A $25M Gift Jerry and Tina Moss donate to The Music Center Page 6
Silver Fern Farms New Zealand meats coming to Downtown Page 9
November 16, 2020 I VOL. 49 I #46
A ‘Sympol’ Solution Partners pivot to create
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NOVEMBER 16, 2020
Covered California will help OPINION
Like a Miracle, He Will Be Gone!: Four years of hell are finally over By Ellen Snortland urrah! I’m beeping my car horn, banging the pots and pans, popping corks of bubbly beverages—in my heart, anyway. And I also want to throw up, which is also a normal reaction. Adrenalin is not a tummy-comfort chemical. For many of us, the sheer relief of having lived under fight, freeze or flight for four years is enough to release all sorts of biochemicals. Of course, I called my sister in Rapid City, South Dakota, right away. “Hello, Mary? Woo-hoo!!! Aren’t you excited?” I yelled. “Hi, what’s happening?” “We won, we won, we won!” “What? You mean, he’s gotta leave?” “Yes!” Before this, I don’t think my sister Mary has ever told me that a phone call from me made her day. South Dakota is a Drumpf state, and my sister is one of the invisible progressives who live there. She’s not the only liberal in the region: I have plenty of progressive family and friends in North and South Dakota. I have such fond memories of growing up there, yet I also realized at a very early age that I would not be able to stay much longer. As faithful readers of this column know, I have too big a mouth—one that can sometimes get me in trouble with conservatives. To survive in the Dakotas, I would have to accept being profoundly uncomfortable on a daily basis—or drunk—to stand it. I’ve seen the dark underbelly of the Plains States. When President Kennedy was murdered, there were kids on my playground jumping up and down, chanting, “They shot him, they shot, they shot him. He’s a Catholic, and we hate him.” Those kids didn’t conjure hatred like that out of thin air. They were obviously bitten by their family’s snakelike vitriol and injected with bigot poison. Don’t Tread on Me, my ass. You’ve treaded on us for years—go back to your burrows! After my texting and phone calls to loved ones, I “Joy-scrolled” through Facebook, and I could see that my friends were doing the same. What a welcome antidote to “doom-scrolling!” My gay married friends, my Black, Native American and Hispanic loved ones are shedding years of angst and worry in a matter of minutes. As a counterpoint, I peeked at the pages of some of my friends who are, to put it politely, wackos. They actually believe that Dr. Fauci, Bill Gates and the WHO are in cahoots to implant us with tracking devices. Yes, I know and love these people, even though they have bizarre world views. However, I was happily surprised by my ardent Drumpf-supporting friend, who said she welcomes the new president with open arms. I can understand how some of these people came to their skewed version of reality. I had the gag-inducing experience of watching some of the Drumpf campaign’s nonstop “ads” about Biden, which also trotted out the tried-and-true bugaboo of socialism. While taking a long, cleansing bath afterward, I realized that if I had the level of noneducation that some of the people I knew in South Dakota had, I would be terrified of the Biden/Harris ticket. And seriously, folks, my friends are not racists; they have been ceaselessly beat over the head by propaganda masquerading as “real news” that is designed to scare the bejesus out of them. Oh, and don’t get me started on the bejesus folks who are theocracy minded. I’m not against God, although I am against the de-
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struction of the separation of church and state. Since the news broke worldwide, I’ve been in contact with friends in Pakistan, Israel, Germany and Norway who are all doing cartwheels. A dear friend in Heidelberg emailed to tell me that people are out on the streets celebrating. Global alliances, we’re coming home! The globe (and the environment) just exhaled. As Americans, it is easy to be obsessed with our politics and not realize its impact on other countries. I got a potent reminder of that in 2008, when my husband and I were on our honeymoon in Oslo, Norway. It was right after Barack Obama’s victory over W., and everywhere we went, people—recognizing us as being obviously American—rushed up to us and asked, “Aren’t you excited?! What was it like watching it hapChristina Fuoco-Karasinski pen? We are EXECUTIVE so happyEDITOR: for you!” On the flipside, we were in Pakistan in 2016, right after STAFF WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Andres De Ocampo, Julia Shapero Drumpf’s victory, and the doleful look of “how could CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kamala Kirk you let this happen?” on people’s faces was unmistakable. ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez Taking a cue from my open-armed friend, I will do my best to not pigeonhole people CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos who supported Drumpf. I was raised that well-mannered people do not speak openACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb ly about religion or politics. FOUNDER EMERITUS:But Suethat’s Laris not going to stop me from banging my pots and pans, dancing, and honking my horn while I run errands in Altadena! Ellen Snortland coaches first-time book authors! Contact her at ellen@beautybitesbeast.com.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski STAFF WRITER: Andrew Checchia CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Laura Latzko, Frier McCollister ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: John McCoy ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris
