Arnon Raphael and his family welcomed a mixer of the Studio City Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday evening to their t, introducing them to their new Chef Adam Horton, and showing off the new remodeled dining area designed by his wife, Terry.
"First of all, I am not 16," said the youthful-looking Horton, who went to school at with Raphael's son Aron. "Here I have found a place where I wasn't constrained, and they only use the best ingredients, and the most amazing produce. I am able to work directly with the farmers and try diverse new things."
Daughter Shoshana also greeted the guests, including newly-married Chamber President Theresa Cameron, Chamber executive director Esther Walker, Studio City Resident Association president Allan Dymond fresh back from a train vacation throughout the Northwest, and local media notables Barry Wise, publisher of the Studio City Lifestyle magazine, and Jim Kaplan, associate publisher of the Studio City News.
Also among the guests were former Chamber president Jack McGrath, Mort Allen, Coldwell Banker broker Don Dungey, insurance man Jacob Castroll and hist daughter, Lea Rockwood. Andrew Lachman, who is running for State Assemblyman in the 42nd district was there as well as Stephanie Gillette from Assemblyman Mike Feuer's office.
A new doctor who just moved into the area and is practicing in Studio City, Dr. Nicole Alexander, said she is helping people now with weight loss, wellness and healthy living. "Everyone eats differently, and so everyone needs a different approach to deal with it."
Raphael has live music every Thursday night, and this week a popular Brazilian jazz group Quetzal Guerrero is playing. Arnon Raphael said last week a group was singing a Crosby, Stills and Nash song when Stephen Stills walked in to the restaurant.
"I went up to him and wondered what he thought of the band playing his song while he was walking in," Raphael explained. "But he had a hearing aid because of all the years playing on the road, and said he didn't hear them but would have loved to have heard them. I had a nice chat with him."
