, soda and bitters; Americano with riserva rouge, vermouth rosso, sparkling wine and soda; and the Hibiscus with sparkling wine, vermouth blanc, hibiscus reduction and soda.

“The Jambone Sour is like a classic whiskey sour with egg foam,” Brent says. “The Hibiscus is really popular and refresh ing.”

Brent also adds that The George is currently using low-proof alcohol options where “you’re tasting the cocktail itself and not just the alcohol.”

Onto the starters ($12-$18), which include the charcuterie plate, cheese plate, chipotle arancini with sun-dried tomato, cara melized onion, spinach and lemon thyme aioli; crispy Brussels sprouts with almonds, crispy shallots and a honey mustard bal samic reduction; Nashville hot chicken bites with Buffalo ranch, cucumber slaw and a pickle; and the roasted heirloom cauliflower tossed in chipotle barbecue, cilantro, chili flakes and Parmesan. Starters are also $2 off during happy hour, and a duo jazz group plays every other Thursday.

“Nashville hot chicken is more of a comfort food with the

The George Burger is prepared with candied bacon, arugula, tomato chutney, Gruyere cheese, roasted garlic aioli and frites.

George/Submitted

spicy flavors adding a nice heat,” Brent says. “The Brussels sprouts are a little lighter. Most people that don’t like them, they say, ‘This is amazing. I love Brussels sprouts now.’”

For the main courses, Presidential Mains ($16-$34) include It Came From the Sea with the daily catch, red skin mash, braised cabbage, grilled onion, broccolini and bacon dust; Presidential Steak with herb butter; The Hen House with herb-roasted Cor nish hen, chipotle risotto, fennel, asparagus and a demi glaze; The George Burger (regular or plant based) with candied bacon, arugula, tomato chutney, Gruyere cheese, roasted garlic aioli and frites; They Got Chops with thick bone-in pork chop, haricot verts, wild mushroom, caramelized cippolini and agrodolce sauce; and the sweet potato gnocchi pan-seared in brown butter, sage, pea tendrils, Parmesan and chili flakes.

“People tell us it’s the best burger in town,” Brent says. “The pork chops are also excellent because they are a thick cut chop.”

For those who favor brunch, Sunday Brunch ($12-$22) has items such as Not Your Gramma Biscuits that are house-made with cheddar and chives, buttermilk fried chicken, black berry basil compote and roasted herb baby potatoes; Nova Lox Toast with smoked salmon, lemon, dill cream cheese, cucumber, red on ion and fried capers; poached egg salad with wild arugula, grape tomato, avocado, goat cheese, croutons and pancetta; steak and eggs with herb-crusted steak, two eggs and frites; and the spinach and pancetta frittata with fluffy eggs based with sauteed pancetta, spinach and a cheese blend.

“The chicken biscuits sell out because of its sweet tanginess but has a nice crispy fillet,” Brent says.

Sunday Brunch libations ($10-$25) include bloody marys; Brave Ukrainian with Sabe Clear, coffee cordial and coconut crème foam; George of the Jungle Juice with red wine, vermouth

and seasonal fruit; mimosas; and the Super Nova with sparkling wine, coconut-lime reduction and Tiki bitters. Guests can also enjoy music from The George Jazz Trio for two hours.

“Mimosas and spritz’s sell the most,” Brent says. “The Brave Ukrainian is an ode to Ukraine. It’s like a mochatini if guests like a coffee drink with a little kick to it.”

Lastly, don’t forget dessert! The George has a rotating des sert menu ($18) with a cherry pie, classic New York cheesecake, flourless chocolate cake and lemon tart. The most popular are the beignets with a chocolate sauce and each dessert comes paired with a dessert wine.

“The beignets are an ode to New Orleans,” Brent says. “Hav ing a dessert wine pairing is also a nice end to your meal.”

Brent wants to continue to expand The George’s menu op tions from different regions of the United States. He also wants to participate in street events along East Washington Boulevard and give back to the community through fundraisers, sales proceeds and sponsorships.

