Mountain Views News          Saturday, December 13, 2014

7

FOOD AND DRINK

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 13, 2014 


AVANTI CAFÉ INTRODUCES AVANTI ITALIAN BISTRO

Over the past few months I have made it a point to let my readers know that I am in a constant search for 
the family owned restaurant. You may accurately say, it is the Holy Grail for this Restaurant Critic. It is 
the American dream for many and a business which has put many a child through diapers and college. 
It may stem out of some kind of shameless guilt which I carry. For I have written about the Big Chains 
almost exclusively these past few months, but I vowed that I would return to my true love, the Local 
Corner Restaurant. I think I found the Grail. Tap your heels together three times and just repeat the 
words, “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.” It has been there right in front of me the 
whole time! Avanti Café has been on the corner of Union and Lake in Pasadena for 21 years, and for the 
past 14 years they have been utilizing a wood fire pizza oven. They are responsible for some of the area’s 
best gourmet pizzas. On my last visit I was to enjoy the glazed Apple Pizza ($15.95) and a traditional 
Pepperoni Pizza for ($12.85) . One of the tests I put 
to each restaurant that I review is their soup. Avanti 
Café makes an unbelievable Chicken Barley Soup, 
all I can add is, Wow. If you live in the area for any 
length of time you have certainly passed the Avanti 
Café countless times. Need another reason to stop 
the next time. The Giuseppe Pizza ($17.95) is loaded 
with Spinach, Ricotta, Chicken Breast, Mushrooms 
and Red Peppers, all very fresh and perfectly baked 
in these flavorful ovens. The setting at Avanti is as 
you would expect a restaurant like this; unpretentious 
and very welcoming. There is a small parking lot in 
the back, seating is fairly limited here but Avanti 
maintains a nice selection of beer and wine. It has 
won the appetite of many loyal customers, along with 
numerous awards, which it can showcase. I give it 
thumbs up. Well worth the drive from wherever you 
are reading this. My daughter Lauren has to have the 
Garlic Knots with each visit. She knows her stuff, 
and you will love them too!!! 

Avanti Café 111 N. Lake Ave Pasadena

Part II

The restaurant mortality rate is so high, that even 
with all my experience in the hospitality business 
I would be crazy to open a restaurant. So when 
I heard that Avanti Café was expanding to two 
locations I had to find out what the deal was. 
Owner Bobby Ghorfanian bought the space of 
the old Spring Garden to open Avanti Bistro I had 
to send the medics to see if he was feeling OK. 
Seemed Ok to me .

Avanti Italian Bistro and Bar 187 N. Sierra Madre, 
Pasadena

Join my new food blog www.peterdills.tumblr.
com tune into my radio show on AM 830 KLAA 
on Sundays at 12 Noon

SAVORY STUFFED 

PORK MEDALLIONS

Courtesy - Savor The Flavor, Sierra Madre 

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 Boneless pork loin center roast, approximately 1 ½ lb

9 oz Earth & Vine Provisions Spicy Apple Garlic Jam 

3 Cups Pepperidge Farms Herb Seasoned stuffing mix

1 Cup chicken broth

¾ Cup chopped yellow onion

¾ Cup chopped celery

3 Tablespoons butter

1 Teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped

1 Teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped 

DIRECTIONS: 

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

 Heat skillet over medium/high heat, add butter and melt, sauté celery & onions, add chicken broth 

 and herbs and bring to a boil. 

 Turn down heat. Fold in stuffing mix, stir until moister is absorbed. 

 Remove from heat and fold in 4 tablespoons Earth & Vine Provisions Spicy Apple Garlic Jam . 

 Cut tenderloin lengthwise down the center (not quite through to bottom). 

 Open up tenderloin and cut again lengthwise on either side, but not quite through to bottom. 

 Cover tenderloin with plastic wrap and pound out to ¼ inch thickness, using the flat side of a 

 meat mallet. 

 Spread stuffing mixture evenly over the flattened pork loin within ¼ inch of edge. Roll up jellyroll 
style, secure with tooth picks or kitchen string. Place tenderloin seam side down on a rack in a shallow 
baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear. Remove from oven, cover and let 
stand for 15 minutes. Cut into ¼ inch rounds.

