Open Now: U Street Pizza in Pasadena

Open Now: U Street Pizza in Pasadena

 

Marie Petulla, co-owner and visionary behind Pasadena’s beloved and award-winning Northern Italian restaurant UNION, Grand Central Market’s Knead & Co Pasta + Market and Red Jungle is excited to announce the opening of U Street Pizza. This chef-driven, casual neighborhood pizza joint, featuring New York- style pizza made with high-quality, market-driven ingredients from California, is located in Old Town Pasadena and opened its doors on Wednesday, April 14th for dine-in, pick-up and delivery. 

Led by Executive Chef Chris Keyser – currently UNION’s executive chef and a protégé of Philly’s Marc Vetri – the New York-style pizza at U Street Pizza is an homage to the pies Keyser grew up with in upstate New York, but with a distinctly LA spin. This translates into a hyper-specific pie where the dough is fermented for over two days and made from a blend of artisanal wheat from Washington and Vermont, layered with CA-grown tomatoes, topped with produce from a veritable “who’s who” of local farms (like Girl & Dug and Wieser farms), and finished with 18-month aged Fiscalini cheddar used in lieu of traditional parmesan — all cooked in an impressive electric deck oven, resulting in the quintessential super crispy, chewy crust.

The pizzas are centered around classic, nostalgic pies from red versions like the housemade fennel sausage with Italian long hot peppers, bell peppers + fior di latte mozzarella and Petaluma pie with Petaluma organic mozzarella, grandma sauce, Fiscalini cheddar and California olive oil; to white pies like the little neck clams with garlic, Fiscalini cheddar, lemon zest, parsley + mozzarella; and with square pies coming soon.

Rounding out the menu are rotating seasonal salads like an red salanova, Weiser Farms baby squash, muscatel ranch and basil breadcrumbs, alongside their rendition of the requisite Caesar and chopped salads. In addition, guests can look forward to their arancini of the day (think saffron risotto and pork ragu), and sides like Japanese eggplant with Calabrian chili agrodolce, Spanish onion and basil. Chef Keyser and team will be spinning fresh soft serve and swirling in seasonal fruit in addition to housemade zeppole, risotto rice pudding and more.

U Street Pizza is aptly referred to as UNION’s “little brother”, as it’s located next door to UNION and shares a strong team that Petulla has curated over the years comprised of longtime beverage director and operators, David Castagnetti and Francis Castagnetti, and newcomer Logan Bates (Jon + Vinny’s) who completes the stellar front of house team. 

In the walls that originally housed a Cuban choreographer’s dance studio, interior designer Andee Ferrer has reimagined the space to evoke a classic New York slice joint vibe, but with a modern, spunky touch. To strike that perfect balance of old and new they retained the original stained glass along with exposed brick walls and added glossy, glazed white subway tiles, copper light fixtures, and an impressive white terrazzo bar. The aforementioned electric deck oven anchors the space and allows guests to watch Chef Keyser and the team work their pizza magic.  A custom, hand-painted mural by a local artist Eric Junker and neon art complete the space giving it a new voice within a familiar context. Additionally, the dining room and open kitchen is adjoined to a forthcoming event space with a private bar.

Ideal for families, pizza connoisseurs, and everyone in between, U Street Pizza will be open daily from 4-10pm for indoor and outdoor dining, pick-up, and delivery. Even more, they will open for lunch with beer, wine, and cocktails coming soon.

U Street Pizza is located at 33 E Union Street in Pasadena and is open seven days a week from 4:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. More information can be found at ustreetpizza.com or @ustreetpizza.

 

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Catch It While You Can…

Catch It While You Can…

The drive to the Griffith Observatory is always a fun-filled drive. It is where Vermont Avenue meets the hills as one passes the rich homes of Los Feliz, the open spaces where the coyotes roam, the Greek Theater and up the hill to the Observatory. On a recent Friday night, the drive was interrupted by the twinkling of lights on the left—and a parking lot full of parked cars! Turns out, it was The Cinespia Drive-In at The Greek Theatre, a drive-in movie presentation in Griffith Park.