“I want to bring in wild game, lamb for the holidays and con tinue to rotate the specials,” Brent says. “Participating more in the community will also help rejuvenate the east Washington area.”

The George WHERE: 1615 E. Washington Boulevard, Pasadena HOURS: Thursday to Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday Brunch from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. with live jazz from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., happy hour Thursday to Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

INFO: thegeorgepasadena.com

Culinary Art of Churrasco

By Kamala Kirk

Fogo de Chão recently opened its newest location in the Historic Pasadena Bank Tower on Colorado Boulevard.

Founded in 1979 in Southern Brazil, Fogo is known for its elevation of the centuries-old churrasco cooking technique, which consists of roasting high-quality cuts of meat over an open flame.

“For over 43 years, Fogo has made a name in provid ing authentic Brazilian hospitality and creating incredible experiences or our guests from Brazil to the United States and all over the world,” says Barry McGowan, chief execu tive officer of Fogo de Chão. “We’ve had a strong affinity for the Los Angeles market in our 20-year history and we look forward to expanding our Southern California footprint with our grand opening in Pasadena, giving the local community an exclusive look at what’s next at Fogo.”

The Pasadena location features an expansive dining room centered around an open-air churrasco grill. The interior also has soaring wine cases, a white Carrara marble Market Table, dry-aged meat lockers for inhouse aging, two private dining rooms, and an indoor Bar Fogo area.

“Fogo’s unique churrasco experience includes all premium and classic cuts, the fresh seasonal Market Table and Feijoada bar, and authentic Brazilian side dishes,” general manager Clair Pizzi says. “Our guests will be able to enjoy our open-air churrasco grill and watch the gaucho chefs butcher, handcarve and grill high-quality cuts of meat over an open flame, including ribeye, lamb chops and the house specialty, picanha, the prime part of the top sirloin. It is a dining experience like no other.”

Fire-roasted, simply seasoned proteins are at the heart of the churrasco dining experience, where guests can enjoy a wide variety of cuts and flavors including premium filet mignon, beef ribs and lamb chops, as well as house specialties like picanha and fraldinha (bot tom sirloin with strong marbling for robust flavor).

Aside from the full churrasco experi ence, which is the signature prix fixe menu selection that includes all premium and classic cuts, along with the Market Table and Feijoada Bar, the restaurant also serves weekday lunch, weekend Brazil

Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão opens in Pasadena

Located in the Historic Pasadena Bank Tower, the location features an expansive dining room centered around an open-air churrasco grill where guests can dine while watching gaucho chefs demonstrate the culinary art of churrasco over an open flame.

ian brunch, and Brazilian-inspired seafood options à la carte.

Guests can enjoy all-day happy hour every day in the main dining room, patio and Bar Fogo area featuring $9 Brazilian-inspired cocktails, $7 glasses of South American wines, and $5 beers. The Pasadena location provides an elevated experience with Bar Fogo, a contemporary bar area with dedicated staff that serves small plates and churrasco meat boards.

For those looking to celebrate a special occasion or host a cor porate event, the restaurant has a dedicated sales manager and offers customizable menus and private/semi-private dining spaces. Fogo de Chão also offers to-go options and catering for events.

Children 6 years old and younger enjoy complimentary dining, while kids ages 7 to 12 can dine at half-price for the full Churrasco experience.

“Fogo de Chão is all about providing our guests with an unfor gettable dining experience, and we’re looking forward to sharing the culinary art of churrasco with Pasadena residents,” Pizzi says.

Giving back to the community is also an important part of por tion of Fogo de Chão’s mission, and the first week’s sales in Septem ber were donated to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, which supports nonprofit organizations in the Pasadena area, funding sports and recreation activities, visual and performing arts and educa tion programs.