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Sitting and Standing as Services: LA’s ableist municipal code By Jessica Pappas and Jacob Cepollina he city of Los Angeles, as a public entity, should not be allowed to prevent unhoused disabled people from sitting, sleeping or lying down in public. A recent article in the LA Times estimates there were over 58,936 unhoused people living in Los Angeles, and among them an unknown and likely ever-fluctuating number of disabled unhoused people, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, 41,557 out of 151,278 unhoused people in California experience “chronic homelessness.” The National Alliance to End Homelessness defines people experiencing chronic homelessness as individuals who “are disabled and have experienced long-term and/or repeated episodes of homelessness.” Given the prevalence of disability among unhoused people, accessibility and municipal codes regarding sitting, standing and lying down are of particular interest, as the city of Los Angeles is required to provide equal access to participation in activities and services. The ADA cites that public entities that are providing a service cannot discriminate against disabled people, stating: “A public entity may not deny a qualified individual with a disability the opportunity to participate in services, programs or activities that are not separate or different, despite the existence of permissibly separate or different programs or activities.” A public service that is often overlooked by able-bodied people, however, is the service of rest: People need to be able to sit, lie and take care of their bodies. The criminalization of sitting, standing and parking in Los Angeles is an inaccessible and ableist policy that specifically harms unhoused disabled people, and by creating a public space that is inaccessible, the city of Los Angeles municipal code section 41.18(d) constitutes a viola-
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tion of Americans with Disabilities Act. The code states, “No person shall sit, lie or sleep in or upon any street, sidewalk or other public way,” clearly criminalizing activities that unhoused people participate in, in public, out of sheer necessity, and this criminalization also takes advantage of the fact that not everyone has a place to rest that is not in public. Whereas housed people and able-bodied people are often able to be out in public with no immediate need to rest or stay somewhere in the public, unhoused and disabled people bear the brunt of the criminalization of sitting and lying down in Los Angeles. Able-bodied people who do not need a place to sit or lie down do not have to think about whether or not they will have a space to legally rest, and housed people similarly have a place where they can safely sit, lay and sleep. Unhoused and disabled people, however, do not have the luxury of being able to go to a safe home when they need to rest. Additionally, having to travel around to find a location to rest or sleep because some locations are deemed unsuitable for rest by the city creates added obstacles to safety and comfort, especially for a population that may not have the means to use forms of transportation other than walking. Disabled and unhoused people and able-bodied, housed people need to participate in the same activities in order to survive: All people need a place to sleep, a place to sit and a place to rest, and though these places may be different (like a private home vs. a public space), everyone has the right to participate in these activities nonetheless. By preventing disabled and unhoused people from sitting, sleeping and lying on “any street, sidewalk, or other public way,” the city of Los Angeles municipal code section 41.18 violates the ADA, as it criminalizes unhoused disabled people’s participation in public activities, like simply sitting down.
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NOVEMBER 16, 2020
Little Tokyo Service Center gala raises $350K
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ittle Tokyo Service Center celebrated its 40th anniversary with a virtual gala on October 10 that featured musical performances and a silent auction. The event attracted over 1,200 unique online viewers and raised more than $350,000 through sponsorships, donations and silent auction bids. The gala video is still available to watch at ltsc.org. “We extend our deepest appreciation to our supporters, board members and staff for making the gala a huge success,” said Erich Nakano, LTSC executive director. “It’s very important that we have this kind of support. It allows us to be responsive in supporting individuals and families in need while promoting the equitable development of ethnic communities and their rich cultural heritage.” The gala’s theme, “Better Together,” celebrated the spirit of collaboration that strengthens the organization’s work. LTSC honored two essential community members: Alan Nishio and Supervisor Hilda Solis. Nishio is a longtime educator, community activist and LTSC board member whose tireless dedication has impacted many lives. Solis is the Los Angeles County supervisor for the First District and was recognized for her crucial support of LTSC programs, especially the Terasaki Budokan. LTSC also presented a special tribute to the late Dean Matsubayashi, the former executive director, whose wit and wisdom continue to inspire LTSC’s work. Celebrities Tamlyn Tomita, Keiko Agena and chef Roy Choi all recorded messages of support for LTSC. Musical acts June Kuramoto of Hiroshima, Point Lobo aka Miles Senzaki and Andrew Figueroa Chiang provided entertainment for the evening. The event also included a sneak peek of the Terasaki Budokan, the newly built multiuse recreational center in the heart of Little Tokyo and Downtown Los Angeles. Little Tokyo Service Center is a social service and community development organization that has been creating positive change for the people and places in Southern California for 40 years. Starting with its home in Little Tokyo, LTSC preserves and strengthens the unique ethnic communities of the region, where people, culture and collective future matter.
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OPINION
Hey you! Speak up! Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like or dislike a story, let us know, or weigh in on something you feel is important to the community. Participation is easy. Go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.
