If you are familiar with Phoenicia, the five star restaurant in Glendale, you will immediately notice a dramatic new wine cellar that is a major enhancement to the restaurant.
     For many years Ara Kalfayan has been most diligent in selecting wines from many countries but has always has emphasis in the wines of the middle east and his native Lebanon that have a history dating back to centuries before biblical times.  Now this marvelous collection of wines is full view of the Phoenicia diner with an open invitation to stroll inside.  By the way did I happen to mention that the whole new project was the conception of Ira Kalfayan.
      Although he opened up a few restaurants on his journey, Phoenicia has now become a landmark in Glendale. The restaurant features two large outdoor patios, one with a sliding covering roof, and two elegant and artfully designed dining rooms. Artifacts and paintings are on view in nooks and crannies as a backdrop amidst  tables covered with peach and white colored linens.
     Phoenicia is known for serving authentic Lebanese, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, luring  couples for romantic dinners, family dinners on Sundays, and large celebrations of every kind. It has won awards as one of the best ethnic restaurants in Southern California.  The waitstaff is sensational.  Ara's menu is utterly fascinating and enticing!
     Cold Appetizers include : Labni, condensed yogurt served plain or with garlic; Warak Enab, grape leaves stuffed with rice, oil and veggies, cooked in lemon juice with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil; Baba Ghanouj, roasted eggplant finished with tabini and lemon juice; Moussaka, oven-baked chunks of eggplant with tomatoes, onions and garlic; Shanklish, "Chef Specialty"-aged cheese salad served with tomatoes, and onions; and a mouthwatering specialty of Cauliflower, sauteed and seasoned.          
     Hot Appetizers feature Hommos Kawarma, classic hommos served with tender pieces of lamb and pine nuts; Kibbeh Makli, beef dumplings stuffed with ground beef boulghour, onions and pine nuts; Soujouk, spicy Armenian sausage, air dried and sauteed with onions and tomatoes; Frog Legs, pan seared with lemon juice and cilantro; Rakakat, a selection of Lebanese cheese baked in a pastry dough; Spinach Fatayer, pastry triangles stuffed with soft and fluffy spinach.
    Lebanese Gourmet Specialties; Beid Kawarma, a southern Lebanese specialty of ground beef with eggs; Beid Ghanam, lamb pan-fried with garlic and spices; Lessanat, lamb tongue gently cooked to a tender finish with lemon and garlic.  Selections from The Grill: Phoenicia Mixed Grill, a delightful mixture of beef, chicken and kafka kebob; Lamb Shank; Lamb Shish Kabab; Beef Shawarma, thin layers of tender beef marinated and grilled on upright spit.  Seafood prepared to order pan fried, grilled or oven baked: Jumbo Shrimp; Shrimp Sautee; Shrimp Kebab; Sea Bass;  and Salmon Filet.
      Wines have long been Ara's hallmark and growing up so close to Napa, he became involved learning and listening to all he could about wines. Ahead of his time he was one of the first to serve wines by the glass.  From his new showcase wine cellar comes some fantastic wines from many countries including Lebanon. Legendary wines from Lebanon show a French influence and the red wines are generally blends of varietals like Cinsault,  Mourvedre, Syrah,Cabernet  Sauvignon, and Petite Verdot.  There's a fully stocked bar with top shelf premium liquors and beers.
      Live bands and belly dancing add to the atmosphere at the restaurant and nightclub Friday and Saturday 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. with an entertainment menu featuring Cold Mezza, Hot Mezza and Main Course.     And there's an active hookah bar.  For many years this restaurant has enjoyed a reputation as being ideal  for special event celebrations, luncheons, weddings and corporate events.
      Phoenicia is located  at 343 N. Central Avenue in Glendale, 91203 (818) 956-7800 www.phoeniciala.com

  Since opening in 1996 the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles has been an educational institution   devoted to sustaining Jewish heritage and American democratic ideals.  The scope of its exhibitions has covered many historical subjects and a large range of courses, readings and talks are offered on a regular schedule.
