For several weeks, residents have been leaving nose prints on the windows of Village Pantry on Swarthmore as they curiously peer inside to watch the transformation of the former Mort’s Deli. An official opening date has not yet been set, because Executive Chef Douglas Silberberg is still testing recipes and training help, but the restaurant could have a ‘soft opening’ early next week. ‘The staff and I are getting to know each other,’ said Silberberg, a Palisades Highlands resident who previously worked at the Water Grill and Michaels. ‘We don’t want to open and not be prepared.’ A grand opening will be held once the Village Pantry and the adjoining Oak Room, an upscale bar and grill, are both up and running under the ownership of former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan. The Village Pantry will be ‘an upscale casual restaurant that offers deli foods like pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, ‘ Silberberg told the Palisadian-Post last Saturday. But it will also feature non-deli items such as the pulled pork sandwich ($12), where the meat is slow cooked in Guinness stout, smothered in barbeque sauce, joined by apple-wood smoked bacon, and served on a warm Kaiser roll. After the restaurant received its certificate of occupancy last Friday, the first staples were delivered. Most of the equipment, with the exception of the espresso machine, had already been installed. The entire restaurant has been redone; the only vestiges from Mort’s are the ice machine and the exhaust hood in the kitchen, though owner Riordan plans to have a wall dedicated to the former owners, Mort and Bobbie Farberow. On Saturday morning, Silberberg was teaching the staff recipes. A plate of French toast was brought to him, and he gave this reporter a taste. The bread was light, with the right amount of egg, and delicious. Silberberg was more discerning and sent it back to have the cooks work on the bread’s thickness, as well as the sweetness. ‘A lot of people will associate this space with the old Mort’s for a long time,’ Silberberg admitted. ‘We can’t please everyone, but we will please an overwhelming majority. Those who are not initially pleased will come around.’ The chef’s attention to detail is evident in the products he has been selecting, keeping with the menu’s theme: ‘Celebrating the bounty of California.’ Meat for the restaurant will come from the Niman Ranch in northern California, where the animals are raised free of antibiotics. Eggs are from free-range chickens raised without hormones and antibiotics. ‘Those eggs cost twice as much,’ Silberberg said, ‘but because of my background, I wouldn’t settle for anything less than the best.’ Most of the restaurant’s produce will come from farmers’ markets, and will be organic. A native of West Los Angeles, Silberberg was trained as a chef in New York City and worked at the Oceana before moving back to California. He was a chef at Water Grill in downtown L.A. and executive chef at Michaels in Santa Monica, which he left for the Village Pantry and the Oak Room. He’s been at Gladstone’s (also owned by Riordan) the past few months working on recipes and adjusting them. ‘I’ve been dying to get in here since August,’ he said. Silberberg and his wife Ivy have a two-year-old girl, Emme, and are expecting their second child in May. ‘I’m cooking for myself and my family because we live here,’ the chef noted. Looking at the menu posted on the front window at the Village Pantry, a few residents have questioned the prices, which begin at $10 for sandwiches and salads. Various scrambled egg dishes (with toast and potatoes) are $10, omelets $10.50 and French toast $9. ‘It’s very fair for the quality we’re serving and the ingredients we’re using,’ Silberberg said. One example: the cheddar cheese used in omelets and sandwiches is aged two years and is white instead of yellow (not dyed). ‘We’re serving upscale full-flavored breakfasts and lunches.’ The Village Pantry will be open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon and for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Take-out dinner specials will be available until 6 p.m. The Oak Room, once opened, will be a high-end California bistro and is recommended for adults because a full-sized bar will dominate the middle of the room and there’s no children’s menu. Silberberg said that people who bring children for dinner can sit on the Village Pantry side, where there will be a children’s menu. Adults will be able to order food from the Oak Room menu and drinks from the bar. ‘The Oak Room is not designed for children,’ Silberberg said. ‘It’s designed to be an adult high-end restaurant.’ During the interview, a Palisades resident came in the back door and told Silberberg that he should have brisket and hot dogs on his Village Pantry menu. Silberberg politely explained that the restaurant isn’t going to be a renovated deli, but a new entity, although it will carry Matzo ball soup. He also didn’t discount the idea of adding hot dogs.

