Arroyonov2013 by Southland Publishing

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA NOVEMBER 2013

FOOD THE ORIGINAL TOP CHEF Julia Child in Pasadena A Coffee Lovers’ Guide to Local Haunts HOME SCHOOLING The Institute of Domestic Technology

arroyo VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 11 | NOVEMBER 2013

25 37 46

THE FOOD ISSUE 11 A WILD CHILD NURTURED BY MILD SKIES Chef/author Julia Child’s sunlit Pasadena childhood helped forge her lifelong taste for pleasure. —By Karen Karbo

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Noela Hueso, courtesy of Contemporary Crafts Market, Lulu Tapp

14 THE CARE AND FEEDING OF CHOCOLATE LOVERS After a dubious beginning, chocolate has soared to the top of foodies’ most-wanted list. —By Bradley Tuck

25 MORE THAN JUST A CUPPA JOE 10 great Pasadena places for artisan coffee spiced with repartee —By Noela Hueso

37 HOME SCHOOLING Altadena’s Institute of Domestic Technology offers classes in foodcrafting skills that help make a house a home. —By Bettijane Levine

DEPARTMENTS 9

FESTIVITIES Muse/ique, the Pasadena Museum of History, Five Acres and Glendale Memorial Hospital

ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Ignore the Cronut craze and savor the pure, unadulterated croissant.

THE LIST Global crèches at the Folk Tree, Twelve Angry Men at the Pasadena Playhouse, the American Indian Arts Marketplace and more

ABOUT THE COVER: Julia Child illustration by Mark Steele © Morris Book Publishing, from Julia Child Rules: Lessons on Savoring Life by Karen Karbo (Skirt!)

11.13 | ARROYO | 7

EDITOR’S NOTE

I SHOULD START WITH A CONFESSION: THIS YEAR’S FOOD ISSUE INCLUDES STORIES about my personal drugs of choice — coffee and chocolate. I know I’m hardly alone in my dedication to those two nearly perfect pleasures. Indeed, they’re like the animal prints of Pasadena’s constantly evolving foodie scene — they never go out of fashion. Oh, yes, and if you’ve ever felt pressure to cut back on your coffee habit, you can let that go. I was recently gratified to learn that coffee is good for your liver and your brain, and it offers some protection against Type 2 diabetes and skin cancer. In fact, the humble coffee bean is the No. 1 source of antioxidants in the American diet, according to a University of Scranton study. So check out Noela Hueso’s guide to 10 Pasadena places that serve great coffee, leaving room in the cup for conversation. And Bradley Tuck’s suggestions for an entire day in Arroyoland filled with chocolate. You won’t want to miss the spot that shows up on both lists: Amara Chocolate & Coffee, owned by a former Miss Venezuela runner up with a degree in chemical engineering. Who knew? And if you’d rather roast the beans yourself, you might want to peruse the class schedule at Altadena’s Institute of Domestic Technology, where Bettijane Levine learned to make her own ricotta cheese, mustard and rhubarb and strawberry jam. Of course, in this heyday of the chef — both top and celebrity — we’re all ultimately following the lead of an original born in Pasadena: culinary TV pioneer Julia Child. In an excerpt from her new book, Julia Child Rules, author Karen Karbo explains the importance of Child’s hometown in her portrait of the chef as a young woman. —Irene Lacher

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kent Bancroft ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Carla Cortez PRODUCTION MANAGER Richard Garcia PRODUCTION DESIGNER Rochelle Bassarear COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Carole Dixon, Lynne Heffley, Noela Hueso, Carole Jacobs, Tariq Kamal, Kathy Kelleher, Rebecca Kuzins, Bettijane Levine, Elizabeth McMillian, Brenda Rees, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brenda Clarke, Joseluis Correa, Leslie Lamm ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Joanna Dehn Beresford ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Richard Garcia, Rochelle Bassarear

arroyo FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

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

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker

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

PAYROLL Linda Lam

ArroyoMonthly.com

ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Kacie Sturek OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn 8 | ARROYO | 11.13

FESTIVITIES

Marilyn and Jud Roberts (seated, center) with friends and family.

Gale Kohl and Terri Kohl

Jerry Kohl and Muse/ique Executive Director Brian Colburn Karl Swaidan, managing partner, Hahn and Hahn LLP

Muse/ique President Tom and Joyce Leddy with Ellen and Harvey Knell

Johannes Masserer, PMH President Laura Thompson and Nat and Linda Read

Some 100 supporters of Muse/ique gathered at Pasadena’s Del Mar Station on Oct. 20 for the launch of “Rail-Bound Sound Supper,” an inventive inaugural

PHOTO: Nina Gomez (Muse/ique); courtesy of Pasadena Museum of History; courtesy of Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center; Melissa Kobe - M. Kobe Photography (Five Acres)

gala benefiting the city’s newest orchestra. Artistic Director Rachael Worby led guests (including donors Ellen and Harvey Knell and Terri and Jerry Kohl) on a musical journey, which started with cocktails and jazz, moved to a private Gold Line car serenaded by The Moon Rays quartet and ended at Union Station’s historic Harvey House Restaurant space, where orchestra members Wendie Malick with Muse/ique Artistic Director Rachael Worby

performed… The Pasadena Museum of History honored Hahn & Hahn LLP, the

Martha Camacho, Jan Sanders, Christine Reeder and Betty and Charles McKenney

Dorothy Trask Clune Murray Foundation, Nat B. Read and Marilyn and Jud Roberts on Sept. 28 at its al fresco 2013 Contemporary History Makers Gala in the museum’s gardens…Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center

GMH gala Co-chair Haig Youredjian (second from right) and guests

drew more than 600 supporters to its 26th annual “Evening of Wine and Roses” fundraiser Oct. 6 at the Langham star Sam Actor Huntington Bradley WhitfordPasadena… and daughter MaryParenthood Whitford Jaeger emceed a private screening of the NBC drama’s fifth-season premiere on Sept. 26 to help raise awareness of the mission of Pasadena child and family services agency Five Acres. GMH honoree Ruth Charles and guests

Gala Co-chair Larry Cimmarusti and family

Five Acres CEO Chanel Boutakidis and Parenthood’s Sam Jaeger

Parenthood’s Tyree Brown, Savannah Rae and Xolo Mariduena

GMH President Jack Ivie (fourth from left) and guests

Parenthood cast members Matthew Lillard (of Pasadena), Monica Potter and Jaeger with Boutakidis 11.13 | ARROYO | 9

A Wild Child Nurtured by Mild Skies Chef/author Julia Child’s sunlit Pasadena childhood helped forge her lifelong taste for pleasure. BY KAREN KARBO

LIVE IN A TEMPERATE CLIMATE. MONEY MAKES OUR CHILDHOODS SO MUCH EASIER, EXCEPT WHEN IT SCREWS US UP; WERE IT NOT SO, THE PHRASE “POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL” WOULD NEVER HAVE ENTERED THE VERNACULAR,

Illustration by Mark Steele, courtesy of Globe Pequot Press

NOR WOULD THE HEARTS OF THE NATION GO OUT TO SURI CRUISE, WITH HER TINY DESIGNER HEELS AND PECULIAR FATHER. But no one can argue with the salubrious effects of nice weather, in this case in Pasadena, California, pre–internal combustion engine. Here, then as now, there are no brutal seasons to interrupt the fun, no frigid winters paralyzed by blizzards, nor humid, daze-producing summers. Those old adages that worriers from other, harsher climes live by have no meaning in Southern California. “Make hay while the sun shines” and “Save your money for a rainy day” is ad–continued on page 13 11.13 | ARROYO | 11

Images, top: Illustrations by Mark Steele, courtesy of Globe Pequot Press; Photo: Susan Seubert

–continued from page 11

vice for someone else, someone whose world is not their oyster. If you have a good childhood, it’s a very good one in that climate, where the weather cooperates to the extent that the world seems benign and supportive of all human endeavor, where you can play outside all year long and no one ever yells, “Don’t forget your mittens.” In Pasadena, 12 months a year, excluding three rainy weeks in February during an exceptionally wet season, you spend your entire life outdoors, bombing Author Karen Karbo around on your bike. The world, with its golden light and dry air, does nothing to impede your desire to play. The message is that nothing in the natural world, aside from perhaps an earthquake — which is short, to the point and cannot be predicted — will ever get in your way. The fine weather colluded with Julia’s mother, Caro, to support the girl’s junioranarchist style. She was a freewheeling tomboy who loved to hike, swim, play tennis and golf. Julia was the girl in the neighborhood who could pitch a softball overhand. “Jukes” was full of ideas for adventures that were rarely evaluated for their merit. The point of her young life seemed to be to make something — anything — happen, regardless of the outcome. I should stop here and say there’s a flip side to living in such an agreeable climate. Living in a world unmarred by the threat of impending weather, cloudy on occasion but with no chance of snow, ice or sleet, does make a kid feel that if anything exciting is going to happen, she’s going to have to be the one to make it so. Above all, Julia loved not knowing what was going to happen next. From the time she was a girl, her eyes popped open in the morning and one of her first thoughts was

