Arroyo Monthly March 2022

March 2022

Fine living in the greater Pasadena area

TOP TRENDS IN

Real Estate

REALTOR LIN VLACICH SHARES THE FEATURES BUYERS WANT IN A HOME

FULFILLING A FAMILY LEGACY TAY HO BRINGS AUTHENTIC VIETNAMESE CUISINE TO SAN GABRIEL

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arroyo

VOLUME 17 | NUMBER 03 | MARCH 2022

18 06 Top Trends in Real Estate

Realtor Lin Vlacich shares the features that buyers want in a home —By Kamala Kirk

10 In the Know

Michael B. Bell shares common mistakes when selling a home —By Luke Netzley

14 Modern Meets Traditional

Southern Colonial home combines elegance with comfort —By Kamala Kirk

18 Backyard Oasis

Create the ultimate staycation with Huntington Pools’ designs —By Kamala Kirk

22 It’s Time to Live Well

Home and work spaces can be the best medicine —By Gail E. Jamentz

26 Science-Based Building

Staff’s well-being comes first at these certified spaces —By Gail E. Jamentz

27 Artistic Departure

Michael Feinstein wanted to get ‘Gershwin Country’ right —By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

28 ‘Spring into Art ’

Juried exhibition and sale back and supporting the arts —By Connor Dziawura

30 Fulfilling a Family Legacy

Tay Ho brings authentic Vietnamese cuisine to San Gabriel —By Kamala Kirk

33 The Fun and Practical

Social hour highlights March events at senior center —By Arroyo Staff

34 Vroman’s Live

Bookstore boasts stellar lineup for March —By Arroyo Staff

DEPARTMENTS 32

CULINARY CUPBOARD Sweet, salty and nutty can get along

arroyo

fine living in the greater pasadena area

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Torres CONTRIBUTORS Emily Chavez, Connor Dziawura, Gail E. Jamentz, Kamala Kirk, Luke Netzley PHOTOGRAPHERS Luis Chavez, Chris Mortenson ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Lisa Chase, Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb OFFICE MANAGER Ann Turrietta

TIMES MEDIA GROUP PRESIDENT Steve Strickbine V.P. OF OPERATIONS Michael Hiatt ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Zac Reynolds CONTACT US EDITORIAL christina@timespublications.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1349, South Pasadena, CA 91031 ArroyoMonthly.com ©2022 Times Media Group All rights reserved.

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H O M E A N D R E A L E S TAT E Lin Vlacich is a real estate agent at Sotheby’s International Realty, specializing in the greater Pasadena market.

Top Trends in

Real Estate Realtor Lin Vlacich shares the features buyers want in a home

D

espite the ongoing pandemic, the real estate industry has been going strong.

There has continued to be a high demand for homes, especially those with desirable features that appeal to many buyers.

“People are looking for a lot of the same things that they were at the beginning of the pandemic,” says Lin Vlacich, a real estate agent at Sotheby’s International Realty in Pasadena.

“A lot of people have transitioned to working entirely from home now. I have clients who are lawyers and researchers working at home, and professors who haven’t been in a classroom in several years.”

A veteran of the real estate industry, Vlacich specializes in the greater Pasadena real estate market

along with South Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel and Altadena, although her experience extends to multiple markets across Los Angeles and Southern California.

Vlacich has also been named top salesperson and top 100 sales agent in California and was a recipient of South Pasadena’s Distinguished Citizen Award for outstanding service in the community.

“I was born and raised in South Pasadena, and I know the area like the back of my hand, although I work throughout San Gabriel Valley and other parts of LA,” Vlacich says. “I’m licensed in the state of California, and I’ve had many sellers and buyers who want me to negotiate the sale where they are moving to. I’ve also teamed up with agents across the country.”

Buyers tend to want extra

rooms that can be used in a variety of ways, according to Vlacich.

“People want an unnamed space that can be transformed into anything such as an exercise room or yoga studio, art studio, office or work room, etc.,” Vlacich says.

“Some homeowners have converted their garages into bonus rooms.

There’s a lot of demand for that extra room.”

Vlacich says having ample storage in a home is also important to buyers, and some would prefer to use the garage for extra storage instead of as a bonus room. Having a designated laundry room or area is appealing to Vlacich’s clients, too.

“Something that a lot of people ask me when they see a house is, ‘Where’s the laundry room?’”

Vlacich says. “It’s important to think about how people function in

a house. Families especially want a space where they can fold clothes, not just stackable washers and dryers that are tucked into a closet in a hallway.”

While two-story homes continue to be popular, Vlacich says one-story homes are in particularly high demand among older clients.

Young families love them as well.

“People love the big open family kitchen and living room,” Vlacich says. “And the fewer walls the better. When I interview my buyers, I always ask them what the most important room in their home is, and 99.9% of the time it will be the kitchen. It doesn’t have to be fancy with all the bells and whistles, but having a user-friendly kitchen is a very important feature in a home.”

Vlacich always conducts an initial interview with buyers to assess continued on page 8

Photo by Chris Mortenson

By Kamala Kirk

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Lin Vlacich makes sure to interview her buyers to help “find the perfect home that matches their lifestyle and needs.”

their needs so that she can help them find exactly what they are looking for.

“I spend a lot of time finding out what the buyers’ needs are so that we can focus more on those things,” Vlacich says. “I like to make things simple for them. What I’m really looking for is their spirit and what I can do to help them find the perfect home that matches their lifestyle and needs. While a lot of people may want similar things in a home, different things drive people’s needs, from young professionals who are very busy to families who are caring for older relatives, to senior citizens who are still part of the workforce.”

Interestingly, Vlacich noted among some clients is generational house swapping within families, often between parents or grandparents who are looking to downsize and their grown children or grandchildren who need a bigger home.

“I’ve done quite a few house swaps within families over my career,” Vlacich says. “It’s a unique opportunity that not a lot of people seem to think about. We work with the families’ attorneys and their trusts. It’s not for everyone, but it works really well for some people. I’m not a tax adviser or CPA, but there can be financial advantages to keeping a home in the family that would be beneficial to both parties.”

In addition to financial and familial benefits, house swapping removes the competition that many buyers have to face in today’s market with limited inventory, multiple bids and often having to pay above listing price for a house.

“In South Pasadena there are usually 10 to 20 properties on the market at any given time, and currently there are only 11, with three of those being single-family residences,” Vlacich says. “People do need to realize that this isn’t the norm, even though it may feel normal to them. The interest rates are going to go back up, and the length of time it takes to find a house will even out eventually.”

Vlacich finds great joy in being able to negotiate to get the best deal for her clients and helping them find the perfect home that suits all of their needs and desires.

“I love the negotiations. That’s where I feel I shine,” Vlacich says.

“The part that really moves me and has kept me in this industry for so long is knowing that not only did I do a good job but that my clients are happy.

Recently I helped a young woman and her teenage daughter get a home in South Pasadena, and my client said to me, ‘I had no idea what this was going to be like, but you made me pay attention and you made me be responsible.’ Educating my clients is joyful to me, and I appreciate the referrals.

About 90% of my business has been referrals, and that really sets the tone, because your clients already believe in you.”

Lin Vlacich Sothebys Realty 626-688-6464 vlacich.com

Photo by Chris Mortenson

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H O M E A N D R E A L E S TAT E

Michael B. Bell recounts key takeaways from his past 20 years as one of the most respected agents in the United States and outlines important steps homeowners and agents should take when looking to sell a house.

“It’s going to be a surprising read for people,” Bell ex-

In the

Know

Michael B. Bell shares common mistakes when selling a home

O

By Luke Netzley

ne of the most important decisions someone can make is to move from their home to somewhere new. A house is the haven waiting patiently after a long day, a place to host friends or even raise a family. Though selling a house can be an exciting process for buyer, seller and agent, many of the practices that

residential real estate brokers have accepted as industry standards have been found to actually hurt the homeowner’s chances of selling their house.

In his book “Seller Mistakes: What You Were Never Told About Selling Your Home and Why It Should Matter to You,” Pasadenabased residential real estate broker

plains. “There are real estate customs that are ingrained in the public’s mind, that you have to do certain things to sell a house.

Unfortunately, most of those are continuously promoted by our industry because those customs benefit the Realtor more than the seller.”

Born and raised in La Cañada, Bell was introduced to the real estate world as a young man buying and flipping homes with his grandfather. As his reputation and network grew, Bell formed his own firm and became the youngest practicing broker with Realtors in Pasadena.

