A DAY IN PASADENA PLAYHOUSE DISTRICT
Coming Up Roses
Jacob Maarse, the owner of Jacob Maarse Florists and a descendant of Dutch flower growers, has solved the thorny problem of scentless commercial roses by growing his own. Every year between April and December, Maarse cultivates nearly 3,000 rose bushes--representing about 100 varieties of roses--on 2 1/2 acres of property surrounding his Sierra Madre home. “I was walking among them this morning; it was cool and overcast and quite beautiful,” Maarse says. He sells the roses to legions of devoted customers out of his large, airy shop. “‘Don’t give us those damn greenhouse roses’ they say,” Maarse notes with a laugh. Two of his favorite roses are the Yves Piaget, which “looks like a peony,” and the St. Patrick, which is “a great greenish-yellow and has a strong stem.” The store also stocks a variety of other flowers-- including exotic orchids, calla and water lilies, hydrangeas and lilacs--as well as bubble bath, potpourri, candles, greeting cards, wrapping paper, ribbon and slender vases.
Jacob Maarse Florists
655 E. Green St.
626 449-0246
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STILL UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
The Playhouse District developed eastward from Old Pasadena along Colorado Boulevard in the 1920s and ‘30s as the city grew into a tourist destination. The neighborhood’s crowning achievement is the Playhouse itself, built by Beverly Hills Hotel architect Elmer Grey and opened with much fanfare in 1925.
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ART & ARCHITECTURE
The vintage 1948 neon pole sign at Zinke’s Shoe Repair is a glowing artifact from the glory days of the automobile era. It is neon art at its finest: The words “Zinke’s Drive In” shine in the night while a bright green hammer pounds a nail into an upturned high-heeled shoe. 592 E. Colorado Blvd., (626) 793-5790.
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ONE THING TO DO
A Recipe for Success
“Let the chefs of tomorrow make your meal today,” proclaims the menu for the California School of Culinary Arts’ School Cafe. The cozy red-walled room is adjacent to another student-run restaurant, the more formal 561, which serves a nine-course, $65 tasting menu on Thursday and Friday nights. The restaurants buzz with activity as students in checked chef’s pants and crisp white shirts hustle to provide food and service to diners seeking fresh new flavors at low prices. A watercress salad with a cilantro-lime vinaigrette goes for $7.95 at the School Cafe, as does clam linguine with saffron butter and linguica sausage.
561 E. Green St., (626) 683-7319.
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MY FIND
Portera, which opened in January, sells Spanish antique doors that have been restored by Spanish craftsmen, including an oak door with hand-painted angels from 1547, at left, and 18th century double doors. By appointment only. 27 S. El Molino Ave., (626) 639-2130.