How can I have fun and make some trouble today? She was the ringleader of the neighborhood group of kids who, completely unsupervised, rode around the oak and pepper tree–lined streets, up into the scrubby hills, down into the dusty arroyos and over the newly built bridges, where they would stop only to drop mud pies on cars passing below. (On second thought, maybe Jukes’ mom did try to force her to learn how to cook, and that’s how she found herself doing all this cool stuff.) They routinely stole material from construction sites and broke into vacant houses in the neighborhood. Mrs. Greble, the neighborhood “witch” (she yelled at Julia for hiding out in her oak tree, smoking Pop’s purloined cigars), was the target of Julia’s pranks. Once they broke in and stole a chandelier and buried the crystal prisms. Sometimes Julia would get caught, and then she would get dutifully spanked by Pop, but did it make her feel bad for what she’d done? Did it make her refrain from stealing Pop’s cigarettes, cutting the braids off the head of the pastor’s daughter or hanging out with the hobos down at the train yard? Not at all. For Jukes getting spanked was simply the price of doing what amused her. By the time she was a preteen, Julia had developed a habit of stealing Pop’s cigarettes, and also the cigarettes that belonged to the parents of her friends. Pop, who by this time had recognized the futility of traditional discipline, instead gathered his kids for a powwow. He promised that if they stayed away from cigarettes until they were 21, they would each receive a thousand-dollar bond (worth $13,218.11 in 2012 dollars). Julia, recognizing a great deal, abstained until the stroke of 12:01 a.m. the day after her 21st birthday, then smoked a pack a day well into middle age. She gave it up briefly on July 26, 1954, and took it up again on July 27, 1954, failing to see any reason then why she should deny herself the pleasure. |||| Excerpt reprinted with permission from Julia Child Rules: Lessons on Savoring Life by Karen Karbo (Skirt!; October 2013). 11.13 | ARROYO | 13

The Care and Feeding of Chocolate Lovers After a dubious beginning, chocolate has soared to the top of foodies’ most-wanted list. BY BRADLEY TUCK

NEXT TIME YOU’RE ABOUT TO LET A PIECE OF CHOCOLATE MELT SLOWLY IN YOUR MOUTH, SPARE A THOUGHT FOR THE AZTECS. NOT TO KILL YOUR CHOCOLATE BUZZ, BUT CHOCOLATE WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR SACRIFICIAL RITUAL DURING THE FEAST OF THE EQUINOX. THE POOR VICTIMS AWAITING SACRIFICE WERE PLIED WITH A CHOCOLATE BEVERAGE MIXED WITH THE BLOOD OF THOSE WHO’D BEEN SACRIFICED BEFORE THEM. THEY WOULD THEN BE MARCHED TO THE TOP OF A PYRAMID TO HAVE THEIR HEARTS RIPPED OUT, AND THE BLOOD FLOWING DOWN THE PYRAMID WAS GATHERED UP TO BE SERVED TO THE NEXT VICTIM — WITH MORE CHOCOLATE, OF COURSE. PUTS QUITE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THE CONCEPT OF CHOCOLATE AS A GUILTY PLEASURE, DOESN’T IT? OR PROVES THAT CHOCOLATE DOESN’T ACTUALLY MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER. OF COURSE, IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT THAT THE CHOCOLATE SO BELOVED BY MAYAN AND AZTEC CULTURES WAS A VERY DIFFERENT SUBSTANCE FROM THE SWEET BARS IN WHICH WE INDULGE THESE DAYS. INDEED, CHOCOLATE HAS A FASCINATING HISTORY, SPANNING CENTURIES, CULTURES AND CLASS. 14 | ARROYO | 11.13

Chocolate is a product derived from the seeds of Theobroma cacao, a tropical tree occurring naturally in Central and South America and now cultivated widely in tropical regions. The seeds are found in yellow-green pods, surrounded by a sweet, white fleshy pulp. The seeds themselves, however, are not sweet but bitter. The use of the seeds as a foodstuff can be traced all the way back to the pre-Olmec civilization known as Mokaya, some 1,900 years BC, although little is known about this. However, cacao was widely recorded in Mayan art and the word is itself Mayan. There is a great deal of conjecture and controversy regarding the origins of the word “chocolate.” Some sources trace it to the Aztecs’ Nahuatl word “chocolatl,” while others attribute it to another Mesoamerican word, “xocolatl.” What is known is that cacao beans were an extremely valuable crop. They were even used as currency among the Aztecs and, until the 18th century, in some parts of Central America as well. Aztec preparation of cocoa involved grinding the beans to a powder, mixing them with seeds, corn and chili peppers, then adding cold water and using a spoon to work the liquid into a frothy beverage. The Aztecs did not have sugar to sweeten the beverage, so it was bitter and spicy. It was believed to increase vigor and fertility for the drinker. Spanish Franciscan friars introduced cocoa beans to Europe in 1585. And it was soon after this that sugar was, very wisely, added to cocoa, making it more palatable and ensuring its place as a luxury exotic beverage. By the 1700s chocolate beverages were hugely popular in the coffee and chocolate houses of London, and

Chocolate Pudding Recipe INGREDIENTS ½ cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1½ tablespoons cocoa powder pinch salt 1 1/3 cups organic milk

2 egg yolks 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate ½ teaspoon vanilla ½ tablespoon organic butter

METHOD 1. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt in a medium-size heatproof bowl. Add milk to create a thick paste. Add egg yolks and cocoa powder. Set aside to cool. 2. Warm milk (just until it foams) in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Pour milk into egg mixture and whisk consistently until smooth. Heat entire mixture on low in a saucepan for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl (to remove lumps). Add finely chopped chocolate, vanilla extract and butter. Stir gently with rubber spatula until it reaches smooth consistency. 3. Transfer into cups. Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator (for up to a few days). Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and berries (optional).

with increased demand came more widespread cultivation, pushing down the price and allowing for broader consumption. Developments during the 1800s, however, truly revolutionized chocolate. In 1828, a Dutchman, Conrad J. Van Houten, patented a method for extracting the fat from roasted cacao beans. Using a press, he reduced the beans’ cacao butter content by almost half. The resulting “cake” could then be pulverized into a powder. After treatment with alkaline salts, this blend was more easily mixed with water, creating a smoother, milder drink. Then in the 1840s, an Englishman, Joseph Fry, added sugar, remixed it with cacao butter and molded it into a bar to create the fi rst marketable eating chocolate. Over the years various other chocolate makers refined processes and improved flavors. In 1875, a Swiss gentleman, Daniel Peter, put the fi rst milk chocolate on the market. And that, in a nutshell, is it. Oh, and that little cube of pleasure you have in your mouth, by the way, is melting due to a process called “conching,” a refining process that makes the chocolate “fondant,” or meltable at certain temperatures. You can thank Rodolphe Lindt — yes, that Lindt — for that. After all that history, you’re no doubt gasping for some of the real thing. To help you with that, we’ve designed a whole day of chocolate for you, from breakfast to bedtime — a day for you to indulge, savor and be thankful you don’t live in Mayan times.

Armed with chocolates, proceed to your place of work, where you will dispense largesse enough to ensure your popularity for weeks to come and perhaps even that promotion you’ve been eyeing. If you work from home, count your blessings — and your chocolates — and pace yourself. You’ve got 30 of those babies to enjoy.

Elevenses See last sentence above.

Lunch Come on! The place is called Cacao, for goodness’ sake! And goodness is what you get when you order their mole fries — a righteous pile of French fries coated in their housemade mole poblano, which, as you no doubt know, is made with chocolate. Theirs is sprinkled with sesame seeds, and there’s also the option of grated cheese. Fries. Chocolate. Cheese. You’re welcome. Cacao Mexicatessen 1576 E. Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock • cacaodeli.com

Afternoon Snack

Hot chocolate and pain au chocolat at The Market on Holly. What better way to start the day than by sitting down with the newspaper and arguably the best pastries in town, then washing them down with a creamy hot chocolate. Okay, fi ne, if you really need your morning Joe, we understand. The pain au chocolat is non-negotiable.

Now you know why we made you buy a box of 30. Or… After that pile of fries and mole, you might need a little pick-me-up, so head over to Amara, a lovely little cafe and chocolateria. It’s famous for its cacao latte, made with a choice of 61 percent dark, 44 percent milk or 35 percent white chocolate, espresso and milk. If you’re remotely peckish you might want to indulge in some tekeno. Tekenos are a popular snack in Venezuela, basically white cheese sticks wrapped in a crisp dough, served with dipping sauces. Here they come with sauces that include dark chocolate and spicy dark chocolate. Hmmm, cheese and chocolate. Again.

The Market on Holly

Amara Chocolate and Coffee

57 E. Holly St., Pasadena • themarketonholly.com

55 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena • amarachocolate.com

Walk across the street to Mignon Chocolate. This little chocolate boutique is going to be your provisions station for a day’s worth of chocolate snacks. First build your own box of 30 chocolates from a selection of flavors like Cuban Mojito and Ginger with Sea Salt. You might also want to grab a 70 percent–cacao dark chocolate-single origin bar too, just to be on the safe side. When it comes to chocolate, there are no half-measures.

Dinner

Mignon Chocolate

Little Beast Theobroma

Breakfast

6 E. Holly St., Pasadena • mignonchocolate.com

You’re going to sit on the porch at the side of this little restaurant and just order dessert. The chocolate pudding, to be precise. It comes in a mason jar, topped with whipped cream and some Maldon sea-salt flakes. While you’re there, you’re going to study the recipe above, kindly provided by Chef Sean Lowenthal. Then you’re going to watch the sun set over the hills above the 134 — relieved that you’re not on it. ||||

cacao 1496 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock • littlebeastrestaurant.com 11.13 | ARROYO | 15

arroyo

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SPONSORED BY

~HOME SALES INDEX~ sept

sept

2012

2013

+23.9% ALTADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. ARCADIA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. EAGLE ROCK HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. GLENDALE HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. LA CAÑADA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. PASADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SAN MARINO HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SIERRA MADRE HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SOUTH PASADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. TOTAL HOMES SOLD AVG PRICE/SQ. FT.

