B5

FOOD - DRINK -FUN

Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 23, 2024 


A BETTER BURGER?

“Build a better mousetrap, and the world will 
beat a path to your door.” Ralph Waldo Emerson 
said, his meaning very clear. To invent the 
next great thing, you have to have a better idea. 
That’s easy enough to say but does it apply to 
the world of hamburgers?

Maybe I’m late to this dance - daughter dearest 
and I went to the Five Guys Restaurant on 
South Lake in Pasadena. I will say right off the 
bat it’s a welcome addition to Pasadena. You 
know outside of San Francisco we have more 
restaurants per capita then any other city in 
the good ol’ US of A. Five Guys was started 
in the Washington DC area some 25 years ago. 
Founder Jerry Murrell’s mother said if you can 
give a good haircut or make a good burger you can always make money in America. 

The word here is fresh - fresh baked buns, fresh meat and, my favorite, freshly cut French fries made in 
peanut oil. If you go to my TIK Tok page you can see my in-store review. When you walk in you’ll be 
greeted by bags of potatoes and signs on the wall of founders’ pictures and many copies of reviews by 
various national publications. My favorite part is you can see the fresh cut French fries. As I have stated 
many times here K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid). Ordering your burger is pretty much like at a fast food 
restaurant - done your way - you tell them what you want on your burger and the cashier types it in, not 
much room for error here.

The menu is simple - burgers, hot dogs, shakes, fries, and toppings. Two Burgers and large fries were almost 
$30 – I felt that was pretty steep, considering you can get two burgers and fries at In N Out for half 
that (if you don’t count the long lines there).

 

My takeaway: I like Five Guys, especially the fries, though on my next visit I’ll ask them to take it easy on 
the seasoning. When there were just a few Five Guys Restaurants 
in the area, the chatter was “have you been to Five Guys 
yet?” Now, I think the specialness and novelty have worn off 
- “who hasn’t been to Five Guys?” They are pretty much everywhere. 
Go ahead and google Five Guys and I’m sure there 
will be one near you. Should In N Out be worried? No, I don’t 
think so. While we try to build a better mousetrap there are 
plenty of great burgers out there. Heck, I make a pretty good 
one in my backyard!

SAVE THE DATE I'll be judging the Kiwanis Chili Cook Off 
again on May 11th at the Sierra Madre YMCA. Stay tuned 
for more details. 

THE TASTING ROOM

AFTER A HARD DAY 
– GAMAY!

I’m Gustavo Lira, Tasting Room 
Manager and Wine Buyer at The 
Bottle Shop in Sierra Madre with another 
wine and spirits selection. 

Have you ever had a hard day and 
just wanted to relax with a delicious, 
easy to drink wine - not just an easy 
drinking wine - but a wine that you’ll 
remember? I had such an experience 
not too long ago and found this gem. 
A few months ago, I had flown up to 
San Francisco to attend the Kermit 
Lynch 50th anniversary party and 
things started going south when the 
plane had mechanical issues. I arrived 
at the event 2 hours later than planned which resulted in a long line to 
get in. On top of that, on the train from SFO to downtown, I witnessed an attempted 
mugging. If ever there was a time I wanted a great glass of wine, this 
was it. I went to the first table without a line and into my glass was poured a 
wine that reminded me how lucky I am to be able to taste and discover amazing 
wines. I stood there for a few seconds, mesmerized by the wine in my glass. 

I thought to myself that we ought to have 
this wine at The Bottle Shop. 

The wine in my glass was the Domaine 
Dupeuble Beaujolais Rouge 2022. It’s 100% 
Gamay from 50–100-year-old sustainably 
farmed vines. No chemicals or synthetic 
fertilizers are used. No sulfites are added in 
the production of the wines. Only natural 
yeasts are used. The wine is unfiltered making 
it a vegan wine. Now this is a natural 
wine that is well made. The wines are made 
by brother and sister Stéphane and Ghislaine 
Dupeuble. Their family has been making wine continuously for over 500 
years, so they damn well know what they’re doing. 

It's bright, juicy, and mouthwatering. Swirl your glass and take in the wonderful 
rose floral notes. On the palate you get subtle spice and gorgeous fruit. It’s 
balanced with minerality. This is a dry wine, not sweet at all. It’s a fun and serious 
wine all at once. A few sips and you will love this wine. Chill it a bit and 
have it with all types of food – pizza, charcuterie, roasted chicken, hell… even 
corned beef and cabbage! 

Don’t wait for a bad day to drink this wine. Enjoy it anytime, on any day. 

This wine is available at The Bottle Shop for $19.99. It’s a great wine at a fantastic 
price. 

Until next time – Salud!

Upcoming Wine Tastings – 3

/23 Spanish Wines with Premium Tinned Fish (Conservas); 

3/24 Discover South American Wines; 

3/28 & 3/29 Wines For Easter; 

TBD April Fresh Shucked Oysters and Champagne!

Scan the QRCode to subscribe to 

The Bottle Shop newsletter and stay 

informed on our weekly wine tasting, 

beer tasting, and special winemaker events.


Spring Vegetable 
Fettuccine Alfredo


Level: Easy

Total: 30 min

Active: 30 min

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Kosher salt

One 9-ounce package fresh fettuccine

Extra-virgin olive oil, for tossing

2 cups shiitake mushrooms (about 4 ounces),

stems removed and discarded

1 bunch thin asparagus, about 1 pound

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1/2 cup frozen peas

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

cheese

1 tablespoon chopped chives

Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions 
until al dente, tender but slightly firm. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then strain the pasta and 
toss with a splash of oil in the colander.

Meanwhile, slice the mushroom caps into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus 
and cut into 2-inch lengths. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. 
When the butter melts, raise the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms in 1 layer. Cook, without 
moving, until the undersides have browned, 1to 2 minutes, then stir and cook until golden about 2 
minutes more. 

Add the asparagus,another tablespoon of butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue to cook, stirring

occasionally until the asparagus is tender and the mushrooms are browned, 2 to 4 minutes.Transfer the 
vegetables to the colander with the pasta. 

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 5 tablespoons butter. When the butter has mostly 
melted, whisk in the cream and bring to a simmer, then add the peas and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off 
the heat. 

Whisk the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the sauce. Add the vegetables, cooked pasta, chives and lemon 
zest and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. The pasta will thicken as it cools. To thin it, add reserved 
pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time and toss to reach the desired consistency. Serve hot in heated bowls.

Cook’s Note

Heavy whipping contains stabilizers to help it whip up and stay at the desired consistency. It will thicken 
your Alfredo sauce more than regular heavy cream will. You may adjust the consistency of your sauce by 
adding up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water.


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