Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 9, 2014

7

FOOD AND DRINK

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 9, 2014 


CENTRAL PARK CAFÉ...NOT SO OLD PASADENA

I have referred to Central Park Café in Pasadena’s 
as a rising star in the competitive Pasadena 
restaurant scene. Central Park specializes in 
mouthwatering steaks, fresh fish, handcrafted 
pastas and gourmet pizzas. I have dined here at 
least once a month since it’s opening over six 
years ago;

 Hence, it’s not the newest fire on the block but 
it remains one of Pasadena’s best kept secrets. 
When I go here, I find myself irresistible drawn 
to the same dishes over and over again, as I order 
the Ahi Sandwich ($10.95) with its exceptional 
partnering of a delicious side salad of Broccoli. If 
and when I get more adventurous, 
and break free from the spell that 
Central Park has placed me under, 
the eggplant sandwich on foccacia 
bread has all the makings of a 
new favorite ($9.50). When I am 
hungry and have a big appetite, 
usually at dinner, I dive into the 
braised short ribs ($18.95).

 I love breakfast here. So, on 
those mornings when the sun 
beckons with an irrepressible 
invitation, I invite my friends, 
Kind Ken Fuller and his wife 
Becky to meet me for breakfast. 
I get a sly indicator that they, like 
me, know that something special is on its way. 
It is displayed in the little smile that forms as 
they sit at the table and survey the menu. Ken 
religiously orders the eggs benedict. Breakfast 
is notable here and it makes sense, since the 
owners also own Canoe House and the Diner 
on Main St. Both places are known for a good 
breakfast. Now, I wouldn’t call Central Park 
upscale; however it would be wrong to translate 
the experience visually and flavorfully of those 
two restaurants to Central Park.

 To make your experience more enticing, 
Central Park add another allure to their award 
winning and hand selected wine list, they added 
a full Bar. It is quaint, more the appearance of a 
service bar than a full one, but if you are in the 
mood for a Martini, you can use your best James 
Bond to impress the ladies. It never works for 
me though! All the Desserts here are created in-
house, and are very affordable in the ($6) range. 
My recommendation is the Carrot Cake, an 
expressive ending to a great dining experience.

 Central Park occupies the One Hundred year 
old flower warehouse. You might remember it 
as Soda Jerk’s at one point. It still has the same 
beautifully exposed brick walls, which tease the 
imagination into believing that you have entered 
a Fifties Chicago style Restaurant. If you are a 
Pop Culture buff, the walls yield in homage as 
a testament to that nostalgic era. 
There are black and white photos of 
celebrities from Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio 
to the cigar taping, comedian, 
Grouch Marx. With the exposed 
brick, and the high vaunted ceilings 
and elegant decor, Central Park will 
transport you back in time.

 Central Park has their own off street 
parking, which gives you enough 
time to really enjoy breakfast, lunch 
or dinner, without worrying if 
there are enough coins in the 
meter. 

 I place Central Park Café in a 
similar category with Parkway 
Grill, Houston’s and Smitty’s. The difference 
being that Central Park is a little less expensive 
than these other three. Check out their web page 
www.centralparkcafe.net hours and exact prices. 
Bargain Note: $6 Martinis on Monday Nights

 I am a fan of Central Park Café and I am sure 
with a single visit, you will be too.

Central Park Café 219 S. Fair Oaks Pasadena 
(626) 449-4499

 Visit me on my website www.peterdills.com 
listen to Dining w/Dills on KLAA AM 830 at 5 PM

SLOW COOKER 

ITALIAN STUFFED PEPPERS

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbs tomato paste

1/4 teas red pepper flakes

4 peppers, large and varied - yellow, orange, red

1 slice good white bread, torn into pieces

1/4 cup whole milk

12 oz Italian sausage, removed from casing

1 small zucchini, seeded and cut into 1/4” pieces

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3/4 cup cooked rice

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

2 tbs fresh basil, minced

DIRECTIONS

 In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the onion, oil, tomato paste and red pepper flakes, about 5 
minutes, stirring often.