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

HOMES SOLD

AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.

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

407 495

+21.6%

HOMES SOLD

HOME SALES

SEPT ’13 51 $550,000 1371 SEPT ’13 43 $888,000 1996 SEPT ’13 18 $557,750 1358 SEPT ’13 131 $508,000 1435 SEPT ’13 22 $1,202,500 2176 SEPT ’13 178 $595,500 1480 SEPT ’13 15 $2,066,000 3013 SEPT ’13 14 $837,000 2189 SEPT ’13 23 $735,000 1244 SEPT ’13 495 $492

SOURCE: CalREsource

ADDRESS ALTADENA

CLOSE DATE PRICE BDRMS. SQ. FT. YR. BUILTPREV. PRICE

PREV. SOLD

1401 Crest Drive 604 Coate Court 1296 East Mendocino Street 1120 New York Drive 615 Hartwell Court 1274 East Mendocino Street 2550 Morslay Road 3652 Monterosa Drive 1269 Rubio Vista Road 1272 Sunny Oaks Circle 2983 Fair Oaks Avenue 55 West Altadena Drive 2651 Catherine Road 1455 New York Drive 524 West Palm Street 2694 Lincoln Avenue 580 East Las Flores Drive

09/24/13 09/11/13 09/13/13 09/05/13 09/13/13 09/27/13 09/10/13 09/13/13 09/11/13 09/04/13 09/12/13 09/30/13 09/06/13 09/06/13 09/06/13 09/17/13 09/11/13

$1,450,000 $1,288,000 $1,150,000 $1,070,000 $1,060,000 $1,015,000 $936,000 $888,000 $857,000 $840,000 $830,000 $800,000 $790,000 $770,000 $755,000 $752,500 $750,000

6 3 3 5 5 4 5 4 3 3 3 5 2 3

3832 2148 1846 3348 2142

2002 1927 1950 1998 1924

$690,000 $811,000 $1,002,500 $665,000 $421,000

05/01/2001 04/08/2003 04/18/2006 10/20/2009 04/02/1999

3262 2531 1323 2360 2603 1648 2245

1958 1965 1951 1911 1910 1955 1926

2 3

1994 2092

1940 1946

$85,500 $785,000 $779,000 $403,000 $450,000 $640,000 $305,000 $1,200,000 $488,500 $550,000

08/05/1977 08/12/2011 10/31/2007 08/28/2012 11/07/2012 09/28/2007 08/19/1998 05/05/2006 12/19/2012 07/11/2005

09/12/13 09/30/13 09/30/13 09/24/13 09/27/13 09/18/13 09/18/13 09/30/13 09/13/13 09/24/13 09/04/13 09/06/13 09/19/13 09/05/13 09/17/13 09/26/13 09/26/13 09/13/13 09/05/13 09/18/13 09/10/13 09/30/13 09/26/13 09/26/13 09/30/13 09/05/13 09/04/13 09/30/13 09/04/13 09/24/13

$7,100,000 $6,550,000 $4,100,000 $3,775,000 $2,720,000 $2,700,000 $2,450,000 $2,338,000 $2,110,000 $2,020,000 $1,769,000 $1,735,000 $1,558,000 $1,210,000 $1,200,000 $1,198,000 $1,198,000 $1,150,000 $1,000,000 $975,000 $900,000 $888,000 $875,000 $875,000 $850,000 $845,000 $818,000 $790,000 $780,000 $775,000

4 5 4 8 4 6 4 4 3 5 5 4 5 2 4 4 4 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3

3741 9942 5869

1938 2008 1954

$2,300,000 $1,905,000

09/02/2011 08/15/2005

2150 4287 2616 3959 1259 4573 4133 3025 3641 1464 2648 2033 2033 1647 1958 1751 1524 1148 2240 2240 1662 2292 2054 1034 1502 2058

1953 1941 1957 1950 1950 2004 2001 1951 1988 1956 1973 1959 1959 1951 1952 1958 1952 1927 1999 1999 1956 2001 1960 1947 1948 1953

$605,000

07/09/1993

$1,550,000 $485,000 $738,000 $1,530,000 $965,000

07/06/2006 11/08/1988 09/30/2010 04/27/2005 06/23/2003

$1,250,000 $1,000,000

02/28/2011 08/27/2013

$452,500 $452,500

01/25/2002 01/25/2002

$685,000 $218,000 $275,000 $458,000 $458,000 $420,000 $520,000 $818,000 $582,500 $730,000 $469,000

06/19/2008 06/12/1986 05/27/1998 06/25/2002 06/25/2002 02/23/2004 01/22/2004 10/07/2011 06/30/2005 01/05/2006 11/15/2002

ARCADIA 975 Hampton Road 830 Singing Wood Drive 816 Singing Wood Drive 1121 Rodeo Road 1530 Rodeo Road 1220 Ramona Road 1418 Oaklawn Road 1810 Wilson Avenue 431 East Wistaria Avenue 323 Leda Lane 1519 South 8th Avenue 540 Gloria Road 1011 Rodeo Road 2112 South 6th Avenue 1707 Rodeo Road 2241 Highland Vista Drive 2241 Highland Vista Drive 1716 Alta Oaks Drive 2536 South 4th Avenue 1101 Loganrita Avenue 1808 Vista Del Valle Drive 926 Mayflower Avenue 311 South 3rd Avenue 311 South 3rd Avenue 1111 Magnolia Lane 135 Genoa Street #B 330 Leda Lane 1718 Mayflower Avenue 1730 South 8th Avenue 1029 San Carlos Road

continued on page 16

The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2013. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.

16 | ARROYO | 11.13

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

SOURCE: CalREsource

ADDRESS GLENDALE

CLOSE DATE PRICE BDRMS. SQ. FT. YR. BUILTPREV. PRICE

PREV. SOLD

1119 Sonora Avenue #D 1837 West Mountain Street 1901 Hampton Lane 1271 Raymond Avenue 1551 Cleveland Road 666 Robin Glen Drive 1533 Highland Avenue 917 Cumberland Road 1714 Ard Eevin Avenue 2741 Sleepy Hollow Place 2645 Olympic Drive 2645 Olympic Drive 3271 Buckingham Road 2233 Hollister Terrace 3660 St. Elizabeth Road 735 Luring Drive 1223 Swarthmore Drive 849 Cavanagh Road 1246 North Cedar Street 925 Chudleigh Lane 1361 Greenbriar Road 1019 Calle Azul 1019 Calle Azul 1451 Beaudry Boulevard 1438 Opechee Way 960 Calle Del Pacifico 2412 Allanjay Place 1730 Capistrano Circle 3045 Menlo Drive 1517 Hillside Drive

09/30/13 09/24/13 09/27/13 09/24/13 09/12/13 09/17/13 09/30/13 09/13/13 09/16/13 09/20/13 09/26/13 09/26/13 09/20/13 09/27/13 09/17/13 09/24/13 09/11/13 09/10/13 09/05/13 09/20/13 09/13/13 09/27/13 09/27/13 09/03/13 09/06/13 09/17/13 09/10/13 09/20/13 09/04/13 09/05/13

$1,500,000 $1,200,000 $955,000 $899,000 $1,000,000 $982,000 $935,000 $880,000 $776,000 $1,835,000 $1,075,000 $1,075,000 $975,000 $868,000 $825,000 $800,000 $796,000 $1,200,000 $844,000 $839,000 $830,000 $1,200,000 $1,200,000 $1,066,000 $1,005,000 $958,000 $875,000 $875,000 $814,500 $800,000

8 3 3 4 3 6 2 4 3 4 3 3 8 6 3 4 3 7 4 3 3 4 4 7 3 4 3 6 7 5

$261,000 $775,000 $970,000 $700,000 $800,000 $982,000 $1,030,000

10/23/1997 09/01/2010 09/05/2006 11/24/2009 02/12/2009 09/17/2013 03/29/2007

$1,890,000 $750,000 $750,000 $759,000 $591,000 $300,000

06/17/2008 04/30/2003 04/30/2003 11/16/2011 10/15/2003 03/23/1994

$544,000 $728,000 $445,000 $540,000 $540,000 $975,000 $374,500 $1,016,000 $524,000 $1,420,000 $140,000 $607,000

08/23/1991 07/19/2013 04/25/2000 10/01/1996 10/01/1996 02/02/2011 06/09/2000 01/16/2007 05/23/2000 03/28/2007 04/05/1979 07/10/2003

09/06/13 09/18/13 09/30/13 09/18/13 09/05/13 09/06/13 09/20/13 09/11/13 09/19/13 09/20/13 09/20/13 09/05/13 09/19/13 09/30/13 09/27/13 09/23/13 09/27/13 09/27/13 09/06/13 09/05/13 09/30/13 09/30/13

