Written by: John Letzing Photo by: Dorothea Bylica

A Spanish specialty is added to Caf Patios signature blend of wicker and potted palms, attracting both finicky eaters and chic shoppers.

Tourists ambling into the back streets of Pragues Star Msto quarter are confronted with a scene thats more Kabul than central Europe. There is, in Hatalsk nmst, the anticipated mix of spires and art-nouveau facades. But then, theres also a big mess. An enormous gash of brick and dirt, where once was cobble stoned street, remains, more than a year after the floods of 2002, constantly operated on by truckloads of pot-bellied workmen in coveralls. So much the worse, then, for the latest edition of Caf Le Patio, Resto Caf Le Patio, which sits on a lonely corner amid the chaos. This is a pity, because this caf/restaurant, opened last April, offers a unique product with seemingly strong potential. Tarted up in deep amber and plum hues, the interior is a largely informal space, airy and pleasant enough for casual upscale dining. Michaela Polkov, the restaurants manager, says that business has been rather slow, due in large part to the street work going on daily outside its doors. But more than enough tourists have managed to find their way here, and Polkov also boasts of a diminutive but regular local clientele. What these people get is essentially a calmer, more secluded atmosphere than what they would find at the other Caf Le Patio, located on the relatively bustling thoroughfare of Nrodn street. Le Patio, a veritable Prague institution of home furnishings stores and caf-cum-restaurants, has cultivated a signature aesthetic. Its sort of like an antiseptic casbah, with enough visual flair to qualify as having been inspired by the Levant, yet also with enough cold austerity to remind you that youre still in Europe. This style, or lifestyle as Le Patio likes to call it (which is applied to their restaurant interiors as well as the home furnishings in their shops), is not unlike what you might find in an above-average timeshare condo, or perhaps your grandmothers apartment. Different, but just sedate enough to give the wary a knowing wink; youre really not in unfamiliar territory here.

The menu at Resto Caf Le Patio, while small, is rich, heavy, and calibrated for those that tend to think in terms of hard currency. That is, foreigners and local businesspeople. Polkov describes the philosophy behind the establishment as an emphasis on caf, together with a mixture of French cuisine. The French element is composed mainly of a filet mignon served with veggies and couscous, a tri-color salad with diced salmon and French dressing, an undeniably evil chocolate mousse, and a range of galettes with goat cheese, chicken, and bacon and eggs. There is also lighter fare on offer, including fresh salmon sashimi with wasabi, bruschetta, grilled tofu with tamari sauce, and a vegetable antipasta. But the main attraction is Spanish cuisine, served in the style of La Plancha; extremely hot saucepans are used for flash-frying, without oils, a variety of vegetables and meats. Polkov says that the owners of Le Patio were eager to be the first in town to present this particular style of Spanish culinary flair. Different La Plancha patrons are offered varieties of this cuisine that range from salmon mixed with tuna and trout, to calamari on a bed of saffron risotto, and (in a nod to Iberian-Czech relations) pork medallions tossed with quail and chicken. Polkov says they plan to eventually add outside seating, thus substantially augmenting the rather small interior capacity of 45. But she allows that wont be possible any time soon, as work crews plan to continue kicking up dirt outside at least until January. It just wouldnt do to have latte-sipping guests glared at by soiled workmen slugging 10 crown beers on their lunch break.

Resto Caf Le Patio Hatalsk 18 Tel. 224 819 767 resto@patium.com Open daily 11 23 CC: Amex, MC, Visa

PRAGUE has never been renowned for its Asian restaurants, but venues like Lemon Leaf may be thanked for setting a new standard of Eastern cuisine in the city. The owners imported Thai chefs to train their local staff, and the authenticity comes through in every dish from the sticky rice and creamy carrot soup with ginger to the kang fet kai (red curry chicken with coconut milk) and signature noodle dish pad thai. The menu also features more occidental recipes, with salads and light fare to please every palate. Whats more, staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is airy and relaxed.

