Valerie Confections’ Blushing Berry bar, made of velvety white chocolate studded with raspberry, pistachio and rose petals PHOTO BY KRISTINA FREDERICKS
Enjoy the season with L.A.’s latest launches, from the Mauro Market offering hearty Italian staples from Mauro Cafe to Valerie Confections’ new bakery and chocolate shop in Glendale.
Co-founder Valerie Gordon. PHOTO BY KRISTINA FREDERICKS
SWEET SUCCESS The very first chocolate that Valerie Confections co-founder Valerie Gordon developed in 2004—the almond fleur de sel toffee—is still her most popular item. But the company, which just opened a new chocolate factory in Glendale, is constantly evolving. “We started as a chocolate company, then moved into petits fours, cakes, pastries and then more chocolates,” Gordon says. “Over the past few years, bringing people together and hosting events has really given us energy. The new Glendale bakery and chocolate shop gives us the space to collaborate with chefs, friends, other female founders and artists.” In addition to offering favorites such as Blum’s coffee crunch cake, the Durango cookie, and brand-new Shoyu caramel and mochi cake, the Glendale space will host events, dinners and classes. Some “chocolate-themed events” are in store for Valentine’s Day, as is a fresh twist on the beloved Valentine’s Bar made from bittersweet chocolate blended with pistachio, raspberry and rose petals. valerieconfections.com–Jasmin Rosemberg
The new garden seating area at Mauro Cafe PHOTO COURTESY OF: MAURO CAFE
TO MARKET
“I would attribute part of the long-term success to the fact that we’ve truly been a family restaurant for so many years,” says Mauro Cafe owner Evelyne Joan, whose popular Italian eatery is celebrating its 30th anniversary. As a woman-owned business, Mauro Cafe fostered a culture focused on relationships and treating each customer like family. In addition to a new garden seating area, Joan recently unveiled Mauro Market, which offers Italian and local specialty food products as well as the restaurant’s greatest hits—like pasta sauces, soups, lasagna, eggplant parm and more—which customers can reheat and prepare at home. “We noticed we were getting a lot of requests for sides of our pasta sauces from our customers for takeout,” says Joan, who transformed the restaurant’s cafe section into a market. “We’re also set to launch our market products online for delivery within the Los Angeles area very soon.” mauroscafe.com–JR
The Simard Bilodeau Contemporary booth at this year’s fair will feature Thai Mainhard’s “Le Temps Passe I & II (Diptych)” (2022, mixed media on canvas), 60 inches by 90 inches. PHOTO COURTESY OF: SIMARD BILODEAU CONTEMPORARY AND LA ART SHOW
LA Art Show producer and director Kassandra Voyagis PHOTO COURTESY OF: LA ART SHOW
DOWN TO A FINE ART
The LA Art Show—L.A.’s largest and longest-running art fair, benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital—is returning to the Los Angeles Convention Center from Feb. 15 to 19. “The 28th edition will be marked by a larger global presence than ever before, including the exciting debut of the Japanese Pavilion, introducing 10 galleries from Japan, as well as a strong return from the European galleries,” says producer and director Kassandra Voyagis. “This year’s fair will also see a larger presence of South Korean artists than ever before.” The international contemporary art experience will feature work in a range of mediums from over 100 galleries, museums and nonprofit arts organizations—with highlights like a TRANSformation exhibition by MRG Fine Art and Zero Two 20, and the fair’s signature DIVERSEartLA program curated by Marisa Caichiolo to address the global climate crisis. “We challenge ourselves to think out of the box and introduce attendees to incredible trends,” notes Voyagis. “For example, we were the first live show to showcase the NFT craze two years ago.” laartshow.com–JR
The Sita 1910 showroom features dresses from Mexican designer Carlos Pineda PHOTO: COURTESY OF SITA 1910
Sita 1910 founder Cio Soler PHOTO: BY PRANAI SHAH
GLOBAL STYLE
Peruvian fashion vet Cio Soler scours the world, from Colombia to Ukraine, for unique, sustainable and what she calls “ready couture” pieces—items that are beautifully crafted but without a wait or daunting price tag. After The Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel manager Rebecca Goldberg discovered Soler’s private retail business, she helped her open luxury boutique Sita 1910 at the hotel, where she serves clients by referral and appointment only. “Many brands carried at Sita 1910 are not available in the United States or any major department stores,” says Soler, who handpicks one-of-a-kind pieces from her network of designers and co-designs small capsules. Valuing craftsmanship over labels, her curated collection includes lines like Yuliya Magdych’s colorful caftans, Tim Ryan’s handstrung pieces and American vintage items from Red Vintage Co. Constantly growing since its summer launch, Sita 1910’s spring collection will include beautiful Italian linens, a special collaboration with Gladys Tamez Millinery and a surprise capsule she’s created with local stylists honoring the California Riviera lifestyle. sita1910.com–JR
A Gladys Tamez Millinery hat at The Peninsula Beverly Hills’ Sita 1910 boutique PHOTO: BY RUBEN TOMAS
Hi- Sun is one of three featured homes at Modernism Week. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MODERNISM WEEK
DESIGN-MINDED
Explore Palm Springs’ incredible midcentury modern architecture and interior design as Modernism Week’s signature February festival returns from Feb. 16 to 26. “Modernism Week celebrates the unique aspects of the architectural heritage in Palm Springs and the surrounding Coachella Valley,” says CEO Lisa Vossler Smith of the annual 11-day festival, which last year welcomed 96,700 attendees for over 350 events and will be even bigger in 2023. “Through our tours, talks and other compelling programs, we help educate people about the essential role that design plays in our daily lives.” This year, attendees can visit three featured homes—The Shag House, Hi-Sun and Yoasis—plus see other significant residences in the area on three Signature Home Tours. A keynote presentation with renowned architect Thom Mayne, the Palm Springs Modernism Show, extended days of the CAMP activity hub and a first-ever look into Frank Sinatra’s “Villa Maggio” are other exciting Modernism Week events. modernismweek.com–Camryn Wilneff
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