Monday, August 29, 2011

PASADENA

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
Bulgarini Gelato – 749 East Altadena Drive; 626-627-7640; bulgarinigelato.com; in strip-mall; extremely unprepossessing; excellent yoghurt-based gelato.
Gourmet Cobbler Factory – 33 North Catalina Avenue; 626-795-1005; thegourmetcobblerfactory.com; best bakery.
Plow & Gun – 600 West Palm Street (Lomo Alta Park); facebook.com/plowandgun.
Zona Rosa – 15 South El Molino Avenue (Playhouse District); 626-793-2334; zonarosacoffee.com; decorated in Dia De Los Muertos garb; upstairs has couches and chairs to relax, hang out or study; excellent Mexican hot chocolate.



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
1886 – 1250 South Fair Oaks Avenue; 626-441-3136; theraymond.com; cocktail bar in back of Raymond Restaurant.



HOTELS
Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa – 1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue; 626-585-6218 or 800-588-9141; pasadena.langhamhotelscom; remote location with beautiful grounds and stream running through; elegantly designed rooms.



RESTAURANTS
Elements Kitchen – 37 South El Molino Avenue; 626-440-0040; elementskitchen.com; light and roomy space beside Pasadena Playhouse courtyard; try crispy fried chicken liver appetizer.
Gourmet Cobbler Factory – 33 North Catalina Avenue; 626-795-1005; thegourmetcobblerfactory.com; best bakery.
Luggage Room Pizzeria – 260 South Raymond Avenue; 626-356-4440; theluggageroom.com; upscale pizzeria in onetime train station’s luggage room; wood-burned pizzas and salad.
Raymond Restaurant – 1250 South Fair Oaks Avenue; 626-441-3136; theraymond.com; among Pasadena’s hidden gems; contemporary menu in casual, historic setting; fresh local ingredients served in cozy dining rooms or on garden patio.



SHOPPING
Altadena Farmer’s Market – 600 West Palm Street (Lomo Alta Park); facebook.com/AltadenaFarmersMarket.
Rose Bowl Flea Market – 1001 Rose Bowl Drive (Pasadena); 323-560-7469; rgcshows.com/RoseBowl.aspx.

SIGHTS & SITES
Bass House – 2275 Santa Rosa Avenue (Altadena); also known as “Case Study House #20(2)”; designed in 1958 by Buff, Straub & Hensman with Saul Bass; based on experimental prefabricated Douglas Fir plywood product use.
Case Study House #2 – 857 Chapea Road; designed in 1947 by John Rex and Sumner Spaulding; carport and motor court separated from terrace and yard by long serpentine wall, which makes striking contrast to house’s straight lines.
Case Study House #10 – 711 South San Rafael Avenue; designed in 1947 by Kemper Nomland; built on several levels to mould into sloping site.
Gamble House – 4 Westmoreland Place; 626-793-3334; gamblehouse.org; American Arts & Crafts movement icon; built between 1907-1909 for George and Mary Gamble (of Procter & Gamble); carpets, furniture, and lighting all designed by architects.
Millard House (“La Miniatura”) – 645 Prospect Crescent; millardhouse.com; recognized by Frank Lloyd Wright as his earliest “Usonian” house; also, 1st residence to utilize Wright’s “textile block” building system.
Norton Simon Museum – 411 West Colorado Boulevard; 626-449-6840; nortonsimon.org; various collections include: European paintings, sculptures, and tapestries; Asian sculptures, paintings, and woodblock prints; also, Sculpture gardens displaying many sculptors’ work in landscape setting around large pond; Norton Simon Theater shows film programs daily; core collection arose from 400 German-Expressionist pieces gathered by collector Galka E. Scheyer in 1953; in early 1970s, due to financial hardships, turned to industrialist Norton Simon, who had risen to become among world’s pre-eminent art collectors (and was searching for permanent location for his growing collection); museum thus renamed Norton Simon Museum; Simon died in 1993 and his widow, actress Jennifer Jones (board chair), repositioned museum and its 2 collections; in 1995, Museum began $5M renovation with longtime museum trustee and architect Frank Gehry.
Pacific Asia Museum – 46 North Los Robles Avenue; 626-449-2742; pacificasiamuseum.org; founded in 1971 by Pacificulture Foundation, which purchased city's Grace Nicholson Treasure House of Oriental Art, which she had donated in 1943 for art and cultural purposes; houses some 15K rare and representative art examples from throughout Asia and Pacific Islands.
Zane Grey Estate (Mariposa Creamery) – 396 East Mariposa Street; mariposacreamery.com; owned by Gloria Putnam and Stephen Rudice; urban food movement epicenter for Altadena; visit creamery and enjoy lovely grounds of former legendary estate.

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