Menu Passes from Farberow to Riordan By MICHAEL AUSHENKER Staff Writer ‘Some of you are probably wondering why a news anchor would be doing this?’ said a beaming KTTV News anchor Carlos Amezcua as he led a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Village Pantry and Oak Room restaurants. ‘Well, they promised me free food!’ So commenced the late afternoon fanfare last Friday as former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan hosted a block party to celebrate the grand opening of his two eateries on Swarthmore Avenue, just north of Sunset. Riordan, whose pair of restaurants have enjoyed a soft roll-out since mid-January, joined with family members, friends and residents as they enjoyed a free menu sampling at the Pantry and a no-host bar in the Oak Room. Special guests included Christine Devine, Amezcua’s co-anchor on ‘News at 10’; William Morris Agency CEO Jim Wyatt; and L.A. City Councilman (District 11) Bill Rosendahl. ‘This is the greatest place in Southern California,’ Riordan told the Palisadian-Post, when asked why he pursued the restaurant space on Swarthmore. ‘And Palisadians are the greatest people.’ Riordan, a Brentwood resident, enjoyed riding his bike to the Palisades and having breakfast at the former Mort’s Deli, which he acquired and began remodeling last spring when owner Bobbie Farberow decided to retire. She and her late husband, Mort, were active business owners and citizens in Pacific Palisades for more than 30 years. Bobbie, who recently sold her house and moved into a condominium on Sunset in the Palisades, was on hand Friday as Riordan called on the partygoers to embrace the community involvement inspired by the Farberows. He also directed them to the plaque on a wall in front of the Village Pantry that reads: ‘Mort’s Palisades Deli operated at this location from 1974 to 2007. Mort and Bobbie Farberow’s generosity and community spirit were an inspiration to all.’ Riordan told the Post that he hopes the Village Pantry will live up to the expectations of locals, who have fond memories of their beloved Mort’s. ‘We wanted a modern version of Mort’s,’ said Riordan, who also owns Gladstone’s on PCH at Sunset and The Original Pantry in downtown Los Angeles, He added that he felt ‘very lucky’ to have such ‘strong managers and a great chef’ in place on Swarthmore. ‘I think pairing the two restaurants provides great contrast,’ said executive chef Doug Silberberg, a Palisades Highlands resident and the former chef of Michael’s in Santa Monica. The Pantry specializes in breakfast and light lunch and dinner fare, while the Oak Room (now open 7 days a week, 5 to 9 p.m.) is a bistro. Amezcua, who until last year led KTLA’s ‘Morning Show’ for more than 15 years, told the Post that his long friendship with Riordan goes back to his KTLA days, when Riordan was a frequent guest. ‘He drags me from restaurant to restaurant to do the ribbon-cutting. I’m his trained monkey,’ Amezcua said, laughing. Riordan’s daughter, Patricia Torrey, who has lived in the Palisades with her husband Dana since 1994, credits her friend, Linda Davis, for coming up with the name The Village Pantry. Torrey said that she wants this Pantry to become ‘a place where people are happy to come to. We want to be a part of the community the way Mort and Bobbie were.’ Inside the Pantry, while greeting a stream of her former customers, Bobbie told the Post, ‘I’m very proud of Dick Riordan, Trish and everybody. I think they did a fantastic job.’ She added about her retirement, ‘Not working seven days a week is not a bad thing, I hate to say.’
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