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Life Aid Research hosts and takes parts in endeavors that promote understanding and educate on different issues, including veteran suicide prevention and awareness.
Photo courtesy Life Aid Research Institute
Town hall promotes community dialogue By Laura Latzko uilding bridges between communities and law enforcement often happens over time, through one-on-one discussions between individuals with different experiences and viewpoints. To help start a discussion that promotes better understanding and empathy toward others, Life Aid Research Institute, the Los Angeles Dodgers, RISE and the Los Angeles Police Protective League hosted an in-person and virtual town hall on November 10. The VOICE Project town hall started with an activity in which participants ranked imaginary people based on whose lives they would want to step into, after receiving information on these individuals’ backgrounds. The second half of the town hall featured a panel with community members, law enforcement leaders, sports figures and military veterans, including Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. This year, Life Aid has hosted town halls throughout the country. One town hall in Alabama focused on the topic of confederate symbols and racism. During the Los Angeles town hall held at the Youth Athletic League in Compton, participants talked about issues impacting the Los Angeles community. One of the questions asked if the glass is half empty or full when it comes to the relationship between the police and community members in Los Angeles. Life Aid founder and CEO John Wordin said with the town halls, participants can have open dialogues to share their perspectives, which can lead to difficult discussions on topics such as race relations. Wordin found the discussion between community and law enforcement leaders to be especially impactful. “Those community activists have never sat down in front of the police and been able to say the glass is half empty. For them, that was very empowering. They could say it straight to their face,” Wordin said. Wordin said the town halls begin these conversations, but it takes work to create change. “It was the first step. All of a sudden, the problem is not solved. We’re on the path. Now, we have a dialogue going,” Wordin said. Each town hall is followed by an action step, in which participants commit to having fur-
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ther conversations or bringing change in their communities. The Alabama town hall, for example, led to the creation of a clinic and scholarships for inner-city cheerleaders. “We are solution oriented. We don’t do these town halls just to talk. There has to be an action step after,” Wordin said. Wordin plans to host another town hall with community members and law enforcement leaders in December in Los Angeles. In honor of Veterans Day, Life Aid and the Dodgers sent care packages with Dodgers gear and letters of thanks to soldiers in the 40th Infantry Division in Guantanamo Bay and Africa. The Dodgers and Life Aid have worked together on events such as Veterans Day batting practices. The Dodgers are part of an advisory group, created through the Play Equity Fund, which looks at issues of racial and social justice in sports. Naomi Rodriguez, the Dodgers’ vice president of external affairs and community relations, said it is important for the Dodgers organization to be part of community conversations that promote understanding and bring change in different ways. “When you see someone like Dave Roberts listening, caring, paying attention, wanting to understand and participating in some solution finding, it is very powerful. It’s a great example for many people in our community,” Rodriguez said. “Using our platform to create positive change in our community is very powerful. Sports have always had that ability to bring people together. We are a city of two major championships. Using our platforms to have these conversations, to look at our community, to look at ways that we can improve, to look at our own organization and see the things that we can do to create change in the social and racial justice space is powerful and important.” Rodriguez said events such as the town hall can expose participants to other viewpoints and allow them to better be able to work together. “We don’t have to agree on everything, but we can find some common ground, move forward and learn from each other. I learned a lot just hearing the different perspectives, hearing from law enforcement and from community members. Some of this is very deeply rooted in experience, in pain, in upbringing. I think really listening, having empathy, understanding and finding common ground is very powerful,” Rodriguez said.
