Fruit Adventures: Pasadena Gems

Have you ever been to Pasadena? Most folks, both local and tourists alike, visit the Old Town Pasadena area to catch up on some retail therapy or to enjoy a succulent meal in one of the trendy and upscale restaurants that the Old Town has to offer. But what most people don't know about (or are just nonchalant about) is the rich architecture that lies in the city's vast residential area. I am in no way an art fanatic but having an architect for a boyfriend has definitely given me a new perspective on these sort of things. In short--- I kinda give a rat's butt about it now.

The Gamble House

Being one of the most iconic houses of the arts and crafts movement in architecture, the Gamble House is a sight to behold. The house was built as a winter home for David and Mary Gamble (of Procter & Gamble), designed by Architects Charles and Henry Greene. Guess when this house was built? 1908!

Uh...this was JUST a winter home? Damn.

The boyfriend has been itching to go to this place so when we found some time to squeeze in a one-hour docent-guided tour, I jumped right in to reserve some tickets. The only way to get into the house is through the guided tours so it's best to check out for their schedule and purchase the tickets online at gamblehouse.org. There is no photography allowed inside the house so sadly, I can't share with you how truly remarkable the craftsmanship of this house is but you can easily find a book or google about it. Every detail was so well thought of that the architects even designed the furnishings themselves. That, or they were just a bunch of control-freaks!

The house is heavily Japanese-inspired as the Gambles were very much into the Japanese art and culture.

Personally, I think the best thing about the house is the impeccable wood craftsmanship...like if you think you're anal then you haven't seen what they did for the interiors of this house--- everything was designed and collaborated to a T! Oh and speaking of wood, they won't let you in if you aren't wearing flat shoes (stiletto heels are the devil, or at least that's what the docents would think) as pointy heels may damage the wooden floors of the house.

Just a couple of feet from the house is the car garage that's now been converted into a bookstore filled with art/architecture books (you may also try to drop in and purchase some tour tickets if they're still available).

Dude, you know you're rich when you have your own gas pump in your garage...in---that's right, 1908!

Obviously I cease to exist when the boyfriend is surrounded by architecture books. Note to self: Send boyfriend to buy appropriate size of jeans. Mmmk, Mr. Saggy Butt?

I spy some cute tiles!

Taking pictures under the sun (in every freakin' angle) can really drain one's energy and sanity and since I knew that we were going to be around Pasadena, I called in advance and booked a table for afternoon tea at The Langham . This afternoon tea thing has become a tradition of ours since about 7 years ago, where we had our first afternoon tea together at The Drake in Chicago. It was a sweet discovery to find that both the boyfriend and I actually really enjoy this kinda stuff, so we agreed to try to have afternoon tea wherever we landed on the map. So far we've had tea at The Peninsula in Hong Kong, The Fullerton Hotel in Singapore and The Rose Garden Tea Room at the Huntington Botanical Gardens, and now we can add The Langham to the list!

Who would have known that this was in Pasadena? It's so hidden that you have to go through residential roads to get here. This looks like a perfect setting for a great wedding reception, non?

Upon entering, we were greeted by a modest lobby area, with a beautiful chandelier in the center.

The hallway towards the Lobby Lounge (where they have the afternoon tea), decked in huge beautiful paintings.

The hotel's beautiful courtyard.

It's not that hard to navigate around the hotel but if you spot this sign, you've arrived at the Lobby Lounge.

The set-up is pretty chill, you can hang out with your friends or just have a relaxing date.

Further inside, you can see floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the hotel's garden.

You'd think my date's looking at floor plans---he's just checking out the tea selection. Ha!

The Tiffin Afternoon Tea has two options, you can get the Traditional Tiffin Tea ($39 per person), or the Royal Tiffin Tea (includes champagne, $56 per person). Getting drunk off of champagne in the middle of the afternoon and possibly scaring all the other guests sounded so enticing but we still had somewhere else to go, so...Traditional it is!

The tea comes with a selection of scones, pastries and finger sandwiches. I was so hungry that I devoured all the sandwiches first, screw the pastries! Ha!

This passion apricot cone had a gold flake in it, should I eat it or save it 'til I end up having a whole gold bar? Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

We're having afternoon tea with our little pinky's up so, I have to act all prim and proper, right?

But then I couldn't help myself and got sugar high with God knows how many sugar cubes and milk I dumped in my tea. My cup is too full, I lick the tea spoon and I don't wait until the sugar dissolves, I MASH it---I am every tea aficionado's faux pas nightmare! Ha!

Thank you, boyfriend, for recording my VERY FIRST short video (?) on my blog! And also for holding in your giggles until the last part.