     Our most recent visit was to view the photographs and range of Stanley Kubrick.  His fame now rests mostly with his work as a filmmaker with classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange.  But his early work   as a photojournalist began just out of his teenage  years when he became a staff member at Look Magazine.  The exhibition at Skirball features some 130 works through these early years with the title "Through a Different Lens: Stanley  Kubrick Photographs".  Using his native New York Kubrick trained his camera on everything from fashion shows, nightclubs, street scenes and sporting events.  His work reveals an assortment of human dramas including some complete stories using  black and white video.
     The exhibition at Skirball was on loan from Museum of the  City  of New York and includes the Look Collection and could well be entitled the formative years of Stanley Kubrick.
     A visit to Skirball is always a delight since it is easy to find and offers extensive parking and with a host of docents to help one find their way.  On this visit we were also eager to have lunch at Zeidler's Cafe which had just reopened after a remake that shows a contemporary decor and exciting menu to match.
    Here there are starters like Za'atar flatbread with choice of hummus or sweet potato fries or Bagel and lox.  Salads include Olive oil-poached albacore Nicoise or grilled salmon on a bed of spinach.  From the list of entrees that included penne pasta we selected the classic margherita pizza.   List of sandwiches is large with smoked salmon pastrami reuben on toasted rye, Beyond Beef burger or Whitefish burger.  Besides the usual beverages a list of wines is available by the bottle or glass.
     The Cafe borders with views to outdoor gardens and is serviced with a circular exhibition kitchen that adds much to the decor.
     Zeidler’s Cafe is open for lunch only.  For hours call Telephone 310 440-4500  Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles,ca 90049.  Web www.skirball.org.

There is no question that Catalina has enjoyed an image projected in song and film as an exciting place of romance and relaxation.  Certainly in earlier eras it was a playground for the rich and famous and playing its part for over 80 years is the casino which was home to big bands and top entertainment draws throughout all those decades.
Now it is the cruise ship with people from all parts and just about every walk of life being exposed to the Island. 
That song about Catalina "twenty six miles across the sea"  the Island of Romance" written by Glen Larson and Bruce Belland still seems appropriate.
Our latest  trip to the Island began with the  Catalina Express and proved to be a pleasant experience in itself.  We departed from the Long Beach Express terminal conveniently located next to adequate parking.  The Terminal is roomy, comfortable and the staff friendly.  Once aboard the good ship Jet Cat Express we settled in a comfortable Jet aircraft style chair.  Again we found the staff most helpful, helping with the luggage when needed.
We were staying at the Atwater Hotel, established in 1920, which proved a delightful and memorable experience.  Its decor is a blend of the contemporary and elegance of the past and the friendliness of the staff something to remember.
The Hotel, now operated by Catalina Island Company, is named for one of the original Wrigley family members, Helen Atwater Wrigley.  She was a talented musician who enjoyed playing harp, piano and accordion  at her Casa Del Monte home in Avalon.
“Sometimes she would be entertaining guests in lace and pearls, other times exploring the Island in denim and boots”.
Avalon Grill’s reputation for culinary success and outstanding service proceeded our visit.  Located on Crescent Avenue it is a large restaurant with both indoor and patio dining.  Inside it is divided into several  intimate dining rooms.  The bar and lounge id dominated by a floor to ceiling display of fine wines.
The night we dined there everything lived up to that advance reputation..  We opened with a consomme chicken soup followed by the fried calamari.  Knowing the kitchen’s reputation for serving fresh caught seafood we ordered the scallops.  These came on a bed of cream corn with full flavors and a touch of sweetness.  Surrounding all were small perfectly fried potatoes.
When it was time for dessert we shamelessly ordered the bread pudding, always one of our favorites.  It came with heaps of vanilla ice cream surrounded by fresh whipped cream.  We can only conclude that Avalon Grill certainly lived up to its reputation for our visit.
Address is 423 Crescent Avenue and  Avalon Grill opens daily at 4 p.m.  Telephone 310 510-7494.