Tracy’s LA Real Estate

Did you know that the City of Los Angeles has the highest recycling rate of the 30 largest cities in the United States? Who knew? And we can recycle a large number of items now that we couldn’t before, including all plastics numbered 1 through 7 (but clean, they must be clean) plus plastic bags.

I researched the facts after we had a debate while cleaning up after a meeting about whether lids need to be on or off the bottles that go to the recycler. Well, the Department of Sanitation doesn’t seem to care. They state that they recycle plastic bottles and lids and don’t mention whether they must be together or not.

 And did you know you can recycle Styrofoam as well? Again, it must be clean—no food-laden, oily, greasy boxes, please, and no shipping peanuts. Rules, rules, rules. Check it out at http://www.lacity.org/san/solid_resources/recycling/what_is_recyclable.htm.

 

Eagle Rock, Northeast Los Angeles, and occasional forays into Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena

This is my personal, subjective, and sporadically updated guide to local food and drink establishments located mostly in the Northeast Los Angeles area, branching out to Pasadena, South Pasadena, Altadena, San Gabriel. Asterisks indicate that one of us on my team has been there, tasted the food, and likes it. Call the restaurant for current hours. Several of the Highland Park entries were taken from a brochure made by Amy Inouye at Future Studio, 5558 N. Figueroa St, 90042. FutureStudio@sbcglobal.net www.chickenboy.com

Antojitos Guerrero 5623 York Blvd. 323.254.6118

Salvadorean & Mexican, 4-taco special

La Abeja 3700 N. Figueroa St. 323.221.0474

Mural by Leo Limon, the artist who has painted the cat faces in the LA River for 35 years!

El Arco Iris 5684 York Blvd 323.254.3401

http://elarcoiris.com Popular with locals, good authentic Mexican food.

*Armon’s 5056 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.478.1440

Good solid American breakfast and lunch, also some Chinese fare. Nice neighborhood atmosphere, friendly waitresses, good daily lunch specials.

*Auntie Em’s 4616 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.255.0800

www.AuntieEmskitchen.com. Great breakfast and lunch, cookies, soups, indoor and outdoor seating, also excellent catering. New! Home delivery options. Vegetarian friendly but they also have good pulled pork sandwiches. Next door is their gourmet cheese shop. Occasional Market Dinners with wine suggestions you can buy from Colorado Wine Company—sign up for their email newsletter and catch the next Dinner, it’s fantastic!

*Bistro de la Gare 921 Meridian Ave. South Pas. 626.799.8828

www.bistrodelagare.com. Really charming, great French bistro food, wine bar, located right by the Gold Line.

*The Blue Hen 1743 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.5654

www.eatatbluehen.com. Vietnamese food, lunch and dinner. This restaurant supports local farms and sustainable farming practices, and it is good food, too.

*Brownstone Pizza 2108 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.4992

Good New York style pizza and you can also buy it by the slice! You can even order a meal or a slice, go to the Colorado Wine Company 2 doors down, and they’ll bring your food to you over there (if they’re not too busy)!

*The Bucket 4541 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.5654

Known for Basque-style hamburgers. Longtime Oxy hangout.

*Bulgarini Gelato 749 E. Altadena Dr, Altadena 626.791.6174

http://www.bulgarinigelato.com/. Voted best gelato by LA Weekly, a great write-up by Jonathan Gold, and I have to say I had some of the best peach sorbet in my life there. It’s the real deal, though I would rather be in Rome than Altadena sometimes, just sometimes.

Buttertart Coffee & Treats 4126 Verdugo Rd, 90065 323.258.8278

www.mybuttertart.com A brand new charming breakfast and lunch café in Sagamore Park area at the Glendale/Eagle Rock border. The signature dish is a small, handmade custard tart that is rich, buttery, creamy, and completely delicious. I don’t want to know how many calories it might contain.

Cacao Mexicatessen 1576 Colorado Blvd, Eagle Rock 323-478-2791

www.cacaodeli.com. Email: cacaodeli@att.net. Smell the made-on-premises tortillas as you enter the doorway and get ready to be transported to Mexico. Specializing in mole, but there is a variety of styles and flavors from all over the country. Take-out, eat-in, and catering.

*Café Beaujolais 1712 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.255.5111

Classic French bistro food, wine & beer. Extremely good.

*Café Culture 1359 N. Altadena Blvd. Pasadena 626.398.8654

Coffee house with good baked goods.