Is that food in my hair?

When we were done with our sugar-high tea, I had the hostess validate our valet parking stub. Please take note that this place has valet parking only. I think they charge $12 for it but with a validated stub, we only paid $5.

We ventured a little bit more around the property and found cute little bungalows where guests could stay at instead of the usual hotel rooms in the main building.

As we went back inside, I noticed there was a nice, dimly-lit place called The Tap Room.

I wanted to grab a drink or two since it looked so cozy in there but alas, we had to leave or we might miss the main event of the night---which you will find out on my next post! :)

Stay tuned for more fun stuff coming up on the blog but for now, have a great weekend!

Toodles!

Fruit VS. Food: Arroyo Chop House

After doing some heavy negotiating with a tough lawyer a.k.a. Dad (told him I made reservations and if I canceled last minute, they would charge a fat cancellation fee. Ha! Hey, my parents used to tell us white lies all the time), I was finally able to drag my parents with me to Pasadena and try out Arroyo Chop House. My Dad's been having an increased appetite for red meat so I wanted to take the folks out to a place that's known for it.

Arroyo Chop House

When you get there, the sign is on the side where it faces the road. If you don't spot the sign, you'll know you're at the right place when you see this vine-covered building. 

There is only valet parking available but guess what? It's complimentary, so just tip the valet dude after you dine. The cars are parked within the vicinity so there's not a long wait when they retrieve it for you.

We got there a little after 6 p.m. so the place wasn't packed yet. We sat at the waiting area for about 10 minutes then the hostess led us to our table. I thought we were going to be seated at the main area where the bar was at but they directed us to a connecting room where it was much more quiet.

Oh how I love the dimly lit ambiance, with dark wood shutters and all. I also love how they space out the tables well, unlike other hip places that charge you so much money but you'd probably end up sitting on someone by accident because your table is THAT close to each other. Those kinda places are definitely taking "rubbing elbows" to another level.

Fret not, they do place lights strategically towards every table so you're not eating your food blindly.

And now to the fun stuff! We started off with some Chop House Garlic Bread. My Dad is a sucker for garlic bread so he pretty much murdered the bread basket.

Barbecued Shrimp Salad. This was not a frou-frou kind of salad and surprisingly, I really loved it! They serve the shrimp warm and the dressing had the right amount of spiciness.

My Mom and I ordered the Rotisserie Chicken.

and Dad got the Pork Chop. He said it's one of the best he's ever tasted.

For the sides, we got the Mac & Cheese, Black Forest Ham. Merlin's beard, you must order this when you visit!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Lobster Mashed Potatoes. I would skip the lobster one and keep the garlic.

When ordering, keep in mind that the servings are generous. Mom and I ordered two chickens 'coz we thought it was gonna be like those little swanky places with little swanky servings---you know, the ones where you take five little bites and dinner is over, and the check is worth a hundred In-N-Out burgers (and a couple of animal-style fries) --- but this was not that kind of place. In fact, the chicken that we ordered was a HALF CHICKEN each. So I literally didn't touch my chicken and just took it to go, like the rest of the side dishes that we couldn't even put a dent on.

For dessert, we ordered the Grand Marnier Souffle. This takes around 45 minutes to make so if you're going to want to try any of the souffles, make sure to put that order in at the same time with the appetizers and such.

Uhm, yea I was too excited that I didn't get to take a picture before our waiter distributed the souffle among the three of us. But still, YUM. And yes, the souffle was huge.

Thank God for old parents, because they hate super sweet stuff, which means I get to finish off all of this goodness right here. OOPS! Did I just say that out loud?

Nah...if they read this blog, they wouldn't be too old to whoop my hiney for calling them "old". Attractive parents, right? They got that from me. Ha!

In all seriousness though, why is it that we only realize as we get older, how much quality time we need to spend with our parents ? Back in high school and in college, I always wanted to hang out with my friends and go some place where my parents won't "bug" me. Maybe it all lies on the level of experience and maturity as one gets older. I am slowly realizing all the sacrifices that my parents had to make for my own welfare, and how they were right all along for disagreeing with me and the premature decisions that I've made in the past...meh, who am I kidding--- STUPID decisions.

I only hope to have the luxury of time, so I could make more meaningful memories with my parents, and to be able to repay them in kind by taking care of them as they have always taken good care of me.

Remember that as we are busy getting married, having babies, falling in love, climbing the corporate ladder, Photoshopping selfie pictures... our parents are getting old too. Don't just say you love them, SHOW THEM just how much.

 Toodles!