Though he enjoyed early success as a broker in his late 20s, Bell found himself unhappy with many aspects of his work.

“In my journey, there were things that I didn’t like about the industry,” Bell says. “There were things that the industry told us we

needed to do, and when I started looking at the data with my real-world experience, I realized that a lot of it was not helpful to the homeowner. It actually had huge benefits for the real estate agent, and we are trained in our industry to use each client as an opportunity.”

In contrast to much of the industry, Bell’s mantra was to work for the seller’s benefit, placing the client’s needs above his own. He went on to successfully handle nearly $500 million in sales as a top producer at Sotheby’s International Realty in Pasadena and be named in the top 0.1% of agents in the country by the Wall Street Journal, all while building strong relationships and lifelong friendships within his community.

Bell found that by prioritizing the seller’s needs, he became more successful.

Backed by over two decades of personal experience as well as statistics from the National Association of Realtors and California Association of Realtors, Bell shared his findings in his book, which hit No. 3 on the Wall Street Journal’s bestseller list in September, in the hopes of helping real estate agents and sellers around the world.

One of the most damaging mistakes that Bell mentions in his book is finding an agent to sell a continued on page 12

Photo by Chris Mortenson

Pasadena’s Michael B. Bell is a top residential real estate broker at Sotheby’s International Realty. He successfully handled close to $500 million in sales and is ranked in the top 0.1% of all agents in the United States, according to The Wall Street Journal.

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home. According to the National Association of Realtors, 75% of all sellers don’t interview more than one agent to sell their homes.

“You should always interview at least three agents,” Bell says.

“Only 10% of sellers interview three or more agents, and 75% of all sellers don’t use the same agent on their next transaction. Why? It’s because there were mistakes that were made, and they’ve moved on to somebody else. That’s really the basis of the book.”

Another core message within the book is the recognition and utilization of the internet’s ability to attract a multitude of buyers in a short amount of time. According to NAR statistics, over 90% of buyers are going online to search for a new home. By targeting audiences who search online, agents can avoid putting unnecessary time and effort into strategies that are largely outdated, ineffective and potentially dangerous for the homeowner, such as “For Sale” signs and open houses.

“What a lot of Realtors know but a lot of homeowners don’t know is that open houses are incredibly dangerous,” Bell explains, saying that open houses can put homes at risk of theft. “Crazy things happen at open houses that nobody really wants to talk about, but open houses are a great source of leads for Realtors, because guess who I get to meet? The neighbors.

I get to use your front room to market myself.”

In the case of the “For Sale” sign, according to NAR data, a sign’s success rate is only 5% for buyers between 29 and 38 years old, the largest buyer of real estate’s demographic, and drops to only 2% or buyers under 29 years old.

By bringing together a complete and digestible list of common mistakes that can be made when selling a home, Bell is seeking to educate agents and sellers alike while helping homeowners not just find an agent that best suits their needs but also ensure that the agent’s process directly benefits the seller at every stage of the sale.

“Nationwide, the industry average is that 15% to 20% of all homes don’t sell when they’re put on the market,” Bell says. “To think that we all push the same buttons and a price just happens is foolhardy. The skill level of the agent and what they do is really important.”

In addition to being a successful Realtor, Bell is an engaged leader in his community. He and his family organize two food drives a year, with proceeds donated to Pasadena nonprofits — Friends In Deed and Foothill Unity Center.

A former Eagle Scout, Bell works with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Boy Scouts of America as a merit badge counselor for nine merit badges. He also participates in Realtors Read Across Pasadena, where local agents visit classrooms and libraries in the Pasadena Unified School District and read to children in kindergarten to fifth grade during the annual Read Across Pasadena.

“Seller Mistakes: What You Were Never Told About Selling Your Home and Why It Should Matter to You”

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H O M E A N D R E A L E S TAT E

Modern Meets

Traditional Southern Colonial home combines elegance with comfort

By Kamala Kirk

W

Photos by Chris Mortenson

Since 1996, Margaret and Ed Tom have lived in their Southern Colonial home, which is walking distance to The Huntington Library.

hen Ed and Margaret Tom were ready to start a family years ago, they were debating between buying a home in Beverly Hills, where Ed worked at the time, or San Marino.

“I first came to San Marino when I was 12 years old, and our neighbor brought us to The Huntington Library,” Ed says. “I fell in love with San Marino and thought it would be great if one day I could live there. Margaret used to be a teacher, and when she and I were debating between Beverly Hills and San Marino, we decided to go with San Marino because it is ranked among the top public school districts in Southern California.

Education is very important to us, and we wanted the best schools for our children.”

During a vacation to Louisiana, Ed and Margaret spent time in New Orleans and Shreveport, where they admired the beautiful Southern Colonial homes.

Knowing there were only a few of those types of homes in San Marino, they spent two years searching until they found the right house.

“We didn’t want a cookiecutter home,” Ed says. “When this house became available in 1996, we knew it was our house.

We can walk to The Huntington Library from here, and it’s quite magical.”

Built in 1928, the home’s entryway features a characteristic colonnade extending across the front with elegant Corinthian columns. It has an expansive front lawn with tall elm trees and a brick path that leads up to the red front door. Like traditional Colonial homes, the multipaned windows are symmetrically placed across the front of the home.

“What’s interesting about this home is that the exterior is Southern Colonial, but in the back, where a previous owner added onto the house, it looks more like a Cape Cod-style house,” Ed points out.

“The elm trees in front of our house change colors throughout the seasons, so even though we live in Southern California, it gives off that East Coast feeling.”

The home, which is just under 3,200 square feet, has a spacious interior that includes a formal living room where the Toms love to entertain guests. Among the living room’s centerpieces are a piano that was a gift from Margaret’s father and a fireplace made from 17th

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century marble that was imported from France. The living room is a special place because it is decorated with items from various countries the couple has traveled to.

“I caught the travel bug when I was 20,” Ed says. “I’ve traveled all over Europe and Asia. Margaret and I are avid travelers, and every time we go somewhere, we bring home a souvenir. My favorite part of the house is our living room. We have different items on display that remind us of our travels including a tapestry from France, a pewter tea set from Malaysia, and a cup and saucer from China that are from the Ming Dynasty. Whenever we invite friends over, I love to sit with them in the living room while enjoying a nice glass of wine and looking at the collection of souvenirs from all our travels. It’s a happy place for me.”

Another interesting item on display is an autographed hat that was a gift from the late Michael Jackson.

“This is his classic hat that he wore in his music videos for ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Beat It,’” Ed says. “He had several of these hats made for his close friends. It’s very sentimental and special.”

Ed and Margaret have kept the home’s exterior the same, but over the years they have remodeled rooms, including the kitchen and bathrooms. They were previously featured on Home & Garden Show’s “Designer’s Challenge,” where three designers pitched ideas to them to transform one of their bathrooms. When they hired a designer to decorate their house, they worked together to combine the traditional aspects of a Southern Colonial home with a modern look. Their home was also highlighted in Vivid Magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication in the United States for modern Chinese Americans.

“Our designer wanted our input, so we were very involved in the decorating process,” Ed says. “Because we live in a Southern Colonial, we wanted to maintain the home’s traditional appearance while mixing in some modern design. In the living room we have a commissioned modern painting that blends in very well with the souvenirs from our travels. We have classic French Louis XIV chairs and a more modern couch, yet it all matches. I would describe our home as The Ritz-Carlton meets Four Seasons. It’s very contemporary but at the same time comfortable and matches the classic Southern Colonial style.”

The kitchen was remodeled in 2003 and is one of the rooms in the home where Margaret enjoys spending a lot of her time. Upon walking into the kitchen, the first thing that guests always notice is the oversized island counter, which measures approximately 6 feet wide by 20 feet long.

Photos by Chris Mortenson

continued on page 16

The Toms’ living room reflects their travels to various countries by displaying items such as a tapestry from France and a cup and saucer from China’s Ming Dynasty.

The home, which has been featured on design TV shows and in magazines, combines the traditional aspects of a Southern Colonial home with a modern look.

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continued from page 15

“The average kitchen island is typically 3 by 6 feet,” Ed says. “We didn’t originally want a big island, because we thought it would take over the kitchen. Our designer insisted on it and said that we would thank her later, and she was right. When our kids were growing up, they would do their homework there while Margaret was cooking. It’s great for entertaining, especially during the holidays, because there’s plenty of space for all of the food and drinks, and it’s a fun place where everyone can gather together.”