$4,287,500 $1,855,000 $1,815,000 $1,732,000 $1,680,500 $1,550,000 $1,465,000 $1,355,000 $1,305,000 $1,235,000 $1,225,000 $1,180,000 $1,145,000 $992,000 $990,000 $975,000 $950,000 $950,000 $925,000 $905,000 $770,000 $750,000

4 4 4 5 4 4 3 6 4 2 3 4 3 3 2 6 3 3 3 4 2 3

$3,350,000 $1,450,000 $478,000

09/25/2009 06/01/2005 06/02/1994

$310,000 $1,300,010

10/23/1986 09/12/2003

$1,325,000 $490,000

04/13/2004 09/15/1993

$655,000 $442,000 $650,000 $555,000 $330,000

09/06/2001 10/19/1994 04/05/2002 03/15/2002 02/14/1997

09/20/13 09/10/13 09/27/13 09/13/13 09/03/13 09/20/13 09/25/13 09/25/13 09/27/13 09/20/13 09/19/13 09/20/13 09/12/13 09/23/13 09/12/13 09/13/13 09/05/13 09/06/13 09/04/13 09/30/13 09/09/13 09/10/13 09/05/13 09/26/13

$1,088,000 $965,000 $965,000 $785,000 $3,000,000 $1,389,000 $1,225,000 $1,225,000 $1,176,000 $977,000 $920,000 $895,000 $900,000 $890,000 $785,000 $765,000 $760,000 $1,800,000 $1,510,000 $1,500,000 $1,350,000 $1,350,000 $1,310,500 $1,255,000

3 3 2 5 4 5 7 7 3 4 2 5 6 1 3 3 3 3 2 4 4 4 4 3

3840 3100 2574

1964 1946 1926

2344

1928

2141 2403 2015 4506 3362 3362

1948 1928 1924 2001 1982 1982

1624 2554 2594

1960 1992 1964

2503 2343 2340 2984 2984

1929 1969 1978 1989 1989

2610 2618 2908 3919

1940 1989 1968 1960

3548

2005

5189 3393 2949 3798 4348 2920 2732

1948 1962 1960 1964 1930 1965 1954

2578 1677 2245 2614 1930 1656 1835

1962 1950 1978 1931 1966 1947 1941

2004 2004 1764 1944 1784 2107

1961 1961 1953 1970 1973 1948

$1,240,000 $1,240,000

11/29/2006 11/29/2006

$760,000 $362,000 $425,000

09/10/2003 04/07/1999 07/26/2002

2111 1910 1860 3148 4436

2004 2009 2009 1922 1969

$1,070,000

06/10/2005

$1,000,000 $750,000 $1,275,000 $405,000 $405,000

07/16/2013 01/08/1997 06/19/2007 04/28/1998 04/28/1998

1883 1788 1723 3009 2918 870 1909 1479 1813 4282 1567 2953 2230 3952 3147 2117

1924 1963 1947 1905 1954 1920 1928 1931 1940 1927 1950 1948 1937 1968 1911 1958

$670,000 $625,000 $284,000 $866,000 $673,000

12/19/2003 10/15/2003 10/28/2011 08/10/2007 12/17/2009

$728,000 $810,000

03/27/1997 02/24/2011

$1,150,000

07/14/2009

LA CAĂ&#x2018;ADA FLINTRIDGE 4201 Mesa Vista Drive 650 Starlight Crest Drive 1229 Lanterman Lane 2134 Patagonia Drive 4300 Beulah Drive 3720 Hampstead Road 4902 Alta Canyada Road 1501 Riendo Lane 3943 Robin Hill Road 5187 Vista Miguel Drive 4721 Gould Avenue 2001 Tondolea Lane 172 Starlight Crest Drive 4956 Revlon Drive 4639 Lasheart Drive 1217 Olive Lane 4850 Commonwealth Avenue 4850 Commonwealth Avenue 2117 Sunnybank Drive 4615 Leir Drive 5308 Godbey Drive 634 Houseman Street

PASADENA 448 South Oakland Avenue #10 920 Granite Drive #102 920 Granite Drive #402 628 East Del Mar Boulevard 804 Linda Vista Avenue 1195 Linda Vista Avenue 736 Linda Vista Avenue 736 Linda Vista Avenue 1409 Linda Vista Avenue 545 Bellmore Way 1444 Wicks Road 133 North Orange Grove Boulevard 1653 North Allen Avenue 1480 North Wilson Avenue 2246 East Dudley Street 2321 Loma Vista Street 2100 Paloma Street 830 Hillside Terrace 940 Mesa Verde Road 325 West Bellevue Drive 61 Glen Summer Road 44 Club Road 600 West California Boulevard 1326 Marianna Road

continued on page 45 11.13 | ARROYO | 17

ARROYO HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

LEOPARDS, LINENS AND LIGHTS… A 2013 Guide to Decking the Halls BY JOANNA DEHN BERESFORD

JAYCOX SITS ACROSS FROM ME, PAGING THROUGH A MAGAZINE. SHE’S BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY IN HER CORNER AT THE BOOK SHOP; SHE KNOWS I’M ALWAYS LATE. I DROP DOWN, INTO THE CHAIR ACROSS FROM HER AND SHUFFLE THROUGH THE MAGAZINES THAT HAVE ACCUMULATED THERE AT THE TABLE – ELLE DÉCOR, ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST, TRADITIONAL HOME, MOTOR TRENDS, GUNS AND HORSES.

–continued on page 21

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PHOTOS: Courtesy of Jordi & CO

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 18 “This is an interesting selection,” I say. “Did you pick these up, or were they already here?” “They were already here.” She sniffs and turns another page. “These are their ‘holiday editions.’ I don’t mind some of it, but mostly it’s just junk, just a joke. And it’s all too expensive. The lights are too small, and everything just looks cheap and disgusting. All the good stuff is gone.” When Jaycox was a child, they cut out ribbons from colored construction paper and strung them across the ceiling with homemade paste, made from flour and water, and they hung a paper bell from the center of the ribbons. She says her mother was careful about putting everything out, and the children were always very excited. She remembers how the light would hit the silver icicles at different times of day and cast prism-like patterns everywhere, that would sparkle. And an old wreath that her mother pulled out every year, with a light in the center that bubbled and glowed with heat, and Jaycox says, “I could sit there and look at that light for hours.” Their family didn’t have any money, but her mother would set out baskets of oranges and nuts for the children, because they didn’t get those very often during the year. And they got presents from the Salvation Army, which were moth-eaten sweaters, and costume jewelry, and white babydolls with blonde hair, which seemed strange to Jaycox, since she was a little black girl. I finish my coffee (Jaycox doesn’t drink coffee because something’s up with her stomach, not exactly ulcers, but close), and pick up a couple of bargain books and –continued on page 23

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PHOTOS: Courtesy of Jordi & CO

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 21 we stroll out into the sunlight. I kiss her old cheek and tell her I love her, and we go our separate ways; I go home to review my notes from Jordan Stringfellow. Jordan is more of a phenomenon than a person, I would say. A graduate of USC Law Center, she was pursuing a flourishing career as in house counsel for a couple of major television companies more than a decade ago, and she loved her job. But she was simultaneously cultivating a secret passion: she adored entertaining at her home in Pasadena, and she discovered that she was a gifted (and eventually, much-sought-after) planner and decorator. She left her day job ten years ago and founded Jordi & CO, an event planning and decorating business, and she’s been making the world more beautiful and festive ever since. “I’m delighted that you’re not asking me about trends,” Jordi said originally, when I asked her to share some holiday decorating ideas. “In my view, the best home holiday décor certainly can, but does not need to reflect trends; rather it should reflect the client, her style, her existing home décor and holiday collections, keeping grounded in what she holds dear while introducing new materials and sometimes unusual or unexpected décor items in an exciting way.” Jordi can transform any room into a masterpiece. She and her team of designers create custom fruit and floral displays, magnificent tablescapes, thematic Christmas trees and gorgeous arrangements of heirlooms around mantles and fireplaces, on trees, tables and hanging in windows. In general, she recommends balance, and encourages her clients to think about their daily lives as they deck their halls for the –continued on page 33

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More than Just a Cuppa Joe 10 great Pasadena places for artisan coffee spiced with repartee STORY AND COFFEEHOUSE PHOTOS BY NOELA HUESO

IT’S EASY TO BE OVERCAFFEINATED IN PASADENA. THE SEPTEMBER ARRIVAL OF URTH CAFFE, THE TRENDY WESTSIDE FIXTURE EXALTED FOR ITS PIQUANT ORGANIC COFFEES AND TEAS, IS JUST THE LATEST IN WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS A VIBRANT AND GROWING COFFEE SCENE THAT GOES WELL BEYOND SUCH STALWART CHAINS AS PEET’S AND STARBUCKS (THOUGH THERE ARE PLENTY OF THOSE, TOO). THESE DAYS, THERE’S A MULTITUDE OF INDEPENDENT SHOPS AND COFFEEHOUSES CATERING TO ALL COFFEE TASTES, FROM CASUAL TO CONNOISSEUR. ONE THING REMAINS CONSTANT, HOWEVER, WHETHER YOU’RE ZIPPING THROUGH THE DRIVE-THROUGH AT THE TINY GOTTA JAVA KIOSK ON ARROYO PARKWAY (WHERE OWNER THERESA CHAMBERS HAS REGULAR CUSTOMERS’ ORDERS READY WHEN THEY DRIVE UP TO HER WINDOW) OR SIPPING AN AUTHENTIC ITALIAN CAPPUCCINO OUTDOORS AT THE ELEGANT MASSETTI’S ON LAKE (WHERE BARISTA-OWNER STEVE FELICE ENGAGES CLIENTS IN LIVELY CONVERSATION): THE SAVORY EXCHANGE BETWEEN BARISTA AND PATRON — AS MUCH AS THE COFFEE ITSELF — IS WHAT KEEPS SATISFIED CUSTOMERS COMING BACK. SO HERE’S ARROYO’S GUIDE TO TOP-NOTCH ARTISAN COFFEE-