Fogo de Chão

234 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena 626-556-9222 fogodechao.com

The Pasadena restaurant also showcases soaring wine cases, a white Carrara marble Market Table, dry-aged meat lockers for in-house aging, two private dining rooms, and a lively indoor Bar Fogo area.

Fogo de Chão is known for its elevation of the centuries-old churrasco cooking technique, which consists of roasting high-quality cuts of meat over an open flame.

‘It’s Just Magic'

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

The Nobu brand is known primarily for its iconic seafood restaurants, but within the past 10 years it has brought its penchant for hospitality to hotels.

Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace, a boutique space within the Las Vegas resort, debuted in 1993. Last January, it unveiled 182 rede signed guest rooms and suites after a multimillion-dollar refresh. It boasts a residential feel with design inspiration from kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold epoxy.

“We changed out our carpet, mattresses, sofas, coffee tables,” says Martha Morales, general manager, Nobu Hotel Caesars Pal ace.

“We’ve had a lot of feedback from our guests in the Las Vegas market that they wanted a desk. So, we added a desk in the key rooms. In the rooms with the two queens, we added a nice wood table that would double as a desk and a dining area.”

Other highlights include a custom sofa in a dozen patchworked upholsteries, from painterly style prints to muted textured graphics, a quartzite coffee table with a gold base and a cracked

kintsugi effect, along with additional lighting.

The custom carpeting has eggplant hues, as well as abstract and painterly style florals, inspired by 19th century Japanese artist Tsubaki Chinzan, overlaid with gold kintsugi veining.

“We’ve had a lot of great feedback,” she says. “It’s because (architecture and design firm) Rockwell Group had done a great job making it feel homey with all the designs.

“We have this beautiful coffee table that looks like broken pot tery and put together. Our sofa is comprised of different patterns put together. Even though we don’t have the elaborate pieces or decorative pieces around the room, the furniture is the artwork.”

Additionally, the redesigned guest corridors feature a custom carpet with rippling forms, suggesting a pond of koi fish that clus ter at each guest room door, and patterns inspired by suminagashi — the art of Japanese paper marbling. The new inset lobby carpet depicts monumental slabs of marble and agate surrounded by gold veining, with pops of gray, rust and blue.

Longtime success

The first Nobu restaurant opened in September 1994 as a partnership between chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro, restaurateur Drew Nieporent and investor Meir Teper. Its signa ture dish is black cod with miso.

Three years later, London was the site of the first international Nobu restaurant. Now Nobu boasts about 50 restaurants.

The brand has since expanded to Nobu Hospitality, built on service, image and reputation.

Since the 2013 opening of Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace, the company has opened hotels in Manila, Miami Beach, Malibu, Shoreditch (London), Ibiza, Palo Alto, Marbella, Los Cabos, Bar celona, Warsaw, Chicago and Portman Square (London).

Nobu Hotels are in development for Marrakech, Riyadh,

Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace focuses on guest experience

Nobu penthouse with terrace.

Toronto, São Paulo, Atlanta, Tel Aviv, Hamburg, New Orleans, Atlantic City and Thailand.

“The brand became so popular that they started leasing and opening within hotels throughout the world,” she says.

“They (restaurants) were so popular within hotels that they thought they would open their own hotel. That’s how the brand and hotel were born. We thought, ‘Let’s give guests what they want.’ They like the experience. It’s very minimalistic. We don’t use tablecloths. We’re about quality. Everything is high quality. Our team doesn’t even wear nametags. We are not the focus. Our guests are the focus.”

And guests have a wide-ranging experience at Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace. They’re not limited to Nobu’s offerings.

“The reason why we have repeat guests is because they’re able to have that boutique experience, but once they come down to the casino, they’re in the iconic Caesars Palace,” Morales says. “They have everything they want while they’re here on vacation or business.”

The pairing of the two landmark brands has made the property a success.

“You have two well-recognized, well-known brands, you marry them and, seriously, it’s just magic,” she says.

