Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 20, 2010

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com

GOOD FOOD & DRINK

8

 Mountain Views News Saturday, November 20, 2010 


Eat Well! The Raymond Restaurant

 
There is so much history here in our San 
Gabriel Valley. if you dig deeply enough you 
probably could learn something new every 
day about our area. One of my favorite 
watering holes, Lucky Baldwin’s, was named 
after a chap named 
‘Lucky’ Baldwin who was 
instrumental in starting 
the Santa Anita race track; 
the Huntington Hotel, 
Hospital and Gardens 
all named after Henry 
Huntington, a railroad 
tycoon.

 Ahh - but what about the Raymond 
restaurant on Fair Oaks on the border of 
Pasadena / South Pasadena?

 Well, in 1886, Bostonian native Walter 
Raymond came to Pasadena and built 
The Raymond Hotel - a fabulous sunny 
destination for Easterners looking to escape 
harsh winter weather. On Easter Sunday in 
1895, sparks from a chimney ignited the roof 
and the entire hotel burned to the ground in 
only 40 minutes.

 Undaunted, Mr. Raymond built an even 
grander hotel with 300 rooms, along with 
a charming caretaker’s cottage. In the early 
years, Walter and his wife often stayed in the 
cottage when it wasn’t occupied by special 
guests. Gracious hosts, the Raymond’s 
entertained celebrities such as Charlie 
Chaplin, Tom Mix, and Buster Keaton, who 
visited and filmed in Pasadena in the roaring 
1920s.

 Sadly, in 1931, the Raymond Hotel was 
toppled by the Great Depression and the 
party was over. The hotel was razed to make 
room for residential development, and 
Walter and his wife moved into the cottage, 
where they lived until 1934. The caretaker’s 
cottage is now The Raymond Restaurant, 
and the timeless charm and spirit of this 
lovely space can be enjoyed by all.

 

 I have known the owners the very 
personable Rob & Leslie Levy for years. They 
bought the Raymond some four years ago. 
Their goal is great food and a revolutionary 
cocktail menu here in the Pasadena area. Just 
recently I attended the grand re-opening of 
the bar at The Raymond. It’s name? The 
“1886.” Of course drinks were flowing and, as 
I watched the bartenders make the drinks, I 
felt I was watching doctors perform surgery. 

 General Manager Chris Mangandi gave 
me a quick tour of the bar. He promised 
me that they will revolutionize the state of 
cocktails here in Pasadena. Special thanks go 
to bartender Marcos Tello, who gave me the 
history lesson of the bar and the now closed 
and long gone Raymond hotel - definitely 
an interesting story. Each of the bartenders 
you meet at the new 1886 is highly skilled 
in their art and each has a great story on its 
history. So, come thirsty and soak in some 
knowledge as you enjoy your cocktail. In 
summary, the bar 1886 will be a starting and 
stopping point for eager foodies and drink 
connoisseurs. 

 The Raymond Restaurant is one of the 
best, and will continue to evolve and please 
past and new guest alike. Check it out !

 1886, the Raymond Restaurant, 1250 
South Fair Oaks, Pasadena, (626) 441-3136

 Email me your thoughts: thechefknows@
yahoo.com. Charter Cable Channel 101 on 
Saturday Nights at 7 PM, and my radio show 
at 9 PM on Saturday Night KABC Talk Radio 
790.

THE CHEF KNOWS

Cafe 322 - 322 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. - Sierra Madre. CA

Phone (626) 836-5414 Fax: (626) 836-5787 


We bake all of our offered baked 
goods, right here in our kitchen so 
that you can share with your family 
and friends something that is both 
delicious and made with care and 
love – which is what we all look for, 
especially this time of year! 

 Our apple pies are made from 
organic apples that are brought in 
from a farm called Riley’s, at Los 
Rios Rancho in Yucaipa. Three 
types of apples go into the creation 
of our specialty pies, Granny Smith, 
Jonagold and Rome Beauty or Winesap. Each pie 
is crowned with a crumble topping, which makes 
for a much lighter pie. We offer our signature 
apple pies in both regular, and sugar free. 

But, apples pies are just the beginning of our 
homemade selections. On the pie front, we also 
carry a pumpkin and a regular or sugar free 
peach/berry pie. 

 The Bean Town bakery case also offers an 
assortment of delectable bars, including 
pumpkin, fudge brownie and a low fat fruit 
option. 

