Comments for BAGSC News http://bagscblog.com A Blog from the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:16:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 Comment on Our Favorite Restaurants by Linda Clingerman http://bagscblog.com/2008/10/10/our-favorite-restaurants/#comment-120 Linda Clingerman Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:16:04 +0000 http://dbshaw.wordpress.com/?p=181#comment-120 I've done the research on dim sum restaurants. Several of my Chinese American friends whose family tradition is to have Sunday lunch at a dim sum restaurant offer this advice: 1. There are no good dim sum restaurants in Pasadena and 2. Don't go on a weekend. Wait is long on weekends because of the popularity of these restaurants; can be as much as an hour. The best dim sum restaurants are in the communities south of Pasadena, which have a larger Asian-American population. Main dissension is over whether to go to a dim sum restaurant that serves from the cart or the menu. Here are the top two in those categories: From carts: Full House Seafood Restaurant, 1220 S. Golden West Avenue, Arcadia From a menu (with pictures): The Kitchen, 203 W. Valley Blvd., Alhambra At the kitchen, the emphasis is more on service and the quality of the food than is typical of a "from the cart" restaurant. From my conversations, there is much controversy about which dim sum restaurants are the best. I've enjoyed both of these, but I'm not an expert. One hint: dress up a bit when you go; you'll get better service. Let me know if anyone wants to skip the Thursday buffet lunch at the Hilton and go out for dim sum instead. I can drive 3 or 4 to lunch. I’ve done the research on dim sum restaurants. Several of my Chinese American friends whose family tradition is to have Sunday lunch at a dim sum restaurant offer this advice: 1. There are no good dim sum restaurants in Pasadena and 2. Don’t go on a weekend. Wait is long on weekends because of the popularity of these restaurants; can be as much as an hour.

The best dim sum restaurants are in the communities south of Pasadena, which have a larger Asian-American population. Main dissension is over whether to go to a dim sum restaurant that serves from the cart or the menu. Here are the top two in those categories:

From carts: Full House Seafood Restaurant, 1220 S. Golden West Avenue, Arcadia

From a menu (with pictures): The Kitchen, 203 W. Valley Blvd., Alhambra
At the kitchen, the emphasis is more on service and the quality of the food than is typical of a “from the cart” restaurant.

From my conversations, there is much controversy about which dim sum restaurants are the best. I’ve enjoyed both of these, but I’m not an expert.

One hint: dress up a bit when you go; you’ll get better service.

Let me know if anyone wants to skip the Thursday buffet lunch at the Hilton and go out for dim sum instead. I can drive 3 or 4 to lunch.

]]> Comment on Helping You Enjoy Pasadena by Linda Clingerman http://bagscblog.com/2008/10/10/helping-you-enjoy-pasadena/#comment-118 Linda Clingerman Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:36:40 +0000 http://dbshaw.wordpress.com/?p=184#comment-118 What a great idea to combine a wine country tour with the conference. However, I have not be able to unearth anyway to take a tour directly from Pasadena to the wine areas north of Los Angeles. (Do any of our other bloggers have any ideas?) There is an Amtrak train that runs from Los Angeles (Union Station) to Santa Barbara with Motor Coach service to Paso Robles. Information about schedules and fares is available online at ttp://www.amtrakcalifornia.com/. I've never tried this train route (remember how much we Californians love our cars). The Metro Gold Line in Pasadena could take you to Union Station. The Santa Barbara area has quite a few vineyards and is much closer than Paso Robles. Santa Barbara is about 100 miles north of Pasadena. It is a very beautiful area of California and the drive is just straight up the 101 freeway. If you could rent a car or take the train to Santa Barbara, there are professionally guided tours available of the wineries. For information about the area, go to www.santabarbara.com. Click on Professionally Guided Tours for information about the guided tours. Paso Robles is about 200 miles north of Los Angeles and is part of the beautiful central coast area with lots to see. Again no tours directly from Pasadena, but once you get there, lots of guided tours are available. For information about the Paso Robles vineyards, go to www.pasowine.com. What a great idea to combine a wine country tour with the conference. However, I have not be able to unearth anyway to take a tour directly from Pasadena to the wine areas north of Los Angeles. (Do any of our other bloggers have any ideas?)

There is an Amtrak train that runs from Los Angeles (Union Station) to Santa Barbara with Motor Coach service to Paso Robles. Information about schedules and fares is available online at ttp://www.amtrakcalifornia.com/. I’ve never tried this train route (remember how much we Californians love our cars). The Metro Gold Line in Pasadena could take you to Union Station.

The Santa Barbara area has quite a few vineyards and is much closer than Paso Robles. Santa Barbara is about 100 miles north of Pasadena. It is a very beautiful area of California and the drive is just straight up the 101 freeway. If you could rent a car or take the train to Santa Barbara, there are professionally guided tours available of the wineries. For information about the area, go to http://www.santabarbara.com. Click on Professionally Guided Tours for information about the guided tours.

Paso Robles is about 200 miles north of Los Angeles and is part of the beautiful central coast area with lots to see. Again no tours directly from Pasadena, but once you get there, lots of guided tours are available. For information about the Paso Robles vineyards, go to http://www.pasowine.com.

]]> Comment on Helping You Enjoy Pasadena by Kathi http://bagscblog.com/2008/10/10/helping-you-enjoy-pasadena/#comment-117 Kathi Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:37:57 +0000 http://dbshaw.wordpress.com/?p=184#comment-117 Winery tours to Paso Robles? Winery tours to Paso Robles?

