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View Winners → The Old Town Report for Oct. 1, 2015
Monrovia Weekly Sep 30, 2015
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By Pam Fitzpatrick
Fall has arrived, and unseasonably warm temperatures or not, it’s time to get ready for Old Town’s fourth quarter events. I’m particularly excited for A Taste of Old Town Monrovia, which will feature food and beverages from over 40 local businesses, many of them located right here in downtown. Monrovia Kiwanis puts this event on every year on Myrtle Avenue and the price is very reasonable: only $50 in advance and $60 at the door. The date of the event is Sunday, Oct. 18 and it runs from 5 to 8 p.m. There will be so many sips and small bites on the street that night that I dare anyone to go home unhappy. Tickets are available at the Monrovia Chamber office, the Community Center, The Dollmakers’ Kattywompus and through Keely Milliken at Centre Stage – or, online at www.TasteMonrovia.com.
And, of course, it’s no secret that October will bring new management to our Street Fair. Jerry Diaz from Greenleaf Entertainment will take the reins as of Friday, Oct. 2. Jerry says he has a stack of business cards from vendors who specialize in handcrafted items, so we’re expecting to see more of them this fall. I’m also hoping for a larger Farmer’s Market section and a slightly different layout of existing vendors and entertainment. As usual in the fall, the fair will close slightly earlier (9:30 p.m.). The city of Monrovia and the Monrovia Old Town Merchants will be hosting this year’s Annual Old Town Trick-or-Treat & Halloween Bash on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 3 to 6 p.m., both in Old Town Monrovia and in Library Park at 321 S. Myrtle Ave. The flyer says, “The afternoon will be filled with ghoulish fun for the entire family!” And, I guarantee I’m going to have fun. The merchants have actually extended their trick-or-treating by one hour this year to coincide with the popular city event. If you’re not into the candy thing, come on down just to watch the lines of kiddies and their costumed pets– it will make you smile! There has been a lot of buzz about the opening of a new business called The Saltner on East Colorado across from the Monrovian. When I described this business in my last column as a “specialty wine, cheese and tapas store,” I really didn’t do it justice. Yesterday I met for a few minutes with the owner, Julie Kalicki, and she gave me a sneak peak of her proposed menu. Rather than tapas, Julie refers to her small plate offerings as “cicchetti,” and the samplings include “braised beef slow roasted in chianti, grilled garlic chicken, potato pancakes and charcuterie, wine ice cream” and much, much more. It makes me hungry just listing the menu. By the way, “charcuterie” is a European plate with sausage, cheese, jellies and bread. Julie says her goal is to complement existing businesses, not compete with them. She’s shooting for an opening sometime this December.
My friend, Charlotte Shamaden, emailed me yesterday with some exciting news. It looks like John Moran Auctioneers is coming to Monrovia. They are promoting the new location (at the northeast corner of Chestnut and Ivy) as being near Old Town, which you know I love. Opening date for this business is set for early December.
And last, but certainly not least, I see our newest Old Town restaurant has officially opened. It is called Saigon Avenue and it’s located at 110 E. Lemon Ave. (where Café Massilia used to be). They feature authentic Vietnamese cuisine. I’m anxious to give it a try.
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