Whittier dentist, Dr. John Sudick receives the Hacienda La Puente Adult School 2014 Heroes Award from Heather Pasicznyk, RDA, BVE, MS for his more than 10 years of volunteer work with the Dental Assisting Program.

Local Whittier dentist Dr. John Sudick wasn’t sure to expect when he arrived at the Hacienda La Puente Adult School (HLPAS) on Thursday Nov. 13, 2014 for a luncheon to honor volunteers for the adult education program.

Sudick has been volunteering for the HLPAS Dental Assisting Program for more than 10 years in various capacities including teaching, consulting on the board for the accredited dental assisting school, placement for dental assisting externships and providing dental services for the San Gabriel Foundation for Dental Health at the school’s clinic.

The walls were adorned with superheroes from various DC Comics including Superman and Captain America. The chairbacks at each table had various superheroes capes attached, and large life-size cutouts were at the side front of the room for photos.

It was over the top to honor 12 volunteers from the various Career and Technical Education Programs at HLPAS. The gourmet food prepared by the HLPAS Culinary Arts students for the luncheon included smoked beef brisket, shrimp, mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, various salads, and fruits and wonderful desserts.

Sudick enjoyed the fresh fruit tart while seated with his sponsor, Heather Pasicznyk, RDA, BVE, MS , the Dental Assisting Program director. Those interested in learning more about the one-year-long Dental Assisting Program or other career education opportunities can go to the website www.WhittierDentalOffice.com and click on “In Our Community.”

Filo and Steve Hernandez have been married for 35 years. They recently reopened Steve’s BBQ in Uptown Whittier after orchestrating a complete makeover to the longstanding Louisiana-style rib eatery.

