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FOOD - DRINK - FUN

Mountain Views News Saturday, July 12, 2025


THE TASTING ROOM


MIRACLE ON SIERRA MADRE BLVD.

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

The 1947 movie “Miracle On 34th Street” is an all-time classic 
holiday movie. It stars Natalie Wood, Maureen O’Hara, 
Edmund Gwenn, and John Payne. Edmund Gwenn played 
the Macy’s Santa Claus who claimed to be the real Santa. In 
the movie, the Macy’s Santa Claus would send customers 
to Gimbels Department Store if Macy’s didn’t have a certain 
item stocked. Today, let’s do a Miracle on Sierra Madre 
Blvd. 

I loves me some Grocery Outlet! They have quite the bargains, 
but when the item is gone, it is usually gone for good. 
The prices are discounted tremendously for various grocery 
items. If you haven’t been to a Grocery Outlet, I highly recommend you visit one. However, when 
it comes to wine, I am very picky about what I purchase. To be honest, most of their wine selection 
leaves something to be desired. I usually will peruse their selection, and every now and then a great 
bargain will pop up. 

Here's a couple of examples – Routas Rosé, Coteaux Varois en Provence 2023 and Domaine Poli 
Nielluc+Sciacca Island of Rosé 2023. The Routas is a Rosé from the Provence region of France which 
is famous for Rosé. The Routas is sustainably farmed and is a crisp and refreshing wine. Strawberry 
and stone fruit notes are prevalent. The finish is lively with excellent minerality. I can finish this wine 
in no time at ll. The Domaine Poli is from the island of Corsica which is also known for Rosé. The two 
grapes used in this organic wine are Sciacarellu and Niellucciu. Think stone fruit, sour cherry, herbs, 
and bracing acidity. Talk about summer wine…delish!

I purchased these two wines at the Arcadia Grocery Outlet on Foothill. As I said before, once the wine 
is sold out, it’s gone for good. I told several friends about these wines, and they went and purchased 
many bottles of both. Here’s the kicker - the Domaine Poli is sold online for around $20 and at Grocery 
Outlet was priced at $6. The Routas is sold online for $19 and at Grocery Outlet it sells for $5. 
On top of that deal, I purchased these wines when GO had their 20% off deal on wines and the prices 
came down to $4.80 and $4. Now that’s a friggin bargain! Again, these wines might be sold out.

If you want to stay informed about deals such as these, sign up for my newsletter by emailing me at 
glira@gratedwine.com and you can hear about these wines before they are sold out!

Until next time – Salud!

THE THREE AMIGOS RIDE AGAIN – AND THEY’RE HUNGRY

By Peter Dills – Restaurant Critic, Radio Host, Breakfast Believer

You might remember The Three Amigos—Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short. 
Well, this time it was Peter, Ron, and Hans saddling up for a different kind of adventure: 
breakfast at Twohey’s Restaurant.

This San Gabriel Valley institution may be known for its burgers and sundaes, but on this 
morning, the breakfast menu was in the spotlight. And it delivered.

Let’s start with me. I ordered the Short Rib Hash, which came in a bowl 
(a bit odd, but I rolled with it). Turns out, it was one of the best breakfast 
dishes I’ve had in a long time. Hearty, flavorful, and the kind of meal you 
can get creative with—I ended up making my own mini breakfast sandwiches 
with the toast. First-rate.

Ron, seated across from me, went for the Candied 
Pecan Pancakes. He didn’t offer me a bite 
(some friend!), but as my father used to say, 
“We eat with our eyes,” and this plate looked like it had been 
styled for a magazine shoot. Golden, stacked, and dripping with 
indulgence.

Hans, or as we call him around the breakfast 
table, Hansalicious, went traditional with Old-
Fashioned Pancakes and Blueberries. And 
here’s where it gets interesting—Hans didn’t 
finish them. But did he let them go to waste? 
Of course not. He boxed them up and left Twohey’s like a man protecting 
breakfast gold. The fact that Hansalicious took leftovers home says all you 
need to know—those pancakes were worth a second act.

The Service? Spot-on. Our server Aldo kept glasses full and coffee hot. 
Billy the Manager (a.k.a. “The Captain”) gave us a hearty back slap and a welcome worthy 
of a regular. And Tanya, the ever-gracious owner, made her rounds with a warm smile to 
ensure everything was running smoothly.

Parking? A little tricky, sure. But if that’s your biggest complaint, you know the meal was 
solid. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say it—Twohey’s breakfast menu might just outshine 
the lunch and dinner lineup.

Final Verdict?

A grand slam of a breakfast. Or, in our case, a triple for the Three Amigos. Full stomachs, 
big laughs, and one to-go box. That’s a win.

“Where there’s a great breakfast, you’ll find us amigos—not just eating, but judging, laughing, 
and tipping generously.”

Until next time—¡Salud, amigos!

https://podlink/1116885432


ALL THINGS 

By Jeff Brown 

The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for 
the World’s Most Adventurous Kid by 
Dylan Thuras 

The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most 
Adventurous Kid is a thrilling expedition to 100 of the most 
surprising, mysterious, and weird-but-true places on earth. 

For curious kids, this is the chance to embark on the journey 
of a lifetime—and see how faraway countries have more in 
common than you might expect! Hopscotch from country to 
country in a chain of connecting attractions: Explore Mexico’s glittering cave of crystals, 
then visit the world’s largest cave in Vietnam. Peer over a 355-foot waterfall in Zambia, then 
learn how Antarctica’s Blood Falls got their mysterious color. Or see mysterious mummies 
in Japan and France, then majestic ice caves in both Argentina and Austria. As you climb 
mountains, zip-line over forests, and dive into oceans, this book is your passport to a world 
of hidden wonders, illuminated by gorgeous art.

Atlas Obscura: Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to the World's 
Living Wonders by Cara Giaimo

It's time to get off the beaten path. Inspiring equal parts wonder 
and wanderlust, Atlas Obscura celebrates over 700 of the strangest 
and most curious places in the world.Talk about a bucket list: 
here are natural wonders'the dazzling glowworm caves in New 
Zealand, or a baobob tree in South Africa that's so large it has a 
pub inside where 15 people can drink comfortably. 

Architectural marvels, including the M.C. Escher-like stepwells 
in India. Mind-boggling events, like the Baby Jumping Festival 
in Spain, where men dressed as devils literally vault over rows of 
squirming infants. Not to mention the Great Stalacpipe Organ 
in Virginia, Turkmenistan's 40-year hole of fire called the Gates 
of Hell, a graveyard for decommissioned ships on the coast of 
Bangladesh, eccentric bone museums in Italy, or a weather-forecasting 
invention that was powered by leeches, still on display in 
Devon, England.Created by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras and Ella 
Morton, ATLAS OBSCURA revels in the weird, the unexpected, the overlooked, the hidden 
and the mysterious. 

Every page expands our sense of how strange and marvelous the world really is. And with its 
compelling descriptions, hundreds of photographs, surprising charts, maps for every region 
of the world, it is a book to enter anywhere, and will be as appealing to the armchair traveler 
as the die-hard adventurer.Anyone can be a tourist. ATLAS OBSCURA is for the explorer.


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