I am feeling sorry for our neighbors in Topanga, with access largely cut off due to the TCB landslide. I think that community members who are able should rally to support businesses by buying gift cards or making the trek to town to dine at restaurants and visit shops. It may be more of an effort for now, but well worth it to save such a treasured jewel of a town.
Stop Signs
On any given day, one can sit at the Garden Cafe and marvel at the ability of Palisadians to ignore stop signs. You can get “lunch and a show” sitting at the restaurant’s corner of Alma Real and La Cruz and enjoy an entire meal without seeing a single driver stop at any of the three stop signs. Of course, when children are at one of the many schools, libraries, and recreation centers located steps away, they have to slow down and occasionally bring their vehicle to a stop because hitting someone might become an unwelcome delay. Not that the pedestrians are much better. They often have their heads down on their phones or drive electric scooters and bicycles on the sidewalks.
90th Birthday
Happy Birthday to all those who attended the PPWC 90th Birthday!
Community
I have to say it is nice to see the involvement of the community in local issues. It isn’t something to take for granted, not every community is as invested or involved.
Patrick’s Roadhouse
I sure hope Patrick’s Roadhouse is able to stay on PCH! It’s disheartening that restaurants are still facing the effects of the pandemic.
Webby Award
I loved seeing Philip Springer win the Webby Award. What a great accomplishment on top of all of his other amazing accomplishments. Talent abounds!
Gourmandise
I am feeling inspired to take a class at the Gourmandise School in Santa Monica. I like to think I know what I am doing in the kitchen but sounds like I have a lot to learn.
Got something to say? Call 310-454-1321 or email 2cents@palipost.com and get those kudos or concerns off your chest. Names will not be used.
Palisades Village will be welcoming an additional tenant, confirming “luxury lifestyle brand” AERIN would be “coming soon” via its website.
“Based on the premise that living beautifully should be effortless, AERIN develops curated collections in the worlds of beauty, fashion and home decor inspired by the signature style of its founder, Aerin Lauder,” read the Palisades Village website. “Classic, but always with a modern point of view, every piece is created to make life more beautiful with a sense of ease and refinement.”
On its website, the brand highlighted a collection of “Aerin’s Loves,” which includes a Raffia Nano Weekender, Bamboo Flatware set, Shagreen Vanity Mirror and Shagreen Coffee Table. There are also collaborations with Lauder’s “favorite designers,” including potter Frances Palmer and textile designer Carolina Irving.
Additional AERIN storefront locations are Palm Beach and Southampton. Items are also available at places like Williams-Sonoma and Nordstrom.
Signage for AERIN went up at the previous Bonjour Fête space, which is moving to an alternate location within the development.
The store closed its current location on Sunday, May 12, with the plan to hopefully reopen in the new space by June 1. Bonjour Fête CEO and Founder Rachel Huntington said the brand is “thrilled” to be moving “just outside of The Park.”
—SARAH SHMERLING
TCA Hike | Will Rogers State Historic Park
Temescal Canyon Association will be leading a hike in Will Rogers State Historic Park on Sunday, May 26, beginning at 10 a.m. that is open to the public.
“We will meet outside the Will Rogers Museum at 10 a.m. that Sunday and depart at 10:15 a.m.,” described TCA President James Alexakis. “It will be a moderate hike that should take somewhere between one and a half to two hours to complete with plenty of stops scheduled.”
The hike will be guided by Topanga Docents Ava Thomas and Wei Chen who will point out “native plants of interest” along the trail. No dogs are permitted on the guided hike.
“If guests are interested in being shuttled to the Will Rogers Museum, please have them email me at jamesalexakislawyer@gmail.com for more information,” Alexakis added. “Check TCA’s Facebook page for weather and trail condition updates, especially the morning of the hike.”
For more information, visit facebook.com/temescalcanyon association.
—SARAH SHMERLING
PPDC Skirball Visit | Pacific Palisades
Pacific Palisades Democratic Club will host a visit to Skirball Cultural Center on Sunday, June 2, from 2 to 4 p.m. to see the new exhibit: “Wild Things Are Happening: The Art of Maurice Sendak.”