Christmas is Ed and Margaret’s favorite time of the year, and they enjoy decorating their home to make it festive for their family and guests.

“I love that I get to use my creative energy to decorate not just the

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The kitchen was remodeled in 2003 and is one of Margaret Tom’s favorite rooms in the whole house.

inside of the house but the outside as well,” Ed says. “At the encouragement of my sister, last year we entered the local Christmas lighting contest and came in third place, which was a lot of fun. Christmas is a very magical time in our household. Some of my favorite memories in this home are spending hours decorating, then watching our kids open their presents on Christmas morning. That’s something we’ll always remember.”

The backyard features the same Corinthian columns as the front of the house, and includes a swimming pool and spacious sitting area where the Toms often entertain guests during the warmer months.

Ed and Margaret are also actively involved in the local community. Ed, who is senior vice president at UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, is the director of the San Marino City Club and has been involved with the San Marino Historical Society for the past 10 years.

Margaret is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway and was PTA vice president when their two sons were in school. Even after their sons graduated from USC, Margaret continues to be involved with the school district.

“One thing that drew us to San Marino is that it’s a small community that is very involved,” Ed says. “There are only about 4,000 homes here and people always joke about how San Marino is like the Mayberry, and that’s how we feel about it. Los Angeles is a big cosmopolitan city, but we love how San Marino is tight-knit and everyone knows each other. We love being actively involved in the community. To us, that’s what life is all about.”

Now married for almost 30 years, Ed and Margaret enjoy carving time out of their work and social schedules to relax and enjoy peaceful weekends at home with family.

“Margaret and I are very busy people, so we appreciate the quietness of our neighborhood,” Ed says. “We can hear the birds sing in the privacy of our garden. When we’re at home on the weekends, we enjoy being in our private paradise that is our home.”

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H O M E A N D R E A L E S TAT E Since 1988, Huntington Pools Inc. has designed and built custom swimming pools, spas and outdoor living spaces for homes in Los Angeles.

Backyard

Oasis

Create the ultimate staycation with Huntington Pools’ designs

S

ince the pandemic, swimming pools have become the recreation of choice. Many people have been investing in their homes and transforming their backyards into relaxing escapes with the addition of swimming pools.

Since 1988, Huntington Pools Inc. has designed and built custom swimming pools, spas and outdoor living spaces for homes in Los Angeles, including Pasadena, San Marino and La Cañada Flintridge. Using a combination of engineering, form and fit, they create outdoor living areas that complement a home’s overall landscape and architecture.

When designing a pool for a client, founder and President Jeff Lokker says that there are two important factors.

“First is the architecture of the house, which is the driving force behind a pool design,” Lokker says. “Second is the client and their intended use for the pool. Are they an older couple looking to exercise or a young family with kids? These are important details that help us create the ideal swimming pool to match each client’s lifestyle and needs.”

According to Lokker, it’s important to design a swimming pool to complement the home, particularly if the house features a significant architectural style.

“It all starts with the house,” Lokker says. “When we go to a property to interview a client, if they live in an early 20th century Spanishstyle home, we tend to gravitate toward that style of pool, which has

elements such as raised walls with water features that feed back into the pool and hand-painted Spanish tiles that are appropriate to the period. If it’s a midcentury modern house, a pool design is going to be sleeker and more geometric. The materials we use for midcentury modern houses tend to be more monochromatic with white plaster and simpler concrete decking.”

Lokker mostly designs pools for Spanish, midcentury modern, contemporary and Craftsman homes. Each type of home calls for a variety of details and materials for pool designs.

“There is a large market of these types of homes in the areas we service, and we are lucky to get to work with all of these architecture styles,” Lokker says. “If we’re working with a contemporary house on a hillside, we’ll often design an infinity edge or overflow pool. We’ve worked on Greene and Greene Craftsman houses, and those pools tend to be more free form but also rectilinear. We also use a lot of brick with Craftsman-style pools, along with darker and earth tone colors in our decks, plaster and finishes.”

Aside from incorporating more interesting and exotic finish materials, such as hand-painted tiles into pools, Lokker says that shallower pools have also become more popular.

“Pools used to be 8 or 9 feet deep,” Lokker says. “And now more people are OK with that being in the 5- to 6-foot range. Cocktail pools continued on page 20

Photo submitted

By Kamala Kirk

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continued from page 18

Huntington Pools Inc. founder and President Jeff Lokker incorporates the architecture of the house and the owner’s lifestyle into the pool design.

Huntington Pools Inc. 626-332-1527 huntingtonpools.com

Photo submitted

are also popular because they’re smaller, have one depth and can fit into limited outdoor spaces. In Palm Springs, a lot of smaller condos have individual cocktail pools. Not everyone has a backyard that can fit a large swimming pool, but having a smaller pool still adds interest and excitement to a space and provides a place where you can submerge and cool off on hot days.”

Baja bench or an in-pool chaise lounge are also popular. Common in resort and hotel swimming pools, Baja benches are extended steps that create a shallow area in the water for lounging and relaxing. In-pool chaise lounge chairs are made from sturdy materials and are partially submerged in the water.

“Having a shallower area in the pool is a popular safety feature, especially for families with young kids who are starting to venture out and learn how to be around water,” Lokker says. “It’s a good learning spot for kids, but it’s also a nice feature for adults who just want to lounge. Pools have progressed a lot over the years. In the 1950s and 1960s, pools had diving boards and it was all about swimming. Nowadays people want to relax and lounge by their pools.”

Approximately 25% of the installations that Lokker does include automatic or retractable pool covers, which offer numerous benefits.

“They’re great devices because they provide a higher level of safety, especially if a family has young kids and pets,” Lokker says. “Pool covers also help regulate the water chemistry and temperature, and help to prevent evaporation.”

Important features also include healthier sanitation systems and more energy-efficient options.

“Ultraviolet (UV) and ozone pool water systems can be combined together or you can get them independent of each other,” Lokker says.

“They’re able to reduce the levels of chlorine in the water, which is great, especially for those with skin that is sensitive to chlorine. We’re installing more UV and ozone sanitation systems for maintaining water quality.

The pools we remodel are using old pump technology, and it’s a federal mandate now that all pools have variable speed pumps. So when we’re remodeling pools we also upgrade their pump systems as well as their lighting systems to LED lights, which are more energy efficient. LED lights also can be placed in different areas of the pool to create a fuller light effect.”

Saltwater pools offer numerous benefits, including being gentler on eyes and skin, and help to promote healthy breathing and reduce allergy issues.

“Saltwater pools are great, and a lot of people love them because they’re more conducive to our body chemistry and it doesn’t hurt their eyes as much,” Lokker says. “But some things to keep in mind are that the saltwater can be more corrosive, so you have to put sealers on your decks to protect the saltwater from penetrating.”

Lokker says the time it takes to build a pool depends on the complexity of the project, but it can range anywhere from two to six months. Adding a swimming pool is a great investment that enhances the quality of his clients’ lives and their recreational time at home with families.

“There has been a dramatic uptick in requests for swimming pools, and we’re fielding more calls over the last year than we have in the 20plus years that I’ve been in business,” Lokker says. “People have been spending more time at home and with their families. Having a swimming pool enhances your home and backyard, providing a place for fun, enjoyment, relaxation and connection with friends and family.”

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DESIGN

It’s Time to

Live Well

Home and work spaces can be the best medicine

Phil Dozois, owner of Pasadena’s BreakThruFit Studio, says a thoughtfully planned environment is key to achieving health and wellness goals.

Pasadena’s Harvey Slater, certified holistic nutritionist and chef, says the kitchen is part of a home’s “support system” to enhance healthy living.

ow more than ever, the spaces where we live and work have taken on an increased importance.

Our happiness, health, productivity and comfort are all greatly impacted by the physical environments in which we reside and work — particularly as we endure the pandemic.

No longer can interior design just be about aesthetics when it has the power to be purposeful and enhance one’s well-being.

This concept of advancing human health through the built environment, coined “Wellness Design,” has fueled a momentum of interest among builders, designers, real estate developers and manufacturers who recognize the benefit of creating healthy spaces and building products that help people live an optimal life and potentially prevent chronic disease.

Just imagine living and working in a beautiful space that has been thoughtfully planned to address the 10 pillars of wellness design: clean air, circadian rhythm lighting, filtered water, areas for movement, healthy nourishment, sound mitigation, natural beauty, nontoxic materials, thermal comfort and community with others.

