Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 28, 2013

9

FOOD & DRINK

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 28, 2013 


THE MORE YOU KNOW ABOUT WINE…..
PROPS TO SOUTHWEST…

Southwest Airlines doesn’t fool around. Just this past week I made a two-day turnaround trip to 
the Bay Area, booking my tickets on the internet for flights scheduled for morning departure and 
morning return. Both flights were on time!!! I mean on the dot! Travel tip: if flying out of Burbank, 
get to the airport 45 minutes before your flight because on busy travel days the security check-in lines 
can be a tad long.

Recently, I was the benefactor of an exceptional 
question from a reader named Tony. It appears 
that Rodeo Drive and their wine list may have 
migrated to a location near us. I dream of a day 
when a poor restaurant critic may soothe his many worries with an exceptional glass of wine and 
not be required to carry a bag of gold dust as payment. Like the majority of us, Tony strikes me as 
a regular consumer of wine – a person who is not cheap, but searches for value when he is dining 
out. To be more explicit, it appears that Tony has some difficulty in partaking of the wine experience 
when he perceives that he has been taken advantage of, or possibly robbed by a very kind and wholly 
inoffensive waiter (one who surgically extracts substantial sums of money through the use of a 
corkscrew). The hero of our tragic story, Tony, recently went to a Pasadena restaurant and ordered a 
glass of house Cabernet. He liked the initial selection and ordered a second glass. The bill arrived and 
Tony was shocked to discover that each glass of wine cost $14. His night went from a great evening 
to one of disappointment and incredulity. Tony asked me to investigate the practice of markups at 
restaurants. Tony also did some research and discovered the same bottle for $15 at Vons. The waiter 
told Tony it was $52 to purchase the whole bottle and that they pour five glasses per bottle. 

I reached out to my many sources in the industry and this is what I found out. Ian Blackburn, 
founder of Learnaboutwine.com, said, “That $14 is common for a good glass of wine and the math 
works out to $52 for the full bottle at that price.” He also told me that while many chain restaurants 
use a Libby wine glass that costs them a couple of bucks, upscale restaurants will use a higher quality 
glass. My next call was to Randy, who owns Domenico’s restaurant on Washington, and he told me 
that his wine purveyors suggest triple the cost of the bottle. Thus if you see a bottle for $30 at your 
favorite restaurant the rule of the thumb is that they paid $10 for it.” My suggestion to Tony and 
my readers is it to never let the server blindly pick the wine. Ok, how about corkage fees? Most 
restaurants charge $4 to $15 for this service because they still have to open your bottle and clean the 
glasses. It is unacceptable to bring in a bottle of wine that is already listed on the restaurant’s menu. 
If it is an owner-occupied restaurant, often it is 
a good gesture to let the owner sample the wine 
that you have brought in. Erudite wine broker 
Eddie Ramirez offers this insightful advice, 
“Always have the wine list when ordering, and I 
do not recommend asking the servers for a wine 
recommendation unless you do not have any 
issues with the price.” Hope that helps; I learned 
something as well.

Become a fan of Peter Dills on FaceBook! Read 
about events and restaurants not covered here. 
Email me your suggestions to the chefknows@
yahoo.com. Listen to Dining With Dills on 
KABC Radio 790 AM

 GRILLED PIZZA

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com

INGREDIENTS:

 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

 1 envelope Fleischmann's® Pizza Crust Yeast

 1 tablespoon sugar

 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

 1 1/3 cups very warm water ( 120 degrees to 130 degrees F)*

 1/3 cup oil

 Additional flour for rolling

 Additional oil for grilling

 Pizza sauce

 Other toppings as desired

 Shredded mozzarella cheese 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start charcoal fire or preheat gas grill to medium-high heat. 

2. Combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water 
and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough flour to make a soft dough. 
Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead** on a floured surface, adding additional 
flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic but not sticky, about 5 minutes. 

