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Alhambra City Council meeting agenda

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 02:28:39 +0000

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February 25, 2012

Alhambra City Council will meet Monday, February 27 at City Hall. The meeting is at 7pm and open to the public.

2.27.12 Alhambra City Council agenda

How Wahib's introduced an Alhambra High misfit to a love of food

Javier — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 02:56:50 +0000

Release Date:

February 24, 2012

Alhambra Source hosted a party last Thursday to better get to know our readers — and for you to get to know us. Amongst the businesses who donated was Wahib's. Last year Javier Cabral wrote about how the Middle Eastern restaurant became a refuge for him during a difficult transition — and introduced him to his passion.

I underwent a bit of culture shock during my junior year of high school, transferring to Alhambra from East L.A’s Garfield High School. As a result, I never really made any real friends. Instead, I would entertain myself walking around aimlessly and collecting take out menus from nearby restaurants. And when I had the money for it, trying them out.

For my classmates, the place to go eat after school was Rick’s Drive In & Out for an order of chili-cheese drenched crinkle-cut fries and a large coke with free refills. But for me, the best after-school snack was a little further down Main Street: fresh falafel from Wahib's slatered with the sesame sauce, tahini.

At first, I was too embarrassed to eat by myself at Wahib’s and would order a falafel pita sandwich and homemade baklava to go (only to eat it in the back alley while listening to my iPod — as if it was any better). But eventually I got over it and my reward for accepting myself were platters stacked high with roasted eggplant babaganoush spread, sweet charred tomatoes and sometimes juicy lamb kabobs that were still rare on the inside.

Indeed, it was at Wahib’s where I first started to accept my unusual passion for food at such a young age. Waiters greeted me with a complimentary plate of creamy hummus and assorted mekhallel (pickled vegetables) with pita that was always served warm every single time I went. And even if the spread at Wahib’s would cost me at least double of what a burger combo at Rick’s, it was cheaper than lying to myself and trying to be like everybody else at the time. The plates of food were also easily enough for two adults or one growing boy. (This is about the time that I earned the nickname "Teenage Glut-ster" and started food blogging. Hundreds of posts, visits from a certain celebrated chef who cooked with my mother, and various published articles later, I'm now no longer a teenager and simply The Glutster.)

But back when I turned 18, there was no question where I would celebrate. I unwrapped sour grape leaves stuffed with highly seasoned gamey lamb and stubby short grain rice while my family giggled at the pinto beans that came with almost everything you order. “Para frijoles? Pues mejor en mi casa!?” “To go out to a restaurant and still eat beans?!” my dad exclaimed. (My family and I were dedicated beaners not for health reasons but for financial ones). But even though most of the kitchen staff working at Wahib’s now are from Mexican descent, legumes —of all types — happen to be staple food in Lebanon, yes, including pinto beans, papa.

Wahib’s Restaurant

Wahby Wahib and his wife have been doing this since 1981 and have recently introduced a pretty awesome buffet option featuring everything mentioned above and some more that is available all day ($10 lunch and $14.99 for Dinner Everyday; $11.99 Monday And Thursday). You can at least get your money’s worth with the all you can eat garlic sauce for which certain Armenian chicken chain restaurants charge extra.

Wahib's Middle Eastern
910 E. Main St.
Alhambra CA
( 626 ) 281-1006

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New 710-gap public meetings

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:17:23 +0000

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February 24, 2012

This post is adapted from a report in EGP News

Metro is holding two meetings in March to update the public and gain feedback about the (SR) 710 Environmental Study.

The long-stalled SR-710 gap closure, which would connect the I-710 Freeway to the I-210 Freeway from where it drops off in Alhambra to Pasadena, has been hotly debated for decades. A lawsuit kept the proposed connector on the shelf for over 40 years. But today as plans to complete the project continue to move forward, there is still significant opposition from residents along the route who don’t want a freeway or a tunnel built through their community. The freeway connector is intended to ease traffic congestion for Los Angeles County commuters by providing an alternative to the heavily congested I-5 Golden State, 134 and Hollywood freeways, from the San Fernando Valley to the Southeast cities and beyond.

According to Metro, LA County residents showed that they want traffic congestion relieved when they approved Measure R, a tax to fund transportation projects. The I-710 to I-210 gap has been identified as one of the traffic remedies that can do that, according to Metro.

On March 1st and 3rd, Metro and Caltrans will hold two meetings on the Environmental Study conducted on proposed routes for the transportation project, and residents are being encouraged to attend and comment on the project.