Sounds wonderful, right? It is.

And spearheading this global wellness movement in architecture is the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a public benefit company based in New York and recognized on Fast Company’s 2019 Most Innovative Business List. Their mission: to put people’s health at the center of building design.

And with most of us spending nearly 90% of our life indoors, our bodies need to occupy spaces that support out physical, cognitive and emotional well-being to function optimally, alleviate stress and enhance our happiness.

Renovating with wellness in mind When planning an upcoming remodel, there are five areas of the home that can be addressed to elevate

physical and mental health. These include the kitchen, master bathroom, master bedroom, home office and a fitness area.

Each space has the potential to be enhanced with science-backed design strategies that improve well-being as well as create a more comfortable, safe and healthy interior that is a joy to spend time in. It just takes some thoughtful planning, informed product selection and the guidance of professionals.

Kitchen as the wellness center Your kitchen is your personal health center, as it provides the physical and mental nourishment that is essential to a quality life. As such, when planning a kitchen remodel, it is helpful to design a plan that promotes healthy cooking, enhances food preservation, and increases the functionality of the space so it is enjoyable to cook with others.

“A well-organized kitchen stocked with nutritious foods will almost guarantee you will make better food choices and enjoy food prep,” says Harvey Slater, Pasadena holistic and nutrition consultant.

“And the simple skill of planning a supportive kitchen environment, through thoughtful appliance selection among other strategies, will set you up for success in achieving your goals.”

And when it comes to appliances that promote healthy cooking, the multifunctional steam-convection oven wins hands down.

Affectionally coined the “Swiss army knife” of appliances, combination steam ovens operate in a dry-heat manner of bake, heat and warm, but also offer the ability to steam food.

This is ideal for reducing oil and fat, maintaining food’s vital nutrients, and preserving food’s juices and moisture on the inside when needed. Additionally, they also offer the versatility of air frying, as well as searing and broiling, among other features.

“We have definitely noticed an uptick in customers seeking wellness

Photos by Chris Mortenson

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By Gail E. Jamentz

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Photos by Chris Mortenson

products,” says Russ Diamond, CEO of plumbing and appliance showroom Snyder Diamond, which has a location in Pasadena.

“In terms of cooking, we’ve seen increased interest in steam cooking as folks seek to replace microwaves with a healthier alternative.”

Another key appliance when designing a healthy kitchen is a quality refrigerator with an enhanced food preservation system, as well as ample storage space for fruits and vegetables.

This kind of high-end refrigerator will ensure produce stays fresh longer due to its advanced air purification systems and precise temperature control. Additionally, it will reduce food waste, as fruits and vegetables will last longer and taste better even after days of storage.

While many of these models are a significant investment, they are built to last more than 20 years and offer comprehensive warranties.

And lastly, installing a water system that offers healthy filtered, flat or sparkling water on demand can reduce the likelihood that family members will reach for sugary drinks. Additionally, it also decreases your household’s plastic bottle waste.

As with any kitchen remodel, the goal is to create a beautiful and functional environment that supports nutritious cooking, encourages slow and mindful eating, and promotes community with others.

Bathroom as a recovery zone Another area central to enhancing self-care is the master bathroom.

If designed properly, it can serve as a “recovery zone” and a place to help reduce cortisol levels and re-center yourself.

Design features such as steam showers, deep soaking tubs, massaging showerheads, towel warmers, soothing paint color palettes, chromotherapy lights, aromatherapy systems, improved ventilation and adding fresh plants are just a few wellness features that create a rejuvenating, refuge-like space.

“People are upgrading their environments to create a place of peace and sanctuary to help alleviate stress,” Diamond says. “And our biggest growth area in product sales has been around the bathroom. Customers are investing in saunas and

steam rooms with bells and whistles spanning chromotherapy to aromatherapy.”

Diamond travels the globe seeking out the newest in health and wellness products and shares his company landed an exclusive deal with Italian brand Zerobody, which offers a dry floating experience. The sensation of floating in zero gravity for 30 minutes has been shown to be an effective way to calm the central nervous system, improve mental performance and enhance sleep, among other things.

A restful sleep sanctuary And speaking of feeling refreshed, creating a “sleep sanctuary” in the bedroom will also pay huge dividends in improving mental and physical health. Oftentimes homeowners think, “Nobody sees our bedroom, let’s design that last,” when in fact, the bedroom design and its ability to support deep, restorative sleep is vital to good health, an improved mood and increased energy.

Simple changes like investing in blackout drapes to minimize light creep, buying a quality mattress and natural bedding, eliminating blue light and noise from electronics, incorporating a relaxing scent, painting a beautiful wall color, installing circadian-rhythm lighting, and checking the thermostat’s functionality all contribute to a good night’s rest and improved long-term health.

Getting in the zone Nothing supports aging well better than daily movement. With that in mind, planning a dedicated home fitness space, regardless of whether you have a gym membership, will help ensure movement stays top of mind.

“Moving more helps you live longer and enjoy a better quality of life,” says Phil Dozois, Pasadena fitness trainer and performance enhancement specialist.

“And while you can’t stop the changes aging brings, you can slow them way down with exercise.”

When planning your workout zone, it is helpful to assess three key elements before renovating and purchasing equipment.

First, look at your fitness goals and what type of workouts you enjoy, as this will inform the room’s space planning. For example, HITT training sessions will require more continued on page 24

Russ Diamond, CEO of Pasadena’s Snyder Diamond Plumbing and Appliance Showroom, educates consumers about wellness products.

Coretrust founders Randall L. Scott, left, and Thomas S. Ricci with a UV-C ADIBOT robot that disinfects public area air and surfaces nightly.

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floor space than the amount of room needed for a Zoom yoga class or a spin session.

So, it is helpful to layout the workout room around chosen activities, as well as the ability to safely and comfortably get on and off equipment without bumping into furniture, a wall or any other obstruction. Assessing the types of workouts will also inform the space’s flooring selection, which can vary from carpet tiles to hardwood, porcelain tile or concrete, among others. A quality half-inch recycled rubber workout mat underneath any heavy equipment or weight racks is always a good idea.

Next, analyze storage needs and create a storage plan. This is one issue that homeowners often struggle with because they underestimate the amount of storage needed for items such as kettle bells, foam rollers, bosu or medicine balls, mats or stretching blocks which can all take up precious floor space. Shelving systems, large baskets or colorful bins area ideal for keeping things neat and organized, as well as decorative wall hooks for items like bands and towels.

After reviewing the type of workouts to be accomplished and equipment storage needs, it’s time for the fun part: planning the room’s aesthetic. Keep in mind that it is helpful to have plenty of natural light, as well as ambient light, so you can see your form and read your monitors with stats. And placing fitness equipment near windows

Imagine what you could do by reimagining your mortgage

is energizing, while providing fresh ventilation.

The goal is to create an environment you want to spend time in, which will help you stay committed to enhancing your physical well-being.

An inspiring home office Whether working a hybrid work schedule or full time in a remote workspace, a home office needs to provide a healthy, inspiring and functional area in which to create.

Thinking and trying to focus in a cluttered, dimly lit, noisy or uninspiring environment, particularly in today’s demanding 24/7 digital world, will prove particularly challenging. Fatigue, anxiety, poor performance and a lack of motivation are just a few of the physical symptoms that can result from spending hours, days on end, in an interior that is not conducive to supporting bodily systems and mental health.

Design strategies that can help alleviate this include adding a sit-to-stand desk and anti-fatigue mat to prevent sitting all day, investing in an ergonomically correct task chair to reduce neck and back strain, installing low-VOC floor coverings such as a wool area rug to absorb sound, adding window treatments and a piece of upholstered furniture to also reduce noise transmission, installing adequate lighting to aid in cognition and reduce eye strain, and lastly painting a pleasing wall color to elevate the mood.

Creating a healthy, beautiful home takes time and is an investment in yourself, and those you love, while sure to serve you well for years to come.

Gail E. Jamentz, is principal of Soul Interiors Design, a 20-year Pasadena-based residential interior design practice with a passion for enhancing wellness through the power of the built environment. soulinteriorsdesign.com.

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DESIGN

Science-Based

Thomas S. Ricci is managing principal and a co-founder of Coretrust Capital Partners LLC.

Building

Staff’s well-being comes first at these certified spaces he building industry is making it more appealing for employees to leave their remote work setup and return to the office, as landlords are investing in WELLcertified spaces that focus on their staff’s well-being and engagement.