]]> Comment on Our Favorite Restaurants by MMRitchie http://bagscblog.com/2008/10/10/our-favorite-restaurants/#comment-115 MMRitchie Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:46:26 +0000 http://dbshaw.wordpress.com/?p=181#comment-115 Please provide the name of a good Dim Sum restaurant in Pasedena. I am coming from North Carolina and it is impossible to find good Dim Sum restaurant. That will be a real treat. Thanks. Please provide the name of a good Dim Sum restaurant in Pasedena. I am coming from North Carolina and it is impossible to find good Dim Sum restaurant. That will be a real treat. Thanks.

]]> Comment on Our Favorite Restaurants by Janice Sharp http://bagscblog.com/2008/10/10/our-favorite-restaurants/#comment-114 Janice Sharp Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:35:57 +0000 http://dbshaw.wordpress.com/?p=181#comment-114 Some of my favorite restaurants in Pasadena are "The Crepe Vine" in Mills Place (between Colorado and Green, and Delacy and Fair Oaks), "The Scarlet Tearoom" (lunch, dinner and tea-on Green, just west of Fair Oaks) and Red, White & Bluezz on the corner of Green and Raymond. Some of my favorite restaurants in Pasadena are “The Crepe Vine” in Mills
Place (between Colorado and Green, and Delacy and Fair Oaks), “The
Scarlet Tearoom” (lunch, dinner and tea-on Green, just west of Fair
Oaks) and Red, White & Bluezz on the corner of Green and Raymond.

]]> Comment on Our Favorite Restaurants by Linda Clingerman http://bagscblog.com/2008/10/10/our-favorite-restaurants/#comment-113 Linda Clingerman Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:17:08 +0000 http://dbshaw.wordpress.com/?p=181#comment-113 My favorite Mexican restaurant in the Pasadena area is El Cholo. The original El Cholo was established in downtown Los Angeles in the 20's. The El Cholo in Pasadena is a second location opened in 2000 by a grandson of the founders. The menu is extensive and includes all the usual favorites, as well as harder to find dishes such as green corn tamales and poblano chile rellenos. Highlights are having guacamole made fresh at your table and their extensive selection of margaritas made with premium tequilas. A frozen margarita sampler tray is a great way to try half a dozen (my favorites are tamarind and mango). The restaurant is set in festive hacienda style and, on weekends, usually includes a mariachi band. El Cholo's is located at 958 South Fair Oaks, west of the Hilton by about 10 minutes by car. For more information, visit their Web site at http://www.elcholopasadena.com/index.html. My favorite Mexican restaurant in the Pasadena area is El Cholo. The original El Cholo was established in downtown Los Angeles in the 20’s. The El Cholo in Pasadena is a second location opened in 2000 by a grandson of the founders. The menu is extensive and includes all the usual favorites, as well as harder to find dishes such as green corn tamales and poblano chile rellenos. Highlights are having guacamole made fresh at your table and their extensive selection of margaritas made with premium tequilas. A frozen margarita sampler tray is a great way to try half a dozen (my favorites are tamarind and mango). The restaurant is set in festive hacienda style and, on weekends, usually includes a mariachi band.

El Cholo’s is located at 958 South Fair Oaks, west of the Hilton by about 10 minutes by car. For more information, visit their Web site at
http://www.elcholopasadena.com/index.html.

]]> Comment on Our Favorite Restaurants by John Oliver http://bagscblog.com/2008/10/10/our-favorite-restaurants/#comment-112 John Oliver Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:19:47 +0000 http://dbshaw.wordpress.com/?p=181#comment-112 How about a great Mexican restaurant? How about a great Mexican restaurant?

]]> Comment on Our Favorite Restaurants by gallica http://bagscblog.com/2008/10/10/our-favorite-restaurants/#comment-110 gallica Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:11:48 +0000 http://dbshaw.wordpress.com/?p=181#comment-110 One of my favorite restaurants is Julienne in San Marino, just a few blocks from the Huntington. Julienne is a combination gourmet market and sidewalk cafe with French bistro fare. It's casual, festive and has great food. They start serving breakfast early (at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. on Saturdays) so you might be able to have breakfast here before a workshop. Their French toast is worth getting up early. For more information, visit their Web site at http://juliennetogo.com or see me at the conference--Linda Clingerman One of my favorite restaurants is Julienne in San Marino, just a few blocks from the Huntington. Julienne is a combination gourmet market and sidewalk cafe with French bistro fare. It’s casual, festive and has great food.

They start serving breakfast early (at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. on Saturdays) so you might be able to have breakfast here before a workshop. Their French toast is worth getting up early.

For more information, visit their Web site at http://juliennetogo.com
or see me at the conference–Linda Clingerman

]]> Comment on Report on the 16th CPSA Annual Exhibition and Convention by dbshaw http://bagscblog.com/2008/09/23/report-on-the-16th-cpsa-annual-exhibition-and-convention/#comment-107 dbshaw Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:37:05 +0000 http://dbshaw.wordpress.com/?p=130#comment-107 Thanks for your report Sue! For everyone attending the ASBA Annual Meeting & Conference in San Marino and Pasadena at the end of October, '08 -- Ester Roi will be one of the exhibitors demonstrating her Icarus Drawing Board at the conference. Thanks for your report Sue! For everyone attending the ASBA Annual Meeting & Conference in San Marino and Pasadena at the end of October, ‘08 — Ester Roi will be one of the exhibitors demonstrating her Icarus Drawing Board at the conference.

]]> Comment on Sally Jacobs, New Works at TAG Gallery by Lisa Purcell http://bagscblog.com/2008/03/03/75/#comment-46 Lisa Purcell Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:54:27 +0000 http://bagscblog.com/2008/03/03/75/#comment-46 I really love the variety and mixtures of the apples. The depth you capture with the apples piled on each other really adds to the work. I really love the variety and mixtures of the apples. The depth you capture with the apples piled on each other really adds to the work.

]]>