Keeping up With Gus's BBQ

Gus's regulars will recognize this sign from the back room wall...

LA Eater recently featured a fantastic article about South Pasadena's very own Gus's BBQ, and they even included the above photo of mine.

Jon and I have a joke that if it hadn't have been for Gus's, our family might have starved when Raine was a barely-sleeping toddler.  We still have a collection of their plastic kiddie drink cups with lids, just perfect for car rides.  (Thanks, Gus's!) 

One thing the LA Eater article doesn't mention is Gus's utterly amazing wait staff.  Not only are these people super friendly and awesome at remembering weird menu requests or modifications, but they always have recommendations for people with food restrictions and they never, never, never freak out when your kid throws her plastic kiddie cup to the floor.  At least not in front of the customers.

I've included quite a few pictures of Gus's over the years.  Check them out here.  And check out Gus's menu and take-out/catering options here.  (The restaurant may be over 70 years old, but it's technologically hip.  You can order online!)

Want to leave a comment -- or wax rhapsodic about Gus's cornbread?  Head over to the new Glimpses of South Pasadena Community Forum and start a conversation!

Up the Street with a Paddle...

The restaurant formerly known as Wild Thyme (formerly known as The Bakery) has reinvented itself yet again. Canoe House is open, serving up Hawaiian flavors with island hospitality in a completely renovated space. (There's even a Tiki Bar.)

I haven't checked it out yet, but I'd love to hear from South Pas foodies who have tried the place. Anyone?

Heirloom Bakery

It spent a particularly lovely morning at Heirloom Bakery on Wednesday. The air was calm and cool, the coffee was strong and hot, and the food -- the food!!! The food was so fresh and yummy I wanted to order seconds.

When you're gluten-intolerant like I am, you don't usually gravitate to anything with the word bakery in it. Lucky for me, Heirloom also makes simply delicious eggs served with thick slices of bacon and to-die-for roasted potatoes. (And I am pretty sure the sliced tomatoes on the side of my plate were from the Farmers Market.)

For those of you who don't have to avoid bread and pastry, Heirloom sure offers a tempting array of baked goodies. Plus, the cafe is now open for dinner, too.

In case you guys haven't figured it out yet, I'm a big cheerleader when it comes to South Pasadena's small business owners. Locally owned restaurants like Heirloom literally give South Pas its flavor. Get our there and indulge! (Just don't try to steal any potatoes off my plate. Seriously, get your own.)

Yummo

There's a lot of culinary delight packed into South Pasadena's three square miles. I muse about it in my column this week at Patch. (It should post sometime after lunch -- a lunch I plan on having at either Gus's BBQ or Mike and Anne's. Choices, choices...)

Breakfast Musings (#1)

Now that Little Bit is back in school, I've been taking myself out to breakfast. South Pas has a nice array of choices for a morning feast. There have only been 6 school days so far this year, and already I've gained five pounds with the help of Charlie's, Heirloom Bakery & Cafe, Shakers and Carrows.

Wise ones say that we should seize the day. I say, what better way to seize it than fueled by caffeine, eggs and hash browns? Who's with me?

(Close en)Counter

There's something festive about restaurant counters, and South Pas has a few choice ones. You'll find this one at Gus's BBQ. It's a great spot, and I can think of a few more:

The brass-fitted soda counter at Fair Oaks Pharmacy with the tall bar stools and the perfect view of all that ice cream...

The long diner counter at Shakers with old-school swivel chairs...

The antique wooden bar at Bistro de la Gare with flickering votive candles and organic bordeaux by the glass...

That's just off the top of my head. Any others that I've left out?

In N Out

I'm not going to pretend I don't know that this In N Out is officially in Alhambra, because borders don't matter when it comes to great burgers. Anyway, it's barely over the South Pasadena city limits. (And you can smell those fries cooking practically all the way to Garfield Park!)

There's a reason this Southern California institution is so famous: yummy burgers. And if you're wheat intolerant, it's really the only fast food joint in town. There's no hidden gluten in the fries or shakes, and the bunless, lettuce-wrapped protein style Double Double is one of life's great joys. In fact, I wish I had one right now.

Charlie's Coffee House

Arroyo-adjacent South Pas residents: this is your coffee house! Charlie's had its grand opening on January 15 and it's already making a big caffeinated splash with the westernmost residents of our fair city. The locally owned shop is in the newish circular brick and stucco building on Monterey Road near Foremost liquor. (Look left as you approach the confusing intersection of train tracks, Arroyo Drive and Pasadena Avenue.) While it might not have the historic setting of Busters or Kaldi, Charlie's holds its own in a chic space with a beautiful collection of photographs. There is cool music, plenty of parking and the biggest ceiling fan you will ever see. Plus, Charlie's brews are made only with beans from Pasadena-based Jameson Brown coffee roasters -- and that alone scores big points with java connoisseurs. (It is pretty darned great coffee, I must admit. In fact, I might be in trouble if Charlie's decides to offer a 31 ounce size...)