Science-backed WELL building features include improved indoor air quality, advanced water filtration, circadian rhythm lighting systems, better sound mitigation and heightadjustable desk systems, as well as increased access to gardens, natural light, rest areas and organic food.

Employers are implementing these strategies to earn their accreditation and demonstrate their commitment to employee health.

One local office landlord setting new standards for healthy office environments is Coretrust Capital Partners, which recently completed a three-year capital improvement campaign in the public areas of its three-tower Pasadena office campus Pasarroyo on Lake Avenue.

It is the nation’s first office building to have Robots by UBTECH roaming the building’s public areas nightly disinfecting surfaces.

“We have had a very positive response from our tenants,” notes Thomas S. Ricci, managing principal and a co-founder of Coretrust Capital Partners LLC. “We believe we have a civic and fiduciary responsibility to renovate our buildings to best-in-class status.

And our ongoing education campaign informs our tenants of the continuing health and wellness initiatives we are implementing.”

Achieving WELL accreditation — not to be confused with building industry LEED accreditation, which focuses on the sustainability and the energy impact of buildings — is no easy feat.

A WELL-certified building must attain a certain percentage of compliance on pre-conditions covering air, water, fitness, comfort, light, sound,

nourishment, mind and community as established by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).

The accreditation evaluation process is administered by the Green Business Certification Incorporation (GBCI), which also assesses buildings for the much-coveted LEED certification.

Ricci highlights that the Pasarroyo office campus has garnered LEED and WELL building certifications after a significant investment of time and capital.

Other area WELL-certified workspaces include Hilton Pasadena, JP Morgan Chase, Lincoln Property Company and WeWork Pasadena.

And employers will concur providing staff a health-centered environment that values employee well-being has many benefits.

Employee retention, productivity and morale noticeably improve, while employee absenteeism reduces. And staff engagement typically rises because working in a well-lit space that offers a connection to nature, quality air and water systems, flexible desking, healthy foods, areas for movement and connection with others sets people up to thrive.

A WELL workplace has also been reported as a key recruitment tool as employers compete for top talent among today’s younger generation who significantly value wellness and sustainability when assessing a potential employer.

More than 19,000 buildings worldwide have achieved WELL accreditation, and 15,787 are in the process of evaluation reports the IWBI. And this people-first, healthcentered movement shows no signs of slowing down.

“Buildings are living and breathing things, and you have to invest constantly to meet evolving building standards and tenant needs or risk becoming obsolete,” Ricci says.

Photo submitted

T

By Gail E. Jamentz

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A R T S A N D C U LT U R E

Artistic

Departure Michael Feinstein wanted to get ‘Gershwin Country’ right

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Photo by Art Streiber

M

ichael Feinstein considers his upcoming release of “Gershwin Country” as a labor of love.

On the collection, he duets with a host of country singers, including Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett and Alison Krauss.

It hits streaming services and stores on Friday, March 11.

“It took several years to finish,” he says. “It was the kind of project that was the antithesis of everything else I worked on. We took our good old time with it. We knew it had to be right, as opposed to being ready Tuesday.”

A portion of the proceeds from the album’s sales will go to MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s philanthropic partner that provides health care and other services for those in the music industry.

Feinstein says the inspiration for “Gershwin Country” came from a very unlikely source.

“The idea of doing anything in the country realm originally came from Maya Angelou, whom I was visiting in Winston-Salem at her home,” he says.

“She was one of the biggest fans of country music. When I queried her about it, she told me about great voices and storytellers. She would have executive produced the album, but she sadly passed away. The idea came back to me all these years later when I was waking up one morning and this idea popped into my head. As I thought more about it, it turned into a real possibility.”

Feinstein yearned to make the process and the album authentic. So, he and his team worked on “Gershwin Country” in Nashville with “the greatest Nashville band we could assemble.”

He chose songs that he felt would adapt very well to that idiom — and he said they did.

“A number of the artists who came to this project didn’t know the songs,” Feinstein says. “It wasn’t

about if they knew Gershwin or not.

It was about the song. If they could relate to the emotion in the song, they could sing it.”

Recording “Gershwin Country” was artistically different for Feinstein, but the collaborations were hard.

“The assembly of the idea was the hard part — choosing the songs, figuring out the keys and the routines — because I wanted these to be very interactive duets, not you sing a phrase and I sing a phrase.

“There is a very strong purpose for singing these songs as duets. I took a great deal of thought and contemplation to recreate these songs so the duets would seem natural. I think the end result is a very natural and rich musical experience.”

Vibrant career An Ohio native, Feinstein has built a successful career over the last three decades bringing the music of the Great American Songbook to the world. From recordings that have earned him five Grammy Award nominations to his Emmy-nominated PBS specials, his acclaimed NPR series, and concerts spanning the globe — in addition to his appearances at iconic venues such as the White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House — his work as an educator and archivist defines Feinstein.

In 2007, he founded the Great American Songbook Foundation, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, MasterClasses, and the annual High School Songbook Academy.

His holiday album, “A Michael Feinstein Christmas” from Concord Records, features Grammy Awardwinning jazz pianist Alan Broadbent (Paul McCartney, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole).

Feinstein earned his fifth Grammy Award nomination in 2009 for “The Sinatra Project,” his CD

Michael Feinstein is the Pasadena Symphony & Pops principal pops conductor. He also lives part time in the city.

celebrating the music of “Ol’ Blue Eyes.” “The Sinatra Project, Volume II: The Good Life” was released in 2011. He released the CDs “The Power of Two” — collaborating with “Glee” and “30 Rock” star Cheyenne Jackson — and “Cheek to Cheek,” recorded with Broadway legend Barbara Cook.

For Feinstein’s CD “We Dreamed These Days,” he co-wrote the title song with Angelou.

Feinstein was named principal pops conductor for the Pasadena Symphony in 2012 and made his conducting debut in June 2013 to celebrated critical acclaim.

Pasadena is close to Feinstein’s heart, as he lives there part time.

“It’s peaceful,” he says. “There’s half the traffic of greater LA. The Arroyo is incredibly special. I commune with horses and stables. There’s a tremendous balance of city and nature.

It’s on a level that I am. It’s a great blessing, and we’ve all been waiting a long time for the world to open.”

In Pasadena, Feinstein enjoys the Rose Bowl Flea Market, which he called “tremendous fun.” He also enjoys Book Alley, as it’s “one of the last surviving independent used bookstores.”

“Certainly, going to antique stores on Fair Oaks Avenue is something I enjoy doing,” he says. “I enjoy exploring the greater area. I’ve

explored Altadena and Sierra Madre, and hiking in the hills.

“I love getting a sense of the area that is so beautiful and bucolic.

I also love the spiritual history of the area. I’m a vegan, and there are a lot of great vegan restaurants in the area.

It’s fun to discover all the vegan choices.”

Last August, Feinstein shared his love of Ol’ Blue Eyes with “Michael Feinstein Sings Sinatra’s Songbook.”

“That’ll be a show where I’ll be singing instead of conducting,” he said. “I’ve pulled a whole bunch of classic arrangements and new charts we’re creating for the show.

“It’s a combination of classic signature with unexpected surprises,” Feinstein says.

“I met Mr. Sinatra, and he was very nice to me and was supportive of my career. I was hired to play the piano at Barbara’s 60th birthday.”

Feinstein was in his 20s, and Sinatra was impressed he knew the classics.

“He said, ‘How old are you?

Twelve?’” Feinstein says with a laugh. “He and his wife invited me over for dinner. It was a magical experience. It’s a treasured memory, and I try to evoke a sense of the special nature of what he did. I want (patrons) to revel in the legacy of that extraordinary music.”

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A R T S A N D C U LT U R E

‘Spring into

Jason Situ is one of nine selectively invited featured artists at “Spring into Art,” San Marino League’s ninth biennial juried fine art exhibition and sale.

Art ’

Juried exhibition and sale back and supporting the arts hen the San Marino League’s sixth biennial juried fine art exhibition and sale was canceled in 2020 amid the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, its artists were put on hold.

Now two years later, the organization behind the show — dubbed “Spring into Art” — is ready to get back into the swing of things, and so are the artists who have been patiently waiting for this moment.

After an invitation-only private opening night reception Friday, March 25, the public can view and purchase art from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27, at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

“This was canceled in 2020, and these artists, for the most part, hung on to their art for us for two years so they could be at The Huntington in 2022,” says Jeanne Adams, art acquisition chair.