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Covered California will help ARTS & CULTURE
Jerry and Tina Moss give $25M gift to The Music Center By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski he Music Center received a $25 million gift from Tina and Jerry Moss to benefit new programming initiatives. With this gift, the arts organization will establish an annual, free summer concert, open to all, to be held outdoors on the newly named Jerry Moss Plaza, located at The Music Center; sustain and enhance The Music Center’s commitment to free and low-cost events; and formally launch arts partnerships with community organizations to help uplift artists and their work, with an emphasis on Black, Indigenous and people of color artists. Jerry, a Music Center supporter since 1968, is the music executive who co-founded A&M Records with partner Herb Alpert and guided the careers of major artists, including Quincy Jones, the Carpenters, Joe Cocker, Sting and Janet Jackson. The $25 million gift is the largest single contribution for programming that The Music Center has received in its history and will be used to increase the breadth and depth of the organization’s public presentations. Other significant gifts over the years include $20 million from philanthropist Glorya Kaufman, which made it possible for the performing arts center to create the highly popular Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center series—featuring presentations by world-class dance companies—along with $12 million from The Music Center board of directors Chairwoman Cindy Miscikowski
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and the Ring-Miscikowski/The Ring Foundation, which seeded the launch of the TMC Arts Fund to produce arts education, dance and public programs at The Music Center. The Tina and Jerry Moss gift empowers the arts organization to sustain its current free and low-cost presentations while also creating new arts experiences, supporting The Music Center’s vision to deepen the cultural lives of all Angelenos by ensuring access to quality, affordable arts programming that is relevant to and reflective of Los Angeles’ diverse communities. The Music Center will develop and produce an annual celebration of music on the Jerry Moss Plaza each summer, featuring a headliner and performers whose artistry and appeal resonate with Moss’ music legacy. The new funding will also help The Music Center invest in critical amenities, such as the purchase and installation of a state-of-the-art sound system for the Jerry Moss Plaza that will provide a rich sound experience for the new summer concert, as well as for The Music Center’s Dance DTLA, Grand Park + The Music Center’s Fourth of July Block Party, Grand Park + The Music Center’s N.Y.E.L.A. and other free events the performing arts organization hosts outdoors year-round. The Music Center will also formally establish The Music Center’s Partner Network Initiative, co-designed with community partners, including those focused on health and wellness, which share the conviction that the arts
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Jerry and Tina Moss donated $25 million to The Music Center in Los Angeles. The couple is pictured on newly named Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Photo by John McCoy
can heal and transform lives. This initiative will help ensure Black, Indigenous and people of color artists have more opportunities to present their work at The Music Center and in neighborhoods across Los Angeles County. “Music and the arts have always been a large part of our lives as well as providing a sense of passion and purpose. We have gone to The Music Center over the years for wonderful, entertaining cultural experiences,” Tina and Jerry said in a statement. “Given its focus on reaching even more Angelenos with meaningful, relevant programs, The Music Center is well-positioned to realize our dreams for this gift; we are thrilled with the organization’s plans to not only to build capacity to deepen the cultural lives of LA residents, but also to pay it forward and help strengthen the ability of artists who don’t often have the chance to create and innovate due to lack of support.” Seeking an opportunity to give back to the community where he built his business and experienced his success, Jerry added, “I con-
sider myself a music man, and I want to celebrate that at this stage of my life.” The Music Center CEO Rachel S. Moore said she’s excited about the gift. “Jerry Moss built a music empire with great integrity, rooted in a deep respect for the creative process and a commitment to believing in and taking care of artists,” Moore said. “Guided by these values, he brought some of this century’s most extraordinary performers and music into the lives of people around the world, and we will honor his legacy in the music industry with a spectacular free concert each summer. “Yet, beyond that opportunity, the Mosses’ donation makes it possible for The Music Center team to expand and deepen our work as a cultural anchor institution and to be a model for transformational change—to advance programming that is not only geographically, economically and culturally representative of LA County, but that also resonates in the hearts and minds of all Angelenos and meaningfully impacts their lives.”
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Covered California will help BUSINESS
Partners pivot to create moisturizing hand sanitizer By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski illiam Iyawe-Parsons knows credibility is everything. When he and his three partners—Khalid Namoos, Max Yeh and Tam Nguyen, all of whom live in Downtown LA— created Sympol Products’ Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer, they knew they had to be FDA registered and make the items pleasing for customers. Sympol Products is keeping customers safe from COVID-19 by producing 10,000 gallons of moisturizing hand sanitizer each week in scent free and aromas like spring blossom, lavender, grapefruit, peppermint and tea tree oil. The key was to develop pleasing aromas that would mask the strong smell of ethyl alcohol. “Our chemists identified many plant-derived oils that could be used to not only provide great aromas but also effectively moisturize hands, too,” Iyawe-Parsons said. “Product development has been so much fun for us because we love testing new formulas for beautiful aromas to share with you all.” Their formula uses 70% ethyl alcohol, which is 10% more than the CDC-recom-
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From left, Max Yeh, Osam Iyawe, William IyaweParsons, Tam Nguyen and Khalid Namoos are partners in Sympol Products. Photo by Luis Chavez
mended formula. “Providing a product that will be as effective as possible without compromising the nourishing components is important to us,” Iyawe-Parsons said. “Sympol provides a powerful clean, and our proprietary oil blend complements the clean with nourishment. Your hands need your precious oils to stay soft and hydrated. Now more than ever hands are being overly dried and dehydrated, and this is where Sympol comes in to make a difference. We must keep ourselves and our communities healthy by taking necessary sanitary precautions, and Sympol has figured out how to do so while keeping your clean hands healthy, too.” The products are 100% pure and natural oils leave the skin moisturized, Iyawe-Parsons said. The aromas come from plant extracts with cosmetic-grade aloe vera and kosher-grade glycerin. The items can be purchased from sympolproducts.com, amazon.com, Aveda salons and retail stores, and the Andaz Hyatt Hotel in West Hollywood. Sympol Products’ founders recognized that sanitizers frequently lead to dry and cracked skin, but they wanted something better. Sympol Products has a second line of industrial products, but Iyawe-Parsons said manufacturing hand sanitizer for customers brought out his creative side. “It was definitely fun, because when you recreate an industrial product, no one cares about the packaging,” he said. “If it cleans the dirty spill on the ground, that’s all that matters to consumers. We could make the packaging fun, pretty and really nice.” Sympol Products—which also includes Osam Iyawe and Taylor Smith—is considering adding more aromas. “Aromas are experience based,” said Iyawe-Parsons, who has a chemical manufacturing company. “You would never want hand sanitizer that smells like skunks. Grapefruit is better. We’re approaching it by creating the perfect grapefruit aroma.” The hand sanitizers are available in 2-ounce /8-ounce and 2-ounce/16-ounce bundles, which are ideal for travel and desk or home. Sympol recently started offering hand soap in eucalyptus, honeysuckle, lavender and vanilla aromas. Hand sanitizers are available in 1 ounce, 2 ounces and 4 ounces for travelers. The 8-ounce and 16-ounce options are perfect for desks, waiting rooms and any other high-traffic areas. Sympol is also selling an 8-ounce and 16-ounce hand sanitizer and hand soap bundle. Prices vary, but customers can save by subscribing.