“Explore the exclusive West Coast display of the largest and most complete exhibition of Jewish artist Maurice Sendak’s 60-year career,” read a description on the Skirball website. “Comprised of over 150 artifacts—including original paintings, drawings, videos and objects—this landmark exhibition showcases the depth and breadth of his creativity.”
Sendak is the creator of acclaimed children’s books, including “Where the Wild Things Are” and “In the Night Kitchen.” The exhibit will be on display through September 1.
A guided tour will be provided for 20 or more RSVPs to the PPDC event. Tickets to the event, which are $15 to $22, depending on membership, include admission to everything at Skirball, apart from the Noah’s Ark exhibit.
Visit palidems.org for additional information or to purchase tickets.
—SARAH SHMERLING
Hiker Rescue | Topanga State Park
Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call for a hiker rescue in the Santa Monica Mountains in Pacific Palisades on Saturday, May 18, at approximately 12 p.m., according to a report by LAFD Spokesperson Brian Humphrey.
“LAFD ground and air response to a 28-year-old female hiker with an apparent ankle fracture, on a remote section of the Temescal Ridge Trail in Topanga State Park,” read the report. “An LAFD rescue helicopter has lowered a flight paramedic to medically assess and stabilize the patient, who will soon be hoisted with the LAFD flight paramedic into the hovering helicopter continuing in-flight care during direct air transport to an area hospital.”
By Damon Raskin, M.D. | Special to the Palisadian-Post
Q:As we are heading into the summer months, I have a question about foodborne illnesses. With more barbecues and events where food is left out for a while, is there a summer spike in food-related illnesses? And what are some practices I can put into place to avoid them?
Summer in Pacific Palisades is synonymous with outdoor activities, including backyard barbecues and beach picnics. However, warm weather combined with improper food handling creates the perfect storm for the spike we often see this time of year in foodborne illnesses.
By understanding the risks and making some changes in our preparation for these fun events, we can reduce the chances of summer frolic turning into health hazards.
The first risk factor is temperature. Bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses, such as salmonella and E. coli, thrive in warmer conditions.
Any time food is left outside above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the bacteria see the food as a buffet as much as your guests do. Store perishable items in coolers with ice packs and use separate coolers for drinks to eliminate how often the cooler is opened.
Next, grilling and barbecuing can make food taste delicious, but these techniques can also sometimes lead to uneven cooking and undercooked meat. It is wise to use a meat thermometer to ensure that meats are cooked to a safe internal temperature, depending on the type of meat used.
In addition, with all the fun going on at these events, it can be easy to lose track of which foods are raw and which foods are already prepared. Cross-contamination, which is handling raw meat and then touching other foods or surfaces without washing your hands, can be another way of spreading bacteria.
Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods. Always wash your hands, utensils and surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw meat.
We have a joke in my family that I start to get nervous when I see any food left outside of the refrigerator for more than a few minutes, as I have a bit of paranoia about these things. It is true, however, that perishable foods like salads, meats and dairy products should not be left out for more than two hours, or one hour if the thermometer is above 90 degrees.
Think of your potato salad as a vampire—it does not do well in the sun. After serving, promptly store any leftovers in a cooler or refrigerator.
Make sure to use water that is safe for cooking and cleaning. Please use only fresh, unexpired ingredients, especially for dishes containing eggs, dairy and meats. Do not, for example, use mayonnaise from 2020 that you found in the back of your refrigerator in the coleslaw.
For those of you wondering, the common bugs to join the picnic include not only salmonella and E. coli, but also listeria and campylobacter. Symptoms of these nasty germs include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever and abdominal pain. Leave these unwanted guests at home.
By understanding the reasons behind the summer spike in foodborne illnesses and implementing effective food safety practices, we can all enjoy our summer gatherings without the risk of unnecessary trips to the doctor’s office or the emergency room.