Who me? Jealous?

One of these days I'll discuss the wonders of Great Harvest Bread Company -- although, someone with a wheat allergy reviewing a bakery is kind of like an alcoholic reviewing a bar -- but I'm too exhausted to discuss much of anything since I've been sick for two weeks and I am starting to feel like one of those characters in a Victorian novel. You know the ones: wrapped up in a blanket, stretched out in a wicker chaise lounge on a sun porch, meekly coughing into a lace hanky. Well, actually, I'm about as meek as a rabid armadillo and I'm not coughing into a lace hanky, I'm hacking into enough tissues to send a team of angry environmentalists over here to admonish me for depleting all those trees in the rain forest. My neighbor said she found out that strep is going around South Pas. I think I managed to get it on top of the cold I caught from Little Bit and now it is time for a throat culture, a large vat of penicillin and possibly a sledgehammer to put me out of my misery.

It's clear that, unlike your cranky blogger, the lovely women in this photograph were feeling healthy and happy, enjoying Sunday's Indian Summer weather while noshing on homemade baked goodies. I'm just enough of a sickly curmudgeon to be irritated by them.

So, what did you guys do this weekend?

Pit Stop

I know it doesn't have the coolness factor of Kaldi or Busters. I know the boho-chic interior is cookiecutter and chosen by a bunch of guys in suits. I know some coffee snob bloggers have said the arabica beans are not as well roasted as Peets. But still ... the Starbucks on Fair Oaks across from OSH is a great place to grab some good java, chill out to whatever mellow music is playing and utilize the WiFi. Plus, the light is so pretty there in the afternoons, I just can't help but reach for my camera. (It's nice outside, too.)

Menchies

Where can you go to load up on a bowl of frozen sweetness topped with four types of chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, jelly beans and hot fudge ... and still rationalize that its health food? Welcome to Menchies, the frozen yogurt bar happily justifying decadent behavior on Mission, right next to Mike and Anne's.

For the angel on your right shoulder: it's an eclectic collection of wholesome frozen yogurt with all those live cultures your internist tells you your gut craves. You can pick from a huge selection of regular flavors or suit your particular dietary fancy with choices of low-carb, no sugar added and dairy free. Isn't that nice? Can't you feel your cholesterol numbers dropping? Not so fast, cowboy. For the devil on your left shoulder: let me introduce you to the toppings bar. Browse bin upon bin of sugary goodness including marshmallows, nuts, brownies, M&Ms, butterfinger pieces, Fruity Pebbles cereal, hot fudge and caramel. Oh, all right, tell that angel he can get the carob chips, fresh berries and no sugar added fudge.

Choose your pleasure and pay by weight so you can have as little (yes, Mr. Angel) or as much (right on, Devil Man!) as you want.

In a word? Yum.

If Walls Could Talk

Check out the wall of the back room at Gus's BBQ! I don't know if this is an original advertising mural from the old Ritz Theater or just an artistic nod to the past, but it makes for a wonderful mealtime backdrop. (If you're curious about The Kid From Brooklyn, you can see a clip right here.)

The Ritz was built around 1916 in the spot that is now Gus's parking lot. When it opened, it was known as The Colonial Theater. Both it and the Rialto were operated by Circle Theaters until the mid 1930s when they were taken over by Fox West Coast. On December 13, 1936, the LA Times mentioned a robbery at the Ritz: "An armed bandit escaped with $53.10. Cashier Ruth Shroder and the doorman were threatened with a revolver." (Maybe that's why Circle Theaters lost interest in the theater's operations...)

The Ritz was demolished in 1961, but thankfully the Rialto stands. For now.

Bon Appétit

Dinnertime in South Pasadena is not much different than in the rest of the world. Oh, we have our fair share of fine dining -- it's grand to indulge in Bistro de la Gare's Entrecote Flambee Au Cognac washed down with a glass of Châteauneuf-Du-Pape, or Mike and Anne's pork chops with lingonberry sauce or Firefly's Duck Paprikash. More likely, though, you'll throw together supper at home after a commute, after homework, after work and chores and shopping. As spring stretches the daylight hours, perhaps you'll fire up the barbecue. The divine scent of my neighbors' mesquite-grilled chicken often floats over to my place. With open windows, we share sounds of clanging pans and chopping onions.

"I want grilled cheese!" I hear the 8 year old neighbor boy's voice.

"I want mac and cheese!" Says his 6 year old brother.

"You'll have spaghetti and like it!" Says their dad.

So...what are you having for dinner tonight?

Pull up a Chair...