“It’s very disappointing to a lot of people who have worked very hard to have it be a no-go, so we’re excited that we will be on — and I don’t think anything’s going to stop it this time,” says Susan Rosvall, publicity chair.

The event will feature more than 150 juried paintings, which were selected from 700 contenders during a nationwide competition in January 2020, as well as a selectively curated list of nine featured painters and a slew of others who specialize in jewelry and 3D art, such as glass, ceramics, pottery and sculptures. Some of the artists will have multiple pieces in case of the sale of their primary artwork.

The nonprofit San Marino League — a charitable, educational, all-volunteer organization of women committed to philanthropic work in

Photo by Andrea Pazols

W

By Connor Dziawura

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Photo by Andrea Pazols

Featured artist Jason Situ, second from left, shows off a painting alongside Judy Wilson, co-chair of “Spring into Art”; Jeanne Adams, art acquisition chair; and Susan Rosvall, publicity chair.

the community and members’ own fine arts knowledge — will split proceeds from each sale with the artists, then donate its half to support The Huntington’s Japanese Garden endowment and ArtCenter College of Design fine art scholarships. For purchasers, 50% of the price of the art is tax deductible.

Entry to the event will be included with admission to The Huntington all weekend, and reservations for general admission — available at tickets.huntington.org — are required. Masks will be required indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces regardless of vaccination status; more info on COVID-19 protocols is available at huntington.org.

Adams says she wanted to have a sense of variety in the show, deviating from the juried competition to also feature well-known creators who specialize in other mediums to participate. She says the focus was initially on mediums like oil and watercolor, with 3D art and jewelry added later.

The featured painters this year will be Peter Adams, Sid Bingham, Karl Dempwolf, Wayne Hunt, Brent Jensen, Joan Kahn, Michael Obermeyer, Jason Situ and Thalia Stratton.

The 3D artists are set to include Reggie Barns, Alexander Kristelis, Wrona Gall, Victor Picou, Muffy Hunt, Melinda Shea, Barry Kleinman and Joan Takayana-Ogawa.

The jewelry will be provided by Jyotsna “Joey” Chawla of Manjusha Jewels, Winifred Cole Collection, Sandra Lopez of Eco-Jé, Conchita O’Kane of Designer Sterling, Yumi Ueno of Yumi Design, Georgina Whitford of Designs by Georgina, and Wolfgang Vaatz.

“It really is focused on traditional art, but the jewelry, the ceramics, they’re more fun,” Rosvall explains. “And I think that’s important to have kind of that other side of it. It’s artisans at work, and so that kind of rounds it out.”

“It just adds another dimension to it to have the 3D as well as the jewelry,” Adams says.

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The juried competition ultimately made for a tough decision, one that required Adams to sift through hundreds of artists’ websites.

Submissions were scored by a panel of jurors consisting of Seth Baker of The Huntington, Stephen Nowlin of ArtCenter, and Richard Rice of Galerie Michael.

SoCal artist and ArtCenter teacher Robert Sherrill will serve as awards judge, with winners to be announced on opening night and individual cash awards to be given for Best in Show, Second Place, Third Place, Best Depiction of an Iconic Pasadena or LA Landscape, and Best New Artist.

“This is a really wonderful group of artists,” Adams says. “And believe me, I’ve gotten to know them very well — via email for the most part — over the last two and a half years. I’ve got thousands of emails. … But for the most part, they are just a wonderfully creative, giving, easy-to-work-with group of people, and it has been a pleasure to work with them. It really has.

“It has really opened up my eyes … giving me a special view into the life and problems of artists and how seriously they take their work and what they’ve been through. It has really been a difficult two years for them to be able to try to rethink how they market their art and how to survive, how to pay the rent.”

To make matters more interesting, the San Marino League invited the juried artists to a special three-day “Paint Out” at The Huntington in early February this year. A dozen or more works created during this time will be on display at the entrance to the event, Adams says.

“We’re excited just to get back out of the doldrums and back into doing what we do. It’s just beautiful over there,” Rosvall says. “I thought the ‘Paint Out’ was just spectacular. … It was just a beautiful, beautiful day to see these artists at work. And I felt like it was a good omen.”

“Spring into Art” WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27 WHERE: The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino COST: Prices vary; included with general admission to The Huntington INFO: sanmarinoleague.org/events 03.22 | ARROYO | 29

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DINING

Tay Ho honors the timeless tradition of preparing authentic, to-go Vietnamese street food.

Fulfilling a

Family Legacy Tay Ho brings authentic Vietnamese cuisine to San Gabriel

B

By Kamala Kirk

orn into the restaurant industry, college senior Vivian Yenson followed in her family’s footsteps by recently opening Tay Ho Restaurant San Gabriel at the age of 20.

Yenson is the eldest granddaughter of Linda Tuyet Nguyen, the matriarch of the family-owned business, and the eldest daughter of Jayce Yenson, CEO of Tay Ho Restaurants and Tay Ho Food Company. Tay Ho was established in 1986 as a traditional Vietnamese sit-down restaurant and has since expanded throughout California.

“We decided to relaunch Tay Ho midpandemic in June 2020, when we saw the demand for food delivery skyrocket,” Yenson says. “Banh cuon (rice roll) is the perfect

dish to eat whether it’s hot or cold, which is perfect for delivery.”

Tay Ho is named after the Tay Ho District in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, the home of the first banh cuon restaurant and where banh cuon was created.

“My grandparents chose this name for the restaurant, ‘Banh Cuon Tay Ho,’ as they wanted to pay homage to our Vietnamese heritage and the history of the dish itself,” Yenson says. “The restaurant is now called Tay Ho solely, as we serve several dishes other than banh cuon, but banh cuon will always be our specialty.”

The family worked together in tiny banh

cuon shops where Nguyen became a trusted community member who people turned to for her excellent palate.

Nguyen’s passion for Vietnamese cuisine, along with the strong bonds she created with her customers, contributed to a larger vision where it all began.

When there was a data job opening at Tay Ho, Yenson jumped at the opportunity to become more involved in the family business. It was then that her father discovered she had a penchant for numbers.

Meanwhile, she was inspired to take Tay Ho’s authentic Vietnamese street food to the masses.

The menu at Tay Ho features dishes that have been prepared utilizing handcrafted techniques, slow-cooked broths and steamed vegetables.

Tay Ho’s signature banh cuon takes upward of five days to prepare, starting with the rice, which is ground with fresh water then left to sit for 24 hours.

After the rice flour has settled toward the bottom of the water and a milky water rises to the top, the water and impurities are discarded to make the cleanest batter possible. The process is repeated for five days

until the water is clear, then the rice batter is carefully spread over a thin cotton cloth that is pulled tautly over a pot of steaming water.

“The Tay Ho banh cuon set is our specialty, which comes with pork and mushroom rolls, the shrimp-filled roll and the classic rice crepe,” Yenson says.

“It also comes with Vietnamese ham (cha lua), bean sprouts, cucumbers, herbs and veggies, a crispy shrimp and sweet potato fritter, and our house dipping sauce, which makes the perfect combination for a wellbalanced meal.

“Another house favorite is our garlic noodles with steak, which has the perfect blend of a savory garlic taste from the noodles with tender pieces of filet mignon that pays homage to a traditional Vietnamese dish called bo luc lac (shaken beef).”

Yenson created the Beyond roll with a Beyond meat filling, as she wanted to have a vegetarian option without sacrificing the texture and flavors of the pork and mushroom roll.

“I’ll sometimes even choose to eat the Beyond roll instead of meat options because it’s just that good,” Yenson says.

The Vietnamese iced coffee is one of Yenson’s favorites and is on the menu she created.

Photos by Chris Mortenson

Vivian Yenson recently opened Tay Ho Restaurant San Gabriel.

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The signature Tay Ho banh cuon includes classic rice crepes, pork and mushroom rolls, Vietnamese ham, and a shrimp and sweet potato fritter.

“No Vietnamese restaurant is complete without a delicious cup of house coffee,” Yenson says. “During my spare time on the weekends, I tested various blends of coffee and different ratios of condensed milk and creamed for the perfect cup of Vietnamese coffee. When I found my perfect combination for the coffee, my parents tested it and loved it so much that our household always had to have a quart of my house special coffee on hand. Now, customers will sometimes come into the restaurant early when we first open in the morning just for a coffee, and it just makes my dad happy to see them enjoy a recipe I spent so much time creating.”