Sympol Products sympolproducts.com
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Shown here as a bobblehead, pitcher Clayton Kershaw won his first World Series this year.
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Fans can take Corey Seager home with this bobblehead featuring The Commissioner’s Trophy or his MVP award.
Photo courtesy FOCO
Covered California will help BUSINESS
FOCO celebrates baseball’s world champs By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ast Coast-based FOCO is continuing the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series celebration with a series of bobbleheads, gaiters and other memorabilia. “We’ve been a licensee with MLB for close to 20 years,” said Matthew Katz, licensing director. “Whenever there’s a team that hasn’t won in a long time, it’s exciting to be part of that hot market. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve been through a few of them—the Red Sox breaking the curse, Cubs and the Dodgers after a 30-something-year draught.” This collection includes apparel, plush toys, accessories, bags, ornaments and collectible bobbleheads, featuring stars like Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Walker Buehler, Will Smith and Corey Seager. The bobbleheads feature commemorative Los Angeles Dodgers 2020 World Se-
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ries champions bases and nameplates in the front. The collection also features face covers, backpacks, a gaiter scarf, an acrylic scarf, light-up beanie, commemorative gnome, World Series trophy paperweight and holiday items. “We’re licensed for a lot of different product lines,” Katz said. “Bobbleheads are core products that we make every year. We come out with a championship series, holding the trophies.” The turnaround was quick, but Katz said his team planned accordingly. “We try to get the molds early,” he said. “The bodies are all relatively the same, holding the trophies. The bodies are started ahead of time. The factories work out the details and the paint based on the winner, as soon as they’re determined. “We work on the different player heads ahead of time to get them correct so we can
Former Boston Red Sox player Mookie Betts proved to be a clutch player throughout his career. He’s shown here as a FOCO bobblehead.
Photo courtesy FOCO
basically hit the ground running when the winner is determined.” Katz said other designs will be rolled out exclusively on FOCO.com. They play out key moments that happened throughout the series, including those involving Betts. “We have a couple different Mookie Betts concepts in the works,” he said. “We try to celebrate moments and recreate something that happened on the field— one of his amazing catches or the one home run when he rounded the bases with the fist pump and the roaring scream. We might try to capture that. It’s something we started doing when the Red Sox won. We try to highlight a couple key guys and key moments.” Besides the bobbleheads, the sugar skull products have played well with the LA fanbase, he said. Therefore, FOCO will release a couple championship designs incorporating that theme. “We also have a lot of fun apparel,” he added about non-Day of the Dead-inspired products. “We do ugly Christmas sweaters. We have a couple different ornaments that have done well. We have a little trophy ornament and a couple of other designs, pending approval. “We have a fun button-down shirt celebrating the Dodgers World Series championship, draw-string backpacks and garden gnomes. The best-selling item on our website is a replica 12-inch trophy made out of metal.”
Photo courtesy FOCO
Katz said FOCO will look to expand the product assortment as time goes on. He does take customers’ comments on social media @FOCOusa into consideration. “We try to create as many special items as we can,” Katz said. “We tell everyone to check back in a couple weeks and they’ll see some new items. The face masks are one of the items that have really taken off this year, unfortunately. Due to everything going on with the pandemic, we have officially licensed face coverings.” FOCO provided the Dodgers with World Series champion face coverings, but that changed when Turner was pulled from game seven before the eighth inning when it was revealed he had COVID-19. “FOCO was the provider for the officially licensed masks and gaiters the team was wearing throughout the season—the ones that featured the Dodgers logo,” he said. “It was us and a couple other companies. We were supposed to have the championship one out on the field, but they decided to go with the PPE because of Justin Turner testing positive during the game. It is available on our site, though, as a two-pack.” FOCO is licensed with all major sports leagues, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and MLS, and over 100 colleges and universities as well as entertainment properties such as Disney, Warner Bros./DC Comics, Nickelodeon, Sanrio and WWE.