16000 Marquez Ave, May 9 at 8 p.m. Suspects smashed rear door, ransacked residence and fled with property.
14000 Sunset Blvd, May 11 at 8:30 p.m. Suspects smashed rear glass door and entered the residence. Victim was inside the house and yelled at suspects. Suspects immediately fled without taking property.
Burglary/Theft From Vehicle
Sunset Blvd & Temescal Canyon Road, May 5 at 9:10 a.m. Suspect smashed vehicle window, took property and fled.
Sunset Blvd & Temescal Canyon Road, May 5 at 4:45 p.m. Suspect entered vehicle, took property and fled.
Sunset Blvd & Muskingum Ave, May 7 at 9:45 p.m. Suspect used unknown method to remove door locking system of vehicle, took property and fled.
Provided by LAPD Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin. In case of emergency, call 911. To report a non-emergency, call 877-275-5273.
Photos courtesy of Yalda Paydar/No Alcohol Company
Huntington Resident Yalda Paydar Launched No Alcohol Company, Offering a Line of Alcohol-Free Wines
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Imagine a dinner party with friends, a drink in hand. You have work early the next day, but there’s no fear of a hangover, sluggishness, not feeling well—or, in some cases, saying something regretful.
Why? Because you’ve been sipping on wine by No Alcohol Company—launched by Huntington resident Yalda Paydar in January.
Founder and CEO Paydar launched the brand during a time of “healing her mental, emotional and physical health,” read the NoAlchCo website. She originally “set out to create her favorite beverage without the drawbacks.”
“I’m actually an attorney by trade,” Paydar explained to the Palisadian-Post. “I went to law school in New York.”
She moved out to Los Angeles after law school with the man who would become her husband, as he was from Malibu. They originally lived in Marquez Knolls before moving to the Huntington about a year ago.
“We moved here and I liked it, but now that I know LA better, I can’t imagine living somewhere else,” Paydar said of the Palisades.
Paydar continued to practice law for three years before burning out around 2021.
“I went back and forth about, ‘Oh, should I keep doing this? Maybe I just need a break,’” she recalled. “So, I quit. Then when I took this break, I started thinking, and I did some therapy and I was doing a lot of self-reflection.”
She thought back to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic: “A lot of people started to drink more.” Paydar said that she loves wine, it has always been her “drink of choice.”
“I wasn’t doing anything crazy,” she described, “but every night at like 5 or something, I’d be like, ‘Oh, [time for] my glass of wine now’ … and then I’d have like two more with dinner. Over time, I was just like, ‘I’m getting really slow.’”
One day, Paydar thought about how amazing it would be to have her rosé without the alcohol in it—and then, after sharing that thought, people told her it would be “such a great idea” and that “no one’s done this before.”
Paydar began her research at the end of December 2022 and found that while people have, in fact, started to do this, it’s still a “very fresh industry in terms of the wine component.”
Data shows that Americans are drinking less: According to a Gallup report that was published in Wired, 65% of American adults drank alcohol in 2019. By 2021, that number went down to 60%. The number of alcoholic drinks consumed per week also went down from four in 2019 to 3.6 in 2021.
Paydar found during her research that there were options for mocktails, capturing the “ready-to-drink section of the industry.”
“So I decided to go down this route,” Paydar said about embarking on her journey with alcohol-free wine. “I told myself—because I’m not from the beverage industry—to just do one thing at a time and see how far you get … and then I did it, did it, did it and then I ended up making a product.”
She spent all of 2023 working on getting NoAlchCo launched, creating a drink that is designed to be “flavorful, aromatic and sophisticated … without the headaches,” according to the website.
In addition to no alcohol, the wine has no added sugars or artificial flavors. It is made from 100% Californian grapes, which are fermented as “traditional” wine.
“Each varietal goes through a method of vacuum distillation called Spinning Cone Column Technology,” according to information shared by Paydar. “This technology allows for the extraction of alcohol by using alternating rotating cones that spread out the wine to a thin film to produce the desired result—removal of alcohol while maintaining the balance and complexity of each wine varietal.”
