NewsBreak Original

There was a wonderful eatery in Old Pasadena called “Pop”, and they’d specialize in (drum roll) sparkling wines and champagnes. They seemed to do quite well with “mouse*” crowd. The story here was: sometime back, under different ownership, they were open Wednesday through Sunday. I asked the then bartender/sommelier Raphael what they did with the opened bottles of sparkling wine after closing on Sunday? He said they poured it all out in the sink. Having grown up in a waste-not-want-not household, I shook and quivered at such a thought. We made a deal on the spot that I could come in on any Sunday night and for $15 (friends included) drink what otherwise would be thrown away.