Information presented at each of the meetings will be identical, according to Metro.
During the meetings, residents will hear the insights gathered in the 2011 Metro Conversations and information on the next phases of the environmental review process called the Alternatives Analysis phase. Residents will also be able to provide input and join a “Community Liaison Council” that will offer advice on community-specific issues and outreach efforts.

The Thursday March 1 meeting will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at Ramona Hall Community Center, located at 4580 N Figueroa St., Los Angeles 90065.

The Saturday, March 3 meeting will take place from 10am to Noon at the East Los Angeles Public Library, located at 4837 E 3rd St, Los Angeles 90022.

Both locations can be accessed using public transportation. Metro will offer activities for children.

Residents who cannot attend can view the meeting online at www.ustream.tv/channel/sr710envstudy. For more information visit http://www.metro.net/projects/sr-710-conversations/upcoming-meetings/

Alhambra MCS Career WorkSource Center Job Recruitment

Career WorkSource — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:02:58 +0000

Release Date:

February 24, 2012

Northeast San Gabriel Valley WorkSource Center

********LOCAL EMPLOYEERS HIGHLY SUGGESTED TO PARTICIPATE*********

JOB RECRUITMENT

INSURANCE, FINANCIAL SALES AND MARKETING

MARCH 13th 2012 10:00am -12:00pm

2550 West Main Street #103 Alhambra, CA 91801

Contact person
Dan Nguyen

Tel: (626) 284-9715

Email: dnguyen@mcscareergroup.com

If you are a highly motivated, energetic individual looking for a career where you can help people, we have excellent opportunities for you. We are looking for CHINESE MANDARIN speaking- dynamic self-starters interested in the sales and marketing of insurance and financial services products for a top brand insurance company catering to Chinese community. No experience needed only willing to learn……..

某大保險公司，現招聘人才推廣業務，經驗不拘，提供培訓，歡迎懂國語、有活力、積極有熱誠人士應徵。

Eligibility

Applicants must have the following:

Valid CA ID/DL, Social Security Card, DD-214(discharged within last 48 months), Verification of Citizenship or Right-to-Work documents, (Valid US Passport, or Alien Card), clean background, customer service experience, Military Veteran encourage to apply.

Please call today to reserve your seat!!!!

A Los Angeles County Funded Social Services

HIGHARE ARE

Location

NorthEast San Gabriel Valley WorkSource Center

2550 W. Main St. #103

Alhambra, CA 91801

United States

34° 5' 42.09" N, 118° 9' 6.6348" W

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The 'Know Your Source' Party!

daniela.gerson — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:06:50 +0000

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Nate

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February 24, 2012

An exceptionally diverse group of roughly 100 Alhambra residents, USC Annenberg professors and students came out to Gallery Nucleus last night to celebrate local culture and support Alhambra Source.

Here are the first pictures. More to come throughout the day.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make the event a success! We'd love to hear your ideas for the location and activities for the next one!

Daniela and the Alhambra Sourcerers

***

And a special thank you to the businesses who donated:

Cafeina watermelon punch, Boteco Brazilian appetizers, Green Chopsticks dumplings, Wahib's Middle Eastern delicacies | PromoIdeas for printing support, Gallery Nucleus, Roaster Family coffee, JayVee Dance classes

161,280 Korean dumplings a day

Javier — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:02:51 +0000

Release Date:

February 23, 2012

Alhambra Source is hosting a party at Gallery Nucleus to better get to know our readers - and for you to get to know us. Various businesses are donating to the event and we are profiling some of them this week. Green Chopsticks, a Korean dumpling factory will be giving out samples. Last Summer, Javier Cabral took a tour. The piece is reposted below.

Before I could even enter Alhambra's Korean dumpling factory, Green Chopsticks, a Jetson’s-style hygienic chamber washed my hands, automatically misting hand sanitizer. Then I was forced to embrace my inner-lunch lady desires and put on a chic black hairnet. And last, but not least, the coolest part of all came when I stepped into the airtight “Air-Shower” chamber for a quick sanitizing, powerful breeze. It was hot that day so the strong blasts of air to clean off any debris and outdoor bacteria from my clothing hit the spot!

For the past two years, Green Chopsticks has been producing 161,280 Korean dumplings a day, as well as frozen dumplings, roasted seaweed, fresh kimchi and other prepared Korean foods in heart of industrial Alhambra. The factory is on Palm Street, right across the street from Alhambra foodie favorite La Cafeina Taqueria and on the way to Costco. (You know, in one of those huge buildings where you never know what takes place behinds its thick concrete walls?)

