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“The reason that I came to Los Altos was because I wanted to create a unique coffeehouse that could offer a special meet-up experience, a gourmet product and a great atmosphere,” says Mikael Hashoul, owner of Toorak Coffee. With a wide selection of drip coffee, gourmet espresso, whole-leaf teas and lots of other delights, Hashoul hopes that Toorak will be the new community space in Los Altos. “We want to allow for personal connections to happen between people, where they can have a conversation, an interaction and share ideas in a warm environment.”
Born in Israel, Hashoul moved to Australia to start a family with his wife. While living there, he became fascinated with the country’s coffee culture, studying it via books and classes and setting off on a search for the best coffee in Australia. In 2004, Hashoul opened his first coffeehouse to a wave of excited and faithful customers. Four months later, he opened two more locations, and one year after that, his fourth. But with a desire to move to the United States, Hashoul sold the four stores in Australia to begin afresh in Southern California. “We wanted to bring the Australian experience [here],” he says.
Hashoul finds American culture a lot more fast-paced than Australia’s. “We hope that Toorak will allow our customers to take a moment and reflect on their life, relax and enjoy their family over a cup of coffee outside the rat race,” he says, adding that he looks forward to introducing more music nights, social activities and new partnerships with the neighboring schools. “The coffeehouse does not belong to the owner, it belongs to the community,” he says. “We want to start the year together as a neighborhood and society.”
Toorak’s Website: http://www.toorakcoffee.com/
Hey Wrigley, We Love Long Beach is excited to be coming your way! We want to give you the opportunity, in a safe and friendly environment, to get to know your neighbors better. (There will be free pancakes, sausage, eggs, fruit, vegan delights, orange juice, and coffee.) Also face painting for kids and a live DJ to set the mood. Remember LB, community is the home that WE build together, valuing our differences and the common good, to make Long Beach a great place to live. Please spread the word and invite your neighbors. We can’t wait!
HAPPY NEW YEAR LONG BEACH!
“No matter how fantastic a woman you are, your life partner is not going to magically show up at your door. You have to get yourself ready and then go out and find him,” says Bobbi Palmer, owner of Date Like a Grown Up. Created to help successful women over 40 understand themselves and men better, Date Like a Grown Up offers dating and relationship advice to clients via telephone. “The reason why I call it Date Like a Grown Up is because it is really about becoming a more confident, authentic and educated woman who can enjoy life’s journey,” Palmer says.
For a time, Palmer defined success along tangible lines—a big office that overlooked the city, for example. “My life was good: I had nice things, lots of great friends, I traveled and then I turned 40,” she recalls. This middle-aged milestone made her rethink everything she once believed about men, relationships and her own desires. “I think that I realized that it was all a sham. I had been living my life with a fear of depending on someone and being hurt.”
After working though some of her deep-seated fears and insecurities through psychiatrists, seminars and lots of first dates, Palmer found the confidence and courage to accept love into her life. At 47 she met her husband Larry, who, she says, “rocked my world.” But it did not stop there. “When I got married I felt that I had a lot to share with other women, and that is why I became a dating coach,” she says. Today, Palmer has a Web site, a dating resource blog and in January she will host a dating teleseminar for older women. “Clearly, by focusing on making some changes and learning some new things, I was able to find the ultimate happiness of my life. I see it working for my clients, as well, time and time again.” SCOTT JONES
For more information:
Website: http://www.datelikeagrownup.com/
This year, We Love Long Beach got the nod for “Best Free Breakfast in Long Beach” -The District Weekly
Wrigley we hope to see you there!
The mission of We Love Long Beach is to Know and Serve the People, the Neighborhoods, and the City of Long Beach, Ca.
Please invite your neighbors!
“My superhero character is all about new adventures and taking care of wrongdoing in the world,” says Reed Greenfield, alter-ego of comic-book superhero Z-Blade XX. Greenfield and friends recently released their first crime-fighting comic book, loosely based on Greenfield himself. “I, like others, am a struggling actor, and so I decided to create something new for myself. We needed another African-American superhero,” he says.
While working at Universal Studios as the Phantom of the Opera and Frankenstein, Greenfield met Guy Lemae, a fellow actor and art illustrator. “We started talking about comic books, which led to some sketches, and soon we compiled a creative team,” Greenfield recalls. He says the experience has been the most exciting time of his life—and has triggered a new found creativity.