Paydar said there is “one real company” that does the removal process. She purchases wine from a winery and sends it to them to remove the alcohol. She said that reds are the most difficult to create, as the “gusto” is hard to recapture once the alcohol has been removed.
Then, NoAlchCo reintroduces some of the original natural flavors and aromas that are associated with each varietal, avoiding sugar and using only natural flavors to “maintain the integrity of the wine varietal.”
Paydar recognized that alcohol brings people together, both during moments of celebration and as a “peaceful place” after a long day of work.
“However, we also recognize the ways in which alcohol can actually hinder the very joy and peace we seek to gain from it,” the NoAlchCo website read. “Our decision to create an alcohol-removed wine was not about denouncing a beloved ritual; but about honoring the ever-evolving relationship we have with it.”
Paydar said that she expected mostly sober people to be interested in the product, but that she has found that “a lot of people who still drink” are “trying to be a little bit more mindful.” She said that whatever a person’s reason for not drinking alcohol—whether it is for health or beyond—they have been “very excited” because “they want to be a part of the social gathering that alcohol, like having a cocktail or drink, brings,” and they “always felt left out.”
“Before, there was water,” Paydar said. “Now they have something else that they can enjoy and try, so the reception has been really great.”
NoAlchCo’s current lineup includes alcohol-removed Sauvignon Blanc (“a dry, crisp and mineral finish with hints of apricot and jasmine”), Chardonnay (“an oaky, smooth and round finish with hints of peach and orange blossom”), Rosé (“crisp, mineral and refreshing finish with hints of rose and strawberry”) and Cabernet Sauvignon (“a round, smooth finish with hints of black pepper, chocolate and blueberry”). For those who want to try all four varietals, NoAlchCo also offers a quartet pack.
In addition to achieving her goal of bringing an alcohol-free wine to fruition, Paydar said an added benefit of pursuing NoAlchCo is that it allowed her “branch out into” her “creative zone.”
“Being an attorney is … creative in some ways, in terms of your writing that you get to write maybe more creatively,” Paydar explained, “but there’s definitely things that you have to do and a way to do them.”
Paydar said she got to explore her creative side when it came to things like designing labels and picking what she wanted on the website.
“Before this, I never considered myself a creative person,” Paydar said. “Then when I started doing this, I said, ‘Oh, I am creative, it just was hiding.’”
While alcohol-removed drinks are a relatively “new industry topic,” Paydar said, she has noticed “there’s a lot of women in this space,” which she “really loves.”
“We’re putting passion and emotion into this,” Paydar said. “I think it’s really interesting that the people who are trying to do more innovative things and innovative products in general—natural products, whatever it may be—are all of these females who are tired of the same Oreo that’s been there. I mean, I love an Oreo, but sometimes you want something different.”
Paydar is currently working on expanding the brand to be sold at local stores and served at restaurants, but until then, interested Palisadians can find NoAlchCo wine at its website: noalcoholcompany.com.
Palisadian J.J. Abrams’ career continues to soar with his latest work on naval aviation documentary “The Blue Angels,” which became available for streaming via Prime Video beginning Thursday, May 23.
From director Paul Crowder and producers Abrams, Hannah Minghella, Sean Stuart, Glen Zipper, Mark Monroe and Glen Powell, Amazon MGM Studios and IMAX’s “The Blue Angels” documents one year with the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron.
“Soar with The Blue Angels in a brand-new documentary featuring never-before-seen footage that chronicles a year with the Navy’s elite Flight Demonstration Squadron—from selection through the challenging training and demanding show season—showcasing the extraordinary teamwork, passion and pride that fuels America’s best, the Blue Angels,” according to IMAX.
The film takes viewers behind the scenes for a look at what it takes to become a Blue Angel, from the selection process to the training and “demanding” eight-month show season, according to Amazon.