Amara Chocolate & Coffeeee Amara Barroeta is a former Miss Venezuela contestant with a degree in chemical engineering and a background as a TV host and voice-over artist — but what she really loves to do is cook. A year-and-a-half ago, she opened Amara Chocolate & Coffee, where delicate handmade pastries, desserts, truffles, fondues and sipping chocolates abound (all made with imported Venezuelan chocolate). They share the stage with signature espresso lattes made with beans from Pasadena’s Jones Coffee Roasters, such as Cacao (dark chocolate and espresso), Amara (dulce de leche), Caracas (condensed milk) and Aztec (chile pasilla and cinnamon). Check out Venezuela’s native flavors in Amara’s homemade arepas (sandwiches filled with shredded beef, plantain and black beans) and tequeños (cheese stick appetizers) and stay for the live music on Friday and Saturday nights — or just for some good conversation. “In Venezuela, people take the time to enjoy a coffee, to talk to one another,” Barroeta says. “We want to encourage that here.”

HOUSES IN TOWN THAT HAVE MASTERED BOTH THE ARTS OF COF55 S. Raymond Ave. • (626) 710-8831

FEE AND CONVERSATION:

Tuesday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday, –continued on page 27

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–continued from page 25

Copa Vida After more than a dozen years in the wholesale food-manufacturing business, Steve Chang decided to open an artisan coffeehouse. He spent a year traveling from Costa Rica to Seattle to learn everything he could about coffee. Then, in a mere four months, Chang, along with two business partners, opened the sophisticated Copa Vida, which debuted in August. There are three elements in the Copa Vida concept: Go is the Honor Bar, where folks on the run can grab their own coffee during rush hours; Enjoy is a traditional coffee bar where a latte, espresso, iced freddo or shakerato can be found alongside tea brewed in Copa Vida’s state-of-the-art Alpha Dominche Automatic Syphon System; Experience refers to the slow bar, home to regular coffeeand tea-tasting events with expert baristas (also available for private soirees). In an homage to the restaurant Copa Vida replaced — redwhite+bluezz — there’s live jazz Friday and Saturday nights. 70 S. Raymond Ave • copa-vida.com. • (626) 213-3952 Monday–Thursday, 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m.–11 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.–9 p.m.; free wi-fi

Equator Back in 1999, when Teddy Bedjakian took over the Equator Café in Old Pasadena, he says he could count the number of local coffeehouses on one hand. Over the years, Equator, which was a favorite for poets and other artists, changed with the times, and today its Asian-inspired décor mirrors the fusion cuisine now served there. But Equator is still a coffeehouse, maintains Bedjakian, and the flavorful drinks on the menu — such as Black Forest, Cocomo, Banana Royale, Cinnabar and Irish Mint — reflect the restaurant’s expertise in that area. There are good deals to be had, too: Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. until noon, Equator offers coffee for $1, espresso for $1.50 and lattes for $2. 22 Mills Pl. • equatorcafe.com • (626) 564-8656 Sunday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–midnight; Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m.–1:45 a.m.

Espress Yourself Coffee Bar Twenty years ago, Richard Hawthorne left behind a career as a personnel director and found his true calling as the owner of Espress Yourself, located for the past 13 years in the atmospheric courtyard of the Pasadena Public Library’s main branch. Regulars flock to Espress Yourself (another Jones Coffee Roasters emissary) for cappuccinos and macchiatos but also for such signature lattes as Butternut (a blend of butterscotch and hazelnut topped with homemade whipped cream) and Pot of Gold (Irish cream with a touch of praline). Hawthorne chalks up the success of his business not only to what he serves but to relationships that have grown over years. “People come here because they enjoy the ambiance and the friendship and the connection.” 285 E. Walnut St. • (626) 744-7575 Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

–continued on page 29

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–continued from page 27

Float Tucked in the far end of the quaint, British-inspired Shoppers Lane on South Lake Avenue sits Float, a tiny coffeehouse that focuses on coffee (from L.A.’s Handsome Coffee Roasters), ice cream and soda (more than 40 varieties) in equal measure. In business for little over a year, owner Iris Lee has created a menu with such fun signature items as Dirty Pop (soda and coffee) and affogato (espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream). Guests can sip while dining on sandwiches such as the Good Fella (Italian meats and cheese) and the Hungry Vegetarian. And come they do, despite Float’s out-of-theway location. “When people discover us,” says Lee, “it’s almost like they’ve come across a treasure that’s their own — and then they get to tell their friends.” 380 S. Lake Ave. • floatpasadena.com • (626) 844-3488 Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters They used to roast beans in a popcorn popper and share their handiwork with friends, but coffee aficionados David Ross and Ryan Hamlin decided to open Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters seven years ago so they could reach a wider audience. Their Allen Avenue location not only perfects beans in small batches and sells them on the premises (and to local restaurants), but the place also serves as a rustic-style coffeehouse where people can watch their beans being roasted. Signature drinks include a spicy Mayan Mocha chock full of chipotle chiles, cinnamon and chocolate; a rich and creamy lavender-vanilla breve, made with steamed half-and-half and espresso; and their pumpkin spice latte, a seasonal favorite made with real pumpkin and various spices, which is steamed with milk before being blended into espresso. “It’s like liquid pumpkin pie,” says Chrysti Chaney, Jameson Brown manager. 260 N. Allen Ave. • jamesonbrown.com • (626) 395-7585 Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Jones Coffee Roasters It could be said that Chuck Jones has coffee in his blood. His family has been in the coffee business for five generations, going back to Jones’ maternal great-great-grandparents in Guatemala, who became owners of a coffee plantation in the 1850s. Jones officially entered the family business in 1994, when he and his brother took their first 20-ton container of coffee beans from the family’s Finca Dos Marias farm and sold its contents in the U.S. The business continued to grow and, these days, the master roaster and importer supplies coffee for a dozen high-end local restaurants plus institutions such as Caltech and USC. His roasting headquarters on South Raymond is also home to a charming and bohemian coffeehouse, a warehouse setting with live music, saleable artwork and, on Friday mornings, savory tamales sold alongside lattes and fresh pastries brought in each day from Europane. “The community was thirsty for a place to convene and mix. They built us into what we are,” Jones says. Be sure to ask for his Aztec Mocha, a beguiling but elusive drink that’s available only when a special blend of Mexican cocoa is hand-delivered to Jones by the great-grandson of the Ibarra chocolate empire in Guadalajara. 693 S. Raymond Ave. • thebestcoffee.com • (626) 564-9291 Monday–Friday, 6:30 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. –continued on page 30 11.13 | ARROYO | 29

–continued from page 29

Massetti Caffé Mobilé Espresso Italiano Retired real estate attorney Steve Felice is so passionate about espresso that his inability to find the authentic taste he enjoyed in Italy (“smooth, silky and syrupy with a chocolatey aftertaste”) led him last year to open the Massetti Caffé Mobilé, a sleek marble, mahogany and stainlesssteel outdoor espresso bar positioned strategically at the Pasadena Corporate Center, facing South Lake Avenue. Massetti offers traditional Italian drinks, replete with its macchiato, Americanos, cappuccinos and lattes, all made with the Massetti Custom Blend, a special coffee Felice created with master roaster Chuck Jones. What Felice calls “the Massetti experience” is not just about the coffee, however. It’s about the interaction of customers at the al fresco bar as they enjoy a drink and a freshly baked pastry or handcrafted panini. “We’re the kind of place where people… stop and have a chat before they go about their busy day,” Felice says. Corporate Center Plaza• 251 S. Lake Ave. • massettiespresso.com • (626) 319-4550 Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Sidewalk Café HTS Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Old Pasadena and the Playhouse District, Sidewalk Café HTS, opened in 2010, sits at the top of Los Robles Avenue in historic Hen’s Teeth Square, which has the distinction of being the first strip mall in L.A. County, built circa 1930. Owners Kip Rolfe, Ayo Henderson and Bernard Peralta have made HTS equal parts coffeehouse, art gallery, performance space and community meeting space. A yearand-a-half ago, Rolfe started roasting coffee; he joined the Roasters Guild and now supplies Sidewalk Café exclusively through his Coast 2 Coast Roasters, based in Arcadia. Be sure to try Sidewalk’s mochas: regular, white chocolate or their bestselling Mexican Mocha. The extensive menu also includes smoothies, sandwiches and pastries. 2057 N. Los Robles Ave. • sidewalkcafehts.com • (626) 797-9255 Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m.–2 p.m.; free wi-fi