Other beverage offerings include lychee lemonade and teas in flavors like Thai, strawberry peach black, lychee green and taro milk.

Tay Ho celebrated its official grand reopening on January 15 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. Yenson looks forward to continuing to fulfill her family’s legacy.

“San Gabriel was the perfect place to relaunch Tay Ho, as we used to have a very successful Tay Ho restaurant located down the street from our current location on Valley Boulevard as well,” Yenson says.

“Unfortunately, my great-uncle who was managing the store passed away, so that store was closed down. However, it’s so crazy that customers will still come in to tell us that they used to go to the Tay Ho restaurant down the street all the time and they were sad it closed. I’m so thankful to have started in San Gabriel as the first location with the relaunched version of Tay Ho, as the SGV community has been so supportive and welcoming.”

Tay Ho Restaurant 529 E. Valley Boulevard, Suite 118B, San Gabriel 626-778-1000, tayho.com

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CULINARY CUPBOARD

Sweet, salty and nutty can get along

By Emily Chavez

T

he famous chocolate chip cookie will always be loved.

However, I appreciate complex complementary flavor profiles, instead of a one-note confection.

Mixing semi-sweet and dark chocolate lays a base for a more balanced sugar content. Adding walnuts creates a multidimensional earthy undertone. And, finally, coarse pink Himalayan salt further tempers any lingering sweetness.

In a way, the flavor balance has become dangerous for me because I’m not satisfied by the sugar content five cookies in, so I keep eating.

For a moister cookie, I recommend chopping the walnuts right before adding into the batter so the oils release at that moment. To further enhance the cookie, chill the dough for at least an hour and up to overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Note that if you chill the dough, your baking times may need to extend a few minutes.

SALTY AND SWEET COOKIES ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES | TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES YIELDS ABOUT 50 COOKIES

INGREDIENTS 2 1/4 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR 1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA 1 TEASPOON TABLE SALT 2 LARGE EGGS 3/4 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR 3/4 CUP PACKED BROWN SUGAR 1 CUP BUTTER, SOFTENED 1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

1 CUP SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE MORSELS OR CHIPS 1 CUP DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS 1 CUP CHOPPED WALNUTS (ADD 1-2 TABLESPOONS ALLPURPOSE FLOUR, IF YOU DON’T WANT NUTS) COARSELY GROUND PINK HIMALAYAN SALT FOR TOPPING

COMBINE FLOUR, BAKING SODA AND TABLE SALT IN A SMALL BOWL. IN ANOTHER BOWL, BEAT TOGETHER BUTTER, BOTH SUGARS AND VANILLA EXTRACT UNTIL CREAMY. ONE AT A TIME, AND BEATING AGAIN AFTER EACH ADDITION, ADD EGGS TO THE BUTTER SUGAR MIXTURE. GRADUALLY BEAT IN DRY INGREDIENT MIXTURE. STIR IN CHOCOLATE, MORSELS AND NUTS BY HAND. DROP ROUNDED TABLESPOONS OF COOKIES BATTER ONTO UNGREASED OR PARCHMENT LINED BAKING SHEETS. SPRINKLE PINK HIMALAYAN SALT ON EACH COOKIE ACCORDING TO TASTE PREFERENCE. BAKE IN FOR 9 TO 11 MINUTES OR UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN IN A PREHEATED OVEN AT 375 DEGREES. COOL ON BAKING SHEETS FOR AT LEAST 1 MINUTE BEFORE COOLING COMPLETELY ON WIRE RACKS.

Photo by Luis Chavez

INSTRUCTIONS

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cart to the parking lot between the Pasadena Senior Center and the Metro Gold Line station. Opening boxes on the premises is prohibited.

Masks and social distancing are required.

Pasadena Senior Center has numerous on-site activities approaching.

The Fun and

Practical Social hour highlights March events at senior center

By Arroyo Staff

D

uring the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. Holly Street, offers many free online activities via Zoom and some on-site activities for adults 50 and older.

Registration for Zoom activities and on-site events is required by visiting pasadenaseniorcenter. org and clicking on “activities and events,” “lectures and classes” or “resources.”

Everyone who registers for Zoom events receives an email link for joining each activity online.

Anyone who does not have WiFi or an email address can call 626-795-4331 to receive a phone number to call and listen to live Zoom events. COVID-19 protocols are observed for all on-site events at the center.

Neither Pasadena Senior Center membership nor residency in Pasadena are required for these events. Some events have other contact information.

Scenic Walks Club 9 a.m. Wednesdays March 2 to March 30 Join the Scenic Walks Club for leisurely strolls to picturesque

local sites. Get exercise with other friendly walkers. Contact Scenic Walks Club captain Alan Colville at alancolville@charter.net. Colville will reveal the location.

Music on the Patio with Cory Brendel 2 p.m. Thursday, March 3; on-site Cory Brendel will perform popular songs with his ukulele, from Tin Pan Alley to the Beatles, with an emphasis on standards from the 1930s and 1940s.

Monthly Food Distribution Program 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 4; on-site Held in the center’s parking lot, the event distributes one free box of food to singles, two to couples, who are low-income adults 60 and older. Each box includes foods that meet specific nutritional needs, such as cheese, canned fruits and vegetables, dry milk and related dairy products, cereals and other grain products. Proof of income and California ID are required for firsttime recipients. Boxes are heavy, so bring a pull-behind personal

Movie Matinees 1 p.m. Fridays March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; on-site Members may bring one nonmember guest. The movies are: March 4 — “Hidden Figures” (2016, PG), starring Taraji P. Henson and Kevin Costner.

March 11 — “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984, R), starring Robert De Niro and James Woods.

March 18- “The Luck of the Irish” (2001, TV-G), starring Ryan Merriman and Henry Gibson.

March 25 — “Finian’s Rainbow” (1968, G), starring Fred Astaire and Petula Clark.

Estate Planning, Trust Administration and Estate Administration 10 a.m. Thursday, March 10, via Zoom Attorney Joe Engle will discuss estate planning, trust administration and estate administration, plus how to avoid probate and why estate planning is important.

Cultural Thursday — Pre-Code Hollywood: Sex, Sin and Censorship in the 1930s 2 p.m. Thursday, March 10, via Zoom From films with topics that ranged from prostitution and drug use to glorified gangsters, brutal monsters and unpunished villains, Hollywood filmmakers defiantly ignored the strict production code guidelines of talking pictures, published in 1930, that were intended to keep movies morally clean. Join film historian and author Steven C. Smith for a look at this raucous Hollywood era.

My Gift to You: The Importance of Planning Ahead 10 a.m. Thursday, March 17, via Zoom A representative from Forest Lawn will explain the responsibilities of survivors and how loved ones can plan to maneuver through

this emotional and financial experience.

Guided Tour of Pasadena Senior Center 10 a.m. Thursday, March 17, on-site Take a guided tour with a Pasadena Senior Center ambassador and learn how the center can change lives. Visit various areas of the center, peek in on activities and learn everything else about the first accredited senior center in California.

Music on the Patio: Bob and Don 2 p.m. Thursday, March 17, onsite Join singer Don Snyder and pianist Bob Lipson for an afternoon of music featuring Irish songs for St. Patrick’s Day plus favorite American showtunes and standards.

Produce Distribution 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, March 18, on-site Bags of nutritious fresh vegetables will be distributed, courtesy of the Order of Malta Mobile Ministries. One bag per person will be available. Masks, social distancing and proof of COVID-19 vaccination are required.

Cultural Thursday: Mermaids at Brighton: A History of Bathing 2 p.m. Thursday, March 24, via Zoom Dr. Janet Fahey — a civil and sanitation engineer, environmental consultant and lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America — will lead an exploration of essential sanitary engineering practices employed during Jane Austen’s life and through the ages.

Cultural Thursday: A Culinary Tour of India 2 p.m. Thursday, March 31, via Zoom and onsite PSC member and volunteer Suresh Khilnani will take participants on a tour through the food landscape of India. He will show photos, recount related history and tell stories about the intriguing and complex flavors of Indian cuisine.

An avid cook, he will share some of his favorite Indian recipes to try at home.

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at the police laboratory — and Boris Viard, the partner of Aimee’s friend, Michou, is found unconscious at the crime scene with traces of explosives under his fingernails. Aimee doesn’t believe Boris set the bomb. To prove this, she battles the police and his own lab colleagues, collecting conflicting eyewitness reports.