Café de Leche 5000 York Blvd. Highland Park 323-551-6828

www.cafedeleche.net. Remember how the Renaissance of Eagle Rock began with Swork’s Coffee? Here is a great new coffee place in Highland Park, though I’d have to say the tide began to turn here with Marty’s and the York Pub.

*Camilo’s Café & Catering 2128 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.478.2644

California bistro serving tasty breakfast, lunch, dinner. Also afternoon tea by reservation and excellent catering. Live music on Thursday evenings. Atmosphere is lovely, great for any occasion.

*The Capri 4604 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.3225

Good solid traditional Italian food, large portions, old-style Italian restaurant atmosphere.

*Casa Bianca 1650 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.256.9617

“The Best Pizza in Southern California.” It is good! Try to beat the rush, but they have chairs outside so you can just visit with your friends while you wait. Takeout is a good choice.

*La Casa Princesa           4257 York Blvd. Eagle Rock  323.474.6860

Good coffee, food, free wi-fi, free music, what more could you ask for? Add friendly service and a large space and easy parking. Check it out!

El Chile 4017 N. Figueroa St. 323.221.5555

The only arepas (baked or fried cornmeal cake of traditional Colombian cuisine) on Figueroa, covered patio dining.

*Cinnamon Vegetarian 5511 Figueroa St. Highland Park 323.982.9480

www.CinnamonVegetarian.com. An international but mostly Southwest/South American menu, all meat-free. Very tasty food, a nice, clean, comfortable space, friendly service.

*The Chalet—about to be a Pub! 1630 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.258.8800

This is one cool bar, no food served at all. Lodge-like interior with fireplace, rock wall, dim lighting, even winter snowscape paintings on the walls. Great jukebox, good martinis.

*Classic Thai 1708 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.478.0530

Charming atmosphere with outdoor seating, moderate prices, good Thai food.

*The Coffee Gallery 2029 N. Lake Ave. Altadena 626.398.7917

www.coffeegallery.com. Neighborhood coffee house with entertainment in the back room venue. Get on their email list, they have incredible talent performing, especially old folkies, acoustic guitarists and songwriters.

*The Coffee Table 1958 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.255.2200

www.coffeetablebistro.com. Sister to the one in Silverlake. Great space, good food, coffee and now beer and wine. Sensitive restoration of the historic building and old photos of Eagle Rock add to the ambience.

*Colombo’s 1833 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.254.9138

Prime rib, steak, seafood, pasta. Piano music every evening, dimmed lighting, full bar with the strongest drinks around, interesting paintings, old neighborhood feel. Now with some outdoor seating as well.

*The Colorado Wine Co. 2114 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.478.1985

www.cowineco.com. Neighborhood wine bar with tastings Friday evenings and Sunday afternoon. Buy a glass or a case. Sign up for the email list for John’s literary musings on the art and comedy of wine as well as details of the next tasting or art opening there. Twitter @CoWineCo.

*Dave’s Chillin’ & Grillin’ 2152 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.490.0988

www.daveschillin.com. Dave is passionate about his sandwiches and he has every reason to be. Fresh, tasty, a bargain—the Eagle Rock business model between two halves of a fresh roll.

*Elvira’s 1757 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.3216

Homemade Mexican food with lots of vegetarian options, prepared and served with love. Pepe Serna paintings decorate the walls.

Ernie Jr’s Taco House 2803 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.256.1298

One of the oldest restaurants around serving old-style American Mexican food. I have to mention that they put mayonnaise in their tostada dressing.

*La Estrella #3 6103 N. Figueroa Highland Park 323.982.0179

Colorful house, corner location, great tacos. Served open with shredded carnitas, limes and very inexpensive. Voted one of the top 25 Mexican restaurants in LA in 2004.

*Fatty’s 1627 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.254.8804

www.fattyscafe.com. Gourmet vegetarian food, excellent wine list, good beer. Some very amazing and delicious desserts as well. Open for dinnertime only, but you can just have dessert or a glass of wine if you like.

Felipe 6101 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.256.9784

Formerly Villa Sombrero, Felipe, the original property owner, has taken over and has done a reprise of some of his original dishes from the time it had more upscale Latin cuisine like lobster, grilled steak, chicken mole. I understand they have their liquor license now.

*Firefly Bistro 1009 El Centro Ave. South Pas. 626.441.2443

www.eatatfirefly.com. Exceptional New Orleans style cuisine, the signature dish is pecan-crusted catfish, oh yes. The occasional 5-course wine dinner is to die for.