“Our guests who come stay with us are Nobu lovers. They’ve been to many restaurants across the world. They come to experi ence the Nobu Hotel and the food. Nobu is very special, as you can go to any Nobu across the world and every Nobu is a different experience.”

The staple dishes are there — black cod with miso, squid pas ta with light garlic sauce — but each location has special dishes utilizing local produce.

“They are inspired by the food around the area,” she says. “Las Vegas is known for doing things bigger and celebrity brand ed. When guests come to Vegas, they not only get to eat and try out and see the different dishes that Nobu has, but they also get to be at Caesars, which is world renowned. That speaks volumes.”

3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas

1-800-727-4923, caesars.com

Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace

Quick Staycation

Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown captures city’s past

By Scianna Garcia

Hometo the most renowned tourist attractions and the biggest major league sports teams is Downtown Los Angeles.

DTLA has diverse neighborhoods, each with its own personality and community, featuring a number of local businesses and attractions.

From its historic theaters on Broadway to the famed murals, there are an endless number of attractions and places to discover when visiting DTLA.

Stay: Hotel Indigo

In the heart of Downtown LA is Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown, a property designed to interpret the city’s vibrant history and attractions.

Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown, one of the largest intercontinental hotel companies in the world with close to 7,000 properties, strives to encapsulate the history of its neighborhood.

With 22,000 square feet of meeting space and 350 guest rooms, each room design offers a true-to-the-era art inspiration and timeless take on LA’s storied past, along with floor-to-ceiling windows offering cityscape views in every direction.

The luxurious, modern-style hotel is inspired by the story of Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American actress.

All the rooms draw inspiration from LA’s colorful and immersive history with vintage and modern design touches with full-wall murals to pay homage to Wong’s legacy.

Guests are welcomed by an elegant, expansive lobby that truly glamorizes Downtown LA with nods to the Jewelry District, Hollywood’s Golden Age, La Fiesta de las Flores (now known as the Rose Parade) and the underground speakeasies of the Prohibition era.

From the lobby level, guests are intrigued with the La Fiesta de la Flores theme, with flower murals decorating the walls paired with velvet drapes and other nods to the parade.

From the wheel-shaped chandeliers representing the carriages in the parade to the varying dark and light elevator designs, truly every aspect of the hotel is a tribute to Wong.

Also set right at the lobby entrance is the double display of top hats, each holding numerous hats, only one being bright red.

As the story goes, Wong and her father attended La Fiesta de la Flores and, to avoid losing her father in the crowd, he wore a red top hat.

Hotel Indigo’s meeting spaces are outfitted with state-of-the-art tech nology, both indoor and outdoor event spaces, a dedicated event management team, on-site catering and internet service.

A popular space for weddings is the grand staircase located in one of the junior ballrooms, with its 40-foot ceiling.

“We had to pay homage to the Jewelry District, which is walking distance from the hotel,” says Peter Choi, Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Down town representative.

“The diamond pendants are a representation of the district, about half a mile away. Everything was kind of intentional, like the chandeliers being champagne bubbles to represent the end of Prohibition, which was a celebration, and there’s a lot of fun stories like that throughout this space.”

Along with a state- of-the-art fitness center, the hotel’s pool deck located on the fourth floor is notable for its full refresh, featuring new fur

niture, a heated pool, bar service and an incredible view of the surrounding Downtown LA buildings.

The lobby-level Metropolis Bar + Kitchen restaurant furthers the neighborhood’s story of 1920s secret tunnels and underground parties of the Prohibition era. The design splits its space into two by inserting seating and a passageway through concrete tunnels.

18 Social is the upscale speakeasy cocktail lounge set in the skyline, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass walls that reveal unparalleled pan oramic views of Downtown LA. The bar was purposely placed on the 18th floor, a nod to the 18th Amendment that banned alcohol.

From the lounge, guests have all-around views of Downtown LA’s most popular venues, including the Los Angeles Convention Center, LA Live, Crypto.com Arena and the Microsoft Theater.