3. Divide dough into 8 portions. Pat or roll dough on a well-floured counter to about 8-inch circles; 
they do not need to be perfect. 

4. Brush both sides of crust with additional oil. Using hands, lift each crust carefully and place on 
grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until bottom is lightly browned and top looks set. Using long handled 
tongs, remove crust from grill, grilled side up, to a platter or baking sheet. 

5. Lightly add sauce and top the grilled side of each pizza crust. Excess sauce or toppings makes the 
pizza hard to handle. Repeat with remaining pizzas. 

6. Carefully slide each pizza onto the grill. Cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes until bottom of crust 
is browned and cheese is melted. Remove from grill and serve immediately. 


ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SEAN’S SHAMELESS REVIEWS: 


JASMINE’S CORNER

Book Reviews by Jasmine Kelsey Williams 

Review by: Sean Kayden

YUCK

Two years ago Yuck released their highly inspired 90s alternative rock self-
titled record. It was a glorious record that ranked among the best debuts 
of the year. Earlier this year when lead singer/songwriter Daniel Blumberg 
announced his departure from the band, it appeared the days of Yuck as 
a band would come to an abrupt end. However, guitarist Max Bloom stepped up to the mic and 
Yuck was reborn. Where Blumberg had an affinity 
for melancholy tunes, Bloom’s vocals are smoother, 
more cheerful. For their sophomore release, “Glow 
and Behold,” the band didn’t completely abandon 
their proclivity for 90s alternative/grunge, but their 
seemingly more optimistic approach has the band 
displaying new signs of life. 

Their aptly titled first single, “Rebirth” is a shining 
example of Yuck heading down a different direction, 
but ultimately reaching a similar destination as before. Blumberg’s dulcet vocals will be missed for 
sure, however, Yuck’s ability to carry on without him is commendable. They may not be the same 
band from 2011 and you know what, I’m okay with that. 

“Memorial Fields” is a slow burner and reminds me a lot of their debut record. It’s not until track 
five, “Middle Sea,” where the energy and enthusiasm kicks into high gear. Half way into the album, 
you’re realizing Yuck is doing just fine without Blumberg. Disappointingly here comes the second 
half. Admittedly so, Yuck has established a unique sound with their new album that touches upon 
their old material as well as indicating the band isn’t resting on their laurels. However, “Glow and 
Behold” is different than what I was expecting. I really enjoyed the first several tracks and then the 
rest of the album was, to put simply, a bore. It’s not as if the wheels come completely off the rails. 
However, while the first half was traveling smoothly, the record takes a turn to dullsville on the way 
to our destination.

While the sounds of their previous outing will always be cherished, Yuck’s decision to change it up 
second go around was probably necessary. “Glow and Behold” starts off incredibly strong for a band 
that could have been easily dismissed to never return again. I thought for a minute Yuck actually 
made a better album this time, but then my anticipation was shattered. The last few songs including, 
“Somewhere,” “Nothing New,” and “Glow and Behold” will have you snoozing. Those three songs 
alone account for over sixteen minutes of material that has you wondering what went wrong after 
hearing six really good songs in the beginning. In the end, I’m not exactly sure how I feel about 
Yuck. If they only released the first six tracks as an EP for their celebrated arrival, I would have 
praised the band to the fullest. Unfortunately, the additional five songs in the second half puts a real 
limitation on what could have been, should have been, a grand homecoming. 

Yuck didn’t quite hit a homerun with their latest at bat, but hung in there long enough to safely 
reach base. Still, they at least find themselves in scoring position. 

