Some of us around Hometown Pasadena like a proper drink every now and then, so we talked amongst ourselves and came up with a short list of personal favorites. We’re saving wine bars for another post. If we’ve missed your favorite cocktail, please let us know! Aviation. Palate bartender Antoine makes this historic, gin-based cocktail [...]
After celebrating with abandon during the holidays, the Hometown Pasadena “girls” spent the month of January recovering by spa-ing around town. We each did a treatment or two — yes, it’s a tough job, but as the saying goes, someone’s gotta do it — and here are our finds, some more worthy than others. Amadeus [...]
The holidays are over, and we’re all trembling in fear at the impending arrival of our December VISA bills — but sometimes even in January we need to buy stuff. This is the month of everyday-essential purchases: Some nails and paint to fix that fence, a box of thank-you cards so your kids can acknowledge [...]
Just like Dorothy’s oft-quoted words from The Wizard of Oz, we at Hometown Pasadena believe there’s no place like home—Pasadena, that is—for holiday shopping. The perfect gift awaits each person on your list right here in our own towns, from Pasadena to Montrose. And remember, every dollar you spend at an independently owned store puts [...]
I just came across a book that has become The One I Give to New Parents So They Do Not Lose Their Minds Reading the Same Thing Over and Over. For years I gave new parents/children the charming and quirky George and Martha: The Complete Stories of Two Best Friends by James Marshall. I am convinced [...]
Pie season is nigh, and sure, we all know we can turn to Marie Callender’s if need be. But at Hometown Pasadena, we believe it’s always better to support a local business instead of a national chain, and besides, we have a remarkable array of pie resources. Here are our favorites, including a bake-it-yourself option. [...]
New York has its Soho, Tribeca and Nolita, L.A. has its WeHo, and now Pasadena has its very own NoCo, as in North of Colorado. Often overlooked but never boring, the Old Town streets north of Colorado — Union, Holly and Fair Oaks – are home to great stores (including a couple of brand-new ones), [...]
It’s time for our sequel to the $5 Lunch — the $7 Lunch. We’re moving a tiny notch up in class here, and as with the $5 Lunch, these are not fast-food, eat-in-the-parking lot dives. We’re talking a proper place to sit, with real forks, and a chance to relax over something fresh and tasty [...]
Some people seek wealth, some, love and some, inner peace. And some of us just need a good cheap place to eat lunch. And so we at hometown-pasadena.com have been on a quest to find good spots for a bargain lunch. We’re starting the series with the greatest challenge: the $5 Lunch. We’re not talking [...]
It’s August in the San Gabriel Valley, and we all know what that means. Here are some of our favorite ways to escape the heat without sitting home and cranking up the AC. Train to the Beach Perhaps you’ve noticed that the 210 has been backed up for three weeks straight, so this is not [...]