Shelves were empty and many of the store’s fixtures had already been sold on Saturday as The Nest Egg began the third day of its going-out-of business sale. Located on Sunset next to US Bank for nearly 10 years, the store is offering half-price discounts on all merchandise through January. Last Wednesday, owner Megan Kaufman was teary-eyed as she placed merchandise on tables before the start of the sale. Faced with a 60 percent rent increase, she made the decision to close. ‘To me, the quitting point is when you have to pass that increase onto your customers, and that’s not what my business is about,’ she said. ‘We’re a mom-and-pop store that’s affordable. If I had higher rent, the candles that I normally carry for $24 would cost $35.’ ‘We offered good quality merchandise that is reasonably priced for the majority of Palisades residents,’ said store manager Linda Wesson. This has been an emotional two years for Kaufman, a local resident who started negotiating a new lease in October 2006 with her landlord, Palisades Partners, representing the multifamily that owns numerous parcels on Swarthmore and Sunset. When Kaufman became co-owner of the business in 2003, she never received a copy of the lease. She asked for one for her latest negotiations, but was told by Palisades Partners that they didn’t have one either. After receiving the landlord’s proposal, Kaufman countered in November 2006, saying that she would pay for the installation of heating and air conditioning. She also asked that electrical problems be fixed because not all of the light fixtures on the ceiling worked. ‘We still can’t plug in a vacuum cleaner on one side of the store without blowing a fuse on the other,’ said Kaufman, who added that she also lost merchandise after rats moved into the building through vents. Last July, Kaufman received Palisades Partners’ counter proposal, which included the 60 percent rent increase. Kaufman was told the increase was so substantial because too much time had lapsed during negotiations. She thought about closing The Nest Egg in August, but her husband, Dan, offered to negotiate with the landlord. He made no headway. In November, a Palisades Partners’ representative and local realtor Gregg Pawlik showed the vacant space next door (formerly The Office Supplier) to a potential client. Afterwards they came into The Nest Egg to show that space as well. Kaufman said she was asked if the wall that separated the two stores was weight bearing. Kaufman told the Palisadian-Post she was upset that she was never given an advance call alerting her that the space would be shown and that her space was for rent. ‘The landlord can go into the property with a potential tenant any time they want because they have an ownership interest in the property,’ said local commercial real estate agent Gregg Pawlik, who shows property for Palisades Partners. Just before Christmas, it seemed unfair to Kaufman that when Palisades Partners gave concessions (advertising and parking validations) to Swarthmore tenants because of the empty storefronts on that street, she didn’t receive similar help. In a December 3 letter to Palisades Partners, Kaufman wrote, ‘I need to remind the landlords that I have been sitting next to a vacant eyesore for nearly three years, complete with torn awnings, trash from local eateries thrown in the empty planters, and old mail and flyers stuffed through the mail slot and left on the floor for weeks at a time.’ In her letter, she reiterated that she was unable to pay the 60 percent increase and questioned whether the landlord ever had intentions to negotiate with her. ‘If negotiations are possible,’ she wrote, ‘we are willing to continue. If negotiations have ceased, my intentions are to vacate The Nest Egg at the end of January 2008. Please advise as soon as possible.’ Kaufman said she never received a letter or a call. An insurance adjuster who came in to measure The Nest Egg told Kaufman that a woman’s clothing store was moving into her space and The Office Supply space. Although Kaufman had suspicions that this might happen, it was the first confirmation she had that her lease was not being renewed. ‘That will make it 16 women’s stores in the Palisades,’ she noted. Repeated calls by the Post to Palisades Partners were not returned. Kaufman and her husband have four children. Nick, a graduate of UC Berkeley, is in the process of applying to architectural schools; Jamie, who has a volleyball scholarship at High Point University in North Carolina, will graduate this May; Chris is in ninth grade at Palisades Charter High School; and Katie is a seventh grader at Corpus Christi.

A four-page draft document focused on access, trail uses and facilities in the future Potrero Canyon Park will be considered for approval by the Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee on Wednesday, January 16, at 7 p.m. in the old gym at the Palisades Recreation Center. Residents are encourage to attend the meeting and comment on the various proposals in the draft document, prepared by a committee of 16 Pacific Palisades community representatives who have been holding public meetings since late 2004. ‘This document reflects the intended use of the Potrero public space, as reflected in public planning documents and in committee/subcommittee and public discussions,’ said Committee Chairman George Wolfberg. He continued, ‘Our process took into account the requirements and preferences of the California State Coastal Commission and City of Los Angeles officials and staff. Much of the funding for this project will be from the sale of homes and residential lots owned by the City of Los Angeles along the rim of Potrero Canyon. The canyon land is owned by the City, and will be operated and maintained by its Department of Recreation and Parks.’ The City acquired Potrero Canyon in the 1960s, by condemnation, ‘for public recreation and park purposes,’ according to the Potrero committee’s Web site (www.potrero.info). There’s insufficient space in this article to detail all the various proposals for Potrero (please visit the Web site), but here are some of the most significant issues presented in the committee’s document’years before work can even start on the actual park that will stretch from the Palisades Recreation Center down to Pacific Coast Highway. 1. Bridge for Beach Access: Build a bridge over PCH to allow safe, direct and unimpeded access to the beach, canyon and village for walkers, runners, and bicyclists, and to avoid interfering with the flow of traffic on PCH. A pedestrian over-crossing is the Committee’s top priority, to ensure a safe crossing of PCH and to prevent further pedestrian deaths. [Committee member Chris Spitz urges residents to attend next Wednesday’s meeting in order to provide their input into this controversial proposal. ‘I have concerns about cost, funding, security, maintenance, environmental impact, feasibility of alternatives, and extent of public support,’ says Spitz, who lives along the canyon’s rim. ‘Current community opinion about the bridge should be ascertained to the extent possible. I also note that Pam Emerson of the Coastal Commission recently indicated that the Commission has no position on the bridge at this time and is not opposed to alternatives (as long as its goal of beach access is achieved).’]

