Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 27, 2016

8

FOOD AND DRINK

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 27, 2016 


I grew up in a waste not want not house hold, it meant eat what you have and you can always have 
more. Not a bad deal I’d say. My drink of choice when going out to restaurants is bubbles, champagne 
or sparkling wine. Remember it can only be called champagne if the grapes were grown in the region 
of Champagne France. 

There is wonderful eatery in Pasadena called “Pop”, and they specialize in (drum roll) sparkling wines 
and champagnes. They seem to be doing quite well with “mouse*” crowd, the story here is under 
different ownership a few years 
back they were open Wednesday 
through Sunday, I asked the 
bartender/sommelier Raphael 
what they did with the opened 
bottles of sparkling wine? He 
said they poured out in the sink; 
I shook and quivered at such a 
thought. We made a deal on the 
spot that I could come in on any 
Sunday night and for $15 (friends 
included) drink what otherwise 
would be thrown away. 

Pop (POP Champagne and 
Dessert Bar has changed hands 
since this great event but it got 
me to think about the wine that is 
sitting in your favorite restaurants 
refrigerator, how long has it been 
sitting there? As far as sparkling 
wines, there should still be a “pop” 
when your server takes off the 
“stopper” if you aren’t sure simply grab a utensil and see if you can stir up some bubbles. White wines 
and red will stay fresh a day or two longer, but here is my tried and true suggestion. And not once have 
I had a no or a roll of the eyes. Simply ask the server when the bottle was opened and if they aren’t sure 
ask for a fresh bottle. The mark up on wines by the glass is in the restaurants favor, all you are doing is 
evening the odds. 

There are a handful of restaurants that sell splits of sparkling wines, you get about a glass and a half from 
a split, though I don’ t and can’t recommend them there are no corks -- they are screw tops. Sparkling 
wine with a screw top? Dom Perignon would turn over in his grave. 

Wine by the glass? Check out the Parkway Grill in Pasadena , I promise that there will be no eye rolling 
and they do rotate their wines by the glass program often. 

Listen to Dining with Dills Sunday at 5PM KLAA AM 830.

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com


Julie’s Favorite 
Family Recipes

AROMATIC LEMON CHILI CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

4-5 lbs. chicken pieces, bone in, skin on

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large fresh lemons

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tbsp chili powder (mild)

2 tsp red chili pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

 In a small bowl, zest the two lemons. Cut them in half and juice them into the bowl.

 Add olive oil, garlic, chili powder and chili pepper flakes. Whisk together all ingredients till well 
combined.

 Brush the chicken pieces generously with the marinade till evenly coated. Pour remaining marinade 
over the top of the pieces.

 Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours (no longer, or the acid in the lemon juice 
will break down the chicken meat).

 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and cover the roasting pan or dish tightly 
with foil. 

 Cut a few slits in the foil around the edges to vent.Place chicken in the oven and cook for about 1 hour, 
until the juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. Remove the foil and raise the 
oven temperature to 425 degrees F.

 Cook the chicken for about 10 more minutes until it is nicely browned and the skin is crisp.Makes 5-7 
servings


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