*Folliero’s 5566 N Figueroa St, Highland Park 323.254.0505

www.Follieros.com. Established in 1968, Tony Folliero still makes his own pizza dough every morning, though daughter Titina now runs the restaurant. Friendly staff, great thin-crust pizza, other yummy Italian dishes you will love as much as do the generations of Highland Parkers who still go there. Cash only! But beer and wine are served. Really reasonable prices.

*La Fuente 2256 W. Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.344.3796

Reliably good, satisfying Mexican food, recently reopened after a remodel. Full bar.

5530 Monte Vista St. Highland Park 323.258.6109

La Fuente #6 5552 N. Figueroa St. Highland Park 323.257.3564

One door south of Future Studio

El Huarache Azeca 5225 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.478.9572

A hotspot for locals and visiting foodies.

*Jamba Juice 5053 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.349.0670

One of the many signs that Eagle Rock has arrived. Healthy, quick juiced drinks. This is in a building that was not torn down by the Walgreen’s next door.

*Johnny’s Bar 5006 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.551-6959

Evilly good martinis. No food. Eat at the nearby York Pub or Marty’s and stop in here as part of your Highland Park Pub crawl.

Juanita’s at La Casa Blue 5930 York Blvd, Highland Park 323.257.0089

Tacos, burritos, full bar upstairs, coffeehouse setting downstairs. The Casa Blue.

*Larkin’s Joint 1496 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.254.0934

www.larkinsjoint.com. Contemporary California soul food in a juke joint atmosphere. Come here when you have no dietary restrictions, because this is really good fried catfish & greens, sweet potato pie, BBQ’d tri-tip kind of fare.

*Lemongrass 1952 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.258.8050

Simple, good Vietnamese food with beer and wine served. Featured dishes include banh mi (sandwiches), pho (soup), spring rolls. Inexpensive, fresh, delicious food. Sit outside and enjoy life in the heart of Eagle Rock.

Little Cave 5922 N. Figueroa St. 323.255.6871

Formerly Sir Richard’s biker bar and Hofbrau, now painted black inside and quite a hangout for local hipsters.

Mariscos Estilo D.F. Truck 4702 N. Figueroa St. at Sycamore Grove Park Highland Park

Blue truck, seafood tostadas, eat in park. Made to order.

*Marty’s 5137 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.256.2400

The gentrification of Highland Park began here. Yummy bar food like Kobe beef burgers. Bouncers dressed in black, valet parking. Yes!

El Metate 5305 N. Figueroa St. Highland Park 323.478.8383

Homemade tortillas, cart often in front after dark with huge sizzling fresh meat spit

*Mia Sushi 4741 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.256.2562

www.mia-sushi.com. Eagle Rock’s first sushi restaurant. Great food, decor, valet parking. For you no raw fish die-hards, there is a selection of cooked non-fish Japanese-style items that is very good as well.

* Minx Restaurant & Lounge 300 Harvey Drive, Glendale 818.242.9191

www.minx-la.com. Fine dining and cocktail lounge located on the border of Eagle Rock. Superb Sunday brunch, eat inside or out, enjoy music, great cocktails. They also cater. *August update: customer service has slipped here.

My Taco 6300 York Blvd 323.256.2698

Potato tacos, carne asada fries.

*Oinkster 2005 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.3892

www.theoinkster.com. “Slow fast food” is their motto. It’s really good and it’s really, really slow—the service, that is. House cured pastrami, slow roasted pork and chicken, fresh good food.

*Panang 1801 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.344.3796

If you’re feeling like you might be coming down with a cold, go have a nice big bowl of Thai noodles, a tall frosty beer and be happy.

*Polka 4112 Verdugo Road Glassell Park 323.255.7887

www.polkacatering.com. Jonathan Gold says, “Polka, a sweet Polish restaurant near where Eagle Rock fades into Glendale, is that rarity in Los Angeles, an authentic, home-style Eastern European restaurant of the kind so common in Cleveland and Chicago…”

*Pat & Lorraine’s 4720 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.7926

Local breakfast and lunch joint—it closes at 2:30 pm!

El Pescador 5230 N. Figueroa St. Highland Park 323.255.8164

Popular for after church brunching

*Petit Beaujolais 1651 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.255.5133

Great coffee, fresh croissants, very tasty breakfast and lunch, a perfect place to sit outside on a balmy day and just be in the heart of Eagle Rock.

*Santa Maria Barbecue 626.963.3935

All you can eat barbecues, parties, events. Simple fare and really tasty. Tri-tip top sirloin, chicken, beef ribs, beans, hot dogs or hamburgers, and that’s about it. They only cater. www.santamariagrill.com.