Lemon Leaf, Na Zderaze 14, Praha 2

FARTHER AFIELD: Barabizna

Five years ago, the Gmuzdeks opened the Mexican restaurant Barabizna at Zbraslav. Last year they opened again, 10 weeks after the floods rushed through the popular venue. Fortunately nothing changed -the stylish interior, great service, even their famous specialities stayed the same. These include Piri piri chicken with jalapeos peppers and cheddar cheese, fried hyena steaks, numerous side dishes and desserts like fried ice-cream with caramel and nuts or delicious tiramisu with hot raspberries. Barabizna has its stable clientele from the neighborhood, while most visitors and newcomers gladly return. The rosy and rustic interior seats about 90, and in the summer you can sit outside, day or night.

Barabizna Pod pitlem 363, Praha 5 Zbraslav tel.: 257 921 362 Open daily 11:30-23:00 No cards accepted

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Resto Caf Le Patio: Hot plates, hot coffee

Repair Options on Andersen Vinyl Sliding Glass Patio Doors
Brought to you by http://www.SliderRepair.com . Older vinyl clad Andersen Sliding Glass Patio doors have their challenges. This video outlines some of those problem...

By: Lizette LaForge

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Repair Options on Andersen Vinyl Sliding Glass Patio Doors - Video

Police seek more information following Winchester burglary

First published in News by Lauren Howard, Reporter

POLICE have appealed for more information after a home was burgled in Winchester while the residents were away on holiday.

The incident occurred in Orient Drive at some time between 3pm on November 5 and 1pm on November 12.

When the family returned they found their rear patio doors had been smashed and the intruders had searched the rooms upstairs.

DC Sonia Poulter said: It is not clear what was taken by the offender(s) at this stage. However, they have smashed the rear patio doors to gain entry to the house and have searched the upstairs rooms.

I am urging anyone with information about this incident to come forward and speak to us.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact DC Poulter at North Walls police station by calling 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where information can be left anonymously.

Excerpt from:
Police seek more information following Winchester burglary

310 West Creek Springs
TRUE AFFORDABILITY IN CHESTERMERE! This bungalow offers a great open floor plan and features vaulted ceilings in the living room kitchen. Living room offers lots of windows for the natural...

By: Tammy Panchuk

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310 West Creek Springs - Video

Vicki Halmos, who founded the Entracte Theatrix production company, uses an apt theatrical comparison when she describes the layout of her 1928 house in Midtown, where elegance in the public spaces gives way to a more relaxed feel in the familys rooms.

You open the curtains or draw them closed, Halmos says by way of analogy. Its a great house for entertaining, but it has private family areas. It can be grand and stately in some rooms, but you walk down the hall and have a laid-back experience.

When she and husband Peter were house-hunting in 1984, their sons, Nic and Greg, were little.

With little boys, I needed to have adult rooms and family rooms, she said. When I was looking at properties, Id walk into a home and think, This is going to look like a bomb went off. I cant have people walk in the front door!

But when she saw a Mediterranean-style house designed by noted society architect John Volk at 315 Clarke Ave., she knew its configuration would provide the family with plenty of options.

While she hasnt changed its style and left historical elements intact, she has added an expansive media room between the main house and a two-story out building-and-garage on the back of the lot. The room with an open-beamed ceiling, a fireplace and a stone floor has large glass sliding-glass doors with fanlights above them. They open to the landscaped back yard, swimming pool, whirlpool spa and patios.

She also ordered some renovations, which included redoing the bathrooms and the kitchen, and combining smaller rooms to make larger ones, explains Halmos, whose theater company just closed a production of The Rocky Horror Show at the Crest Theatre in Delray Beach.