Kaldi's laid-back aesthetic offers a coffee break from reality -- unless you bring your laptop and take advantage of the free WiFi. But why do that when you can relax at an outside table beneath a canopy of camphor trees? When a breeze rustles the leaves, it's like someone whispering "slow down, slow down..."

Refill

It was far too pretty outside to take advantage of Busters' charming interior space. But doesn't it look cool in the late afternoon light?

Mike and Anne's Restaurant and Bar

Earlier this month my sister Judy visited for a long weekend. We treated ourselves to a girls' night out at Mike and Anne's and I couldn't resist snapping a quick shot of the cozy setting.

I've mentioned this restaurant before, but it deserves a lengthy rave. You know how a lot of hyped places are heavy on trend but light on real flavor? Not Mike and Anne's. Sure, every artfully presented menu item resembles something envisioned by a highly competitive castmember of Top Chef, but this kitchen follows through. Each bite reveals complex flavors that delight, comfort and inspire. (Want a taste of heaven? Go for the pork chop with braised red cabbage, sweet potatoes, stonefruits and lingonberry sauce. Go. GO!)

During evening hours the dining room dims into a relaxing interior twilight -- lots of warm wood tones lit by flickering candles. Breakfast/lunch is bright and casual, and you can choose to sit outside in a charming patio setting. They even have a kid-friendly grill-cheese sandwich on the lunch menu.

Don't even try to stick to a diet if you go for dinner. Judy and I each had our own appetizer and entree -- and we still didn't split dessert. She got the crème brûlée, I got the chocolate pot de creme. In a word? Yummmmm.

Overheard...

As I walked past the lovely Mike and Anne's restaurant and bar on Mission, I heard a snippet of conversation rise up through the cool jazz and clinking glasses.

"He's always so funny," a woman said. "That must be nice."

"Sure, he makes me laugh," another woman said, "but I don't know if it's going to work out. I need someone who also understands that it's okay to cry."

(I've been worried about the guy all week.)

Food for Thought

As I've pointed out before, Nicole's Gourmet Foods is a fantastic spot for both dishing and noshing, offering a cozy outdoor setting for conversation and a great selection of yummy French goodies. It's such an inviting spot that when I walk by during off hours and look at those empty chairs, I imagine all the incredible My Dinner with Andre-type discussions I might have there. In fact, I've envisioned these scenarios enough that now when I walk by it's as if I'm actually remembering these imaginary conversations. (I'll never forget that great one about quantum physics I had with Michio Kaku and the ghost of Truffaut...)

Like Dali said, "The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant."

My flights of fancy may be artificial, but Nicole's is the real deal.

Who needs a distraction?

After smelling woodsmoke for days on end, barbecue seemed like a natural choice. And nothing beats Gus's for great barbecue. I can't comprehend 150,000 acres of burning forest ... but brisket and baked beans? No problem!

To peruse all the yummy selections at Gus's, click here.

To keep up with the latest fire information, check out the following links:

Altadena Hiker
Altadenablog
LA Observed
Firefighter Blog
Inciweb
LA Times dynamic map of current fire zone
LA Now (LA Times blog)

UPDATE: 10:00AM Fire at 38% containment. (Firefighters are remarkable!) Check the above links for details.

UPDATE: 6:55PM It's official: Station Fire was caused by arson.

The Barkley

I've waited far too long to gush about The Barkley. Oh, there are other classic Los Angeles establishments that feel like something imagined by Raymond Chandler or Orson Welles. Musso and Franks is one. The Formosa Cafe is another. But those places are in Hollywood. The Barkley is right here in South Pasadena at the corner of Fremont and Huntington. From the moment you notice the sign promising live music and dancing, you get a feeling this restaurant is a blast from a distant past. The one before we thought about cholesterol, where everyone ordered a second martini before dinner arrived.

When you step into The Barkley, you get the urge to hear something by Tony Bennett. It's a classic mix of dim lights, dark wood and shiny brass with fussy chatchkas on the wall and neatly folded napkins on the tables. The Barkley menu is pages upon pages long, with dozens of classic dishes arranged under alliterative subject headings and fetched with elan by an old-school, professional wait staff that, honestly, should be the subject of a documentary. This not a hipster place inspired by great steakhouses. This really IS a great steakhouse. It's not a spot the Sex in the City characters would have ever appeared -- though they clearly missed out, because the wine glasses are more like fish bowls. But it is a place where the Sopranos would would have felt comfortable enough to argue loudly in one of the dark, leather booths before patching things up over cheesecake.

I recently had dinner at The Barkley with friend and fellow Southern California blogger Yakpate. We thought the New York Strip steaks we ordered were the best we'd ever had. No, they weren't unique or cutting edge or nouvelle -- just simple and delicious and perfectly prepared. And did I mention those fishbowl-size wine glasses?

You can read more about The Barkley here.