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. $$
Run by a goofy bunch of guys in butcher’s whites, Harmony Farms specializes in wild game and organic, hormone-free, free-range lamb, turkey, beef and chicken. And this time of year, it’s the turkey that brings people up to the little Foothill storefront. You can pay $150 for a free-range, hormone-free turkey online, or you can [...]
A lovely shop, in this location for six years. Extensive selection of teas (over 200 varieties) for here or to take home. You will want to lie down in the yellow coconut cake as it is hypnotically sweet and moist. 79 N Raymond Ave, Old Pasadena, CA, 626.431.2832, chadotea.com, Tea. Daily from 11:30 a.m. MC, V. $-$$$
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. $
Okay, so a taqueria in a parking lot on the unglamorous corner of Villa and Lake isn’t actually elegant, but if you used to go to El Taquito Mexicano’s original home (as I did frequently), you’ll be impressed with the gentrification. The old place on Fair Oaks — across the street from La Estrella’s outdoor [...]
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 [...]
We go to this handsome bar and grill now and then a year and each time are pleasantly surprised at how good it is. It’s not as fancy as siblings Parkway Grill or Arroyo Chophouse, but it’s a better value, and here’s why: with each dinner entree you get a side order, instead of having [...]
In a quiet dining room with mirrored walls and lots of greenery, regulars put away steamed Shanghai-style dumplings filled with crab and pork; light pastry-style dumplings filled with sautéed leeks; Shanghai spareribs; and jade shrimp with a spinach purée. It’s all terrific, but it’s the dumplings we crave most. 301 W. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel, [...]
We posted about this swell promotion months ago, but it’s time for a reminder, because it’s still going on, and it’s a great deal for food and wine lovers. Sponsored by Visit Pasadena (basically the Pasadena Visitors Bureau), BYOWW is exactly what it says: You can bring your own wine to dinner, and corkage fees [...]
Good char-grilled burgers, perfect beer-battered onion rings, tasty breakfast burritos, a savory turkey-sausage sandwich with grilled onions, homemade guacamole and thick shakes keep this place packed every lunch hour with office workers and every evening with families. It has a nicer atmosphere than the other burger joints in town, and you can get a beer [...]
