Vertical Wine Bistro is “bringing Munich to Pasadena.” Oktoberfest dates back to 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig invited the locals to celebrate his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, clueless about the historical significance of this invitation—the consequent conceptualization, the ever-popular and ever-growing spirited realization, let alone the fervent adherents this “autumnal festival of merrymaking [...]
Lisa Haley was singing up a storm, making her violin strings hum, and leading the crowd in cheers to support “the girls.” Those girls would be the foster teenagers who live in a cottage run by Rosemary Children’s Services. Chef Claud Beltran and his team were whipping up gumbo, doling out bowls full of cooked [...]
It was quickly apparent that a pre-event shower was overkill; sweat could soon be felt running down our backs and along our hairlines. It was only 6:30 and the patio outside El Portal was packed. People held plates, piling them high with treats from the generous buffet of appetitzers—tasty empanadas, meatballs, tacos, smoked salmon, churros, [...]
The Wednesday Chef was Luisa Weiss’ answer to homesickness. Pining for her father’s home in Brookline, her grandparents’ Italian garden, and especially her mother’s cozy Berlin apartment, she cooked, entertained—and wrote a blog. Time passed and Weiss found her work attracted “a loyal base of empathetic readers.” Yet, Berlin lurked in her memories, whispering her [...]
Buttermilk pretzel rolls. Goddess salad. Brown-butter shortbread. If you have not been to Little Flower, the café on Pasadena’s western edge of Colorado Boulevard, then you have not been fortunate enough to try those creations. They, and many more just as beloved, are featured in owner/chef Christine Moore’s new cookbook, Little Flower: Recipes from the [...]
Now you may know soulvakia, gyros and moussaka, but what about pastistio, loukaniko, tiropites, or kourambiethes? Either way, it translates into Greek cuisine—in spades. This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Pasadena Greek Fest at the Santa Anita Race Track will offer Greek foods you know and love, and delicacies you definitely need to try. (Pastistio is the [...]
This Thursday, El Portal will be hosting a tequila tasting. Now, that’s a way to start the weekend. Twenty-five brands of premium tequila will be offered, as well as a buffet of appetizers, a mariachi band, and prizes for those striking it lucky. Tickets prior to the event cost $25, while purchasing one at the [...]
A wine shop named after 2-year-old twin boys. Everson Royce is the baby of April Langford and Randy Clement (co-owners with George Cossette of Silverlake Wine), along with Joe Capella, a long-time wine collector, patron of SLW, and their “financial know-how guy” in this new venture in an old neighborhood (Old Pasadena). ER specializes in [...]
Hot August Night. No, not the Neil Diamond classic double-album recorded in 1972 at the Greek Theater. Rather, we use it, very loosely, in reference to these hot August days. One way to survive them is to enjoy an evening listening to live music—for free—at One Colorado and dining alfresco (for which you pay). This Saturday [...]
Abricott doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter where you come from, whom you’re with, or what you like to eat—this Pasadena meeting and eating spot is all about good food and good service at an affordable price. Owned by John and Jo Wee, the same design-savvy couple who brought you Daisy Mint, Abricott showcases another fusion-heavy [...]