Zona Rosa Caffe In 1994, Michael Moreno opened Zona Rosa, touted as the fi rst Latin-inspired coffeehouse in Southern California. Located next door to the Pasadena Playhouse in a cozy two-story space fi lled with art that reflects its ethnic roots, Zona Rosa has cemented its reputation as one of the city’s pioneers in the coffeehouse and coffeeroasting scene. (The Zona Rosa Coffee label is organic- and fair-trade–certified.) Signature drinks amid an extensive menu include the Zona Red Eye and Zocalo con Platano (Mexican chocolate with blended banana). After years as a cash-only business, Zona Rosa now accepts credit cards. 15 S. El Molino Ave. • zonarosaaffe.com • (626) 793-2334 Monday, 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Tuesday–Thursday, 7:30 a.m.–11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 7:30 a.m.–midnight; Sunday, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. ||||

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PHOTO: Courtesy of Aldik Home

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 23 holidays. Recently Jordi has enjoyed creating entrances and foyers that reflect her approach to home holiday décor. One client, in particular, wanted “a new look for her unusual and dramatic foyer,” says Jordi. “We took our inspiration from a particularly eye catching settee that sits squarely in front of the door as one enters the foyer. A classic antique in style, but upholstered in leopard print. LEOPARD became our inspiration.” They draped the upper stairhall and descending staircase in thick, fresh, beautiful Christmas greenery, then embellished them with silk poinsettias in leopard pring, accented with red, feather-tailed birds, classic red Chrismas ball ornaments and other sparkly accessories that dance and catch the light. Jordi ordered slender trees for the hallway, and lit them with hundreds of white lights, piled prop gifts beneath them and added dazzling accessories to the hallmark settee. “We created something that gave a great nod to the traditional, but which added touches of splash and whimsy that were not the least bit garish. A leopard print Christmas – when done with a deft touch – why not?” For an extravagant burst of Christmas spirit and inspiration, I visited the legendary Aldik Home display of ornaments, ribbons, elves, santas, angels and the most extensive and beautiful selection of artificial trees in the country. The Aldik showroom is an absolute winter wonderland, and Aldik’s Michael Perez offers bountiful suggestions for holiday décor. They create gorgeous flower arrangements, garlands and centerpieces, for example, enhanced by realistic, battery-operated pillar candles that mimic the motion of actual flames. And Michael emphasizes the importance of decorating even the smaller areas of the home, like powder and bathrooms. “This is a must,” he says. “Your guests are going into this room and it’s easy to –continued on page 35 11.13 | ARROYO | 33

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PHOTO: Courtesy of Aldik Home

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 33 place a small tree, cones, Santa or arrangement on the vanity. If you have a pedestal sink, we can make a small teardrop out of pine with décor to match the room or theme. All of these will need some LED battery operated lights, and it’s spectacular!” Spectacular indeed. Whether it’s Jaycox’s memories of paper stars, fruit baskets and homemade paste, or the rich and romantic visions of Jordan Stringfellow, or the world’s most amazing gallery of lights and trees and all things Christmas, ‘tis a season for celebration. May the holiday spirit visit us - every one in every home!||||

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Altadena’s Institute of Domestic Technology offers classes on DIY foodcrafting skills that help make a house a home. STORY BY BETTIJANE LEVINE • PHOTOS BY LULU TAPP

SPEND A DAY AT THE INSTITUTE OF DOMESTIC TECHNOLOGY IN ALTADENA AND YOU MAY NEVER LOOK AT FOOD OR SUPERMARKETS THE SAME WAY AGAIN. IN FACT, YOU MAY VIEW WITH DISDAIN THE ENDLESS AISLES AND SUPERFLUOUS SELECTIONS OF PROCESSED, CHEMICALINFUSED PRODUCTS THAT TASTE NOTHING LIKE THE FOOD YOU MADE SO EASILY — FROM SCRATCH — IN THE INSTITUTE’S KITCHEN. –continued on page 39

Institute Director Joseph Shuldiner

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A bread-making tutorial

Shuldiner slices peaches for preserves.

–continued from page 37

Life, or one’s outlook on it, really can change radically after just one class — from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., lunch included — called Foodcrafting 101. For someone who doesn’t cook, spends too much on restaurant take-out and uses Whole Foods’ kitchen as her personal chef, this class was transformational. In one day, using no artificial anything, I made bread dough, jam from fresh strawberries and rhubarb, ricotta cheese from cream-topped milk and mustard from an assortment of condiments added to mustard seeds, guided by experts in the physics and flavors of preparing pure, delicious homemade eats. But enough about me. The institute opened in 2011, the brainchild of Joseph Shuldiner, who, in his former life, was a gallery owner, artist and graphic designer. He says he reinvented himself after the economy tanked and decided to pursue his lifelong passion for quality food made from healthy ingredients. “I envisioned a foodcrafting academy, a kind of modern home-ec university, for men and women who want to know about ingredients and how things are made.”

Shuldiner, who owns a mountain cabin in Altadena, struck up a friendship with Steve Rudicel when they were both on a local food coop board. Rudicel owns the historic Zane Grey mansion, where he and his physicist fiancée, Gloria Putnam, were raising goats and chickens and making their own milk and cheese in a cozy, high-tech freestanding kitchen. It was a match made in heaven, says Shuldiner. “We were kindred spirits. We wanted to start something about food and community and Altadena.” Their first experiment, in 2011, was a guerrilla farmers’ market in the mansion’s front yard. “It was Gloria’s idea,” Shuldiner says. “She sent out Facebook invites to neighbors, saying if you’re raising chickens, [growing] veggies or fruit, making pies or cakes, come by and you can swap or sell or whatever.” She was flooded with responses. “We had no idea so many neighbors were growing their own food and raising animals. The guy across from Steve and Gloria had 100 chickens and they never even knew it,” continues Shuldiner, who led the urban market’s programming, educational events and cooking demonstrations. –continued on page 41 11.13 | ARROYO | 39

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–continued from page 39

Within six months, he says, more than 1,000 people were showing up, and the market became too big to handle on the property. It closed, but L.A. County honchos who oversee Altadena had heard about Shuldiner’s programming prowess and asked him to organize and manage a certified Altadena farmers’ market in lower Loma Alta Park. It’s open Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m., and that’s just one of Shuldiner’s burgeoning list of projects. He recently wrote a cookbook, Pure Vegan: 70 Recipes for Beautiful Meals and Clean Living (Chronicle Books), and has a new one due out soon, based on courses at the institute. He also consults on ways to reinvigorate L.A.’s historic downtown Grand Central Market. But the institute he founded and directs is still his major project, with classes of 20 filled up almost as soon as they’re listed. Students of all ages — men and women — arrive from around California, even from out of state. There are lots of other cooking classes available, Shuldiner says, but he’s aware of none that focus on ingredients and how they interrelate. The institute offers courses in everything from bacon curing and coffee roasting to pickling and cocktail crafting (how to make bitters, liqueur infusions and more), not to mention basics like universal pie crusts, bread “camp” and cheese-making (called “milkcrafting,” it’s where you can learn to make simple aged cheddars, aged gouda and mozzarella). On a recent Saturday, which started with homemade scones, coffee and a visit with the Rudicel goats, there wasn’t a seat to spare. Some were novices, others were experienced home bakers and cooks. Student LaShawn Brinson of Long Beach is chair of child development at Los Angeles Southwest College. “A friend took the 101 course and she’s been sharing her homemade bread, cheese and jam with me,” Brison said. “Her excitement rubbed off. I wanted to learn to make all that myself.” Vicki Karlan of Mar Vista, a healthcare outcome researcher, said she’d read about the course online, and law firm librarian Jennifer Friedman of Glendale had read about it in Martha Stewart Living magazine. Stacy and Jeff Weiss were one of several husband-and-wife teams taking the course. Both Jet Propulsion Lab engineers, the Weisses live on the arroyo in nearby Linda Vista, where they nurture an herb garden and grow their own tomatoes. The school’s rotating staff of instructors consists of enthusiastic experts in various foodcrafting specialties who live the life they teach about. They bake, brew and craft on a daily basis in their own homes, Shuldiner says. Many have started their own culinary businesses, selling their wares at the Altadena Farmers’ Market and beyond. All have advanced education in food safety issues and regulations — and great personalities to boot. Instructors include Daniel Kent, co-owner of Altadena’s Plow & Gun artisanal coffee company (he teaches how to sort green coffee beans and roast them on a stovetop popcorn-maker that simulates a commercial roaster); Rudicel and Putnam, the institute’s “deans of dairy,” co-owners of Mariposa Creamery in Altadena and certified Master Food Preservers (Rudicel is also a chef, co-owner of The Press Restaurant in Claremont and an interdisciplinary professor at Cal Poly Pomona); jam expert Kevin West, a former Paris correspondent for W magazine, author of the recently released Saving the Season: A Cook’s Guide to Home Canning, Pickling and Preserving (Knopf), a budding jam company entrepreneur and a co-consultant, with Shuldiner, on reinventing Grand Central Market; Erik Knutzen, co-author with his wife, Kelly Coyne, of The Urban

A Foodcrafting 101 class in session

Homestead (Process; 2010) and Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World (Rodale; 2011). (Read the Knutzens’ blog, rootsimple.com, for some poignant insights on how to live a more self-reliant, green urban life.) And of course, there’s Shuldiner, the institute’s director and a certified Master Food Preserver. What started as a local experiment seems to be having some national impact. As the country reinvents itself, there’s growing awareness that we can also reinvent how we shop and eat. And if enough people, of all economic brackets, could learn the home-ec basics that the institute teaches, it might eventually mean a huge shift in what millions buy and how they prepare it. Right now, the institute is just a tiny blip on the trendier side of the national foodie radar, as it garners adulation from upscale food blogs and magazines. But if Bon Appétit is right, the institute and little Altadena are poised to become “the next big locavore destination.” |||| Visit instituteofdomestictechnology.com for class schedules and paid enrollment. 11.13 | ARROYO | 41

