Gilt trimmed tea parlor west of the Castle Green, the scones are delectable with the best strawberry jam we’ve had. Good finger sandwiches and lunch specials for heartier appetites. 18 W Green St, Pasadena, 626.577.0051, scarlettearoom.com, Tea. Tues.-Sun. from 11 a.m. AE, MC, V. $$-$$$
You won’t take much comfort in the setting—harsh light, less-than-nurturing service—but you’ll get all the comfort you could hope for from the steaming bowl of Family Handmade Noodle Soup, with hand-cut noodles and lots of yummy stuff. We also love the pan-fried dumplings, pork or shrimp soup noodle and our kids’ favorite, the “thin onion [...]
This quiet, opulent place, decorated like the home of a well-bred Upper East Side matron, doesn’t have the flash and buzz of L.A.’s foodie hot spots, but you’ll eat as well here as you will anywhere. Chef Akira Hirose knows his way around a kitchen, having trained with Joel Robuchon and cooked for such places [...]
Okay, so the food is phony by San Gabriel Chinese standards, and it’s a chain, if a local one. But we love Panda Inn anyway. The vegetables are fresh, the flavors are good, and the service is excellent. It’s the sort of place that non-Chinese families bring Grandma for a special occasion, and there’s not [...]
Welcoming, chic little lunch shop for full or a la carte afternoon tea. Great sliced chicken sandwiches on chewy rye bread, excellent salads, rose lemonade. 115 W Wilson Ave., Glendale, 818.507.7409, favoriteplacerestaurant.com, Tea. L Tues.-Sat. MC, V. $$
A lovely shop, in this location for six years. Extensive selection of teas (over 200 varieties) for here or to take home. You will want to lie down in the yellow coconut cake as it is hypnotically sweet and moist. 79 N Raymond Ave, Old Pasadena, CA, 626.431.2832, chadotea.com, Tea. Daily from 11:30 a.m. MC, V. $-$$$
In a handsome old brick building next to the library, this South Pas coffeehouse is one of the best in town, with well-made espresso drinks, a welcoming vibe and sunny sidewalk tables 1019 El Centro St., South Pasadena, 626.403.5951, Café. Mon.-Fri. from 7 a.m., Sat.-Sun. from 7:30 a.m. AE, MC, V. $
The nice people in this cheerful, open café serve a variety of Japanese dishes (tempura, sushi, gyoza), but the noodles are the thing to get– homemade udon and soba served in a variety of styles and temperatures. (Vegetarians, take note of the hard-to-find vegetarian broth for the noodles.) There’s nothing like cold soba on a [...]
This is not your usual small-town library event: the Friends of the Altadena Public Library are hosting George McGovern and John Dean at the Senior Center on November 2nd to sign books and give a joint lecture called, appropriately, “Talking Politics.” McGovern, a former U.S. senator, Democratic presidential candidate and respected historian, will be signing [...]
Astronomers from around the world, not to mention all of us locals, watched as the Station Fire swept toward Mt. Wilson, threatening to destroy the historic and important observatory, not to mention a lot of L.A.’s communications infrastructure. Observatory superintendent (and astrophotographer) Dave Jurasevich was there to observe the battle, and he’s coming to the [...]