For Greenfield the comic book was incomplete without its official superhero costume, which has become an essential element to marketing Z-Blade XX. “I now get to dress up as Z-Blade for local signings. All the kids are enamored and blown away by the suit. It’s an amazing feeling to see the kids smile,” he says. And this is only the beginning of Z-Blade: “In the end I want Z-Blade to inspire change in the world. I just want Z-Blade to represent justice in the world.” SCOTT JONES
December 9th 2009
“The whole restaurant started with a passion of knowing where our food comes from and supporting our local economy and neighborhood,” says Natalie Gutenkauf, owner of recently-opened restaurant the Factory. For Gutenkauf, this endeavor is a dream come true: “I can remember telling my husband [I wanted to open] a restaurant. He thought that it was a great idea, but also crazy.”
Gutenkauf caught the cooking bug when she married her husband, Eric. “I think my husband inspired me greatly. He is in the food industry and brought a different level of foodiness into my life,” she says. Previously a stay-at-home mom, Gutenkauf became a traveling chef, teaching cooking classes around Long Beach. But she grew tired of loading all her cooking equipment in the truck every day.
Inspired by Andy Warhol’s own New York City studio the Factory, Gutenkauf launched her Factory with the intent of “creating a food scene” in our city. “We have wine tastings, food pairings, beer-making classes and our own market. And our chef is a rock star who trained under Wolfgang Puck,” she says. And someday, Gutenkauf hopes, the Factory will be the go-to destination of Long Beach’s foodies. Written by, SCOTT JONES
We Love Long Beach is bringing in the New Year with the Wrigley Neighborhood! Please come and get to know your neighbors, and enjoy free pancakes, eggs, sausage, fuit, oj, and coffee. We will have vegan options as well!
There will be face painting for the kids, a live DJ and a few giveaways.
Please stay posted.
The date is TBA
“It is very difficult to find pants that fit when you are this tall—which puts great pressure on my favorite dwindling corduroys,” says Jon Mansen, a 6’11” recent transplant from Seattle. Mansen visited Long Beach in March to see his brother and quickly fell in love with the people. “I had a deep desire in my heart to move to Long Beach and to be a part of the community, and so I did, much to my former landlord’s dismay,” he says.
But the transition to Long Beach has not been entirely easy: “My first prospective employment position was a self-serve dog-wash center on Ocean Blvd., but that didn’t pan out like I had hoped.” Instead, Mansen has made use of his free time by getting to know the city better—and practicing piano. “My finger reach is around an octave-and-a-half on the common forte,” he laughs.
And about his size: “The advantage is that I can see a lot of bald spots, and the disadvantage is that people tend to discriminate against me at concerts, yelling, ‘Down in front, Goliath.’” But at least his height is an icebreaker: “I look forward to the many new relationships that I will [form in Long Beach]. It’s not hard to begin a conversation when you’re nearly seven feet tall.” SCOTT JONES
“There are definitely some difficult times when you’re a store owner, but sometimes I stand in my store alone, and I can’t believe it is mine,” says Heather Duncan, owner of Second St. boutique Blue Windows. “My desire from the start was to make Blue Windows into a lifestyle store, where someone can find something for just about anybody.” And from cookbooks to women’s clothing, custom-made jewelry and cute baby gifts, Duncan’s store truly covers it all.
Having grown up near El Dorado Park, Duncan attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied classical singing. But her secret joy was frequenting the city’s small shops. “I guess you can say I was always a buyer. I had a hope chest, even as a teen, that was full of things for my future,” she recalls. In 2004, after working for the store’s previous owner for a few years, Duncan seized the opportunity to own Blue Windows, recently mentioned in Sunset Magazine’s Belmont Shore Holiday Shopping Guide.
“A huge part of the success of the store has been my loyal customers and my great staff,” Duncan says. She looks forward to new ways of being creative and to making a difference in Long Beach. “I have recently come up with the idea of dedicating our store window display each month to a different charity. A portion of the store’s profits will be donated. I’m excited to see how this new challenge effects me personally, and my customers, too.” SCOTT JONES
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