Grade: 6.8 out of 10 

Key Tracks: “Out of Time,” Memorial Fields,” “Middle Sea,” “Rebirth” 

THE MIDDLESTEINS By Jami Attenberg

 We now come towards the end of September, dear readers, 
and this means an interesting selection that will require an 
open mind. Unfortunately, the “Guardians of Childhood” 
series stops here for the time being, at least until this 
columnist comes across the next book that pops up, so 
keep an eye out for “Sandman and the War on Dreams” in 
a future review. Now, we turn to this month’s last pick “The 
Middlesteins” by Jami Attenberg. I came upon this choice 
by means of recommendation from OPRAH magazine, and 
had it noted as a must-read. Bear with me on this, my dear 
readers, as “The Middlesteins” takes on a rather serious, and 
sometimes somber tone. The central focus of this story is 
on Edie and Richard Middlestein, and what they experience 
in their shared, solid family life in Chicago. It may seem 
perfect, but there obvious strains in this picture, that are 
revealed in the form of secrets, hidden lies about others, and 
the main challenge at hand: Edie’s fixation with food. 

 The rest of her family does not want to voice their concerns, 
but cannot help but greatly notice that how this obsession with food will not just alter her 
life drastically, but is slowly changing the lives of her family as well. When Edie’s husband 
Richard abandons her, it is up to the next generation of Edie’s family to pick up the slack: their 
daughter Robin wants to make her father pay for what he does to Edie, Benny wants things 
to be smoothed over, and Rachelle is not just a perfectionist, but the challenge of saving her 
mother-in-law’s life proves to be more taxing than her twin children’s b’nai mitzvah party. 
Readers will be gradually pulled into the story’s strong tone and their interest should be 
piqued at the different perspectives of each of the characters, although some readers will want 
to pass due to its gradual pacing. Attenberg writes with pitch-perfect prose and wit, providing 
readers with an almost realistic perspective of families, obsession, heartaches, trials and 
tribulations of what goes on in the inner workings of family struggles and humanity’s strange 
fascination with food. 

Copyrighted in 2012, and receiving generous praise from sources such as Kirkus, Booklist, 
and Publishers Weekly, “The Middlesteins” is one of those reads that will have so much more 
to reveal once you lift open the cover and take a peek at the contents within. 

http://js.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_296w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/10/19/BookWorld/Images/TheMiddlesteinsHCcover.JPG
Artist: Yuck

Album: Glow and Behold

Label: Fat Possum 
Records

Release Date: 

 Sept. 30, 2013

SIERRA MADRE AUTHOR HONORED WITH 
APPEARANCE AT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS’S 
NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL


Jonathan Hennessey, a resident of Sierra Madre and author of several nonfiction 
graphic novels, was recently chosen to appear at 
the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. The 
event was organized by the Library of Congress and 
took place September 21-22 in Washington, D.C., on 
the grounds of the National Mall. 

Just over 100 writers of fiction, nonfiction, and children's 
books were invited including such literary 
heavyweights as Joyce Carol Oates, Don DeLillo, and 
Margaret Atwood.

Mr. Hennessey's book, THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS: 
A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION (HarperCollins) 
is a graphic novel adaptation of Abraham Lincoln's famous 
speech. It adopts the same underlying chronology 
of those celebrated words to retell the story of the 
Civil War, Reconstruction, and Civil Rights from colonial times to the present.


OCTOBER 6: FAURE, RAVEL, CHAMINADE IN CONCERT AT 

SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE

 The inaugural concert in the series jointly presented by Sierra Madre Playhouse and the Colburn School 
of Music features Colburn alumni and students with guest artists from L.A. Opera. The program:

 Fauve: La bonne chansons, Op. 61

 Ravel: Sonata for violin and violincello

 Ravel: Chansons Madecasses

 Chaminade: Portrait: Valse chantee

 Performers include: Rebecca Nathanson, soprano, LA Opera; Yi Zhou, viola, LA Opera; Yi-Ju Lai, piano, 
Colburn alum; Eloise Kim, piano, Colburn; Natalie Helm, cello, Colburn; Evin Blomberg, violin, Colburn; Radu 
Paponiu, Colburn; Ridge Davis, flute, Colburn.

 At Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Ample free parking behind 
theatre. Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. $20. Seniors (65+) and students (to age 21), $15. Reservations: 
(626) 355-4318. Online ticketing: www.sierramadreplayhouse.org