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Covered California will help BUSINESS
New Zealand meats coming to Downtown By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ilver Fern Farms, New Zealand’s largest red meat producer and exporter, is launching its new premium beef ribeye and New York strip steaks in combination with its grass-fed retail range in 15 new stores across Southern California, including Jons Fresh Marketplace Downtown. “Southern California has quickly become an influential forerunner in the movement toward environmental sustainability across many different industries and interest including both food and agriculture,” said Matt Luxton, Silver Fern Farms U.S. country manager. “However, what is most impressive about Southern California’s dining and cooking scene is that home cooks and professional chefs alike have continued to elevate their flavors in lockstep with their progressive preference for ingredient quality. We believe that Silver Fern Farms’ sustainable chain of care and superior flavor profiles will be a hit with Californians from all walks of life, and we are excited to see how our retail range will be incorporated into the many cuisines and cultures of the state.” In 2019, Silver Fern Farms entered the U.S. retail market, launching in the New York tristate region; now available in 33 stores. The full retail range consists of beef, lamb and venison products. Silver Fern Farms’ animals are pasture raised and grass fed as nature intended in New Zealand, with clean water, fresh air and a lot of respect, Luxton said. Among the products available in SoCal are beef, ribeye steak, New York strip steak, premium ground beef, venison medallions and premium ground venison. Silver Fern Farms’ retail line introduced its 100% standard beef and lamb programs as a branded offering for the first time in the United States. These programs promise that their farmers go above and beyond the already world-leading New Zealand industry standard to produce meat that is 100% grass fed, 100% pasture raised, with no antibiotics ever, no added hormones and no feedlots. Silver Fern Farms’ entire retail range is also certified paleo and keto. The Silver Fern Farms retail beef and lamb products are also halal. Silver Fern Farms has been able to bring its grass-fed products to the United States by working with The Lamb Company, a trusted red meat supplier servicing the North American market for over 50 years, of which Silver Fern Farms is an owner and shareholder. “Through relationships and part ownership of distribution partners in key strategic countries like the USA, we are able to have very clear visibility of every stage of the supply chain from the farmer to the retailer, which is
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very unique in this industry,” Luxton said. The new ribeye steak and New York strip steak are hand selected by Silver Fern Farms’ master graders as part of their industry-leading Eating Quality system. The EQ system is a science-backed grading process that rates beef on seven scientific criteria proven to contribute to the eating quality of red meat and allows Silver Fern Farms to guarantee a better beef eating experience. The seven factors are: ultimate PH, marbling, ossification, rib fat/total rib fat, meat color, fat color and eye muscle. The ribeye steak is made for real steak lovers promising bold beef flavor and natural grassfed marbling, whereas the New York strip steak is full-flavored with a narrow fat cover for a creamy mouthfeel and juicy results. Silver Fern Farms’ pasture-based farming system is a global forerunner in environmental sustainability, with point of origin traceability technology enabled to give consumers the confidence of knowing that their food is genuine and true to its origin claims. At every step in the journey, from pasture to plate, the highest level of care is taken to ensure that its red meat is the very best it can be. Silver Fern Farms’ chain of care begins on farm, where animals are raised with care and respect. Silver Fern Farms is leading the country’s efforts to meet sustainable targets for its processing sites. Since 2017 Silver Fern Farms has removed 89 tons of plastic from its supply chain each year, reduced fossil fuel use by 12%, and used 7.7% less energy overall as an organization. It is the first New Zealand red meat processor with a certified carbon footprint and to adopt an accredited program to reduce greenhous gas emissions. Silver Fern Farms has mapped a path to meet a low carbon future and is squarely focused on improving its recently adopted independently certified Environmental Management System. To recognize and support a focus on its long-term commitment to sustainability across its farmer supply base, Silver Fern Farms is working to incorporate and define increasingly important regenerative agriculture practices.