*Scoops 712 N. Heliotrope Dr. Los Angeles 323.906.2649

Gelato, vegan ice cream & sorbet. You can have a taste of whatever they have available that day. Wild tastes like Jack Daniels & Cream, Blackberries and mango. Worth the drive out of Eagle Rock!

*Senor Fish 4803 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.7167

Great fish tacos and other Mexican food. Good outdoor seating.

*Spitz 2505 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.5600

Home of the Doner Kebab: lean meat, chilies, tzatziki, tomatoes & cucumbers in grilled focaccia, sweet potato fries. Good fast food plus gelato! Two Oxy grads went to Europe, loved it, and brought it back to Eagle Rock. Now they cater, too.

*The Spot 2032 Lincoln Ave. Pasadena 626.296.3184

(Formerly Vintage Café)

www.thespotpasadena.com. Now a catering business only, and really good.

Starbucks 4430 York Blvd, Eagle Rock 323-340-8059

www.Starbucks.com. Practically in Highland Park, this Starbucks has a drive through.

*Stoney Point 1450 W. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena 626.449.9715

www.stoneypointrestaurant.com. Italian-style cuisine, great atmosphere.

*Swork 2160 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.258.5600

www.swork.com. Good coffee, Free—note, Free wireless internet, kid-friendly hangout, a great community hangout, the first of the “cool factor” beginning of Eagle Rock’s commercial core.

*The Taco Spot 2005 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.4727

www.taco-spot.com. Really tasty, fresh Mexican food. Reasonably priced, good service, very convenient.

Tacos El Michoacoano 5933 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.258.0794

Authentic excellent Michoacan made from scratch

*Tommy’s Burgers 1717 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.982.1746

Some people in my family love Tommy’s. If you want a heart attack on a bun, you can start here.

Verdugo Bar 3408 Verdugo Rd. Glassell Park 90065 323-257-3408

www.VerdugoBar.com. Open 8 pm-2 am. A large selection of custom beers including Crown City Brewery. Art Deco interior. Look for the small “Cocktails” sign or you’ll miss it.

*York Pub 5018 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.255.9675

www.theyorkonyork.com. Another of the new bars along York Blvd, part of the renaissance of Highland Park and the birth of the cool. Lots of good beers, good food, good times, and now even open for brunch on the weekends. Even beer from the Craftsman Brewery in Pasadena is served, a major treat.

*Zankou Chicken 1415 E. Colorado Blvd. Glendale 818.244.1937

Some of the best fast food in the world. Garlic sauce, hummus, pita bread, rotisserie chicken, shwarma, it’s actually addictive.

FREE DELIVERY (most with a minimum order)

*Elvira’s 1757 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.3216

Italiano’s 6500 N. Figueroa Highland Park 323.255.6155

Also at 5101 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.255.0016

*Sicha Siam 4403 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.344.8285

Some of the best Thai food around, and they bring it to you!

*Thai Spirit 2617 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.256.1644

*Two Guys from Italy 405 N. Verdugo Rd. Glendale 323.254.0404

Do you have restaurants you’d like to see included on this list? Do you have any real estate needs? Call Tracy King, Realtor, Coldwell Banker, at 626-844-2256 or email at Tracy@TracyKing.com. Check out my website at www.TracyKing.com. Please comment on my blog at www.TracysLARealEstate.com.

6

Residents and passersby in northern Eagle Rock experienced concern/panic/excitement over the dramatic smoke show from the hillside fire on the Glendale/Eagle Rock border on Tuesday, August 4. One of my clients reminded me about “The Box,” the presentation we sponsored last January about what we should have prepared in case something happens to us. Here are my notes from Ms. Kiriyama’s talk, maybe some of you will be inspired to put a box together now. Maybe I will be, too. Her original inspiration for putting together her box of information came from the death of her husband, but a fire or an earthquake can require much of the same information.

Thankfully, no homes were lost in yesterday’s fire. But think about it. What would you do if something happened at your house? Would you be able to grab all your important papers and run out? Or what would you do if your house burned down and you weren’t home? Yikes! I’d better get to work on my Box!

Iku Kiriyama’s Presentation, “The Box”

What should we have organized and ready in case something happens to us? When Iku Kiriyama’s husband passed away, she knows now that she could have been much better prepared.

Her advice to us included:

Make sure every medical provider you see has the whole story on your health. Whether you go to an HMO or a private medical group, you often will see different doctors and specialists and you shouldn’t assume they will all be equally well-acquainted with your history.