Its a nice traditional house with high ceilings, good-sized bedrooms and bathrooms, and plenty of room. It sits on a 180-foot-wide lot, and we put in the swimming pool. It looks like a pond. We have enjoyed the yard, and it has lots of rare trees and native Florida plants. The yard is large, and new owners would have room to expand; they could even build tennis courts.

Today, with the boys in their 30s and her husband spending more time in Key West, where he keeps his boats, the Halmoses are ready to downsize. Theyve listed their five-bedroom, seven-bath, two-half-bath house with 9,918 square feet of living space, inside and out, with Sabra Kirkpatrick, an agent with Brown Harris Stevens, for $11.9 million.

The front door opens into a foyer, which leads to a stair hall. To the east are the living room and library. The living room features a fireplace with a wood mantel, crown moldings and French doors that open to a small patio and side garden.

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Clarke Avenue home 'great' for entertaining -- and privacy

By Michele Lerner November 14 at 7:25 AM

Kristen Larson and her boyfriend, Brandon Chase, had been looking for a home to buy in the city for three years.

They were about to give up on their dream of homeownership until they found the Victoria, a newly constructed condominium building at 1443 Chapin St. NW, a few blocks from their apartment.

We love living on 14th Street, but it is just so hard to find something affordable in the city, Larson said. We expanded the area a little to Columbia Heights and into Adams Morgan but didnt find anything.

Larson and Chase were able to take advantage of preconstruction pricing at the Victoria, which was built by Drummond Development, a subsidiary of the UIP Companies.

The couple looked at new construction homes and resales, but they were particularly attracted to the design of their new one-bedroom condo with its open floor plan and large kitchen island.

Our bedrooms not that huge, but the rest of the place makes up for it with oversized windows and an open plan, Larson said. Also, everything has been done really well, with beautiful hardwood flooring, really nice lighting and upgraded appliances.

City views: Residents of the Victorias upper floors enjoy dramatic city views, including some that face the Washington Monument and the Capitol.

Each of the three available two-level penthouses includes a balcony and a roof terrace. The building has a C-shape design to maximize light to every residence and includes a private courtyard for residents.

In addition, advanced sound attenuating materials were used for noise reduction. Other building amenities include an elevator, a garage with nine parking spaces and space for bike and stroller storage, a surface parking lot and controlled building access.

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The Victoria, a new condominium building in D.C., offers dramatic city views and more

When the development company W.C. & A.N. Miller built the Overlook community in Bethesda, it was designed as a patio-styled enclave for people who wanted homes with enough space to entertain but fewer stairs and smaller yards. As one of the few custom-built houses in the neighborhood, this oversize Cape Cod packs an unexpected delight. Its brick facade and gable roof only hints at what lies behind the front door.

Its a huge surprise, said co-listing agent Eileen McGrath of Washington Fine Properties. Its not a boring brick Colonial that so many houses in Washington are.

The original owner, Dave Murchison, a founding partner of prominent Washington antitrust law firm Howrey Simon, hired architect Robert Yale to design the home in 1984. Yale created open and airy spaces that are suffused with natural light.

Stepping through the entry hall past the staircase that curves toward the second level, you emerge into a great room with soaring 20-foot ceilings. Sunshine pours through the skylights. A dramatic second-floor balcony overlooks the room.

John C. Culver bought the home from Murchison. Culver, an Iowa Democrat who spent 10 years in the House and six years in the Senate before establishing the government affairs practice at Arent Fox, took advantage of the homes grand rooms to entertain Cabinet secretaries, presidential candidates, members of Congress, foreign politicians and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists.

Steps from the great room is the family room. Wood beams and paneling create a warm, casual environment. The craggy fireplace is a strong anchor to the room. French doors in the great and family rooms lead to the 50-foot long Ipe deck.

The first-floor master suite has a bedroom with a tray ceiling and a Juliet balcony that overlooks the front of the home.

Three bedrooms are on the upper level and a sitting area looks down on the great room.

The lower level has a paneled library and a recreation room, both of which have doors leading to the garden patio.