Make it an “Only In LA” event (an event that is popular but you need to be on some very hip list to know about it), but it looks like great fun. On April 17, the film Hairspray will be played against the backdrop of foliage and landscape. Here’s what we know:

Sat, April 17, 2021, 8:00 PM PDT  Doors at 6:30 PM It is $45 per car.

Limit 4 customers per car.

Patrons must remain in their car, masks must be worn when using restroom.

Bring food and drink, no alcohol permitted. (ah huh)

Occupants of your car must be members of your household.

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Renowned Mexican-American Duo Launch New Cristalino Tequila, Dahlia

Renowned Mexican-American Duo Launch New Cristalino Tequila, Dahlia


The Mexican-American entrepreneurial duo behind the largest independent mezcal brand in the country, El Silencio, has  just added a new, bright and seductive Cristalino Tequila, to their portfolio: Dahlia!

 

Dahlia launched in February with it’s sights set on a new wave of tequila aficionados, offering an enchanting, modern and masterful Cristalino expression that can be sipped or mixed, day or night. A 100% Blue Weber Agave Reposado Tequila, each drop is filtered through charcoal for purity and balance. The end result is a smooth, clean, true transformation of agave into art that straddles time by honoring the past.

 

Made in Jalisco, Dahlia is the vision of Fausto Zapata and Vicente Cisneros — the Mexican-American entrepreneurs behind the largest independent Mezcal Brands in the World — known as El Silencio. As is the case with their award-winning mezcal, there is no famous face of the brand – the star of this show is in the bottle. Packaged in a captivating glass vessel reminiscent of a classic perfume bottle, Dahlia is created for the new wave of tequila aficionados as an enchanting Cristalino Tequila that can be sipped or mixed, day or night. Dahlia is available nationwide at here at a retail price of $39.99.
 

About El Silencio

El Silencio has revived the ancient art of artisanal mezcal, pioneering a unique approach and delivering the hand-crafted spirit to a new generation of creative drinkers and cultural innovators. El Silencio is made in Oaxaca, Mexico using the traditional process carried on by generations of Mezcaleros. Meticulously picked agaves are roasted, crushed and double distilled resulting in a full-bodied flavor. El Silencio goes beyond the bottle, transforming the ordinary and disrupting the status quo.
 

About The Founders

Co-Founder and CEO, Fausto Zapata’s affinity for Mezcal, along with the creative inspiration that came from both his love of craft spirits and a deep passion for the storied state of Oaxaca, drove him — along with his business partner Vicente Cisneros — to launch Mezcal El Silencio in September of 2013. Since then, Silencio has become the leading premium artisanal Mezcal and a focal point in the spirits industry currently being served in establishments across the Country.

 

Prior to Mezcal El Silencio, Mr. Zapata was a private real estate developer and investor with projects in both Los Angeles and Mexico. A serial entrepreneur at heart, Mr. Zapata has helped launch more than a half-dozen companies, many in the food and beverage industry, but also in financial services, media and technology.

Through Mr. Zapata’s leadership, Silencio has been a strong supporter of The Chase Foundation, LAPD’s Hollenbeck PAL, LA Loves Alex’s Lemonade, #PorOaxaca and Keep the Memory Alive, among other charities. A Mexico City native, Mr. Zapata resides in Pacific Palisades with his two children, Alexia and Adriano. In his spare time you’ll usually find him skydiving, rock-climbing, skiing, or trail running on the Santa Monica canyons, all of which are usually followed by a glass of Mezcal El Silencio on the rocks.

President and CMO, Vicente Cisneros, has been the creative force behind the explosive brand Mezcal El Silencio since the spark of its conception over seven years ago. Throughout the company’s thrilling journey, he has led the emergence of product design, aesthetic development, and marketing implementation strategies. He is responsible for taking a unique product and expanding it into impactful images that deliver a distinctly provocative, mystical and cutting-edge experience.

With over twenty years of expertise under his belt, Vicente has directed the company’s creative output by developing a unique in-house digital marketing machine. This powerhouse of content creation and production remains in constant pursuit of cultural innovation and imaginative evolution, creating an unmistakable image for a quality product that promises elevated design to consumers. Establishing a clear brand identity has been fundamental to his work and vision for the company.

 

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