“[‘The Blue Angels’] pays tribute to the extraordinary teamwork, passion and pride of the hundreds of men and women of the Navy and Marine Corps who have had the honor to serve in the Blue Angels squadron—past, present and future,” according to Amazon.
“The Blue Angels” film had an IMAX run for one week, from May 17 to 23. Amazon Studios acquired worldwide rights to the documentary, allowing the film to be streamed globally on Prime Video starting May 23.
“This fascinating and layered documentary is wholly representative of the kind of work ethic, teamwork and perseverance that goes into being a Blue Angel,” Amazon’s Head of Documentary Features Brianna Oh said to IMDb. “We are incredibly honored to join this talented filmmaking team in bringing their story to audiences around the world.”
According to Variety, Abrams and his company—Bad Robot—have another project in the works, “Flowervale Street,” from writer and director David Robert Mitchell.
“The mystery-thriller stars Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, and is set for a May 2025 release under Bad Robot’s deal at Warner Bros,” Variety reported.
Palisadian and Palisades Charter High School alum Abrams previously directed movies like “Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible.” He later went on to direct, produce and co-write the seventh movie in the “Star Wars” franchise, “The Force Awakens,” which has reportedly become one of the highest grossing films of all time.
St. Matthew’s Music Guild will conclude its 39th season of concerts on Friday, May 31, with a concert beginning at 8 p.m., featuring the Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s.
“The concert features the orchestra’s concertmaster, YuEun Gemma Kim, in [Felix] Mendelssohn’s ‘Violin Concerto in E minor’ along with [Aaron] Copland’s ‘Music for Movies’ and [Wolfgang] Mozart’s ‘Solemn Vespers,’ with the Choir and Soloists of St. Matthew’s Parish,” read a statement from Music Guild.
Mendelssohn composed “Violin Concerto” in 1822, though it was not published until after his death.
“In 1951 a member of the Mendelssohn family presented the manuscript to violinist Yehudi Menuhin who presented the work at Carnegie Hall in 1952 and many times thereafter,” continued the Music Guild statement. “It is a tour-de-force for the violinist, and full of the youthful vivacity and charm of other works from the composer’s youth, such as the ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ overture.”
Copland’s piece is gathered from music from three of his film scores (“The City,” “Our Town” and “Of Mice and Men”). It is a five-movement suite, designed for small orchestra and dedicated to French composer Darius Milhaud.
“Mozart composed the ‘Solemn Vespers’ in 1780 for use in the Salzburg Cathedral,” according to the Music Guild statement. “Far from a solemn work, the ‘Vespers’ features some of Mozart’s most beautiful and engaging choral music. The texts are all from the Book of Psalms with some movements bold and exuberant, others lyrical and quiet, and others in a strict contrapuntal style.”
Kim attended the University of Southern California beginning in 2013, where she studied with “famed violinist and teacher” Midori Goto. She has played internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, in a “wide variety of repertoire on modern and Baroque instruments.”
Other ensembles Kim performs with around the U.S., Asia and Europe include Delirium Musicum, American Bach Soloists, Boulder Bach Festival, Voices of Music, Noree Chamber Soloists and Kuhmo Chamber Music Society. She has been the concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s since 2022.
The concert will take place at St. Matthew’s Church, located at 1031 Bienveneda Avenue. Tickets are $45.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit musicguildonline.org or call 310-573-7422.
The National Charity League – Class of 2024 Senior Recognition Ceremony took place at Brentwood Country Club—honoring 10 graduating seniors (including from Palisades Charter High School) for their “leadership development, cultural activities and philanthropy services they completed in the six-year mother-daughter program with NCL.” Palisadian Arden Doyle was presented with the Senior Service Award.
“The graduating Ticktockers were honored for their leadership in the community with over 1,250 philanthropy hours they achieved during their time with NCL,” read a statement about the event. “Their favorite philanthropy partners were The Giving Spirit, Hollygrove and Operation Gratitude.”
