Specializing in Pasadena, Glendale, Eagle Rock, Burbank, Downtown L.A., Hollywood, and the Valley - - Restaurants Rated and Reviewed

Read Reviews for:

Akbar Cuisine of India	Huntington Gardens Tea Room
Ai Japanese Restaurant	Il Fornaio
Bistro de la Gare	Kabuki Japanese Restaurant
Buca di Beppo Italian	Matt Denny's Ale House
Cameron's Seafood	Mijares Mexican Restaurant
Casa Calderon	Neomeze
Crown City Brewery
The Derby Restaurant
Frank and Dean's	Saladang
Frontrunner - Santa Anita Park	Sirona's at Santa Anita
Gordon Biersch	Sorriso
Gus's Barbecue	Stoney Point
Hamburger Hamlet	Twin Palms
Holly Street Bar and Grill

RATINGS KEY
• = A YummyEats.com Favorite
• 4 stars = Tops in Yummy!
• 3 stars = Good Stuff
• 2 stars = Fair
• 1 star = Yuk

Reviews

HE SAYS: In need of a late night meal in Old Pasadena we decided to try Neomeze. As the name implies, Neomeze offers a "new" take on the concept of the meze (pl. mezethes), which is an Eastern Mediterranean version of the small plate - something similar to the Spanish Tapas; more than an appetizer, but less than a full entree, usually enjoyed as a complement and enhancement to alcoholic beverages.

There was a full, boisterous crowd when we arrived. A DJ spun tunes to entertain the crowd, which spread across 2 large rooms - one the lounge, the other the dining area - and spilled onto the outdoor patio. Some of the wine selections are a bit pricy, but the Montecillo Rioja we tried ($32) was quite nice - very dry.

The first Meze plate we tried was a Mixed Baby Green Salad, which was lettuce, tomato, radicchio, red onion, cucumber and kalamata olives, with a nice vinaigrette dressing. It was somewhat halfway between a green dinner salad and a greek salad, and was quite tasty. The Heirloom Tomato Ravioli with burrata cheese and coconut froth were delicious. Next up was Pork Tenderloin; this cames with delicate slices, stacked on a bed of rocket over mashed potatoes, and sprinkled with slices of pear - very nice. The Fresh King Salmon with Couscous, and Citrus Brown Butter was listed as coming with spinach, but came with corn instead, which I felt actually worked better than spinach would have. It was another excellent blend of flavors. At the suggestion of our helpful waiter, we then tried the Squash Blossoms, stuffed with Mozzarella and fried, with a Crimini Mushroom accompaniment. I'm glad we took his suggestion because we really enjoyed this dish.

There is not a great selection of desserts, but the Warm Chocolate Ganache called out from the menu. It came topped with a generous scoop of Vanilla Bean ice cream, and was exquisitely rich and yummy. At about $12-15 per small plate, Neomeze is not particularly easy on the wallet, but the food is so good that it is definitely a place to which you are likely to return. ( He's rating: 4 stars )

SHE SAYS: Arriving at this restaurant/hot spot around 10:20 P.M. after seeing a play at a nearby theatre, we parked in the large structure behind the restaurant (and the lot was nearly full - but we managed to get a spot all the way at the top). A short walk to the back side of the restaurant where they have a small outdoor patio area which was absolutely packed with people (there are some tables I noticed, but most of the people seemed to be "standing room only" - it was that crowded). Neomeze consists of a large rectangular dining area with a small bar at one end, a separate lounge/bar area, and the outdoor patio area. A DJ was playing music that loudly thumped through the entire space, a trendy-looking area comprised of brick walls, plain lines in orange and black, hard-wood floors, white cases above the bars that showcase the liquor bottles with florescent lighting, and dining area tables with unusual modern-looking thickly padded chairs that are actually quite comfortable! We were seated in the dining room at a small two-person table against one wall and right next to the bar. The whole restaurant was loaded to the gills with mainly trendyish twenty-somethings in club attire - ladies in tight jeans and black tops, men in jeans and loose-fitting shirts (yes, everyone here was pretty much dressed alike!).