HBO series “Westworld” and Apple TV’s “The Morning Show” both used the 18 Social space to film some scenes as well.

Eat: Grand Central Market

Open since 1917, the Grand Central Market has served as an eatery attraction for food lovers of all types.

In the beginning, the open-air market offered bakery, deli, meat, fish, flower, candy and specialty item stalls. Today, the market’s 40 stalls are home to an LA exclusive blend of legacy vendors like China Cafe and Roast to Go, and success stories from the city’s buzzing food scene.

At more than 30,000 square feet of food stalls and retail space, the market also has interior and exterior sitting spaces provide a shared gathering place to meet friends, bring a date, or take the kids on a trip to Downtown LA.

Must-stop food stalls include Olio Wood Fired Pizzeria, specializing in authentic, wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas, or The Donut Man, offer ing a variety of treats, including the infamous, fresh strawberry and peach doughnut.

Customers can find a food concept based entirely on eggs at Eggslut, fresh slices of pie and other pastries at Fat & Flour, or next-level peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at PBJ.LA.

The oldest vendor, Roast to Go, which sells tacos, burritos and meats by the pound, opened in 1952. China Café offers dishes like chow mein, fried rice, chop suey and wonton soup. Another of the market’s longtime vendors, the Latin grocer Chiles Secos, has operated at the market since 1975 and offers homemade moles, dried beans, rice and specialty products.

The owner of Tacos Tumbras a Tomas, a vendor offering items such as tortas, tacos and burritos, started working at the market in 1972. His stall, which opened in the ’90s, continues to be one of the most popular spots at the market.

Visit: Grammy Museum

Paying tribute to music’s rich cultural history, this museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the Grammy Award.

Through public and educational programs, exhibits and more, guests will experience an insider perspective that only The Grammy Museum can deliver.

The museum, located at LA Live, features four floors of permanent and special exhibits celebrating the power and history of music incorporating film, sound and interactive experiences, and exhibits highlight ing genres such as rock and roll, hip-hop, country, Latin, R&B and jazz. Collections include lyric notebooks, archival photos, costumes, authentic Grammy awards and musical instruments.

Shop: Fashion, Jewelry, Arts districts

The Arts District is perhaps Downtown’s most popular neighborhood, with its creative restaurants, microbreweries, art spaces filled with vibrant murals, and creative shops and galleries.

The district belongs in an industrial area of former warehouses and

factories in DTLA that has been home to artist studios since the 1970s. There are several guided and audio tours available for the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District, including the LA Art Tours offering regularly scheduled Downtown LA Graffiti and Mural Tours, as well as travels through other LA art enclaves like The Brewery and the Santa Fe Art Colony.

The Fashion District in Downtown LA is spread across 100 blocks, with 150 vendors in wholesale trade shops and the Santee Alley offering bargain fashion and accessory apparel.

Shoppers also have their share of options for dining, as streets are lined with cafes and restaurants, from chains like Subway and El Pollo Loco to small businesses that can only be found in the streets of Downtown LA.

Roughly spread across 12 blocks is the Jewelry District, a hotspot featuring thousands of wholesale and retail jewelers, suppliers and manufacturers. It’s renowned for wholesale prices on precious gems, watches and all types of fine jewelry.

Consumers can take advantage of savings ranging from 50% to 70% by purchasing from the source and cutting out the middleman. According to the Los Angeles Convention Center and Visitors Bureau, it is the largest jewelry district in the United States.

Presidential Suite

Executive Suite

Autumn Splendor

Give your home a seasonal refresh for fall with these expert décor tips

By Kamala Kirk

As the weather cools down and we transition into autumn, up dating your décor to match the seasonal changes is the perfect way to welcome the arrival of fall. From trending colors to festive foliage, there are a variety of things you can do to make your home feel fall ready for entertaining guests and hosting holiday gettogethers.

