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FOOD - DRINK - FUN

Mountain View News Saturday, June 14, 2025


THE TASTING ROOM


ANOTHER DELICIOUS WHITE WINE 
FOR THE SUMMER.

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

Hot weather calls out for bracing chilled white 
wine. I’ve got one from Germany that will cool 
you off this summer. 

The 2021 Salwey Pinot Blanc comes from Baden 
Germany. The winery traces their viticultural 
roots back to the 18th century. The Salwey Estate, 
however, was founded in 1950 by Benno Salwey in 
Oberrotweil, Germany. In 1985 Benno’s son Wolf-
Dietrich assumed management and in 2011, his 
eldest son Konrad took over. All the wines made by Salwey are produced in a dry style. 
The Salwey Estate follows sustainable farming practices. This wine is 100% Pinot Blanc 
(Weissburgunder). It is gently 
pressed with skin contact 
for 8 hours. Fermentation is 
done in stainless steel tanks 
after which the wine lays on 
its yeasts.

You get a zesty, bright, high 
acid wine that is super juicy. 
Think citrus peel, green apple 
acidity, and spicy minerality. 
The finish makes your 
mouth water. This wine pairs 
well with Asian fare, salads, 
fish, and soft cheese.

The 2021 Salwey Pinot Blanc 
is available at The Bottle 
Shop for $26.99. Get the special 
price of $24.99 when you 
mention you saw it in The Mountain Views News. This special price is good through June 
16th. I am in the Tasting Room every Thursday night and Friday night. Come in and taste 
with me! 

Until next time – Salud!

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HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

It’s been said that there’s no substitute for time. Only through its passage can life’s most meaningful 
experiences be fully understood. This Father’s Day, I find myself reflecting on a lesson—and a man—
whose presence is no longer physical, but who continues to teach and comfort me in quieter ways. I 
invite you to join me for one night—one meal—with the man who left this earthly place, yet remains 
deeply etched in my heart.

The following was written and originally published before his passing. I’ve decided to share it again this 
year as a tribute, and perhaps as a reminder to cherish your own moments with loved ones while you 
still can.

MY EVENING WITH A RESTAURANT CRITIC

My entire life has felt like an eight-course meal.

In my late teens, I held the distinguished title of bagger at a local supermarket. With a little 
luck and a few references, I moved on to Jurgensen’s Gourmet Grocery. That’s where I began 
to learn about fine wines, exotic cheeses, and my personal kryptonite—dry-aged beef. For a 
long time, I thought that was where my passion for food began.

But I was wrong. For some, it’s a ballplayer. For others, a spiritual leader, an artist, or a musician 
who sparks something inside them. If you're lucky, you might get to spend real time 
with the person who inspires you—who challenges your way of thinking, and does it all with 
grace. Most never get that chance. I did.

You see, my father, Elmer Dills, was part of what many call “The Greatest Generation.” He 
spent 28 years on TV and radio here in Los Angeles. And yes, he was a restaurant critic. But 
more than that, he was a teacher, a mentor, and—lucky for me—my dad.

A few weeks before I originally wrote this, the two of us went out for dinner. Now, I’ve eaten 
with my dad at least 500 times. But just like a fine wine, his wisdom only deepened with age. 
That night, it wasn’t just another dinner—it was a memory I now treasure.

We went to Madeleine’s in Pasadena (since closed), a spot my dad had come to love. He 
hadn’t been feeling his best, but he still lit up at the thought of a great meal.

“Table for three, please.” That night it was me, my daughter Lauren—the budding critic—and 
Dad.

Whenever I see well-mannered children in a restaurant, I assume they’ve got solid, respectful 
parents. And whenever I receive a compliment, I know it reflects more than just me—it 
echoes back to the man who raised me.

Dining with my father was never about theatrics. There was no special treatment, no performance. 
He didn’t ask to see the sommelier. He didn’t interrogate the menu. He simply 
ordered, enjoyed, and engaged—with the food and the people.

The restaurant was cozy, with a quiet elegance. You felt a little smarter just being there, especially 
knowing Albert Einstein once slept upstairs while visiting Cal Tech.

We started with a cheese plate. Good—not great. My dad, a creature of habit, ordered the 
rack of lamb. “I just loved it,” he said, smiling like a kid. The waiter was kind enough to have it 
cut for him. Lauren ordered the pork chops and gave them two “training thumbs up”—high 
praise in our family.

As for me? I ordered the Spencer steak. Naturally, I was the difficult one. Once they got the 
temperature right, it disappeared quickly.

Then came the moment that still makes me smile.

The waiter asked, “How was everything?”

Most people would answer with the default: 
“Fine, thank you.”

Not my dad.

“The lamb chops were great!” he said with 
genuine enthusiasm. But when asked about 
dessert, he simply shrugged. That shrug—that 
quiet honesty—is what drew me into this business 
in the first place.

I stay connected to the trends, and yes, I still 
dream of owning one myself. And I know, had 
he lived to see it, my father would be the first 
to either give me a proud thumbs-up—or a 
shrug.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

I would never trade sitting across the table 
from you for anything in the world. Email 
me your thoughts thechefknows@yahoo.
com and listen to my podcast


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