With all the lifestyle changes wrought by the pandemic, at least one tasty tradition endures next weekend: backyard barbecues.
Celebrate Labor Day the old-fashioned way, in the relative safety of the outdoors. Pick up some marinated meats from Pasadena’s Garni Meat Market and plantains from Vallarta Supermarket, and slap them on the grill for a sweet and savory feast. Or don your mask and cruise the Pasadena Farmers’ Market for a healthy rainbow of vegetables to grill.
Either way, here’s one place where you can dine out with impunity.
The Grill Next Door
The stylish Caliber Rockwell Grill is so imposing it could practically double as backyard sculpture, and that’s no accident. This California-made beauty, which resulted from a collaboration between the award-winning Rockwell Design Group (Warner Music Group HQ) and Caliber Range Corp., has a Brazilian cherry hardwood base, a 675-square-inch cooking area with three zones, a retractable hood, a commercial-grade powder-coated aluminum “tabletop” for food prep and socializing and more.
Caliber Rockwell Grill, $10,000, at Williams-Sonoma, 142 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 795-5045 or visit williamssonoma.com.
The Taming of the Brew
A blast from your collegiate past? Backyard brewski-hunters won’t need to actually stand up and walk to the kitchen with this stainless-steel Twin Eagles Twin-Tap Beer Keg Dispenser. It comes with a CO2 tank, hoses, a draft tower and regulator, and it holds one keg.
Twin Eagles Twin-Tap Beer Keg Dispenser, $3,809, at Floyd S. Lee Fireplace & BBQ, 1215 E. Walnut St., Pasadena. Call (626) 792-2136 or visit EncinoFireplace.com.
Just in Lime
Bathe your grilled comestibles in marinades or sauces from the San Gabriel Valley’s legendary E. Waldo Ward & Son, like this yummy bottle of Thai Chili Lime Grill sauce with garlic, cilantro, ginger and soy.
4 Waldo Ward & Sons Thai Chili Lime Grill Sauce, $4.95, at 273 E. Highland Ave., Sierra Madre. Call (626) 355-1218 or visit WaldoWard.com.
Platter Up!
Give the fruits of your hard culinary labor the presentation they deserve with a stunning Wonki Ware Bamboo Platter, handmade by as many as 14 artisans from recycled organic South African clay. (Ask owner Carrie Davich about her summer sale.)
Wonki Ware Bamboo Platter, $120, at Maude Woods, 55 E. Holly St., Pasadena. Call (626) 577-3400 or visit MaudeWoods.com.
Remote Control
Sit back and relax while your grill does its thing with this nifty Maverick XR-30 Remote Thermometer, which tracks meat temperature from 500 feet away. The receiver, which comes with a belt clip and built-in stand, displays temps up to 572°.
Maverick XR-30 Remote Thermometer, $69.99, at Barbeques Galore, 160 N. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 568-1422 or visit bbqgalore.com.