If you have hospice care, ask for counseling and information right away. Your hospice caregiver has vital information that can ease this last time you have. There are other options than hospice, like in-home care, that you might consider as well.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with a fatal disease, of course you want to be positive and keep searching for a cure, but take the time to enjoy each other’s company before it is too late.

Iku actually uses a cardboard box for her important papers. She keeps it near her front door on a cart. When she travels, she takes the box to a friend’s house, in case of a fire or other disaster. She emphasizes that the information must be kept current. If you put a box together and then store it away, it won’t have what you need when you need it.

What information should go in the box?

• Names and contact information for all of your professionals: estate lawyer, tax professional, financial advisor, Realtor (ahem, that would be me, right?), trust attorney, personal banker, doctor, dentist, etc.

• Current statements for all of your asset accounts.

• Current list of every service provider you use, including utilities. Think about it. Your survivors need to be able to stop services and avoid running up unnecessary debt.

• Think about “Who would know where this is?” about anything you own. Here’s a good one, how about a set of keys to your vehicles? And the key to your safe deposit box?

• Important documents you should have: marriage & birth certificates, will & trust documents, ownership papers for autos, boats, other expensive items and of course your house, Medicare, Social Security, insurance of all kinds including long term care, medical bills and copay receipts. Note: if you’ve paid off your house loan, be sure you have the letter of reconveyance of the deed of trust. It is one document that can be difficult to replace, especially these days with lenders going out of business.

• Make a list of your wishes concerning funeral arrangements, if you want flowers or donations made to your favorite charity.

• Besides keeping the original documents all together in a safe place, you need a hard copy, plus you could use a computer copy. Iku has a flash drive of all the documents she needs. You could use a CD, or you could keep it online, but you need an index that gives the location of everything that isn’t physically in the box.

So what did Iku consider the most important preparation? She thinks it is simply to say, and keep on saying, what you want to say to those you care about.

What is the Eagle Rock Business Model? It’s a unique, usually individually owned, business that offers good style and good value. That’s my definition–what might yours be?

Cacao Mexicatessen                    
Another long-awaited restaurant has opened, the Cacao Mexicatessen at 1576 Colorado Blvd. Located next door to Trader Joe’s and Eufloria in a very suitable hacienda-style building, there is outdoor seating behind the vines on the covered porch and you will smell the homey scent of fresh-made tortillas cooking on the griddle as you approach the door. Inside, it looks like it’s been here for 50 years, but it just opened in the last couple of days. A good sign, I think, and the business looks brisk already. Check out photos, the menu, and contact info at www.cacaodeli.com. They have a number of mole dishes, hence the cacao name. There are imported gifts, coffee, even T-shirts with a couple of great designs on them. The Lujan family has created a unique menu featuring dishes from all over Mexico and a very welcome new Eagle Rock eatery, in my book. I had some guacamole with homemade tortilla chips and I almost ate the whole 16 ounces of it! They cater, you can eat there, or you can take out—something for everyone. Now we need to have CoWineCo twitter the right wine for, say, the Cochinita Pibil (roasted pork with achiote and citrus, wrapped in banana leaf).

 

Eagle Rock ‘N Roll Farmers’ Market                      
How many communities do you know of that has 2 Farmer’s Markets every week? Well, add Eagle Rock to your list. This new one is located at the Macy’s end of the parking lot at 2700 Colorado Blvd, started in June, 2009, and is a certified Farmer’s Market, unlike the Friday evening Farmer’s Market at the corner of Merton and Caspar. That means that the Department of Agriculture of the State of California has inspected the farms to ensure the produce
being sold at the markets is California grown. Whereas produce you buy in grocery stores or non-certified Farmer’s Markets might not have been grown in California.
From their website: “PD Markets brings you the hippest, freshest and coolest farmers’ markets in town. Our markets not only feature organic fruits and vegetables but we have some of the best in hand crafted merchandise, vintage and collectibles, jewelry, clothing and much more. We also have awesome bands playing live and for Free! Our kids area rocks… literally with our Rock Climbing wall and inflatable obstacle course.”

I visited there today for the first time and I found a small but friendly variety of vendors. I haven’t seen organic coffee sold at a Farmer’s Market before, and they gave me a generous and delicious sample. I bought some collard greens at the South Central Organic Farmer’s table and there were several vendors with peak of the season stone fruits and grapes at reasonable prices. There were organic goat cheeses, breads, hummus, all really yummy.

The hours are every Sunday, 9 am to 2 pm. Check it out, it’s worth your support and I hope this one prospers as well as the Friday night one. This is really a much better location with lots of parking and easy access. Check out their website at www.pdmarkets.com, and you can follow this on twitter @PD Markets.