Photos by Hal Horowitz Photography
The Corpus Christi School Academic Decathlon team participated in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Regional Decathlon on March 2. Team members are Violet Curtis, Finn Fox (captain), James Jelline, Mary McNown, Conner Nocas, Luca Odell, Calista Rucci, Vivienne Turk, Lauren Whitely, Charlotte Whittington and Dustin Zhou.
Photo courtesy of Kathy Slattery
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties’ The Charitable Foundation—with agents Betty-Jo Tilley as chair emeritus and Jasmin Reichle as secretary—gave a donated CPR kit from American Heart Association to Palisades Charter High School. Pictured, from left: Tilley, Office Manager and BHHS California Vice President John Closson, Reichle and Pali High Lead School Registered Nurse Nicole Montanez
Photo courtesy of Jasmin Reichle
Palisadians Kathy Duglin (founder/lead stylist of Style Vous Plait) and Meaghan Kessman (Meaghan Kessman Home Organization) hosted a morning of “donations, drinks and nibbles,” collecting items for St. Matthew’s Thrift Shop at a residence in the Palisades on April 22.
“One hundred percent of St. Matthew’s Thrift Shop proceeds go to the following charities: Las Familias del Pueblo, St. Joseph Center, St. Margaret’s Center, SPY: Safe Place for Youth, The People Concern and Westside Food Bank,” read information about the event.
Palisades-Raised Peter Lamden Opens a Salon in Santa Monica Canyon
By PARKER KESTON| Intern
How many haircuts have you had in your lifetime? In most cases, too many to count, right?
Now, how many haircuts have you had looking out onto the blue Pacific Ocean while being taken through a carefully curated and crafted experience?
Peter Lamden Salon, opened in 2022 in Santa Monica Canyon by hairdresser and Palisades-raised Peter Lamden, emulates that exact haircut, ocean-view and all.
Raised in El Medio Bluffs, Lamden attended Marquez Charter Elementary, Paul Revere Charter Middle and Palisades Charter High school before departing to attend college and build his career in hairdressing.
“I started doing hair when I was 26 years old,” Lamden explained to the Palisadian-Post. “I was living in Santa Monica when I started my career at a salon in Beverly Hills, which was, in my mind and at that time, the best place you could work at in this business. So where I wanted to be wasn’t even a concept in my mind, yet I was where I felt like I was supposed to be, and where I felt like I needed to be to build the career and the clientele I wanted.”
The salon in Beverly Hills—run by renowned hair stylist Chris Mcmillan—was Lamden’s homebase for approximately 10 years. There he learned not only the craft of cutting hair, but also the skill of working with high-end clients.
Finally in 2021, Lamden felt it was time to make the shift to opening his own service in the Palisades. He said he knew that the area where he spent his formative years would be the best choice of location when taking the risk of opening his own salon.
“[The Palisades] has always been this idyllic little town to me,” Lamden said. “I was born and raised there, but I was still always very aware that it was very unique and special. It was like the one corner of Los Angeles that always felt like it could just be any little town in America… and my time away from the Palisades made it even more special in my nostalgic memory.”
Lamden began the planning process for opening the salon during the peak of COVID-19, initially looking to set up shop in a shutdown bathing suit shop in Santa Monica Canyon. Planning to partner with a colorist friend of his, he was going to rent the space and build it into a small, hidden Palisades salon. However, Lamden ultimately let that opportunity go due to the inconsistencies of COVID lockdowns.
Approximately one year later, Lamden had a newborn daughter and the added responsibility made him cease looking for additional major commitments. However, out of the blue, a mutual friend contacted Lamden with an opportunity to view a potential salon space in a nondescript exterior building Lamden had simply been driving by his entire life.
But a tour of the space showed off a rooftop deck, fireplace and ocean views, and next thing he knew, Lamden saw the future.
“The minute I walked in, I just saw the view outside and the potential that was inside,” Lamden said. “I was equally excited and also immediately terrified, because I was like … I have to do this. This space is so unique. If I don’t take this off, I’ll never find something like it. It came at a time where I wasn’t looking or even really hoping for it. But it was one of those opportunities that feels so right, you can’t say no.”