It seems as if Devereaux Tae-Jin Dumas is destined for good luck. Born to Gregory and Soo-Young Dumas, he is the first Pacific Palisades baby of 2008. Born on January 2 at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, Devereaux weighed 8 pounds and 15 ounces and was born just shy of 1 p.m. He is the Dumas’ third child and was welcomed by big sisters Zoe, 3 and Mikah, 2. Since Devereaux would have to be born via C-section, the Dumases were given three birthday choices. Simply attempting to avoid giving birth on a holiday, they had all but decided on January 2. A quick discussion with Soo-Young’s father, who is well versed in Chinese astrology, solidified their decision, because he assured them that January 2 was the best date. However, he specified that the baby would have to be born before 1 p.m. The morning of January 2 went quickly, noon passed and baby Devereaux was still in utero. ‘I was running around everywhere, saying ‘We’ve got to get in there now, this baby has to be born by 1 p.m., or I don’t know what’s going to happen,’ Gregory recalls. Fortunately, Devereaux arrived at 12:54 p.m. on his lucky day, in the year of the golden pig. ‘The golden pig only comes around every 100 years so he’s supposed to be very blessed. Between that and looking at the [Chinese astrology] charts, the naming and winning the Palisadian-Post contest, maybe it’s true, maybe it’s all coming true,’ Soo-Young said of Devereaux’s early good fortune. The baby’s name was decided on just three weeks before the due date. Tae-Jin, which means ‘grand’ or ‘bigger than life’ in Korean, was suggested by his grandfather. Devereaux was chosen by Gregory, who had been given full naming rights by Soo-Young after a naming mishap with their second child, Mikah. The couple had decided on the name Mikah months before her birth. Then three days before she was born, they changed their minds. A month after she was born, Soo-Young sent Gregory down to the courthouse to have her name officially changed. ‘We got her social security card and everything, but within a month decided it wasn’t her name, so I convinced him to go to court and get her real name,’ Soo-Young said. ‘Because of that, I got first dibs on the name,’ Gregory said. ‘I could have named him Cletus Sue, and she couldn’t say anything.’ However, Gregory came up with the name Devereaux, which they both loved. The Dumases have lived in the Palisades since 2001. The two were looking for houses on the Westside and wound up having dinner randomly at Terri’s on Swarthmore. ‘We were sitting on the sidewalk and thought, Wow, this is like Mayberry, such a homey little village and we thought, Oh my god, we want to live here,’ Gregory said. After looking at nearly 20 houses the couple settled into their new home on DePauw in July 2001, shortly after their July 3 wedding. In March 2004, first daughter Zoe was born and second daughter Mikah followed in September 2005. ‘We really like the small-town atmosphere that you can’t get anywhere else in L.A., that we know of,’ Soo-Young said. Still, despite loving Pacific Palisades, the Dumases spend much of their time traveling, all over the world. As the owner of his own Internet marketing company with many international clients, Gregory has many opportunities to travel, and he usually brings his family with him. ‘When Zoe was born I was afraid to cross the street with her,’ Gregory said. ‘A few months later, we were in the Middle East with her.’ Last November, Gregory and Zoe went on a special trip, just the two of them, spending six days in Paris and six days in Dubai, where at one point, they even found themselves lost in the desert. Still, they won’t be deterred from traveling, as the couple agrees that it is important to teach their children about all the different people in the world. The Dumases are looking forward to future trips and plan to visit Asia soon, particularly Korea, where Soo-Young was born and raised until she was 7.