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New York strip steak is full-flavored with a narrow fat cover for a creamy mouthfeel and juicy results. Photo courtesy Silver Fern Farms
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10 DOWNTOWN NEWS
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
NOVEMBER 16, 2020
Covered DINING California will help
Sky’s Gourmet Tacos: Coming from the cloud By Frier McCollister rguably, DTLA could be suffering from a case of taco fatigue. From Guisados to Guerrilla, there is no lack of exceptionally fine taquerias, many boasting a combination of regional authenticity and modernist innovation and flair. The profusion of Downtown options that naturally extends into East Los Angeles has even given rise to a class of taco snobs, who flout their knowledge of provincial ingredients, recipes and tortilla provenance. Just when jaded Downtown taco enthusiasts think they’ve seen it all comes the arrival of Sky’s Gourmet Tacos. These are not your neighborhood abuela’s tacos any more than they are the product of a gastronomic inventor with a culinary degree. The newest entrant to the ongoing Downtown taco renaissance has been successfully operating in Los Angeles since 1992. It also happens to be owned by a Black woman with two grandchildren. These tacos are quite uniquely tasty and deserve to be acknowledged as an indigenous Los Angeles invention. That said, Barbara “Sky” Burrell’s taco odyssey begins in the unlikely locale of Waukegan, Illinois, north of Chicago, where she was born and raised. “It was an industrial city,” she said. “So, there was a (business) strip called ‘The Strip,’ and you would just ride through. There was a sign up there on The Strip that just said “taco.” It looked like something I had never eaten before. I said, ‘What’s a taco?’ Frankly I can’t tell you what it had in it but, there was something about it I liked. (I said,) ‘This is now going to be mine.’” As a teen, she began making them at home for her family. “I can’t say they were in love with it.” A career in marketing and facility management brought her to Southern California in the mid-1970s. At that time, as she says, “Tacos were still unqualified here. The general populace did not eat tacos in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Tacos have always been (what I call) the ‘unqualified’ food. They had not put the love around and the realness around this particular food item.” That was about to change. The original Pico Boulevard location of Sky’s Gourmet Tacos opened March 5, 1992, less than two months before violent civil unrest erupted across the city in the wake of the Rodney King verdict. The riots served as an unsettling backdrop to per-
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sonal tragedy, when her fiancé died suddenly of a heart attack. She was fortunate that her college-aged sons, Victor and Jerry, stepped up to supervise and manage the daily operations of the nascent taqueria, as she struggled with personal loss. “ The challenges started right after I opened,” she recalled. “I was able to get through because I had wonderful children, two sons who were able to carry on. So, I was very blessed.” The challenges continued when her younger son, Jerry, was killed in a motorcycle crash in March 2001. Her elder son, Victor, helps sustain the business and now serves as president. In August 2016, Sky’s Marketplace opened in the Marina City Club in Marina Del Rey, offering the full dine-in menu of the original location as well as a small, well-stocked market for the building’s residents as well as for the boat dwellers of the marina. The marketplace also allowed a venue to feature Burrell’s own line of sauces and seasoning—including her signature “Sassy Sauce”—and her artisanal cheesecakes, another unique feature of the original menu. Billed as “Mexican with a Splash of Soul,” Sky’s tacos are Tex-Mex style, insofar as lettuce, tomato and shredded Jack cheese figure into most compositions here. The term “Flex-Mex” might serve as a better denotation and description for these tacos. Presented on doubled 6-inch tortillas, which have been griddled to a light crisp, they are neither “hard” dorados nor “soft” street style. Though there is an authentic taco ($2) that features carne asada dressed with the traditional topping of chopped white onion and cilantro, unique tacos are the key. When ordering online, there are add-ons like rice, beans and cotija cheese available for a nominal charge. There is a potato and cheese option ($2), a turkey taco that replaces ground beef with ground turkey ($2) and a shiitake mushroom taco ($3.99) with green salsa. Shrimp tacos ($4.75) feature tortillas seasoned with Old Bay and Creole spices, and the tilapia taco ($3.75) replaces cabbage and crema with cole slaw topping a very lightly breaded and fried filet. Crawfish ($8.99) and lobster ($10.99) tacos are also available for a more exotic splurge. Tacos are the focus, but a selection of burritos, tortas, quesadillas and nachos are always available. Given the size and qual-
Shrimp tacos ($4.75) feature tortillas seasoned with Old Bay and Creole spices, and a potato and cheese option costs $2. Photo by Luis Chavez
Caramel crunch cheesecake, available by the slice ($3.99) or whole ($24.99), is the popular favorite at Sky’s Gourmet Tacos. Photo by Luis Chavez
ity of the tortillas and the freshness of the ingredients, the portions are generous for the price. More to the point, these tacos represent a personal style that has evolved mindfully over nearly three decades. You can taste it and only here. The new restaurant, which opened on August 15, is located near the USC campus and operates out of a ghost or cloud kitchen for curbside pickup or delivery only. Downtown locations are fully serviced within the delivery perimeter, which is handled by Postmates. “It’s a different challenge,” Burrell said. “It’s about springing into action. We made the decision on the cloud kitchen about 18 months ago. (But) we’re still waiting for USC to open back up. We’re hanging in there. We made the decision to go ahead regardless of the pandemic. I believe we’re supposed to be there. How’s that for an optimist?”