One way to capture the spirit of autumn and bring the natural elements inside is by decorating with an assortment of leafy foliage, branches with berries or leaves, pumpkins, gourds and wreaths.

Andrew

“Will I miss the adventures of summer? Absolutely,” says Amy Peltier of Amy Peltier Interior Design & Home in San Marino. “But with the change of seasons comes the reminder of family gather ings and festive celebrations that I now get to look forward to. To me there’s something in the air when fall hits — the air becomes crisper and cooler, and we begin to crave warm and welcome atmospheres.”

Instead of turning on all the overhead lights, Peltier suggest turn ing on a lamp to create a cozier atmosphere. Another one of her favor ite and easy ways to refresh a space is by swapping out lightweight blankets to warmer, chunky and textured ones.

“Throw pillows are a designer’s secret to a great room,” Peltier adds. “My absolute favorite way to give one’s home a seasonal make over is to swap out your pillow covers. In fact, we have launched Pil low Addict, an e-commerce subscription service based on exactly this concept — allowing you to update your home with the seasons.”

With Peltier’s Pillow Addict service, you can change your pillow covers every three months, with new collections featuring updates styles and designs launching every season. From different pillow styles and shapes to fabrics and colors, members can enjoy the free dom to change up and decorate their space four times a year.

When it comes to trending colors for autumn, Peltier shares that Sherman Williams just launch the 2023 color of the year: Redend Point.

Andrew

Decorating one’s home with an assortment of fall foliage helps to capture the spirit of the season by bringing the natural elements inside.

“This is a warm blushing beige that’s fresh enough for the sum mer season, but warm and cozy enough for the fall,” Peltier says. “Pair it with eggplants, terracotta, chocolate browns and creamy whites to create a rich palette. You can incorporate this color palette with accessories, pillows and throws to help transition your home into the new season.”

Another way to capture the spirit of autumn and bring the natural elements inside is by decorating with an assortment of fall foliage.

“Of course, mums are a classic fall option and come in so many beautiful colors,” Peltier says. “They are my go-to flower for decorat ing outside of the house. But inside, I prefer to style with leafy foli age, branches with berries or leaves, or any type of greenery.”

While many associate wreaths with Christmas, fall wreaths are also very popular and are another great way to warm up your home and welcome guests.

“I believe wreaths are so popular during the holiday season be cause of tradition,” Peltier says. “It taps into nostalgia and memories, which are important, especially these days. I love to display wreaths all throughout my home during the holidays. Some of the many places include the front door, exterior windows, the range hood above the stove, mirrors, back of chairs (especially when entertaining), or laid down and used as a centerpiece with a large candle in the middle.”

Incorporating fall fragrances into your home is the ultimate treat for the senses and further contributes to a cozy and warm atmosphere.

“Design not only taps into what you see and feel, but what you smell,” Peltier points out. “Changing over your candles and diffus ers for fall scenes elevates your space and gives an overall more cozy feel. My personal favorite fall fragrances are warm vanilla, apple cider, sandalwood or spicy cinnamon.”

While changing up your home is a fun way to celebrate the fall season, Peltier advises against doing a complete overhaul by updating every single detail.

“Seasons change, but your home shouldn’t have to completely transform with it,” Peltier adds. “Little touches here and there can go a long way.”

Fall Festive

Bryan Gold of Aldik Home, which provides home décor enthusiasts with high-quality silk flowers, floral arrangements, custom artificial trees and holiday décor, shares several tips and tricks for decorating your home during fall and Halloween.

• If you like to do a big display, or a few intricate displays, using floral or twig stems can really add the right amount of drama. Whether it’s an abundance of fall foliage to give your fall display the pops of color it needs or some black twiggy stems to make your Halloween display the right note of spooky, it’s amazing what a few well-placed stems will do to a display.

• Since we’re in Southern California, you’re not limited to the same palette (think orange, brown and burlap) as the rest of the country. Feel free to incorporate some fresher-looking elements to give your display a fresh California vibe. Even something as summer seeming as succulents can work with some dried elements to give your display a bespoke LA theme.