 Our carrot cake and various 
cheesecakes are a local favorite, and 
one must not forget the infamous 
chocolate layer cake which has a 
“to die for” reputation – you have 
to taste it to believe it! 

Did we mention the cupcakes? 

 The red velvet and chocolate 
are fan favorites, and baked daily. 
But this time of year our kitchen 
gets a’buzz creating Bean Town’s 
themed holiday cupcakes. 

They go fast and you don’t want to 
miss them, so be sure to order now! 

 We also carry a complete line of cookies. Our 
daily variety consists of chocolate chip, chocolate 
chip pecan, peanut butter, oatmeal and every 
kids’ favorite, M&M’s®. 

We are taking orders now for the holidays! Please 
place your holiday orders early.

BEANTOWN

45 N. Baldwin Ave.

Sierra Madre 

Bean Town brings you a taste of home to your holidays. 


HAVE A HOLIDAY DESSERT PARTY 
WITH A PEPPERMINT TWIST

 

(NAPSI)-An easy way to entertain during the 
holidays is to have a dessert party. It’s great for the 
host because the time needed to make and serve 
dessert and beverages is much less than when a 
whole meal is planned. And guests almost always 
have time to make one last stop for something 
sweet, no matter what else is happening on a 
particular evening. 

Here are a few hints to make your dessert party a 
little sweeter:

• Think red, white and pink instead of the usual 
red and green when coming up with decorations 
and recipes to serve family and friends. Tuck 
candy canes of various sizes in centerpieces and 
vases for an unexpected bit of fun. 

• Save time and trouble for yourself by preparing 
the desserts ahead of time. That way, you too can 
enjoy the party and spend time with your guests.

• Serve the perfect holiday pair-frosty peppermint 
just tastes like the holidays and creamy chocolate 
is always popular. Combining the two can be 
even more delightful when you put out a pair 
of decadent desserts such as these made with 
Dreyer’s or Edy’s Slow Churned Peppermint Light 
Ice Cream. With half the fat and one-third fewer 
calories than regular ice cream, no one has to 
leave feeling like a bowl full of jelly. 

Upside-Down Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

1 box chocolate 
cake mix

••• can chocolate 
frosting

1 container 
Dreyer’s/Edy’s 
Slow Churned 
Peppermint 
Light Ice Cream

Peppermint 
candies or candy 
canes

Make two 9-inch cakes according to the package 
directions; cool completely. Remove from pan 
and cut the rounded top off one of the cakes to 
make one even layer. Wrap and freeze the second 
cake for later use. Soften ice cream at room 
temperature for 5•10 minutes. Wash pans and 
dry completely. Line them with plastic wrap or 
parchment. Carefully spread the ice cream in 
the pan using the entire container. Freeze for one 
hour or until very firm. Remove from freezer and 
spread the frosting over the ice cream and put the 
trimmed cake over the frosting. Cover tightly and 
freeze overnight. To serve, let frozen cake sit at 
room temperature for about 5 minutes. Unwrap 
and invert cake onto serving dish. Remove plastic 
wrap or parchment from the ice cream. Sprinkle 
crumbled pieces of peppermint candies over top 
of cake. Serve slices with whipped cream and 
garnish with candy canes, if desired.

Peppermint Ice Cream Lollipops

1 container 
Dreyer’s/Edy’s 
Slow Churned 
Peppermint Light 
Ice Cream

Lollipop sticks

4 oz bittersweet 
chocolate or 
chocolate chips

4 oz white chocolate 
or white chocolate 
chips

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening 

Holiday sprinkles and candies

Place a plate or other flat surface lined with 
parchment paper in the freezer for 15 minutes. 
Make round scoops of ice cream and place on 
parchment. Put a lollipop stick in each scoop 
of ice cream and freeze for 1 hour or up to 24 
hours. When you are ready to dip the lollipops, 
melt chocolate and 1 tablespoon shortening in a 
bowl in the microwave. Use 20-second intervals 
until smooth. (Should take 40•60 seconds and no 
longer. Do not scorch the chocolate.) Let sit while 
repeating the process to melt the white chocolate 
and 1 tablespoon of shortening in the microwave 
until smooth. Place different sprinkles in separate 
small bowls. Dip each lollipop halfway into the 
chocolate and dip into sprinkles. Immediately put 
back into freezer to set. Repeat with remaining ice 
cream. Freeze completely before serving.

For more holiday ice cream dessert ideas and 
recipes, visit www.icecream.com.