With the USC campus closed indefinitely, the launch in August has resulted in a slower build of momentum in local awareness. In the meantime, the cloud kitchen has been ingeniously dedicated to the production of Sky’s artisanal cheesecakes. The cheesecakes are offered in four varieties by the slice or whole cake—plain ($2.85/$19.99); mango ($3.50/$22.50); pineapple ($3.75/$23.50); or the popular favorite, caramel crunch ($3.99/$24.99). Made from scratch, these cheesecakes are truly delectable and a great value for the freshness and quality delivered. And there’s still time to order for Thanksgiving. In looking to the new location near USC and the greater Downtown community, Burrell has a message: “We’re there to serve you. Most importantly, we’re there to ensure you have a really good experience. God heal this land. There’s Sky’s. We’re waiting for you!”
Sky’s Gourmet Tacos 358 W. 38th Street, Los Angeles 1-833-SKY-TACO, skystacos.com (Curbside pickup and delivery only)
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NOVEMBER 16, 2020
Covered DINING California will help
Flexible, Fast, Casual: Little Spread offers Mediterranean market By Andrew Checchia randon Parker, the co-founder of Spread Mediterranean Kitchen, sat by his Little Spread kiosk on a patio in the Gas Company Tower on the first Friday of November. The day was palpably tense. The contentious presidential race still hung in limbo, and rare LA clouds made the looming U.S. Bank building strike an especially imposing contrast with the quaint, colorful outdoor space Little Spread calls home. The conversation, which turned to his background, the service industry and the state of the country, revealed both Parker’s drive and—like the contrast suggested—the conflicted paths to realizing his ambition in the current moment. “I don’t want to be the face of this thing,” he explained. Over the course of the pandemic, businesses have faced an increasingly difficult struggle to stay afloat. Especially in the already volatile restaurant world, Parker faced problem after problem while maintaining a traditional presence. But his background prepared him for facing diverse challenges that test leadership
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and adaptability. Having worked in five-star hotels for years before starting his entrepreneurial career, knowing how to prioritize forced him to reassess his restaurant’s situation. Willing to pivot, Parker decided to focus his efforts on Little Spread—at first an offshoot of the main branch and now a thriving food stall serving fast-casual Mediterranean to the Downtown community. “I love doing something I don’t know how to do,” Parker said of the myriad exciting challenges faced by restaurant owners. “You only live once, as far as I know. You have to know how to prioritize.” When you first come off Fifth Street, up the stairs into the Gas Company Tower, an enormous mural greets guests through the windows. Walking outside onto the patio, the faded, block-length, story-tall installation provides an elaborate backdrop for Little Spread. Nestled in the corner, the modern-looking kiosk is surrounded by colorful distanced seating. Parker offered a tour through the small kiosk, which showed off a perfect space for quick, fresh preparation. The limited fare— consisting of just three main proteins (chick-
Brandon Parker, co-founder, and Matt McCallum of Spread Mediterranean Kitchen. Photo by Luis Chavez
en, beef and vegan potato) and two styles (a pita sandwich or salad)—allows Little Spread to focus on making food quickly and reliably delicious. Inmar Gonzalez is the chef preparing the Mediterranean dishes on the tight menu. The salad with Moroccan braised chicken ($13) has a side of deliciously crispy pita chips ($3) and tzatziki spread ($2)—and features a classic array of Mediterranean flavors, from Kalamata olives to labneh yogurt spread. That creamy spread clashes somewhat with acidity from a helping of pickled red onions, but especially considering Little Spread’s attention to speed and consistency, the salad was undeniably fresh, filling and generally well balanced. “The hardest part is consistency,” Parker said on whittling down an optimal menu. “Everyone always wants value.” That value-focused restaurant idea led Parker to get into what he sees as a fast-casual boom. With the success of national chains like Chipotle and Cava, Parker noticed a burgeoning restaurant niche. As young millenials and Gen Z professionals enter the workforce, they usually want something fresh and relatively healthy but still value the convenience offered by fast food’s namesake speed.
“Scalability is important. There’s a lot of things a mom-and-pop store can learn from a Jeff Bezos mentality,” Parker said about the success of these franchised restaurant chains. Parker noted a collaboration with nearby farms, like Tutti Frutti, to bring fresh ingredients into dishes. Most exciting for Downtown, that collaboration is extending to Little Spread’s marquee offering: a specialty farmers market featuring Mediterranean foods and ingredients. Soon, the kiosk will act as a middleman to bring fresh herbs, spices, produce and more to the neighborhood, cutting out long drives to crowded markets in places like Santa Monica. As these ingredients are offered at reasonable rates, Little Spread will also make its housemade signature spreads available for wholesale purchase. Starting a restaurant and integrating into a local community is never an easy task, and the current state of the world certainly hasn’t made the process any easier. But as Parker said, knowing your own fundamental strengths can allow you to adapt and make the most out of even the most troubled times. “So help us out and grab some spreads,” Parker said to the DTLA community.
Little Spread spreadkitchen.com
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NOVEMBER 16, 2020