Property and violent crimes in Pacific Palisades decreased two percent in 2007 from 2006, reflecting a citywide trend, according to Los Angeles Police Department records. Last year, violent crimes fell to 20 from 24 in 2006. The LAPD’s West L.A. Division recorded four ‘assaults with a deadly weapon’ and 15 robberies in the Palisades, but no rapes. One person was murdered here in 2007. As reported in the Palisadian-Post, police said that Alfred Deglaraza stabbed fellow transient Seth Grinspan, 46, to death below the Via de las Olas bluffs along Pacific Coast Highway on August 11. Deglaraza was later apprehended by police. There were no homicides recorded in 2006. There were 367 total property crimes last year, down from 372 during 2006. Burglary and ‘grand theft auto’ fell by 18 and seven percent, respectively. Despite the general trend downward in property crimes, theft from vehicles and general theft increased by nine and three percent, respectively. Last year’s small decrease in crime does not amount to any identifiable trend, according to LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore. ‘When you look at the difference, it’s only two percent [compared to 2006],’ Moore said. ‘It’s not a big difference. I’d like to say people are being more careful, but I think it was just the way the numbers went.’ The decrease in assaults with a deadly weapon was the result of increased police attention to homeless people in the Palisades, Moore said. ‘Last year, we put a lot of pressure on the homeless and the crimes they generate.’ The police officer urged local residents to take seriously the threat of crime. ‘Our job is to help fight crime, but it’s the community’s job to prevent it in the first place,’ Moore said. ‘This is probably the safest neighborhood in all of Los Angeles, but people still need to be cautious.’ Every category of serious crimes fell citywide in 2007, according to the police department. Homicides dropped 18 percent to 392, the lowest level since 1970. Rape decreased by 13.8 percent; robbery, 6.2 percent; aggravated assaults, 9.3 percent; burglary, 4.1 percent; car burglary, 0.2 percent; general theft, 6.1 percent; and auto theft, 8.3 percent. Police officials and city leaders have hailed the statistics as evidence of effective policing. ‘Thanks to the outstanding work of Chief [William] Bratton and the brave men and women of the LAPD, Los Angeles is bucking the national trends,’ said L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. ‘The historic lows in crime is great news for our economy, our families and everyone who lives, works and plays in Los Angeles.’

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The owner of the Shell Station at Via de la Paz will speak about future plans for his property. Also, council members will discuss two controversial automated stop-sign enforcement cameras in Temescal Gateway Park with MRCA Chief Ranger Walt Young. The most up-to-date agenda can be found at the council’s Web site (www.pp90272.org). FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 Theatre Palisades presents Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of ‘Twentieth Century’ at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets (adults, $16; seniors and students, $14) call (310) 454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org. (See story, page 11.) SUNDAY, JANUARY 13 Local historian Randy Young leads a walk-and-talk in Rustic Canyon, hosted by the Temescal Canyon Association’s hiking group. Meet at 9 a.m. in the Temescal Gateway Park front parking lot for carpooling. Public invited. MONDAY, JANUARY 14 The Palisades Branch Library’s Drama Book Club meets at 6:45 p.m. in the community room, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited. Members will discuss ‘Lysistrata’ by Aristophanes. There will be staged readings of selected scenes and a description of the playwright and the theatre of his time. TUESDAY, JANUARY 15 Storytime for children ages 3 and up, 4 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association board meeting, 7 p.m., Rustic Canyon Park. Public invited. Photographers Linda Zamelsky and Alice Hall discuss orchid photography at the Malibu Orchid Society meeting, 7 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Guest speaker Joe Edmiston commemorates Scottish heritage, human compassion and the love for nature shared by Robert Burns, 7:30 p.m. in the dining hall at Temescal Gateway Park, corner of Sunset and Temescal Canyon Rd. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16 Potrero Canyon Citizen Advisory Committee meets at 7 p.m. in the old gym at the Palisades Recreation Center, 851 Alma Real. Public invited. THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 Dr. Denis Rodgerson, professor emeritus at UCLA and a pioneer in stem-cell banking, will speak at the Palisades Rotary Club breakfast meeting on ‘Regenerative Medicine and You,’ 7:15 a.m., Gladstone’s restaurant on PCH at Sunset. Contact: (310) 442-1607. Bill Boyarsky, former Los Angeles Times reporter, columnist and editor, will discuss and sign his new book, ‘Big Daddy: Jesse Unruh and the Art of Power Politics,’ 6:30 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18 Friends of the Library will screen ‘High Society’ at 1 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Admission is free. The film stars Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong and Grace Kelly, with classic songs by Cole Porter.