A few months ago, I received an email asking if I was interested in taking a dumpling factory tour. I’ve been writing about restaurants in the Alhambra area for the last five years on my personal food blog and often receive invites to restaurants and bars, but this is the first time I’d heard directly from a factory. Apparently, the company’s 35-year-old vice president, Christian Park, is doing things a little bit differently than your average frozen and prepared food factory. Along with sales assistant John Hang, 28, he is embracing the power of social media and local foodbloggers to share the authentic Korean dumpling gospel.

“I try to run the factory like you would a food truck, constantly updating people with what we are up to,” Hang said. They’re also mobile, hitting four Costco’s around the country a week giving out samples. Like a modern gourmet food truck, they use Twitter and Facebook daily to inform consumers which one they will be at next.

Green Chopsticks Korean Dumpling Assembly Line

The assembly line process being applied to these delicious tiny wrapped entrees blew me away. An employee fed the rolled out, freshly kneaded dough into the machine which then sliced it into rectangular squares, stuffed it scantly with the pork fillings. The company uses a Korean family recipe, thus, these are “Mandu” dumplings. The wrapper is on the thinner side than most Chinese dumplings and the filling is heavy on the green onion.

The machine then folded it into the most perfect, uniform dumpling. A conveyor belt passed them every so slowly under a steamer then finally into a flash-blast freezer. Another difference is that Chinese dumplings are usually sold raw, these are pre-cooked. And chill! They contain no MSG. Throughout the whole process, a few employees kept surveillance on the dumplings and pick out any imperfect ones. The whole process makes me proud of the odd forms that human ingenuity takes and the wonders of the industrial revolution.

Green Chopsticks products are at Costco's around the country (you can't actually buy them at the factory or online yet but they are working on it).

And FYI, their dumplings are actually more popular in areas where Asians are more of a minority, in particular, cities like Culver City, Canoga Park, Los Feliz, San Luis Obispo, Santa Monica etc.

If enough readers are interested, they have agreed to offer industrial dumpling tours to the public. Shoot John Hang an email for more details jHang@cyrusa.com.

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What supermarket would you choose for Downtown, Alhambra?

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:23:48 +0000

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February 22, 2012

Alhambra's Super A will be closing soon and construction is scheduled to begin in late summer for a mixed-use development. The privately developed property at Fourth and Main streets should have a 15,000-square feet space which would be "suitable for a Trader Joe's or Fresh & Easy market," according to city documents.

What supermarket do you think would improve Downtown, Alhambra and serve your needs? You can take the survey below or via cell phone by texting the word Market to 877877. (For those of you who took our earlier supermarket poll - thank you - and please take this one as well. We've added more questions based on the initial responses.)

US Supreme Court rejects Spector's murder appeal

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:05:02 +0000

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February 22, 2012

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Tuesday to hear record producer Phil Spector's appeal of his murder conviction for fatally shooting actress Lana Clarkson in his Alhambra home nine years ago, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Spector, 72, is serving 19 years to life.

His attorneys argued that prosecutors had turned the trial judge into a government witness by using his statements in a multimedia presentation, among other challenges, the Associated Press reported. The California State Supreme Court had also declined to hear the appeal.

Brazilian flavor on Main Street, Alhambra

daniela.gerson — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:41:46 +0000

Release Date:

February 22, 2012

Alhambra Source is hosting a party on Thursday night at Gallery Nucleus to better get to know our readers - and for you to get to know us. Various businesses are donating to the event and we are profiling some of them this week. Boteco, a new Brazilian restaurant on Main Street, is contributing a sample of their apetizers, such as pão de queijo and croquettes. Last September, I wrote a story about Boteco shortly after it opened. The piece is reposted below.

One of my first cultural lessons as an exchange student in Rio de Janeiro was about the popular Brazilian bar known as a botequim or boteco. My bedroom window was directly above this South American version of the watering hole, which serves a bit of food, and can be found on almost any block in the city. I'd fall asleep to the sounds of Tropicalia and the boisterous chatting of patrons sitting outside, drinking cold draft beers, and eating bolinhos de bacalau (little balls of codfish) or mandioca frita (fried yucca).

With the opening this month of Boteco, a version of that Brazilian staple has arrived to Main Street, Alhambra. The draft beer is there, but, as well as the liquor, décor, and cuisine, it is more upscale than the botecos I knew in Rio. In addition to the standard caipirinhas - the traditional Brazilian mixed cachaça (a sugar-cane rum), sugar, and lime drink - the restaurant has fruit-juice variations including passion fruit and mango. Appetizers draw from standard Brazilian favorites: a puffed cheese bread that you can pop into your mouth,the fried yucca which looks like French fries but tastes much better, and chicken croquettes. But the rest of the menu is much more sophisticated and extensive than your standard boteco.

