Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 2, 2013

A9

FOOD & DRINK

Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 2, 2013 


VALLEY DINING 

Welcome to the Foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and the palace where Champions are crowned. 
The prince and pauper share the equal chance of treasures on this day if only luck will reign. Outside 
the activity of the Equine Olympics in those quiet moments of ticket shuffling you may hear the 
engraved words of a distant legends who answer by the names of Seabiscuit, Sulky Sullivan and John 
Henry, as the ghosts of four-legged giants never die. 

I will confess that I have a proclivity of sponsoring horse that detest the spotlight of the camera. But 
I’ve ridden enough benches, chairs and stools from an apprentice to a journeyman to offer tips of a 
different kind. So come celebrate or drown a sorrow or two at some of my favorite restaurants.

Panda Inn is the place where you may find John 
Sheriffs or Laffit Pincay digesting the enterprise 
of the day. Panda Inn is fixed with a loaded bar 
and enough space to stretch your Racing Form. 
The broad menu offers a classis Orange Flavored Chicken, the spirit warming Won Ton Soup and the 
vogue Chicken Wraps. Beware of Gus’s daily double, the two handed Mai Tai pour. 

3488 E. Foothill Blvd. Pasadena (626) 793-7300

Robin’s Wood Fire BBQ is tucked away on a vista of upper Rosemead Blvd and like a live long shot it 
produces yelps of sheer rapture. Known for ribs that tussle in a Southern Pride the Beef Ribs perfume 
in the animated scents of hickory and rubs. The tri-tip sandwich melts as ice cream in your mouth. A 
Full Bar as colorful as a jockey’s silks.

Open for lunch service or dinner 

395 N. Rosemead Pasadena (626) 351-8885. 

If you have to have a knife in your hand the steaks at the The Derby Restaurant are a front running 
winner. A delicious cut of Choice or Prime is offered at this Racing and Restaurant Institution. After 
the excitement of the meal take a few minutes of exploration and marvel at the historic old pictures, 
trophies, jockey boots and historic ribbons. The owners tell me that George Woolf himself made the 
Derby his home away from home in the early 1930’s and became a partner in the restaurant in 1938. 

233 E. Huntington Dr. Arcadia (626) 447-2430

If you have something different in mind, Din Tai Fung is the place for you. The San Gabriel Valley 
has a large Asian population and this restaurant 
has many of those transplants huddling in line for 
their famed Dumplings. I recommend a sampling 
of the Dumplings and I especially like the Xiao 
Long Bao (a dumpling packed with minced 
pork). Fresh Crab Meat is a perfect topping for 
this irresistible blanket wrapped treasure.

1088 S. Baldwin Ave. Arcadia (626) 446-8588

The diminutive Restaurant that keeps getting 
a large buzz is Noir Restaurant on N. Mentor 
in Pasadena. Located adjacent to the Ice House 
Comedy Shop. Noir was recently named as the 
top newcomer to Los Angeles by Zagat Magazine. 
Shake the night up with a sea of Gumbo or a New 
York Strip Steak coupled with the Duck Horn Wine. Music is performed nightly. 40 N. Mentor Ave. 
Pasadena (626) 795-7199

The place where winning photos dress the walls and first place entrees fill the tables is Nikki C’s. Only 
a few minutes from the Race Track it has been a retreat for all those that love the company of friends 
for years. The Ciaopino is riddled with seafood, including: always-fresh mussels, scallops and crab 
legs. Nikki C’s is a single on all of my tickets.470 S. Rosemead Blvd. Pasadena (626) 792-7437

ANCHO TORTILLA SOUP

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com

INGREDIENTS

6 white corn tortillas (6-inch), halved, cut into 1/2-inch 
strips

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection Chile Pepper, 
Ancho

1 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection Cumin, 
Ground

1 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection Garlic Powder

2 McCormick® Gourmet Collection Bay Leaves, Turkish

4 cups chicken broth

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 pound boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded 
or 1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked turkey

 Assorted toppings, such as chopped avocado, shredded Monterey Jack cheese and chopped 
fresh cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS

 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread tortilla strips on baking sheet coated with no stick cooking 
spray. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp and golden, stirring after 5 minutes. Set aside. 

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes. 
Add ancho chile pepper, garlic, cumin and bay leaves; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes. Add 
broth and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves. 
Thicken soup, if desired. 

3. To serve, place a few tortilla strips and a small amount of chicken in each serving bowl; add 
soup. Top with assorted toppings, if desired. 


SPORTS


RAIDER VARSITY 
FOOTBALL WINS 
LEAGUE

 In a heart-stopping match-up against Holy Family on Tuesday, St. Rita’s 
Raiders claimed the conference title with a 28-26 victory over the fellow 
unbeaten team. The victory earns the Raiders a high seed in the 60-team CYO 
playoffs.

 

The excitement in “Raiderland” is tangible as their varsity football team went 
9-0 to claim the East Foothill Conference Championship. Along the way, they 
played some thrilling games, like the 44-30 decision over Assumption and 
the 54-40 win against St. Elizabeth. None were as exciting as this final game.

Holy Family, like St Rita, was undefeated in the league. The game began as a 
seesaw battle as St Rita drove inside the ten but failed to score. Holy Family 
then scored in three plays, but failed on their conversion. From there, a 
series of great runs by Howard, Anthony Camacho and Luca Farroni, with 
timely passes from Howard to Farroni, Camacho, Nick Zuniga and Henry 
Gardner, propelled them to a 22-20 lead at the half. The Knights took over after a Raider 
punt with a little over a minute in the game. Fortunately for St Rita, the game ended with 
the Holy Family star player making a catch where he landed inches short of the goalie.


St. Rita School, located at 322 N. Baldwin Ave. in Sierra Madre, is a top-ranked Catholic 
parish school with a CYO-championship sports program.


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