• We even see some people bypass fall altogether or purchase elements that work through both holidays. With thousands of Christmas ornaments on display starting October 1, we have some customers that make a more fall-toned Christmas setup. Think chocolate-hued, burnt orange and deep green ornaments to make your home feel like a winter wonderland even at the beginning of fall.

Amy Peltier Interior Design & Home peltierinteriors.com Aldik Home aldikhome.com

Andrew Bui/Submitted

Mary Pat Collins/Submitted

Vana Kevorkian/Submitted

According to interior designer Amy Peltier, throw pillows are a designer’s secret to a great room and her favorite way to give one’s home a seasonal makeover is to swap out their pillow covers.

From trending colors to festive foliage, there are a variety of ways to make your home feel fall ready for entertaining guests and hosting holiday gettogethers.

Pairing colors like blushing beige with eggplants, terracotta, chocolate browns and creamy whites helps to create a rich palette in one’s home.

Rare Whisky

In celebration of a collaboration between Scotch whisky com pany Duncan Taylor’s Black Bull blend and golfing legend

Sir Nick Faldo, Euan and Moji Shand hosted a special event at their Pasadena home. Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky recently launched two of its rarest whiskies that are both over 50 years old. Its Black Bull portfolio, which dates to 1864, has received numer ous accolades including the World’s Best Blended Scotch from Whisky Magazine.

Duncan Taylor celebrates partnership with golf legend Sir Nick Faldo

By Kamala Kirk

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky chairman, Euan Shand, holds a bottle of rare whisky.

Scotch whisky company Duncan Taylor celebrated a collaboration with golfing legend Sir Nick Faldo and its Black Bull blend.

In celebration of the collaboration, Pasadena residents Euan and Moji Shand (center left and right) hosted a special event at their home.

Sir Nick Faldo poses with two rare whiskies from Duncan Taylor’s Black Bull portfolio.

Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer

continued on page 38

Faldo’s playing career has spanned over two decades, and he is famed for amassing 41 professional wins including 30 victories on the European Tour and six major championships. When he was ranked No. 1 in the world, he held the position for 97 weeks and is not a highly respected golf commentator. “The Tale of Two Legends” series will celebrate Faldo’s illustrious career and the whisky’s highly acclaimed heritage in a series of exceptions whisky releases.

“I have always loved Scotch whisky, and I’ve really enjoyed working with Euan and his team at Duncan Taylor to create a range of specially crafted limited-edition Black Bull whiskies,” Faldo says. “Blending some of the finest aged spirits that they have in their portfolio, this special collection will relate to major milestone events in my professional golfing career.”

While tasting some of the world’s rarest whiskies, attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, a cigar bar, and live music accompanied by showgirls. The proceeds from the sale of tickets for the event went to the Nick Faldo Charitable Trust, which was created to advance the education of young people in England and Wales, particularly through recreation, sport and leisure.

“There is much to celebrate this year for our company,” says Euan, chairman of Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky. “Together with Sir Nick, we’re proud to be launching some of the world’s best whiskies, several of which have been maturing for decades in our warehouse. We’ve been working on this collaboration with Sir Nick for a while where we will produce some small-batch whis kies that celebrate iconic times in his life. We look forward to showcasing what we have lined up later this year.”

Duncan Taylor duncantaylor.com therarest.duncantaylor.com nickfaldo.blackbullwhisky.com

Sir Nick Faldo nickfaldo.com

Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer

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Attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, branded cookies and special gift bags.

The event included live music and showgirls, with proceeds from ticket sales going to the Nick Faldo Charitable Trust.

Sir Nick Faldo worked with the team at Duncan Taylor to create a range of specially crafted limited-edition Black Bull whiskies.

Guests had the opportunity to sample some of the world’s rarest whiskies as well as a cigar bar.