The Overlook community includes a pool, picnic areas and access to the Capital Crescent Trail.

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House of the Week | Bethesda Cape Cod for $1.499M

Colleen Schmidt, CTV Calgary Published Wednesday, November 12, 2014 3:18PM MST Last Updated Wednesday, November 12, 2014 3:22PM MST

Calgary police are investigating 16 break-ins in south Calgary and have laid charges against several people in connection to some of the crimes.

Police say the break-ins happened in the communities of Evergreen, Millrise, Auburn Bay, Silverado and Chaparral between October 19 and the 26th.

In a number of cases the culprits were able to gain access to garages though unlocked doors or by removing door openers from vehicles in the driveway.

Police say in some cases the offenders even entered homes through unlocked doors between the house and garage and took keys to vehicles and other property.

In one instance, the culprit returned two days after breaking in and tried to steal a vehicle using stolen keys.

Charges have been laid against several people in connection to six of the incidents and investigators say at least four are related. They are working to determine if any of the other cases are connected.

Police say people should take the following precautions to ensure they are not targets of similar crimes:

Anyone with information on any break-in or vehicle theft is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously using any of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477 TYPE: http://www.calgarycrimestoppers.org TEXT: tttTIPS to 274637

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Several people charged in series of break and enters

Published on November 12, 2014 in A & E By Priscilla Ross

Hollywood hotspot restaurant, Cat & Fiddle on Sunset Blvd. decorates its last Hollywood Forever Halloween at this location. Photo Credit: Priscilla Ross/ Sundial Staff

Famed Hollywood hotspot Cat & Fiddle announced in late October that they would shut their doors on its Sunset Boulevard location after 32 years, due to a lease dispute.

The news comes after a recent announcement by the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard, saying the landmark venue would have to relocate by the end of 2015 to make way for a luxury hotel chain.

The famous seven acre, Hollywood hill, where guests of the Yamashiro restaurant could take in panoramic views of the city, also went on the market Wednesday, Curbed L.A. also reported.

Hollywood, we are worried for your fate, wrote Cat & Fiddle co-owners Paula and Ashlee Gardner on the restaurants Facebook page. Overdeveloped & overpriced. Out-of-town landlords who are worried about their pockets and not their souls. Its a sad place to be.

Paula Gardner opened the first Cat & Fiddle on Laurel Canyon Blvd. in 1982 with her late husband Kim, a British musician who was the bassist in the band The Creation.

Due to popularity and space issues, they had to move a few years later to the current location on Sunset Boulevard. The venue, built in 1929 is rich in history and served as a set for several scenes in the classic film Casablanca.

The Cat, as its often referred to by regulars, is known as a token British-style pub that serves traditional English dishes like bangers and mash and fish and chip, that can be washed down with a classic Bass ale or Boddingtons on tap.

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Famed Hollywood hotspot closes its doors after 32 years

Firework night is often associated with increases in anti-social behaviour, but this year the town was generally quiet and behaviour was good.

Unfortunately the town saw its first residential burglary for some time.

The offence happened whilst the owners were away between the October 31 and November 5.

A house in Weatherbury Way was entered by forcing the front door and property was taken. The rear patio doors were also damaged.

On the November 5 suspects also took a small 50cc motocross bike for a garden in Holbaek Close, the offence taking place overnight.

It is likely that a vehicle was used to take the scooter away as it is a heavy object and had a locking device fitted to the wheel.

This past week have seen my team make several arrests for minor drugs offences, shoplifters have been arrested and charged as has a local male for offences which we believe are connected to poaching. Another local male was charged with theft of diesel.

On Friday police stopped a vehicle in Mill Street, Dorchester, a search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of class A drugs.

The occupants of the vehicle were arrested and are now on police bail while enquiries continue.

This week two males were found guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court of assault offences which took place at the George Public House last November.

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Good behaviour on bonfire night