Biker-bar reputation a thing of the past

By Tim Traeger
Editor
411whittier.com

WHITTIER – There was a time when a trip to Steve’s BBQ in Uptown Whittier was a perilous journey.
The place used to be rife with Mongol biker gangsters and people who would get drunk, loud and unruly as the clock edged past midnight and the music rose even louder.
That was, used to be.
Now take a look at the longtime eatery at 7007 Greenleaf Ave. If you’ve been to Steve’s before, prepare to be amazed.
Owners Steve Hernandez, his wife Filo (Filomena) and son Josh – with help from interior designer Gabriel Morones – have transformed the place into an upscale eatery, even if those predisposed to stereotypes don’t easily equate class and family with Louisiana-style ribs.
Steve, 55, who began his career bussing tables in Montebello at the ripe age of 16, recently invested a large chunk of change to give his restaurant a completely new look. Following a six-week renovation, the place that formerly could pass as a bad bar at best is now a classy establishment in the truest spirit of a revitalized Uptown.
Steve and his staff hosted a reception last week for about 30 people who were equally amazed.
“It’s a big deal. It’s absolutely gorgeous,” espoused Mayor Pro Tem Fernando Dutra. He said Steve’s might help transform Uptown into a destination spot, not unlike Old Town Pasadena, Downtown Long Beach or Los Angeles.
“This is a transformation. For the types of businesses we have in Whittier, Steve’s provides entertainment that nobody else provides. You combine that with great food and a great atmosphere … and it’s going to turn Uptown into a destination. I’m so proud of what he’s done and how far he’s come. He stuck it out and through perseverance, look what it’s gotten him. It’s amazing,” Dutra said. “I’m shocked at the (ceiling) elevations here. It’s beautiful. He’s done a great job and I’m proud of him.”
Steve’s regular Samantha Ridout, past president of the Boys and Girls Club of Whittier, was equally impressed at the restaurant’s metamorphosis. For years Steve Hernandez has donated food to the “Ribs for Kids” events and has been a longtime supporter of the club.
“He helped raise money for the organization,” Ridout said. “It gave us the opportunity for good community exposure – letting people know who we were. He’s always been so generous. He donates to the (BGCW) gala every year. He loves the community. He loves the kids. He’s a hard worker and has good ethics. He had troubles in the past with his business years ago, but everything (the city) asked him to do he did.
“He just has a huge heart,” Ridout said. “That’s the reason why I love supporting him and being his friend, because he’s such a wonderful person. I’m so impressed by the work they did. It is good for Uptown Whittier. People are investing in making things better in Uptown. I’m sure his fellow businesspeople are happy he’s upgraded.”
Steve bought the restaurant in 2002 from his mom, Nancy Lemus. Both are staples in the Whittier Host Lions Club. Before that, Steve and Filo owned The Barbecue House in Montebello. The times have changed, but the food remains the same, albeit on a more focused menu. Patrons can order half and full orders of baby back, spare and beef ribs, ribeye steaks, barbecued chicken, crab legs, oysters, fried and garlic shrimp, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks and chicken salads. And don’t forsake the mashed potatoes, perhaps the best this writer has ever tasted.
Add a full bar that includes delectable cucumber or mango margaritas, peanut butter shots and more than 20 craft and domestic beers, and there’s plenty on the menu to please the palate and keep customers coming back for more.
What Steve’s offers that many other restaurants don’t, however, is live music. From Thursday through Sunday, after 9 p.m., Steve’s features rotating bands like the Midnite Cats and Sal’s All-Stars, serving up jazz and blues until 2 a.m. Between 10 and 15 different bands appear on Steve’s musical menu. The kitchen remains open until 1:30 a.m. for the late-night diner.
Steve’s employs about 20 and is open six days a week. On Tuesdays it’s open from 5 to 10 p.m., Wednesdays from 5 to 11 p.m. and Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. with aforementioned live entertainment. The restaurant also caters food for every occasion.
“I’m a 54-year-old guy who happens to enjoy the music they provide. They cater to my particular generation,” Dutra said. “It’s got high-level food and a loyal customer base. This is how he rewards them, by putting money back into the establishment. Think about it. Steve is taking money out of his own account and investing back in his restaurant and the city. You wouldn’t come up with this type of investment unless you believed in the area.”
“Our specialty is still barbecue. We’ve incorporated other dishes to just offer choices like some shrimp and some tacos. It’s been a work in progress,” Filo said. “We wanted to make this place accommodating, comfortable. We wanted people to come in and not feel like you’re in a bar.”
And for Steve, it’s a love of family that’s spurred his restaurant’s transformation more than anything else.
“I’ve been in the restaurant business most of my life, since I was 16,” Steve said. “I just wanted to create something where families could come, enjoy their meal and have it cooked for them the way I’d want it cooked for me. So, we try and put that extra love into it – like it was being served for me or other family members. That’s how we try and treat our customers. People come here and just want to have a good time.”
Call 562-789-0200 or visit www.stevesbarbq.com for the delicious details.
Tim Traeger is former editor of the Whittier Daily News. Reach him at ttraeger@411whittier.com or call 626-646-7352.

A faux fireplace stands in one of the parlor residential units at the 202-room Radisson Hotel Whittier. The property recently underwent a $6 million renovation.

Radisson Hotel Whittier General Manager James Sarkis stands in one of the 202-room hotel’s parlor residential suites. The hotel has recently undergone more than $6 million in renovations.

Radisson Hotel Whittier General Manager James Sarkis is shown in his office. The property recently underwent more than $6 million in renovations.

