Barbecue

City zoning administrator Edith Fuentes conducted a hearing Wednesday on a proposed conditional use permit and parking variance for a Korean barbecue restaurant at 3747 Foothill Blvd. She took the issue under advisement, and promised a written ruling. The proposed restaurant was applying for a CUP to sell beer and wine, and approval to operate in a center with 70 parking spaces, instead of the required 90. The owner, N. Paik, operates Sushi USA in the local area. The new restaurant will operate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week, and will have about 10 employees.

The smell of barbecue, sounds of swing music and the legend of Manchester Boddy drew hundreds of visitors from across the Los Angeles area to La Cañada?s Descanso Gardens Monday for Boddy?s Big Backyard, an annual event at the gardens. While children rode ponies and kids of all ages toured the gardens on the Enchanted Railroad, some families shared picnics on the lawn and listened to Verdugo Swing Society play music from the 1930s and ?40s. Others took time to smell the flowers in the rose garden or share a shady bench by the koi pond.

Glendale was humming to the sounds of mariachi, Greek and Armenian music Sunday. The Glendale home of Frank Lopez was the setting for the Glendale-Mexico Sister Cities Committee Summer Barbecue. A mariachi band greeted about 70 guests who dined on sausage and pepper sandwiches on the patio. Committee members in attendance were President Efrain Olivares, Treasurer Celina Enriquez, Nelly and Jose Meza, Carlos Elia, Frank Bacino and granddaughter Jackie Bacino, Mary and Paul Wight, Kay and Walter Hunt, Silvia Larrea, Marya Seelos, and Maria Lydia Cousens.

Visitors to the La Crescenta Church of Religious Science clapped their hands, stomped their feet and even cheered during the morning service, on Sunday. The congregants weren't listening to a traditional sermon. They were taking part in the Fourth Annual Cowboy Church, which featured Cody Bryant and his band, "Riders of the Purple Sage." Freedom was the theme of the program, which included western music and the Rev. Beverly Craig addressing the congregation with spiritual and inspirational readings.

What would the Cruise Night be without great food and fun? The Jewel City Kiwanis Club is again rolling out its barbecue trailer to the corner of Brand Boulevard and Lexington Drive tonight to cook for the event. They will be serving up hamburgers, nachos and hot dogs, plus drinks. Members of the Crescenta Valley High School baseball team and their cheerleaders will be helping the Kiwanians serve the food. It should be fun. All the money raised from the barbecue and drink sales will be donated by the Kiwanis Club to local organizations.

Market to celebrate three years at spot Whole Foods Market will serve a barbecue lunch to celebrate the store's third anniversary at at 331 N. Glendale Ave. Attendees will be asked to contribute a minimum $5 donation to benefit the Whole Planet Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting global poverty. The lunch will feature barbecue, beverages and cake. DreamWorks locks deal on feature Glendale-based DreamWorks Animation SKG and Mattel Inc. have entered into an exclusive licensing arrangement on DreamWorks Animation's June 2008 release, "Kung Fu Panda," with Mattel serving as the worldwide master toy licensee for the film, DreamWorks announced on Tuesday.

  May is water awareness month and, to celebrate, Crescenta Valley Water District is hosting a Water Awareness Day with a free barbecue and open house for the community from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 at 3730 Glenwood Ave., La Crescenta. The National Weather Service warns that this summer will be one of the hottest on record. Southern California has already seen several brush fires, some very close to home as with the Griffith Park fire where smoke and ash rained down on La Cañada.

Crescenta Valley High School's Prom Plus committee is holding an open house barbecue on Wednesday, April 11. Beginning at 6 p.m., CV open house attendees can buy a hamburger, hot dog or sausage meal including chips and a drink, for just $5. Since there are only a limited number of meals available, it is recommended that reservations be made by e-mailing Robin Goldsworthy at prrobin@juno.com. On Sunday, April 22, Prom Plus is hosting the first Taste of Montrose . From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a "taste" of some of the best restaurants in the area.

The Autry National Center fires up the grill as the Kansas City Barbeque Society rides into Southern California for the second annual Barbeque Championship and Festival. Taste championship-quality barbecue from around the country. Learn tricks of the trade through cooking demonstrations and lectures by noted chefs such as Lenny Bent from the Cookin' with Lenny television show; Charles Perry, Los Angeles Times food critic, who will cook up some real 1950s L.A. barbecue; Kathy Murphy, who tackles tri-tip barbecue.