 Cut 1/2” top off each pepper, removing the seeds and stems. Chop the tops up fine and reserve.

In a large bowl, mash the bread with the milk and the back of a fork until combined. Mix in the 
onion mixture and chipped pepper tops. Add the sausage, zucchini, Monterey Jack cheese, rice, 
Parmesan, and season well with salt and pepper. Mix the filling well by hand and pack into the 
cored peppers.

 Pour 1/3 cup water into your slow cooker and arrange the stuffed peppers upright so that they 
will remain standing while cooking. Cover and cook about 4 to 6 hours on low, until the peppers 
are tender.

 Pick up the peppers carefully with tongs, and use a slotted spoon underneath to transfer to 
plates.

 Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese and basil on top.


RICH Johnson

So, Sierra Madre, what’s 
new?

 Frescos Family 
Restaurant closed. You 
know the one. In the 
Albertsons shopping 
center. I miss them. Oscar 
(and family), Carolina, 
and German. Most of you 
know I regularly started my day there saving 
the world by playing cribbage with friends. 
Playing cribbage in public is what gave me my 
journalistic career. I was spotted, queried and 
then asked to write for the paper. 

 What’s new? Several months have gone by 
and finally the “Old School Eatery” has opened 
in the old Frescos location. If you have followed 
their first few weeks on Yelp (the restaurant 
review site) you have been quite entertained with 
reviews that run from great to really not so great. 

 I went to the Old School Eatery. Both times 
were during the slow mid afternoon hours. I 
experienced great service and timeliness of the 
delivery of the meals. I’ve heard the service is not 
so good when they are busy, but that could be 
written off as the growing pains of a new eatery. 
The first time I went I had the short rib sandwich 
and, to be truthful, I wasn’t impressed. Not real 
flavorful in my opinion. 

However, the second time I went, I had the 
meat loaf sandwich and it may very well be 
the best meat loaf sandwich I’ve ever had. And 
that’s saying something as I am somewhat of a 
connoisseur of meat loaf (Am I a classy guy or 
what?) What? The sandwich was served on an 
onion roll which was just perfect. Everything 
about the sandwich was perfect. I had it with 
the tater tots. If you’re used to tater tots from 
the freezer section of the store, you do not know 
tater tots. These were great. Now get this. My 
friend had the short rib sandwich and loved it. 
I guess beauty is in the eye of the taste bud.) He 
also had the side of deviled eggs and shared a 
little bit. Now deviled eggs are tricky business. 
My aunts and great aunts made them for years 
so I know good deviled eggs. These guys make 
good, and flavorful deviled eggs.

 I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the 
Chef. His name is Marc and he is from Brooklyn. 
Where he is from should say it all. If you’ve ever 
had any dealings with New Yorkers you probably 
know they are 180 degrees opposite the casual 
laid back Southern Californian. To your typical 
Huntington Beach surfer dude Marc will seem 
loud, abrupt, arrogant and rude. There is a good 
chance he will shock you. 

 Hopefully, the Old School Eatery will fix 
their service problems. A lot of time, effort, and 
undoubtedly money, has gone in and being a 
business owner myself, I want them to succeed 
wonderfully.

 What about Chef Marc? In addition to 
his culinary artistry, think of him as the 
entertainment. I’m betting (and hoping) he will 
mellow out.

 Try Old School Eatery out. 

OLD SCHOOL EATERY!


NSF INTERNATIONAL SURVEY REVEALS HOW CONFUSION ABOUT 
FOOD EXPIRATION DATES CAN IMPACT HEALTH AND WALLETS


ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Expiration date labeling on 
food products is a source of confusion for consumers 
according to a new survey from NSF International, 
a global public health and safety organization. The 
survey found that people are confused about how to 
interpret dates on food packaging such as expiration, 
“best used by” and “sell by” dates, causing many to 
keep some food dangerously long or prematurely 
throw away good food.