Soon greeted by our friendly waiter, we looked over the menu to try and decide what to order. Neomeze specializes in small plates, some hot, some cold - served family style. You have one small, white rectangular plate to serve yourself food on, then each dish is brought on it's own little white rectangular plate. Okay - there were many odd but interesting sounding items on the menu to choose from; it was difficult to decide what to order. We decided to start with four items - first to arrive being the Mixed Baby Greens salad, almost Greek in style and topped with a tasty vinaigrette. When almost finished our second plate arrived - Heirloom Tomato Ravioli (recommended by our waiter), this was absolutely YUMMY! It was topped with a coconut froth, sounds a bit odd but tasted really good. After finishing this up, shortly up came our next two plates at once - Pork Tenderloin, very tender and flavorful, and the Fresh King Salmon, also quite good. I must note, a few of the dishes were different than described on the menu - especially of note, the King Salmon, listed on the menu as over spinach actually came with corn. BUT - everything did taste really great, so no complaints. Still hungry, we decided to try yet another plate - the Squash Blossoms. Sounded weird to me, but recommended by the waiter, this was really good too. Came with five pieces, not a lot - but tasty. This is a very hip spot, excellent food, excellent service, and lively party-like atmosphere (at least at the late hour we were there). ( She's rating: 4 stars food; 4 stars atmosphere/decor; 4 stars service )

HE SAYS: Saturday night we ate at Buca di Beppo in Pasadena. Because of the many "family style" priced items on the menu, this popular chain is a great place to go for large group celebrations. SHE and I were with a party of 11 for a friend's birthday. We arrived early so we could have a drink at the bar. I had enough time before the other guests arrived to have a Martini and a draft beer - the latter being served in a colossal glass.

We were seated at a long table in one of the restaurant's many boisterous rooms. The Garlic Bread with Mozzarella was really almost a pizza, with a thick coating of cheese on top. The Fried Calamari, which came with a marinara dipping sauce, was a pleasant iteration of this popular dish. We tried the Caesar Salad and the Chopped Antipasto Salad. Both were nice, but I especially liked the Antipasto Salad, as it was full of Italian meats and goodies. The Tuscan Beans & Escarole is a nice side dish. It now has a bit of marinara sauce on it, which is a new touch since the last time I was here. Of the pastas, the Penne Arrabbiata had a nice, tangy sauce, with spicy sausage - real good, but the Spaghetti & Meat Balls were pretty pedestrian. The ultra thin crusted Margherita Pizza was excellent. The Double Dark Chocolate Cake was rich and delicious. They do have a wine list here, but I found the house Chianti fine for washing down this family fare. ( He's rating: 3.5 stars )

SHE SAYS: Arriving early for a 7:00 P.M. birthday dinner/gathering at Buca di Beppo in Old Pasadena, we found parking down the street (a couple of blocks walk), got into the restaurant at about 6:15 P.M. and headed into the bar area for cocktails -- I ordered a Gin Martini and it was really, very good - and very large! The bar here is quite nice - medium-sized rectangular area with booths along one side and the long wood bar along the other side, which is backed by a long window through which you can barely see the street traffic going by through the decorations and booze bottles that line the front of the window. Along the center of the area is a half wall/low table with a few stools in front of it where patrons can lean or sit (if lucky enough to get a seat) - behind which is a wall on which hangs a variety of retro 50s/early 60s high school yearbook photos of different young ladies and fake bios (I think it says something like "Miss Buca" on the top of each photo). On this occasion the bar was almost empty when we arrived - we were the only people sitting at the eight-stool bar - but was completely full by 7:00 P.M. when the rest of our party group (eleven of us total) arrived and we were soon all seated in one of the big, noisy rooms that have mainly seating for large groups. Our table was a big booth at the end of the room to which they had added a second table sticking out from the booth. The room, in fact, all the rooms in Buca di Beppo are decorated with wall to wall, top-to-bottom vintage photos of famous and not so famous Italians (our room had practically a shrine to Frank Sinatra's picture on the wall, decorated with flowers and decor surrounding the large photo - nearby I noticed a prominent photo of Gina Lollobrigida) - even the ceiling here was completely covered with old Italian opera posters and the like. A really cool space - love the look of the place. One room we have sat in the past is called the "Pope Room" - it features walls decorated with images of the Pope and a large round table to eat, which some people we know love (I personally think that table makes it feel a bit too conference-room like).

Food here is served family-style in large or small platters which are passed around the table for all to share. As we had eleven people we were able to try a number of dishes. First up we had the Fried Calamari appetizer, which was not the best calamari I've had, but quite decent with a mild marinara dipping sauce. They then served us the two salads we ordered - one was the Caesar Salad (I was last in the table pass for this - gone, except for one leaf that tasted okay - again nothing out-of-this-world). The other salad we ordered was the Di Beppo "1893" salad (which is a really tasty chopped salad we have had in the past and loved) - I noticed the salad had changed, and looking at the photo on the website now I realize that they actually served us the "Chopped Antipasto Salad" instead. This was really good too, so no complaints actually - a big platter loaded with greens topped with lots of Italian meats and cheeses, tomatoes, cucumber slices, and pepperoncinis - one of my favorite dishes of the evening. We were also served at this time the "Garlic Bread with Mozzarella", which was like a small, deep-dish pizza pie - cut and served in slices out of an aluminum pie pan, this was quite cheesy and tasty. As each dish was mostly eaten up and whisked away (even when not quite eaten up) they next brought out the main dish courses - we ordered the "Spaghetti and Meatballs" and the "Penne Arrabbiata", both were decent pasta dishes, though nothing to write home about. The meatballs were fairly tasty, the spaghetti needed more sauce. The Penne was topped with some really, nice spicy sausage pieces, which were good. On the side we got the "Tuscan Beans & Escarole", pretty tasty and the "Margherita Pizza", quite good - topped with way more than enough mozzarella cheese. For dessert, the "Double Dark Chocolate Cake", brought out with loud "Happy Birthday" sung by waiters and us, and a lit candelabra. We all had a slice of cake - it was rich and delicious, I must say.