"Here it's a bar, with small plates, like Brazilian tapas," one of the owners, João de Paula, said. Though it serves grilled meat, which literally translates to churrasco, it's not an all-you-can-eat meat fest. "It’s what a boteco signifies, a place where Bohemians go and have a good time with friends," de Paula, who is Brazilian and previously was general manager of Havana House, explained.

For the 40-year-old de Paula, opening Boteco is a chance to return to his roots — with a globalization twist. As a young man in São Paulo, he briefly played professional soccer, but realized he would never come close to achieving his dream of being the next Pelé. Instead, he left and ran a busy downtown cafeteria with his cousin. Opened only during lunch hours, it served 600 people a day, serving 20 salads, 30 different hot plates, 20 desserts. All of these were available in a traditional Brazilian by-the-kilo arrangement, where patrons fill up their plates and then weigh them.

The business was a success, but de Paula was hit hard with the travel bug. He had relatives in the Pasadena area and decided that he would move to California to live with them. “Everyone wants to come to LA,” he said simply. He sold everything: his condo, a brand new washing machine, and the share of the restaurant. From playing video games he learned English. He arrived on a student visa, and was taking classes at Pasadena City College, when his cousin introduced him to Richard Valenzuela, an owner of Havana House. They were set to expand their popular establishment in Whittier to Alhambra.

For the next 10 years, de Paula dedicated himself to growing that business. Other than his wife, who is Brazilian and from the Northeastern State of Fortaleza, he did not interact much with other Brazilians. The idea was to “look forward, can’t look back,” he said. But since his children were born, he felt “like I had to pass the culture to the kids,” he said.

That’s when de Paula came upon the idea of creating an upscale Brazilian restaurant that would include the bests of his native food, a classy bar atmosphere, Bossa Nova — and, of course, a place to watch soccer. When Cuban Bistro closed and the property was available, he seized the opportunity. Teaming up again with Valenzuela, who is a part owner, he went to work on opening Boteco. To find a chef, he put out a call on Craig's List. More than 40 Brazilian cooks responded from which he selected Adriana Andrade Maradyan, who moved from a state in Brazil’s vast interior four years ago and is a graduate of the Cordon Bleu.

Since the restaurant opened, de Paula said he has met more Brazilians than he ever knew lived in the area, with a new one coming in every day, ecstatic about the addition. (According to Census data, only about 28 Brazilians live in Alhambra. According to de Paula's numbers, just about every one of them has now made an appearance). And not only Brazilians have been curious. On a recent weekday afternoon, most of the city government of Alhambra was checking out the new restaurant and flavors. But it's on Sundays when Boteco gets closest to its Brazilian roots: feijoada is featured, a national dish made of beans and pork; Brazilian soccer is on television; and once a month, the samba band Brasilidade plays live.

Boteco

28 W Main St
Alhambra, CA 91801

(626) 281-1777

Opened Tuesday - Sunday: 5pm-2am

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Revisiting the Third Street Fire

nathan.s — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:12:08 +0000

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Picture Alhambra

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February 22, 2012

Picture Alhambra: Portraits of the City of Alhambra and its people.

On November 18, 2008 at 10:44 p.m. the orange glow of a fire illumanted the Alhambra night sky. The blaze erupted at a three-story condominium complex under construction on the 101 block of Third Street and grew to a four-alarm fire, with 13 engine companies responding from neighboring cities and leaving some 7,000 Alhambra residents without power.

Four years later all signs point to arson, according to Alhambra Assistant Fire Chief Raymond Mosack. The case is still not resolved and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are still offering a $10,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest. Today 101 N. Third Street remains an empty lot.

The photo: Alan Perera woke to the sounds of sirens and saw a light outside his window.

“I rushed into the alley, standing ahead of the crowd and took a few shots including this one. I found out later that I came out too late to miss when the fire was huge and blazing. But I suppose that's a good thing. Knowing me, I would have stood too close and gotten myself injured or worse,” Perera said.

The photographer: Alan Perera teaches English to international students and studied Fine Arts at USC. Perera gives himself photography goals, even though he’s not a professional photographer. He prefers candid shots that tell a story.

Alan Perera was using a Nikon D40 when he took his photo.

Where were you when the fire broke out on Third Street? Do you have any images or stories to tell about that night?

Send your images to editor@alhambrasource.org.