Caroline Frost, in conversation with Ellie Eaton, “Shadows of Pecan Hollow” 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, on second level; ticketed It was 1970 when 13-year-old runaway Kit Walker was abducted by Manny Romero, a smooth-talking, low-level criminal, who groomed her into his partner-in-crime. Before long, Kit and Manny were infamous for their string of gas station robberies through Texas.

Fourteen years later, Kit has scraped together a life for herself and her daughter in the town of Pecan Hollow, far from Manny. But, when he shows up at her doorstep, a new man, fresh out of prison, Kit’s profound and twisted attachment to him compels her to let him in.

Immediately, Kit is forced to reckon with the shadows of her past, and her community is sent into a tailspin.

Vroman’s

Live

Bookstore boasts stellar lineup for March

T

By Arroyo Staff

he renowned bookstore Vroman’s is hosting more top-notch virtual programs throughout March.

The “Vroman’s Live” events are held virtually and in person. Register through vromansbookstore.com. Anyone with questions is asked to email email@vromansbookstore.com.

In-person events Stephen White, Jonathan Spaulding and Suzanne Lummis: “A Country Called California” 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, on second level of Vroman’s; ticketed “A Country Called California” traces the development of the Golden State from the 19th century on, through to its emergence as the fifth largest economy in the world — all as seen through the eyes of photographers Ansel Adams, Carleton Watkins, Dorothea Lange, Eadweard Muybridge, Will Connell, Edward Weston, Max Yavno, Mabel Watson and A.C. Vroman. Author Stephen White, a longtime photography gallerist and collector, curated the book.

Cara Black, in conversation with Naomi Hirahara, “Murder at the Porte de Versailles” 7 p.m. Thursday, March 3, on second level of Vroman’s, ticketed For Aimee Leduc, November is bittersweet: the anniversary of her father’s death and her daughter’s third birthday fall on the same day.

A gathering for family and friends is disrupted when a bomb goes off

Lizz Huerta, “The Lost Dreamer” 6 p.m. Monday, March 14, on second level; ticketed Indir is a Dreamer, descended from a long line of seers; able to see beyond reality, she carries the rare gift of Dreaming truth. But when the beloved king dies, his son has no respect for this time-honored tradition. King Alcan wants an opportunity to bring the Dreamers to a permanent end — an opportunity Indir will give him if he discovers the two secrets she is struggling to keep. As violent change shakes Indir’s world, she is forced to make a choice: fight for her home or fight to survive.

Reyna Grande, in conversation with Hector Tobar, “A Ballad of Love & Glory” 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, on second level; ticketed Ximena Salome is a gifted Mexican healer who dreams of building a family with the man she loves. But when Texas Rangers storm her ranch and kill her husband, she vows to honor his memory and defend her country by using her healing skills as an army nurse on the front lines of the war. Meanwhile, John Riley, an Irish immigrant in the Yankee Army desperate to help his family escape the famine, is sickened by the unjust war.

Gigi Pandian and Naomi Hirahara, “Under Lock and Skeleton Key” and “An Eternal Lei” 7 p.m. Thursday, March 24; on second level; ticketed “Under Lock and Skeleton Key”: After an accident derails Tempest Raj’s career and life, she returns to her childhood home in California. Every day brings her closer to the inevitable: working for her father’s company, the Secret Staircase Construction. When Tempest visits her dad’s latest renovation project, her former stage double is discovered dead in a wall. “An Eternal Lei”: Leilani Santiago finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation that endangers her family and friends after saving a mysterious woman wearing a lei from drowning in Waimea Bay. She must learn of this woman’s identity and connections to others on the island to save herself and those dearest to her. continued on page 36

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Real Estate and Mortgages have become a major hot topic over the last year, with many questions arising from the shifting market conditions. To help provide some expert insight, we have Prominent Financial Group, a mortgage brokerage with over 15 years of experience, answering some of the most buzzing questions on everyone’s minds.

Q and A (accordingly) What are your thoughts on the recent increase in interest rates?

Yes, interest rates did indeed go up gradually since December 2021 but it’s important to consider the context. Last year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve cut down interest rates significantly to help stimulate our economy.

Today - economic improvement, inflation, and other factors, are driving those rates back up. However if you look at previous trends, we are still at historically low interest rates. In fact, the average interest rate in 2020-2021 was 3.7%, which is the lowest it has been over the last four decades. With more rate hikes on the horizon as early as March 2022, our advise is not to wait too long to get into the market.

As someone who’s been in the industry for many years, do you foresee another crash happening?

I started my career in the world of mortgage right before the 2008 recession. There are many observable differences between then and now, but one that stands out most is the mortgage approval process. As direct result of the recession a strict set of rules and guidelines were put in place to ensure that borrowers are qualified and well-positioned to make their mortgage payments. There are also processes that enforce transparency and ethics and ensure that the borrower’s interests are not abused. The programs that caused much of the problems were (*^** With this responsible system in place, we should not see a repeat of what happened back in 08.

At Prominent Financial Group, our main focus is to serve our clients in meeting their long term financial goals versus just closing the transaction at hand. When a client walks into our office, we want to understand their current situation, their future objectives, and guide them towards achieving financial growth through real estate. We pride ourselves on our ability to develop and nurture lasting relationships with our clients, who often times become our great friends.

This takes me to my next question. Why go to a broker vs. a big bank?

What sets us apart as a brokerage is that we have relationships with many different lenders, giving us the ability to match our clients with the best programs for their specific needs. In addition to all of the standard loan products, we have access to programs that are more lenient on past Bankruptcies, bank statement programs, investor programs that allow you to qualify solely on the rental income from the subject property, and many more. We stand by our tailored approach where one mortgage doesn’t fit all.

What advise would you give to someone who is considering purchasing or refinancing?

Don’t wait. As Ray Brown famously said, “The best time to buy a home is always five years ago”. This rings true louder than ever today. If you qualify, real estate is one of the best investments one can get into. With property ownership you can leverage your investment, have a large asset that naturally appreciates overtime, get tax benefits, collect cash flow, and tap into your equity as needed to continue to build your wealth.

Join in on Instagram for free educational material, mortgage tips, and Q&A. Or contact them directly for any additional information.

How do you differentiate yourself from competitors in the Prominent Financial Group field?

535 N. Brand Bvld., Suite 290 Glendale CA 91203 t: 818-476-4133 | www.PFG365.com 03.22 | ARROYO | 35

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continued from page 34

Jet Tila “101 Thai Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die” 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31; on second level; ticketed In this collection of dishes, bestseller author Jet Tila opens the world of his Thai heritage for today’s home cooks with recipes that are authentic, accessible and ultra craveable. Jet partners up with Tad Weyland Fukumoto, longtime friend and fellow chef, to channel their years of Southeast Asian culinary prowess into mouthwatering recipes, such as street-style basil pork, glass noodle stir-fry, hung lay northern pork curry, new Thai barbecue chicken, fried tilapia with three-flavor sauce, and so heroes spanning the regions, this cookbook is a one-stop guide to the rich culinary traditions of Thailand.

Virtual events Jennifer E. Smith, in conversation with Lauren Graham, “The Unsinkable Greta James” 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 2 Right after the death of her mother — her first and most devoted fan — and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy. Her father, Conrad, predicted this. Months later, she accompanies Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents booked to celebrate their 40th anniversary. It’s the last chance to heal old wounds.

Amanda Pellegrino, in conversation with Katy Colloton and Katie O’Brien, “Smile and Look Pretty” 6 p.m. Thursday, March 10 Best friends Cate, Lauren, Olivia and Max are overworked and underpaid assistants to some of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry. As they are passed over for promotions and the toxic office environments, the women secretly start an anonymous blog detailing their experiences.

Lisa Barr, in conversation with Malina Saval, “Woman on Fire” 6 p.m. Friday, March 11 After talking her way into a job with Dan Mansfield, the leading investigative reporter in Chicago, rising young journalist Jules Roth, is given a secret assignment. Dan needs her to locate a painting stolen by the Nazis more than 75 years earlier.

A Special Storytime with Avery Monsen “Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme” 11 a.m. Saturday, March 9, Chester van Chime woke up one day and forgot how to rhyme.

Filled with wordplay and whimsically silly illustrations, this readaloud tells the story of a boy who learns not to be stressed if he’s not at his peak performance.

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