By Tim Traeger
Editor
411whittier.com
WHITTIER – A former musician-turned-hotel general manager is making beautiful music in Whittier.
Under the six-year stewardship of Radisson Hotel Whittier General Manager James Sarkis, the former professional guitarist and native of the Bronx, N.Y. helped persuade Taiwanese owner Terry Lee to invest more than $6 million to improve both the hotel and its sagging reputation.
That money over the last three years has transformed the 202-room, eight-story hotel into the place to stay for people visiting Whittier.
Just a few years ago the hotel just north of Mar Vista Street on Greenleaf Avenue, formerly known as the Hilton, was accommodating a poor reputation. Dirty linens. Filthy glasses. A TV menu that ran from channels 2 through 13.
‘”It was in bad shape,” admitted Sarkis, 46. “Everything is different now – a complete remodel. I started pestering the new owner. We need to make renovations. Renovations. Renovations. Or your business is going to go down the tubes,” he said he told owner Lee.
And the changes are being noticed. Parents of Whittier College students who used to shy away from the Radisson in favor of the Double Tree in Norwalk or the Embassy Suites in Downey are coming back to the Radisson.
“Either he’s going to kill me or he’s going to give us the money. Thank God he gave us the money,” Sarkis said of Lee. “If you don’t give me the horses to run you can bring in a GM from Pluto and he’s not going to be able to help you. If you don’t have the horses, you can’t pull the wagon.”
Now that wagon looks more like a luxury coach. New furniture and linens in every room, a new look to every floor, and an open lobby that’s clean and fresh. The restaurant – Sophia’s California Bistro – has been transformed into a place for locals and visitors alike to gather and have fun while enjoying professional sports and live entertainment.
The investment has also paid off in a fresh reputation with the city itself, which gleans about $750,000 a year from the room taxes the hotel collects, according to Sarkis. That’s a welcome addition considering over the last seven years Whittier has lost all but two of its automobile dealerships along Whittier Boulevard.
“We were missing the opportunity so we decided to get these people back. Just being the only full-service hotel in Whittier, that means a lot. Everyone in the community loves our hotel. Any family event. Any life event. They want to have it here first,” Sarkis said.
“We’ve done everything from our meeting space, totally new, to the rooms. Everything is new. We had intense training with our employees to be up to standards,” said Frank Macias, director of sales and marketing.
He said the hotel is now running at occupancy rates of 150 to 170 rooms rented out of the 202 total.
“That’s not bad, compared to last year where we were averaging less than 100,” Macias said.
“The future looks bright. Already since the renovations there’s a 100-percent difference. We’re bringing back clients that decided to leave us through no fault of their own. They’re coming back, they’re happy and they’re recommending us to other people. It’s growing.”
Sarkis was stark in his assessment of the Radisson’s past performance, and its previously tarnished reputation.
“I’m not going to lie. At one point, we were in bad shape with the city. With the council. With the Police Department. With the Fire Department. As I told Mr. Lee, it’s going to take more than renovations to change the hotel. The hotel had a bad reputation. We had a lot of bad elements around the hotel. So we basically had to clean house from inside out. Meaning, bad-apple employees.”
Mayor Bob Henderson has noticed the difference.
“The Radisson … they certainly have done lot in cleaning up the lobby and the restaurant. They worked to improve the bathrooms and the public facilities,” Henderson said. “What I’ve seen of the rooms is they are more modern. What they provide is the transient occupancy tax and some amount of sales taxes. They seem to be trying hard to bring the standards up. That’s good for the community and good for the hotel. They’re an asset to Whittier.”
“The Radisson hadn’t been renovated in 14 years,” said sales manager Angela Reyes. “We’ve invested more than $6 million, easily over, to repair things that were busted. There were plumbing issues. Now we have brand new linen. The furniture is modern, plush in urban décor. We’ve gotten great feedback. The people definitely love it. We have Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. We have a new sound and entertainment system in the ultra-lounge. We’re bringing back live music on the weekends. Our lounge is taking on a sports-bar direction. Mondays and Thursdays are really fun around here.”
“More corporate clients are traveling from Italy, Greece, China and Japan,” Reyes said. “Everywhere you can think of and they’re staying here and loving it.”
Sibling properties include the Carlson Rezidor, Country Inn Suites, Park Plaza, the Radisson Blue and the Park Inns.
Reyes said the remodel began in 2011 with the renovation of guest rooms completed in 2013.
Depending on demand, room prices range from $109 to $189 a night.
Macias said the metamorphosis is constant and continuous.
“We’re never going to be done with it. It’s an ongoing process,” Macias said. “As we grow, guest comments are our No. 1 thing. Why would our guests and clients go anywhere else? The future looks bright. Already since the renovations there’s a 100-percent difference. We’re bringing back clients that decided to leave us through no fault of their own. They’re coming back, they’re happy and they’re recommending us to other people.”
Sarkis gave his staff any credit due.
“It’s been a team effort. From the general manager down to the hourly employees – we have employees who have been here 30 years, from when it was the Hilton,” Sarkis said. “Now we have something that we’re proud of. We take pride in it. We can actually invite someone to the hotel and not be embarrassed. It’s definitely good for the city.”
Certainly beautiful music for Whittier.
Tim Traeger is editor of 411whittier.com. Reach him at 626-646-7352 or e-mail him at ttraeger@411whittier.com