Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, February 4, 2017

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Mountain View News Saturday, February 4, 2017 


Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis

“The most important part of sushi is the rice!” 

Joseph Ungrue

Have you been to Sierra Fusion lately? Across the 
parking lot from Only Place In Town? What was 
already a beautiful restaurant is an even more 
beautiful restaurant! Hardwood floors, elegant 
black tablecloths with chopsticks resting on 
individual ceramic holders, a ceramic pot for soy 
sauce – and the soy sauce at Sierra Fusion isn’t just 
plain old Kikkoman, it’s a special blend imported 
from Japan. Outside, bamboo is flourishing on the 
edges of the side patio and another planter has been 
created to shield patio diners from the parking lot. 
And then there are the restrooms, I know, do we 
seriously need to hear about restrooms? In this case, 
yes! Wallpaper, totally redone floors and spotless 
elegance is all you need to know. All of us have been 
places where such was not the case so this is just 
flat-out delightful!

 The Pasadena Showcase House of Design, 
which I’m sure many of you attend every year, is a 
fundraiser for the LA Philharmonic, many schools 
and other organizations who need help keeping 
music programs afloat. We love seeing recipients of 
Showcase House gifts with tears running down their 
faces describing how they will use their money to buy 
new instruments or other music oriented materials. 
In any case, the Showcase House starts out in January 
with the selection of one of the enormous old 
mansions in La Canada or Pasadena. The decorators 
who will refurbish the home are chosen and the 
empty house is opened to guests for the Empty House 
Party. Our own Sierra Fusion provided the décor, the 
staff and, most importantly, the food for this party a 
couple of weeks ago, serving 537 guests from 5 to 10 
p.m. That’s a long party, friends, requiring a lot of food 
and it all had to be amazing. 

 Sitting down with Edward Ungrue, Joseph’s Dad, 
(who is now devoting all his time and energies to the 
family businesses) this morning for a look into what 
those 537 people got to enjoy made me realize we 
definitely missed the boat by not going to this event! 
Listen to this...individual buffets in various rooms 
throughout the lower floor to visit while guests toured 
the entire house:

 The Sushi room; The Pastry Room (and yes, 
Fusion makes all their own pastries for the 
restaurant, the catering company – California Crazy 
Chefs Catering – and the Slammin’ Sliders food 
trucks); The Specialty Coffees and Liqueurs Room – 
featuring the silver coffee service; The International 
Salads Room – think baby kale, organic red Quinoa 
and Mexican Fiesta Salad; The baby clam chowder 
and chilled Jumbo shrimp room; The Wine Room 
with Canyon Road Chardonnay, Massoletti Pinot 
Grigio, Llama Malbec and Canyon Road Cabernet 
Sauvignon; 

 The Black Bean Soup with roasted corn salsa and 
jalapeno crème fraiche Room; The Hearty Offerings 
Room and The Dessert Room with Madagascar 
chocolate brownie bites, a medley of mini cheesecakes 
and double chocolate dipped strawberries. AND, four 
full bars! After you read through this menu I’m sure 
you’ll be grabbing the car keys to make a trip down 
to Sierra Madre Blvd. to visit Jo and his fiancée, 
Christina, who are the heart and soul of Sierra Fusion.

 Jo and Christina are extremely involved with all the 
trendsetters in food from New York to San Francisco 
and the real center of exciting food innovation – Las 
Vegas! Both are veterans of the fast-paced Las Vegas 
food scene which left these brilliant young people 
with a real hunger to own their own restaurant and 
create exciting flavors in a comfortable ambiance and 
Sierra Madre was the place to go.

 The Sierra Fusion menu changes with the 
seasons to reflect heartier fare for winter, like a 
twice baked yam to accompany their Kurobuta 
pork chop, porridge with striped bass, and a warm 
rice pudding to finish the meal. As more seasonal 
fruits and vegetables become available, you’ll be 
seeing them on the menu. Are you starving yet? 
The sushi bar is open and ready with the freshest 
sushi and sashimi possible.

 Sierra Fusion is open Tue-Thu – 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 
p.m., 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Fri-Sat – 11:a.m. 3:00 p.m., 5:00-9:00 p.m.

Sun – 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Closed Mondays

 Sierra Fusion will be catering the Celebration of 
Life for Jan Reed, which will be held in the Sierra 
Madre Room and Recreation Center – 611 E. Sierra 
Madre Blvd. – on Saturday, February 11 from 3-6 p.m.

 This is a great time of year for walking Sierra 
Madre...Christmas lights still here and there, an 
abundance of pumpkins mixed in with poinsettias 
and camellias everywhere! And the mountains, 
covered with snow. We live in a beautiful place, don’t 
we!

 My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Blog: www.authordeanne.com

 “A Tablespoon of Love, A Tablespoon of Laughter” is 
available from me!

 Kindle readers, give yourself the gift of: 

A Treasure Map, A Drunken Owl & 47 Rattlers in a 
Bag – True Tales of Early California

 It’s on Amazon.com on my book page!

 Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/@
playwrightdd


232 W. SIERRA MADRE BLVD. SIERRA MADRE, CA 91024 T.626.355.7135 F.626.355.2251 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
Media Contact: James Carlson, Management Analyst 
Agency Name: City of Sierra Madre 
Email: city@cityofsierramadre.com 
Telephone Number: 626.355-7135 
Website: www.cityofsierramadre.com 
FELONY ARREST FOR POSSESSION OF STOLEN MAIL 
Sierra Madre, CA. – January 30, 2017 – On January 29, 2017, a Sierra Madre Police officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle 
for a vehicle code violation. Further investigation revealed the driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle driving with an 
expired driver's license and the vehicle's registration was suspended. A search incident to the driver’s arrest revealed he was in 
possession of drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine, and multiple pieces of stolen mail. 
The stolen mail consisted of over 86 items which included checks, credit cards and passports, from numerous victims from the 
following cities: Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Irvine, Culver City, Los Angeles, Aliso Viejo, Pacific Palisades, Tustin, Santa Ana, 
and Santa Monica. 
The suspect declined to provide a statement of how he came into possession of the items and he was booked at the Pasadena 
Police Department Jail. 
The U.S. Postal Inspector has taken over the investigation and prosecution of this case. 
Lopez Lopez, Gersio 
Out of Los Angeles, CA 
### 
FELONY ARREST FOR POSSESSION OF STOLEN MAIL 

Sierra Madre, CA. – January 30, 
2017 – On January 29, 2017, a Sierra 
Madre Police officer conducted a 
traffic stop on a vehicle for a vehicle 
code violation. Further investigation 
revealed the driver, who was the 
sole occupant of the vehicle driving 
with an expired driver’s license 
and the vehicle’s registration was 
suspended. A search incident to the 
driver’s arrest revealed he was in 
possession of drug paraphernalia, 
methamphetamine, and multiple 
pieces of stolen mail. 

 The stolen mail consisted of over 86 
items which included checks, credit 
cards and passports, from numerous 
victims from the following cities: 
Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Irvine, 
Culver City, Los Angeles, Aliso Viejo, 
Pacific Palisades, Tustin, Santa Ana, 
and Santa Monica. 

 The suspect declined to provide 
a statement of how he came into 
possession of the items and he 
was booked at the Pasadena Police 
Department Jail. 

 The U.S. Postal Inspector has 
taken over the investigation and 
prosecution of this case. 

SENIOR COMMUNITY COMMISSION SEEKING 
OLDER AMERICAN NOMINATIONS

Sierra Madre, CA – January 30, 2017 - The City of 
Sierra Madre Community Services Department 
and the Senior Community Commission are 
seeking your collaboration The honor is a long-
standing tradition in Sierra Madre and bestowed 
upon exceptional individuals, age 60 or older, who 
have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to 
community service. The individual selected by you 
or any organization must live in Sierra Madre. 

 All submissions are due prior to, or no later than 
Thursday, March 23, 2017. Recommendations 
are now being accepted for this recognition and 
will only be eligible for new candidates who have 
not been honored in prior years. Forms may be 
picked up and returned to the Hart Park House 
Senior Center located at 222 W. Sierra Madre 
Blvd., or please mail and/or walk in to Sierra 
Madre City Hall, c/o Older American Nomination, 
Community Services Department, 232 W. Sierra 
Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024. 

 The Commission will review nomination forms 
and select an honoree at their regularly scheduled 
meeting open to the public in the City Hall Council 
Chambers on Thursday, April 6th at 3:00 p.m. 

 The honoree will also be recognized at a city 
reception held in their honor on Friday, May 12th, 
2017. Further details will follow. 

 Previous Honorees: Dick Johnson, Joan Crow, 
Jerry & Nan Carlton, Pat Alcorn, Fran Garbaccio, 
Ken Anhalt, Eph Konigsberg, Russ Anderson, 
George Throop, Loyal Camacho, John Grijalva, 
Joylouise Harte-Smith, James Heasley, Midge 
Morash, James Tyler, Isabella Paegal, Bonnie 
Garner, Rose Fafach, Ed Wellman, Celeste 
McCleary, Dorothy Tillquist, Doris Webster, Elsie 
Dammeyer, George Mauer, Karl Teigler, Laurie 
Cooper, Lucille Flanders & Ann Tyler. For more 
information, please contact the Hart Park House 
Senior Center (626) 355-7394; or the Community 
Services Department at (626) 355-5278. www.
cityofsierramadre.com/cityhall/departments/
community_services_department/ 

SIERRA MADRE LIBRARY WINE AND CUISINE 
TASTING – A PERFECT VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT IDEA 


Friends of the Sierra Madre Library are pleased to 
announce the 47th Annual Wine and Cuisine Tasting 
Benefit. The event will be held on Friday evening, 
February 17, 2017, from 7:00-9:30 pm at Alverno’s historic 
Villa del Sol d’Oro, located at 200 N. Michillinda Avenue, 
Sierra Madre, and will be an elegant affair featuring more 
than two dozen vintners providing magnificent wines 
along with local restaurants offering imaginative and 
delicious foods and desserts. Musicians and magicians 
will serve as entertainment. The featured art this year is 
an original block print by Sierra Madre Artist, Melanie 
Campbell-Carter.

 Tickets to the premier event are $80 and allow 
admission at 6:00 pm. Those at the premier event will enjoy 
a variety of wines from Thornton Wines, a California 
winery, and gourmet hors d’oeuvres from local Sierra 
Madre restaurant Sierra Fusion. In addition to this lovely 
wine-cuisine pairing, there will be a gift basket drawing 
and entry into the main event. Tickets to the main event 
are $60 and provide admission at 7:00 pm. Both are on 
sale now at the Sierra Madre Public Library, The Bottle 
Shop, Savor the Flavor, Arnold’s Frontier Hardware & 
Gifts, and can be purchased on-line at eventbright.com.

 The Benefit is sponsored by the Friends of the Sierra 
Madre Library, an all-volunteer organization dedicated 
to supporting our community Library. All funds received 
from this event support the Sierra Madre Library. 
For more information about the event or Friends of 
the Sierra Madre Library visit our website at www.
sierramadrelibraryfriends.org 

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