If you had to pinpoint the very exact center of all the riveting Tournament of Roses action, would you first name the actual Rose Bowl itself?
Or how about the intersection of Orange Grove and Colorado Boulevards, where the parade floats make their first (and much-anticipated) turn of the morning? Or maybe E. Sierra Madre and E. Washington Boulevards, where "A Showcase of Floats" grandly spreads out after the parade?
All are completely solid suggestions. But there are nearby places, around the Crown City and beyond, that are also popular destinations during the rosiest week of the year, places that aren't a part of the tourney but quite popular on their own.
The Original Farmers Market traditionally hosts many visiting football fans, while The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is a go-to for all of those glorious, in-bloom roses.
The plant-tastic San Marino landmark is changing it up around the coming Tournament of Roses, with the new addition of a splashy, special brunch. How special is this holiday weekend brunch? It's scheduled for three days, Saturday, Dec. 31, Sunday, Jan. 1, and Sunday, Jan. 2, which happens to be the very day of the Rose Parade.
The "chef-crafted entrées" include a Grilled Lobster Caesar, tossed-to-order, as well as a Local Vegetable and Cheese Frittata. A Nutella-stuffed Brioche French Toast, Citrus-brined Niman Ranch Turkey Breast, and Rose Garden Tea Room Scones are just a few of the foodie-amazing temptations on the lengthy menu.
You'll make for the Rose Hills Foundation Garden Court for all of this celebratory dining, but first you'll need to choose among the two daily seatings, and then reserve your spot.
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Times for those seatings? 10:30 a.m. and 1 o'clock. The cost is $85, and $40 for children under 12. (Note if you want to stay and visit the gardens you'll need a separate ticket.)
Will this become a Huntington tradition, one that cleaves, with pomp and omelets, to the close-by goings-on of the Tournament of Roses?
Well, it is, along with the floats, just about the rose-laden-iest spot in all the land over the New Year's holiday. Perhaps this brunch will bloom, like so many of the Huntington's roses, with regularity for years to come.