 Serve with extra Spicy Apple Garlic Jam, green beans, baked Yukon gold potatoes or garlic mashed 
potatoes. 

The Gourmet Gals 

Savor the Flavor LLC 

11 Kersting Court Sierra Madre, CA 91024 

Phone: 626.355.5153 

Email: info@savortheflavor.net 

Website: www.savortheflavor.net


Peter DillsKLAA 830 AM SundayPasadena 
Star News 
Wine EditorPeter DillsRecommendsAvailable at 
Vons/Pavilions $999
RICH Johnson


DINER LINGO


I had the distinct pleasure of spending a few moments in the presence of two 
wonderful ladies this morning. The brilliant, talented and beautiful pair, Eve and 
Connie, were seated outside enjoying breakfast and lattes at the fashionable Corfu 
Restaurant here in Sierra Madre. Eating out entered the conversation to nobodies 
surprise. By the way if you’re looking for the perfect gift in the $20 range, for a client 
or even me, Connie creates gift coffee cakes. They are yummy and originate from 
Connie’s gramma’s original recipe. Call Connie at Oven Lovin’ (626) 676-0276.

Anyway, our discussion regarding eating led to a remembrance of “Diner Lingo”. “Diner Lingo is verbal 
slang used by wait staff, cooks and chefs to communicate orders to the cooks. The slang was most used in 
diners and luncheonettes from the 20s to the 70s. Of course we know BLT is bacon, lettuce, and tomato 
sandwich. Some of the other memorable terms included:

Adam and Eve on a raft: (two poached eggs on toast)

Adam and Eve on a raft and wreck ‘em: (two scrambled eggs on toast)

Arnold Palmer: (half sweet tea, half lemonade)

Battle Creek in a bowl: (bowl of corn flakes)

Black and Blue: (a steak cooked quickly over high heat, seared on the outside, blue inside)

Boiled Leaves: (hot tea)

Bossy in a Bowl: (beef stew)

Checkerboard: (waffle)

Cup o’ joe: (coffee)

Hockey Puck: (a hamburger well done)

Keep off the grass: (no lettuce)

Make it Cry: (serve with onions)

Motor Oil: (maple syrup)

Pigs in a Blanket: (sausage wrapped in pancakes)

Run it through the Garden: (any sandwich, with lettuce, tomato and onion added)

Smear: (margarine or butter)

Whistle berries: (baked beans)

Wax: (American cheese)

Wreath: (cabbage)

Yellow Paint: (mustard)

Some of the references are not food related:

Bubble Dancer: (Dishwasher)

Campers: (customers who take up a table for a long time causing the server to lose money)

Chuds: (customers who take up an entire table and drink only coffee)

In the Alley: (item served as a side dish)

In the Weeds: (a waitress or cook that cannot keep up with the tables or orders)

Let it Walk: (an order to go)

Marry: (Put the leftovers in the same container) (also means pouring ketchup from half-filled 
bottles to other bottles to make full bottles. Get it?)

 I hope you are having a festive Christmas holiday season. If you can’t decide what to get me here’s 
a suggestion: I have installed little buckets all over town, supervised by people ringing bells. We’re 
calling it the Salvation Army and they could use the donations. Really, if you do your due diligence 
regarding charitable giving you will find the Salvation Army makes the best use of your contributions 
in getting help to those who need it.

Thank you for reading my column. And thank you to those of you who tell me, when you see me, that 
you read my column. That is a wonderful Christmas present in and of itself.

LEGAL NOTICE

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

NO. VS026627

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 

Petitioner ANNA ELIA AVALOS HAS FILED A PETITION WITH THE LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT - 
SOUTHEAST JUDICIAL DISTRICT FOR A DECREE CHANGING NAMES AS FOLLOWS:

Present Name:

ANNA ELIA AVALOS

Proposed Name:

ANNA ELIA GARCIA

A HEARING on the petition will be held on 02/04/2015 at 1:30PM in Dept. C - RM. 312 at 12720 NORWALK BLVD., 
NORWALK, CA. 90650.

THE COURT ORDERS that all interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, 
if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the 
objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why 
the petition should not be granted.

If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

JDC - Mountain Views News December 13, 20 and 27, 2014.

Anna Elia Avalos

Petitioner Appearing Pro Per

5830 Agra Street

Bell Gardens, Ca. 90201