Supervisors Trim Fat From Budget, End $40 Gourmet Lunches

Los Angeles County supervisors will soon have a leaner cuisine, financially speaking, because officials on Monday said they will abandon catered gourmet lunches costing taxpayers $40 per person.

When they next meet over lunch, supervisors will select their entrees from a variety of sandwiches and salads offered by the county cafeteria, a trendy coffee bar called Pasqua, and Philippe, known for its French dip and 11-cent cup of coffee.

The new menu was ordered by board Chairman Deane Dana after a Times report that Chief Administrative Officer Richard B. Dixon has maintained an open-ended expense account and last year spent $117,000 on working lunches, receptions and other “incidentals.” Typical were $700 lunches for the five supervisors and about a dozen aides.

Dana, speaking through aide Dennis Morefield, said it was “ridiculous” for the county to spend so much on a meal.

The lunches, provided by Marie’s Gourmet Catering of Pasadena, included fresh fish of the day prepared on grills brought to the downtown Hall of Administration for on-site cooking and served on white linen. Supervisors who have been eating the meals for at least five years said they were unaware of the cost.

Supervisor Ed Edelman said the change might carry a hidden benefit to workers who have long complained about food in the county cafeteria. Maybe, he said, the cooking will improve “if the board has to eat there.”

The new menu also was welcomed by Robert Alaniz, a deputy to Supervisor Gloria Molina who called the catered meals “outrageous.”

“It would be very hard for any of the supervisors to eat $50 worth of food from any of those places,” he said.

Larry Monteilh, executive officer of the Board of Supervisors, said he now expects the tab to total only $120 for a typical board executive session.

At the county cafeteria, supervisors can choose from baked meat loaf with stuffed tomato for $5.95, liver and onions for $4.95, the daily “slim cuisine” of almond-crowned cauliflower for $2.95 or a chicken salad sandwich for $1.85.

Pasqua offers sandwiches “served on freshly baked seeded baguette” for $3.95 to $4.95. They range from “fresh mozzarella, (with) sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, pesto and fresh greens” to “roast turkey, (with) yogurt-sesame dressing, sprouts, red onions and fresh greens.”

Asked why Philippe, which is several blocks from the Hall of Administration, was included, Monteilh said, “Supervisor Kenneth Hahn likes their beef dip.”

Molina, who has been critical of board spending policies, said Monday that she plans to pay for her lunch during board meetings out of her own pocket.

Edelman said he is willing to try anything for lunch, “as long as we don’t get indigestion.”