Menu: Garvanza's Set to Open on Friday, May 4

Earlier on Tuesday, we reported that the long awaited restaurant located at Avenue 64 just south of Repton Avenue finally has a name (Garvanza's) and an Opening Date (Friday, May 4).

Now we know the manager's name, too. She's Elisabeth Gonzalez, and she took some time to answer Patch's questions about Garvanza's this afternoon.

Can you confirm Garvanza's opening date and time?

We are having a Grand Opening on Friday, May 4 from from 5pm-9pm. We would like to extend the invitation to our neighborhood--Highland Park, Garvanza, South Pasadena, Mount Washington and the surrounding areas--to come and try samples of our menu that we'll be offering as part of our appreciation for everyone's patience.

Our hours we be Mon-Fri 6 a.m.-3 p.m.  (Our hope, opening at 6AM, is to cater to the commuter traffic on Avenue 64 heading to the 134 or the 110.)  We will have fresh brewed coffee, fresh juice, fresh made muffins, breakfast burritos, and mango yogurt cups with house made granola. Fresh and fast and easy to eat while driving.

Saturday and Sunday we will be open from 9am-9pm. We will have a brunch menu, lunch, and dinner.

What kind of food will Garvanza's offer?

It's been our vision to bring an eclectic mix of  Latin American, Caribbean, Mexican and Central American cultural flavors into the neighborhood with a focus on fresh and locally sourced ingredients.

We will be offering fresh organic juices, handmade tortillas, slow cooked meats. Our dairy, eggs, and meats will be organic and free range. We will be getting much of our fruits and vegetables from local farmers' markets and we will be carrying local coffee roasters Plow&Gun.

See attached menu.

Describe the restaurant's decor.

We've worked hard on the interior and exterior, maintaining the original structure and signage placement to be a familiar beacon to residents. We improved the storefront with a dark wood facade and paint scheme and lined the entrance and median of the sidewalk with new plants and planters.  We'll have a couple of tables outside for some great outdoor seating.  Come walk on by, it's really nice and looks great even when driving past.  The interior is also a cozy dark wood with great lighting provided by some handmade fixtures.

It seems like it's been a long road to opening the restaurant. Can you give us some background about the process of getting Garvanza's ready for the public?

The owner, Michael Jimenez, is a successful entrepreneur with his own local business of 16 years, but this is his first restaurant.  He has a number of close friends that are successful restaurateurs here in Los Angeles and their advice has been invaluable. Michael saw the opportunity to fill a need for the community when he saw the lease come up for the space as opposed to just starting any restaurant in any old spot.  This was special to Michael and his wife Christina, who are long time residents of the area, and so it's taken a couple of years to devote the time and resources to make it just right.

Tell us about your culinary background.

I myself was hired a year ago to realize and give the owner's vision direction and focus in regards to the menu, operations and feel of the space.  I'll be the wearing a lot of hats along with the rest of the staff; running the place, refining the recipes, working in the kitchen and serving the customers.

I've been working in the food service industry for the past 12 years, from coffee shops to restaurants, to catering to farmers' markets.  Before Garvanza's I started a specialty bar and catering company called Fresh Young Coconuts which has been very successful.  While I haven't opened up a restaurant from scratch before, each stop on the way has earned me the skills and perspective that I've been eager to bring to my own project and I'm truly grateful to the owners Michael and Christina for giving me the opportunity to do something as wonderful as this.

Who are some of the other individuals who've helped prepare Garvanza's for its grand opening.

Mary Strong from The Green Yogi, has been invaluable in coming up with interior and exterior design ideas for Garvanzas.  Christina is bringing some great dessert recipes to the menu too.  In fact there's been a lot of people that have helped make this a reality.  A lot of thanks goes to my staff that have done everything from construction to landscaping to kitchen help.