42 | ARROYO | 11.13

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Cronuts

Cro-Not Ignore the hybrid pastry craze and savor a genuine original: the pure, unadulterated croissant. BY LESLIE BILDERBACK

The media has been awash lately with news of the Cronut. For those

Antoinette. More likely it was the Viennese baker August Zang, who opened a Viennese bakery in Paris in the early 1800s.That is why flaky, buttery morning pastries are technically known

of you whose only form of media consumption involves this maga-

as Viennoiserie. Even the breakfast Danish, though created in Denmark, was the brainchild of Viennese bakers recruited as scabs during a Danish bakers’ strike. (“Scabs” is, I suppose, not

zine, the Cronut is a devious creation consisting of classic croissant

a good word to use in a food article. What do you want from me?)

dough cut into the shape of a donut and deep-fried.

plaints run so deep. It’s not necessarily the finished product I object to. In fact — full

This illustrious historical pedigree gives you some indication of why my Cronut comLaunched in May by New York’s Dominique Ansel Bakery, the Cronut is the first pastry I

disclosure — I haven’t tried it. (No, I’m not afraid I might actually like it. I have principles. Also,

have ever seen go viral. Immediately, knock-offs began showing up on menus across the

I am on a low-carb diet.) What I object to is the very idea that such a thing as the croissant

globe. I even watched a talk-show host feed one to Hugh Jackman, whose response after

needs improvement. If chefs want to improve the croissant, try making it properly.That pale,

one bite was “now I have to spend another hour in the gym.” At least.

bready thing you’re buying at Vons and Dunkin’ Donuts is a travesty.Yes, there are a few

The bakery has trademarked the name “Cronut,” but I don’t think it will matter. While it’s

places here where we Americans can get a properly made croissant. A handful of chefs

true they are being made everywhere, lines are still forming at that New York City bakery

(including me) were trained in the proper method, either by European chefs or European

up to 2½ hours before they open.There are even reports of the $5 pastry being scalped for

chefs once-removed. Even Starbucks has a pretty good one now, prompted no doubt by

up to $100. (Apparently, the idiocracy has leaked out of Washington, D.C.) And out of the

the complaints of their snooty patrons.

woodwork came two other bakers who lacked the special arrogance it takes to trademark

Good croissants are hard to come by because they are not something you can throw

a pastry.They are both claiming firsties, although, of course, they called theirs the Dosant

together on a whim.They take hours, even days, to make properly. Unlike most of the cook-

and the Doughssant. Hopefully, they make up in baking skill what they clearly lack in goofy

ing I encourage, the croissant does not take well to eyeballing. It is what we call in the busi-

name-make-upping.

ness a “laminated dough.”This does not mean it is coated in plastic (as one of my wiseacre

Usually I am all for culinary experimentation. But what began as an innocent enough

friends suggested); rather, it means it is layered. A portion of yeast dough is carefully stacked

experiment has, in my opinion, not only sullied the good name of the poor croissant but

with a block of butter.The two are rolled, then folded (a particular fold, very specific and

also spawned a wave of unconscionable food combinations, now being referred to as

precise), rested and chilled, then rolled and folded again, rested and chilled again and

“mash-ups,” a phrase previously reserved for Glee songs and root vegetables. (Just shoot

rolled and folded again (you get the idea).The result is a package of dough that consists

me now.) Nacho lasagna, macaroni-and-cheese meatloaf, the turducken (chicken inside

of multiple layers of thin butter, which, in the heat of the oven, release steam that pushes up

a duck inside a turkey) and even a pie baked into a cake. (Which, I would have named

the alternating layers of dough, resulting in flakiness. Seasoned cooks will immediately rec-

a “pie-caken.” Hello, patent office?) Foolishness aside, when you think about it, isn’t every

ognize the process as identical to that of puff pastry — another laminated dough — albeit

recipe a mash-up?

not a yeasted one. It is also a technique related to the cut-in method of pie dough, biscuits

Then why does this concept irk me so? Because I spend a good deal of each day taking food seriously. (Not that you would now it from these writings.) The croissant, especially, holds

and scones, although it is far less casual. To help ensure that the Cronut is a short-lived phenomenon, I offer you the recipe for

a great deal of my esteem. First of all, they are damn hard to make. (Not for me. But, you

classic croissants. But more precisely, I want you to make them yourself because I am terribly

know, for most people.) Executed properly (and the majority of croissants found in the States

afraid. America — if we allow the Cronut to exist without reprimand, what is next? At the risk

are rarely properly executed), this pastry is a crisp-on-the-outside, flakey-on-the-inside, dark

of sounding like the gastronomical version of political reactionaries worried that Proposition

golden-brown, buttery bite of heaven. Never mind that eating them regularly will eventually

8 would lead to man/animal weddings, do we really want to be the country known for food

clog les arteries.The croissant is a living culinary artifact from long ago, and it deserves a little

mash-ups? Are we prepared for Pop Tart--Napoleons and Hamburger Helper--Wellington?

more respect than to be deep-fried and trending on BuzzFeed.

I understand that we are a melting pot, but there are simply some things you shouldn’t

The tale of its origins is amazing, if farfetched. During the Battle for Vienna in 1683, the Otto-

throw into it. ||||

man Turks began tunneling under the city’s walls. Bakers, up in the wee hours as usual, heard the ruckus, sounded a warning and saved the fair city.The crescent-shaped pastry is suppos-

Leslie Bilderback is a certified master baker, chef and the author of Mug Cakes: 100

edly a commemoration of the bakers’ valor, referencing the crescent on the Ottoman flag.

Speedy Microwave Treats to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth (St. Martin’s Press). She can be found

There is no documentation for this story, of course. But it is a well-loved and oft-repeated myth.

in the kitchen of Heirloom Bakery in South Pasadena, tweeting @lbilderback and teach-

Though French bakers have certainly excelled at its production, the croissant is definitely Aus-

ing techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com

trian in origin. Some speculate it was brought to France by then--Austrian Archduchess Marie

–continued on page 45 11.13 | ARROYO | 43

44 | ARROYO | 11.13

Croissants

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

–continued from page 43

Croissants This is a laminated dough, which means it contains two components, butter block and dough (known as détrempé), which are pressed and folded to created multiple layers. Once you make it yourself, you’ll never stand for the abomination of a Cronut. INGREDIENTS Butter Block: 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ cup all-purpose flour

Deutremp: 2 cups milk 1¾ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 4 to 6 cups bread flour 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 egg

METHOD 1. Beat cold butter with lemon juice and all-purpose flour until it is creamy and lump-free. Form it into a square 1-inch thick and refrigerate. 2. Combine milk, yeast and sugar in a large bowl and set aside 10 minutes until foamy. Add salt and enough bread flour to make a firm dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Add flour only as needed to reduce stickiness. Wrap well and chill for 30 minutes. 3. Working on a floured surface, roll out dough into a square 2 inches larger than the butter block. Place butter on top so than it forms a diamond inside the dough square. Wrap dough over, completely encasing butter. Dust with flour, turn over and, using a rolling pin with short, light motions, roll into a rectangle a half-inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, like a business letter (called a single turn), and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 4. Remove chilled dough from the fridge, place on a floured surface and roll again, using short, light motions, this time into a rectangle, a half-inch thick. Make another single turn and refrigerate. Repeat this process for a total of 4 single turns, chilling between each. After the last turn, roll to a quarter-inch thick. The puff pastry is now ready to be formed and baked, or it can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for more than 24 hours. 5. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400˚. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, 12-inches high and a quarter-inch thick. Rest dough for 5 minutes, then cut into two parallel rectangles, each 6-inches long. Cut every 4 inches along the length, creating 4-by-6 rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half on the bias, creating 2 triangles. Roll triangle up from the wide side, shape into crescents and place on the prepared pan. Make an egg wash by combining egg with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of water, and brush lightly onto surface of croissants. Allow to rise for 10 minutes, then bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before serving with jam or marmalade. Do not slather them with butter, because that’s just greedy.

11.13 | ARROYO | 45

THE LIST

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

Arroyo Reconsidered

through Dec. 22 (dark Thanksgiving

Flamework Glass by Suellen Fowler

weekend Nov. 28 through Dec. 1).

Nov. 2 and 3 — New-

Tickets cost $20 Thursdays and $25

town Arts presents

Fridays through Sundays; student and se-

“Reconsidering the

nior rates are $15 Thursdays, $20 Fridays

Arroyo,” a series of 15 to 20 temporary

through Sundays.

outdoor art installations along a half-mile

The Fremont Centre Theatre is located at

trail in Pasadena’s Lower Arroyo Park. To

1000 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena.

enter the park, take California Boulevard

Call (866) 811-4111 or visit fremontcentre-

to Arroyo Boulevard, turn right and enter

theatre.com.

through a driveway about a quarter- mile north on Arroyo Boulevard.

Creative Arts Festival in Sierra Madre

Call (626) 398-9278 or visit newtownarts.org.

