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PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS Enchiladas de Mole dining & nitelife directory Average price per entree $ up to $10 $$$ $16-25 $$ $11–15 $$$$ $25+ EL PORTAL 695 E. Green St., Pasadena (626)795-8553 Elportalrestaurant.com $$ Pasadena Weekly readers have been rewarding El Portal with the title of Best Mexican Food in the city for years. This charming little hacienda with brick walls, festive colors, fine art and a California elegant courtyard brings the authentic cuisine of Mexico and the Yucatan region to your table. HILL STREET CAFÉ 1004 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge 818-952-1019 hillstreetcafelacanada.com $$ Hill Street Café is celebrating over 25 years of serving the community quality meals made of quality ingridients. we want to thank all of you who stuck with us during the remodeling process and we want to welcome back everyone else. in our recent remodel, we have added an outdoor patio, a bar and more dining area, we have created a relaxed ambience with a touch of modern but still retaining our extensive menu, our friendly service and most important a family atmosphere. KABUKI JAPANESE RESTAURANTS 88 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 568-9310 3539 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 351-8963 kabukirestaurants.com $$ When you walk into a Kabuki you won’t be overwhelmed with Asian decor and music. What you will encounter is a casual atmosphere with today’s hottest music playing, people smiling and our friendly staff welcoming you through the doors. Look for the Red Mask. Come eat, drink and have fun! TOPS WALNUT 1792 E. Walnut St., Pasadena (626) 584-0244 topsburger.com $ At TOPS on Walnut & Allen, we maintain the original taste from 60 years ago. My father wanted to create food as close to homemade as possible. Our primary goal and focus is on taste, quality, freshness, cleanliness in our service and experienced staff. Most of our staff have been with us for more than twenty years. We invite you to come to TOPS on the corner of Walnut & Allen and taste the difference! Meet our staff and experience what quality service should be. The same quality service that has made us #1. MARGARITA’S 155 S. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena (626) 449-4193 margaritaspasadena.com $$ At Margaritas Mexican Restaurant, our family has been sharing our authentic Mexican dishes with the wonderful people of Pasadena since 1977. Guests enter our warm, inviting space and leave as family -- with plenty of burritos, tortas, tostadas, fajitas, and more to be had in between! Our dishes incorporate and pay homage to the rich flavors of bustling mercados, corner taquerias, and seaside palapas. So visit us, eat to your heart's content at our mouthwatering lunch buffet, sip on a refreshing margarita, and feel at home. SHANDONG DUMPLINGS 80 N. Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena 626-578-9777 227 W. Valley Blvd, 168 A, San Gabriel 626-308-3777 $ Shandong Dumplings is your Reader Recommended Winner for BEST DUMPLINGS in the 2018 Reader’s Poll! We have been a cornerstone in the greater Pasadena community and are well known for our outstanding cuisine, excellent service and friendly staff. Recognized for our modern interpretation of classic dishes and insistence on using only the highest quality, freshest ingredients. Open for Lunch and Dinner daily and until 2am Wed-Sat. TOM'S FAMOUS FAMILY RESTAURANT 1130 E. Walnut St. Pasadena 626-577-7717 tomsfamous.com $ Please come and enjoy homemade breakfast lunch and dinner all made from scratch and FRESH. Nothing is ever served or made from a can. We pride ourselves as being the cleanest store with the best quality food and BEST service in town. Thank you PASADENA!!!!! ZELO GOURMET PIZZAS 328 E. Foothill Blvd.Arcadia 626-358-8298 myzelopizza.info $$ It’s the cornmeal crust that makes this pizzeria stand out from the rest. This locally owned establishment’s signature dish is the fresh, corn, balsamic-marinated, oven-roasted red onion pie. Zelo Pizzeria has expanded the dining room to better serve you, so come in and give Zelo Pizzeria a try. GATEWAY TO SUCCESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 face-to-face persona has led El Portal to the last quarter-century of success. Where other eateries may share their customer's food pictures on social media, Ramirez takes the “Cheers” approach and anoints barstools with plaques bearing the names of the most prominent patrons. Armando said at the core of El Portal’s success is his father and his undying commitment to giving guests the best possible dining experience. It is that emphasis that Armando believes is his father’s best asset. “I say to everybody, ‘He’s our best PR.’ Everyone knows Abel from not just the restaurant, but from all the things he is involved in.” Armando said. A picture of Abel is on the menu at El Portal, and if you call on a weekday afternoon, there is a good chance that he will answer the phone. If you go to Arcade Row you will likely see the septuagenarian clad in a business suit and shuffling between his three restaurants. He trusts that his restaurants are running properly, but he feels guilty being away from the action and enjoys celebrating milestones and everyday achievements with his customers. Abel keeps a stash of mini piñatas to celebrate with young visitors, some of whom recall receiving them years ago. It’s that personal connection that has cemented Abel’s reputation in Pasadena. “One of the biggest things he has taught us is to really get to know our customers and give them the best experience,” Armando said. "He has long emphasized the importance of making customers happy and ensuring they feel that they’ve had a good meal at a decent value." “I am not convinced that the new technology is the way to run a restaurant; I like being there, you see my face, I see you. That is what counts for me,” said Abel. Abel said he and his son have reached an agreement to merge their management styles — Abel acts as the face of the business while his son takes on the new media marketing. Abel adds that owning a restaurant has never been easy, but this moment in time is the most difficult