Still, Lamden said he was nervous. He knew the biggest risk of opening his own salon was not the cost but completely moving areas, losing customers and potentially having to rebuild his clientele. But when he began feeling out his long-term clients, he said he was happily surprised by their encouragement, positive reactions and willingness to move with him.
“These people are clients, but I also wasn’t giving enough credit for the fact that … I had been cutting their hair for 10-plus years, and I care about them and they care about me,” Lamden said. “The first reaction I got more often than not was people saying, ‘I’m so proud of you, going off on your own was a pivotal part of my career. You are 100% making the right move, and you can 100% count on me to be there.’ That was really surprising.”
With this newfound confidence, Lamden reimagined the process of curating his clients’ individual experiences at his new salon. Previously, he was only able to control what happened in his chair, but when designing, crafting and opening his own salon, the amount of control one has over the overall experience is completely changed.
“I was really excited about being able to curate their entire experience from the minute they park and walk in,” Lamden described. “What do they see? What do they smell? What do they hear? How do they feel when they’re sitting there waiting for their appointment? Start to finish, the experience gets to be exactly what I would want it to be for myself and providing that to clients has been the most rewarding part [of running my own salon].”
Peter Lamden Salon, located at 100 W Channel Road, is open for business and looking for new clientele to try Lamden’s haircuts.
“I want to invite anybody in to participate in an experience that I don’t think exists elsewhere in my industry,” Lamden said. “From the uniqueness of the location and experience, to the view and the design of the studio, nothing makes me and my clients happier than a perfect haircut, style or color while sitting here looking at the ocean every day.”
For more information or to book an appointment, visit peterlamden.com.
1033 Swarthmore Avenue Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 424-363-7166 hankspalisades.com
By MERV HECHT | Restaurant Critic
You have to hand it to the Caruso team: Palisades Village just gets better and better.
Shortly after I wrote a non-favorable review of the pseudo-pizza restaurant that opened up, it closed, and a very acceptable pizza establishment, Jemma Pizzeria, took over the space. That was one important improvement because pizza has become a way of life in our cultural cuisine.
And after I wrote several negative articles about Hank’s, Hank’s was remodeled, turned over to the gentleman who owns Angelini’s (perhaps the best restaurant in Pacific Palisades to my taste) and a new menu appeared, which includes BBQ Baby Back Ribs as I suggested.
But it’s not just the Baby Back Ribs (BBQ glazed baby back ribs, served with tangy cabbage slaw), the whole menu has improved and the quality of the food enhanced to where we plan to eat there at least once per month.
The Grilled Artichokes come with a delicious remoulade dipping sauce, the Baby Back Ribs are well marinated and the Herb Roasted Jidori Chicken (Japanese for “free range”), served with sweet corn, roasted mushrooms and chimichurri, is delicious.
Even the service has improved (although some more training could help), and the delicious Onion Rings were served quickly while still hot.
Other entrees on the menu include Hank’s Smashburger (single chuck patty, American cheese, onions, iceberg and “awesome sauce”), Crispy Chicken Sandwich (house made pickle, iceberg lettuce, beefsteak tomato and aioli) and Vegan Burger (mushroom, brown rice patty, niçoise olive tapenade and romesco on a vegan bun).
Among the Salads + Soups is French Onion Soup (caramelized onions in beef jus, country bread and Emmenthal cheese) and Palisades Chopped Salad (with mixed greens, walnuts, green apple, egg, tart cherries and a house vinaigrette).
OK, the prices are not for the weak of heart, especially the wine prices, but I’ll write a few more reviews with more specific criticisms of the wine list, and we have every reason to believe that improvement will follow.
Merv Hecht, like many Harvard Law School graduates, went into the wine business after law. In 1988, he began writing restaurant reviews and books. His latest book, “The Instant Wine Connoisseur, 3d edition,” is available on Amazon. He currently works for several companies that source and distribute food and wine products internationally. Send comments to mervynhecht@yahoo.com.
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