Nov. 8, 9 and 10 —

South Pas Kiwanis Celebrates 90th

The Foothill Creative

Nov. 2 — The Kiwanis

Arts Group hosts its annual Art Festival

Club of South Pasa-

in the Jameson Gallery and Art Center,

dena celebrates its

starting with a gala opening and artists’

90th anniversary with a 1920s-themed

reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. The

event from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the

Sierra Madre festival continues from

Woman’s Club of South Pasadena, fea-

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.

turing a memorabilia display of photos,

to 4 p.m. Sunday, featuring objects for

music and film, plus live entertainment,

sale by more than 60 artists and artisans,

dinner dancing and awards. Honorees

including fiber works, blown glass, ceram-

are South Pasadena City Clerk Sally

ics, jewelry, metal arts, paintings, photog-

Kilby and Bill Glazier, editor-in-chief of the

raphy, mosaics, silk painting, papier-mâ-

encouraged, but optional. Tickets, $60, or $45 each with a purchase of eight, are available at Reimagine Your Home, 1518 Mission St., South Pasadena, by calling

CRAFTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

ché and other media. Admission to the opening event and festival are free. The Creative Arts Group Jameson Gallery is located at 108 N. Baldwin Ave.,

Nov. 1, 2 and 3 — The Contemporary Crafts Market comes to the Pasadena Conven-

Sierra Madre. Call (626) 355-8350 or visit

(626) 344-8754 or by emailing steven_

tion Center with functional and decorative items produced by some 200 artisans from

creativeartsgroup.org.

inzunza@yahoo.com.

around the country. Curated objects include jewelry, glassware, ceramics, hand-

The Woman’s Club of South Pasadena is

painted textiles, custom furniture and mixed-media items.The event runs from 10 a.m.

located at 1424 Fremont St., South Pasa-

to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission costs $8, free for

dena.Visit facebook.com/Kiwanis-club-of-

children 12 and younger.

From Tokyo to Turkey Day at Descanso

south-pasadena/3124818.

The Pasadena Convention Center is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (310)

Nov. 9 and 10 —

285-3655 or visit craftsource.org or pinterest.com/craftsmarket/ccm-pasadena.

Descanso Gardens kicks off its Japanese Garden Festival

Angry Men Deliberate

today and continues at 8 p.m. Tuesdays

gala reception. Written, directed and pro-

with an ikebana display, showcasing

Nov. 5 — The

through Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays

duced by Daniel Rover Singer, it portrays

the art of Japanese flower arranging by

Pasadena Playhouse

and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Tickets cost

what might have happened if Charles

the Sogetsu School of Ikebana, from 9

presents Reginald

$38 to $125.

Dickens and the Rev. Charles L. Dodgson

to 5 p.m. both days. Walking tours of the

Rose’s classic drama Twelve Angry Men

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at

(a.k.a. Lewis Carroll) had met: Dodgson,

Japanese Gardens take off at 11 a.m.,

today through Dec. 1. The courtroom

39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena.

a mathematics lecturer at Oxford and

noon and 1 and 2 p.m. both days. The

drama, first created as a teleplay in 1954,

Call (626) 356-7529.

photographer, sends Dickens a copy

Los Angeles Kimono Club hosts a kimono

of his 1865 book, Alice’s Adventures in

fashion show at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30

A Perfect Likeness Links Literary Lions

Wonderland, and invites him to sit for a

p.m. Saturday. Taiko drummers perform

portrait. Dickens accepts, and the pair,

their feats of fiery percussion at 11:30

polar opposites in personality, engage

a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Distinctive

Nov. 8 — The comedy

in witty conversation, revealing secrets

Japanese cuisine and beverages will be

A Perfect Likeness

unfolds in a New York City courthouse as a jury weighs the charges against a young man accused of killing his father. As they deliberate, racial issues arise and the jurors must confront their own

that have been the subject of specula-

available for purchase at the Camellia

open-and-shut case into a conscience-

opens at 8 p.m. at South Pasadena’s

tion. The curtain rises at 8 p.m. Thursdays

Lounge from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. all week-

rending drama. The play opens at 8 p.m.

Fremont Centre Theatre, followed by a

through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays

bias and sense of justice, turning an

46 | ARROYO | 11.13

–continued on page 49

PHOTO: George Post (Flamework Glass)

South Pasadena Review. 1920s attire is

11.13 | ARROYO | 47

48 | ARROYO | 11.13

THE LIST

–continued from page 46

end. Free with Descanso admission.

Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard. Readings

Nov. 19 — Allison Franchi of La Petite

are scheduled by Charles Yu, author of

Gardenia demonstrates how to create

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional

unique floral Thanksgiving decorations,

Universe; poet C.D. Wright, author, most

using seasonal materials, at 2 p.m. The

recently, of One with Others and Alice

event is free, as is Descanso admission

Sebold, author of The Lovely Bones. Poet

on the third Tuesday of the month.

Brendan Constantine is the emcee.

Nov. 28 — Patina hosts its annual Thanks-

Tickets cost $125, with tables available

giving dinner at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

starting at $1,150.

in Van de Kamp Hall. Vegetarian options

The Westin Hotel is located at 191 N. Los

are available. Tickets cost $53 ($45 for

Robles Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-4760

members) and $19 for children 4 to 12;

or visit redhen.org.

free for children 3 and younger. Visit patinagroup.com/descanso for reservations.

Girls in the Band

Descanso Gardens is located at 1419 Des-

Nov. 11 — The Muse/

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

ique orchestra hosts

949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org.

an “Uncorked” popup concert in a Pasa-

Autry Showcases Indian Arts, Crafts, Drama

dena warehouse at 7 p.m. The evening

Nov. 9 and 10 —

tary Girls in the Band, directed by Judy

The Autry National

Chaikin, tracing the history of all-woman

features a performance by female jazz artists and a screening of the documen-

Center hosts its annual American Indian

bands since the 1930s. Tickets cost $50,

Arts Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,

free for members.

featuring arts and crafts by more than

The performance takes place at the

180 Native Americans from more than 40

former Avon warehouse, 2940 E. Foothill

tribes. The marketplace includes pottery,

Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 539-7085 or visit

sculpture, beadwork, basketry, photog-

muse-ique.com.

raphy, paintings, jewelry, textiles, wooden carvings and mixed media works. The performances, storytelling, children’s activ-

Folk Tree Christmas Show Spans Globe

ities, talks, demonstrations and the annual

Nov. 16 — The Folk

weekend also includes dance and music

“Native Voices” short play festival. Food

Tree in Pasadena

will be available for purchase. Admission

hosts its 27th annual International Nativi-

costs $12 for adults and $8 for seniors,

ties Exhibition, featuring creches and

children 9 and older and students; free for

Christmas ornaments by artists from

members and children 8 and younger.

around the world. The exhibition opens

The Autry National Center is located at

with an open house from 2 to 6 p.m. and

4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park.

continues through Dec. 31.

Call (323) 667-2000 or visit theautry.org.

The Folk Tree is located at 217 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 795-8733 or visit

Champagne and Literature Nov. 10 — The

folktree.com.

nonprofit literary

Folk Icons at Caltech

organization Red Hen

Nov. 23— The

Press celebrates its 19th anniversary with

Kingston Trio, a

a Champagne luncheon from 11 a.m.

pioneer group in

to 3 p.m. at Pasadena’s Westin Hotel.

the American folk music movement of

The event includes performances by

the 1950s and ’60s, performs at 8 p.m.

local schoolchildren, a silent auction

at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium. While

and raffle and appearances by theo-

the original members have passed on or

retical cosmologist Sean M. Carroll and

–continued on page 50 11.13 | ARROYO | 49

THE LIST

PHOTO: Bruce Bennett

Hans Graf

LACO CONCERT FEATURES GUEST CONDUCTOR, PIANO SENSATION Nov. 16 — The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra performs at 8 p.m. at the newly renovated Alex Theatre in Glendale. Hans Graf, music director laureate of the Houston Symphony, guest-conducts pianist Alessio Bax and the orchestra in a performance of Mozart’s Piano Concert No. 24, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major and Henri Dutilleux’s Mystère de l’Instant.Tickets start at $25.The concert repeats at 7 p.m. Sunday at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Call (213) 622-7001 or visit laco.org. –continued from page 49

retired, today’s trio of George Grove, Bill

Pinsky, physician and television host, will

Zorn and Rick Dougherty all performed

emcee. Tickets cost $250 each.

with founding member Bob Shane. The

Noor is located at 260 E. Colorado Blvd.,

Pasadena Folk Music Society (formerly

Pasadena.Visit thegaia.org.

the Caltech Folk Music Society) hosts the show. Tickets cost $10 to $36. gan Avenue south of Del Mar Boulevard,

Humorous Look at L.A.’s Funny Structures

on the Caltech campus, 1200 E. California

Nov. 24 — Pop culture

Beckman Auditorium is located on Michi-

humorist Charles

Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 395-4652 or visit folkmusic.caltech.edu.

Phoenix presents “Architecture in L.A., Pasadena Edition,” a fun presentation ex-

50 | ARROYO | 11.13

Saluting AIDS Humanitarian

ploring Southern California’s little-known

Nov. 24 — The Global

tectural gems. Phoenix wittily spotlights

AIDS Interfaith Alli-

space-age drive-ins, coffee shops, bowl-

ance (GAIA) honors

ing alleys, homes, theme parks and other

and underrated mid-20th-century archi-

founding trustee Dr. Don Thomas during

local architectural oddities. The event,

“Art Saves Lives,” a gala benefit from 3 to