time he has experienced. “If anyone would ask me today to open a restaurant, my immediate answer would be to say 'No, thank you,'” Abel said. He attributes the level of difficulty to the sheer volume of competition in the area and the increasing cost of doing business in California. Despite the high-costs and razor-thin margins, Abel said he is most proud of having a way to support his more than 60 employees, half he estimates to be full-time workers. As a founding member of the Playhouse District Association, Abel Martinez took a stake in Colorado Boulevard and watched it evolve over the past quarter-century from his storefront. He said when he opened El Portal the area he is currently in was not the commerce destination it is today. “Since then, this area of Pasadena is great. People come to us, we have the Pasadena Playhouse, we have the theaters, we have culture and commerce. It is a great area.” Abel said. Abel admits there were a lot of lessons to learn over the years — the one he jokes about now is the downside of hiring his family members as he did when he first opened. “We started with a lot of family. I learned that is the worst thing you could do because then you are not the boss and you have 18 bosses around you,” Abel said. The menu has evolved since 1995. He said he has had to add more diversity to some of the menus to accommodate the increase in vegetarians and more health-conscious guests. The El Portal family of restaurants is inescapable on Arcade Row. Between El Portal, Yahaira’s and Vanessa’s, every type of dining is offered, the latter two named after his granddaughters. Each eatery takes on a different style, from pastries and coffee at Vanessa’s to brunch at Yahaira’s or a full dinner at El Portal. Catering has given Abel an avenue to grow even closer to his customers. He regularly caters graduation parties and weddings of the children of regulars, many of whom he watched grow into adulthood. Abel said he has no interest in stepping away from Arcade Row anytime soon, though he acknowledges someday his son will step into running the entire operation. “We have so many guests who are extended family. We don’t see them as customers. We know their lives," Abel said. "I am very lucky." 12 PASADENA WEEKLY | <strong>06.06.19</strong>
PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS Bulletin Board By Carl Kozlowski DOUBLE DADDY DUTY Pasadena offers two great ways to celebrate Father’s Day June 16 No kid really likes what’s known as a “Disney dad,” the kind of father who is distant most of the time but shows up occasionally to spoil his children with extravagant adventures like trips to Disneyland. With Father’s Day coming up June 16, there are three much more affordable ways to hang out with your kids while giving them genuine quality time to boot. First off, one of Pasadena’s biggest annual events — the Pasadena Chalk Festival — takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Saturday, June 15, and Sunday, June 16, along with the Pasadena Car Show. Thousands of artists will take to the sidewalks of the Paseo Colorado and surrounding blocks to create an eye-popping array of artworks that draw tens of thousands of admirers, while the streets are filled with classic cars to boot. Admission to both is free. Meanwhile, The Rose nightclub will put a special Father’s Day twist on its weekly Soulful Sunday Brunch, where a delicious brunch buffet is accompanied by live soulful music to shift the celebration into high gear. The band B.I.G. (Brothers Igniting a Groove) provides the entertainment, performing R&B, smooth jazz and old school funk, with a repertoire of over 100 songs and counting. Admission is $29 for adults and $12 for children under 13 if you want the brunch and show, and just $15 general admission for those seeking to just enjoy the music. Call (888) 645-5006 or viit wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com. HEALTHY HONOR New ChapCare clinic named in tribute to LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger ChapCare clinics has announced the opening of its new state-of-theart Kathryn Barger Health Center, located at 1595 N. Lake Ave. The health center was made possible in part by generous funding provided by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, 5th District. Additional funding was provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The new 4,500 square foot Kathryn Barger Health Center has 13 medical exam rooms (an increase of eight), and four behavioral health counseling rooms (including one group room). The new facility is located just a few blocks away from ChapCare’s Lake Health Center, and will absorb the patients from the current facility. At full capacity, ChapCare expects to be able to serve 3,800 unduplicated patients at this new health center, an increase of over 1,500 from its current Lake Health Center site. The Kathryn Barger Health Center is a comprehensive health care facility. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. ChapCare provides low- or no-cost health services (Medi-Cal and Medicare) and accepts many Covered California and private insurance plans. Call (626) 398-6300. TIMELESS CREATIVITY Contemporary Crafts Market returns to Pasadena Convention Center June 7-9 Local arts and crafts fans will have the chance to browse and shop to their heart’s content this weekend as the Contemporary Crafts Market (CCM) returns to the Pasadena Convention Center Friday through Sunday, June 7-9. The market offers the chance to meet today’s modern masters, acclaimed artisans, and shop for all things handcrafted: fine furnishings, textiles, ceramics, jewelry, blown glass and more. The three-day public, juried event will enable attendees to meet acclaimed artisans and discover the skill and timeless traditions infused into every item of functional, decorative and wearable art that is one-of-a-kind and made by hand. The Contemporary Crafts Market takes place from 10 am to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. at the Pasadena Convention Center, Exhibit Hall, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Tickets are $8 at the door. n <strong>06.06.19</strong> | PASADENA WEEKLY 13
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