 In fact, the survey indicated that one in four 
(27 percent) Americans don’t throw away food by 
the expiration date, putting themselves, family 
or friends at risk of foodborne pathogens such as 
Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli. Additionally, half of 
Americans surveyed said they throw out food based 
on the “best used by” and “sell by” dates (51 percent 
and 36 percent, respectively), wasting both their food 
and money.

 More Information: 
Survey Summary | Infographic | Understanding 
Expiration Dates Tip Sheet

 Perhaps because of this confusion, a majority of 
the respondents (64 percent) said they rely on the 
decidedly unscientific and incorrect approach of 
using their senses to decide when to throw out food. 
Nearly half (47 percent) use visual cues such as mold 
or a change in texture or color as an indicator of food’s 
freshness. An additional 17 percent said they will 
throw away fresh foods based on smell. This behavior 
can be dangerous because the germs which cause 
foodborne illness cannot be seen or smelled.

 “With so many different types of dates on food 
packaging, it’s understandable that consumers may 
be confused about what they all mean,” said Cheryl 
Luptowski, home safety expert at NSF International. 
“Some dates are references for food safety, while 
other dates are meant to inform the consumer of the 
food’s quality or help retailers be aware of how long to 
display food. Part of NSF International‘s mission is to 
educate consumers about food safety, and our survey 
results clearly show that more education is needed on 
the subject.”

 Americans who are confused by the different label 
dates can refer to the quick guide below and visit NSF 
International’s website for more food safety advice 
such as the Understanding Expiration Dates Tip 
Sheet and NSF Food Storage Charts.

 Expiration or “use by” dates refer to food safety. 
Food should be thrown away once this date has 
passed. 

 “Sell by” dates are a reference for food retailers and 
indicate when food should be pulled from the shelves. 
Consumers should check to make sure this date has 
not passed before purchasing food. 

 “Best used by” dates have nothing to do with 
safety. Instead they refer to the last date when the food 
will be at peak quality and freshness.

 Other findings from NSF International’s food 
expiration dates survey include:

 Uncooked meats, dairy products and produce 
pose the greatest food safety threat when kept 
too long, yet some still ignore the dates on these 
products. One in four (27 percent) said they keep 
uncooked meat past the date on the label and 22 
percent said they keep dairy products such as milk 
and sour cream past the date on the label. Thirty-
seven percent don’t throw away produce after the 
expiration date. 

 Behavior varies according to age. Those under age 
34 were more likely to throw out foods regardless of 
the type of date posted on the package. Conversely, 
Americans over age 55 were the most likely to 
hold onto food past any date on the label, which is 
concerning if they are preparing meals for young 
children, pregnant women or immune-compromised 
family and friends. Consumers older than 65 may also 
be more susceptible to germs which cause foodborne 
illness. 

 Americans sometimes avoid eating at other 
people’s homes due to food safety concerns. 
According to the survey, 39 percent of respondents 
have avoided eating something at a friend’s or family 
member’s house because they didn’t trust the safety 
or quality of the food. The level of concern rises for 
middle-aged respondents. Nearly half (48 percent) 
of those aged 45-54 will say “no thanks” to food 
when they are a guest, while 35 percent of younger 
Americans aged 18-34 will decline food. 

 Men and women tend to throw out food for the 
same reasons. Overall, men and women have similar 
behavior when it comes to throwing away food. 
However, women tend to be slightly more cautious 
when it comes to throwing out specific foods that are 
past the label date (e.g. uncooked meat, canned goods, 
prewashed vegetables, etc.). Both acknowledge relying 
more on changes in appearance, color or texture 
rather than the date on the food package.

“Food expiration dates are meant to offer guidance 
to consumers,” added Luptowski. “Confusion about 
these dates can result in many people either keeping 
food long past the dates on the product or throwing 
away food prematurely. Knowing what the dates 
mean can help keep you healthy, avoid food wastes 
and save money.”


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