This is a fun, frolicking, very noisy restaurant to go to with a large group (because of the way they serve the platters of food, you don't see many smaller groups or couples here). By the way, when the hostess brings your group to your table they ALWAYS lead you (at least it's been that way for me here) right through the bustling kitchen area (where there is actually a booth that one group can eat at - looks fun to me). While the food is more like something you might be served at someone's own family party (very homestyle, reasonably good, though nothing fancy) I would recommend Buca di Beppo as a really fun place to take your group or have a party - great atmosphere, they have a friendly young wait staff, and the restaurant is also kid friendly (they have a kids menu too). ( She's rating: 3.5 stars food; 4 stars decor/atmosphere; 3.75 stars service )

HE SAYS: On Friday we ended up eating at Crown City Brewery in Pasadena. The original appeal of Crown City was it's vast, international selection of draft and bottled beers. If you're adventurous - and thirsty - enough, and have ample idle time on your calendar, you can try to fill out a beer passport, upon completion of which (i.e. drinking 100 different beers), you will be entitled to have your name etched on a plaque on the wall. For us however, on this evening, it was just dinner and a few suds to wash it down. (For the record, I did have a Fuller's London Pride upon arrival, and we shared a pitcher of Bass with dinner).

I ordered the Grilled Albacore Sandwich. This was a good sized hunk of meat, and was grilled just right. Sandwiches come with a choice of french fries, small green salad, cole slaw, or baked beans. I should also mention that Crown City is well appointed as a sports bar. Plenty of televisions are strategically positioned around the large room. ( He's rating: 3.5 stars )

SHE SAYS: Arriving about 7:00 P.M. this Friday night, parking was easy in the lot next to the restaurant. We were quickly seated at a two-person table next to a rail that overlooks the sports bar area - the restaurant was about 3/4 full, but filled up soon after our arrival. Crown City Brewery is sort of a factory looking space, with big open piping on the ceiling and an all wood interior - it's decorated with lots of neon beer signs, many TVs showing a variety of sports games are on the walls surrounding the bar area (you can easily see the TVs from where we were seated too) and best of all, a whole wall of beer bottles behind the long bar. The area is split into two levels - the restaurant above, which overlooks the bar area below. Vintage, mainly 70s, rock music plays in the background here - but not so loudly you can't talk.
They have a large variety of beers to choose from - I decided to start with a Samuel Smith Imperial Stout, which proved to be very good. They offer a choice of food from burgers and sandwiches to dinner specialties like pork chops and flat iron steaks. I decided to get the Guacamole and Salsa Burger, which comes with a side choice of french fries, cole slaw, or baked beans - I usually get fries with a burger, but today felt like beans. The burger ended up being really big and really, really good - I was VERY pleasantly surprised, this was possibly the best guacamole burger I've had (and it's a kind of topping I often order for burgers). This was a very messy burger - dripping with tons of creamy, tasty, fresh guacamole and topped with a delicious, homemade salsa with a nice spicy bite to it. Tops in yummy! The baked beans were more what I would call a Mexican-style bean in flavor, and seemed to have a little cheese mixed in - the beans were very good and went well with the tastes on my burger. We were having a good time, so ordered a pitcher of Bass and watched the goings-on down in the bar area. A nice place to go to eat some tasty food in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. ( She's rating: 3.75 stars food; 3.5 stars decor/atmosphere; 3.75 stars service )

HE SAYS: I had not been to Ai Japanese restaurant, near the Rialto theater in South Pasadena, since the days when they had bright, plasticized examples of the food displayed out front. The decor has modernized a bit since then, but the food is as good as ever.

We passed up the small, popular sushi bar and opted for a full dinner. The "boat" dinners were between $15-19 so we went for one of those - the Chicken Teriyaki version. The dinner easily served both of us, even with a bit left over, though it is technically for one. We did have to order an additional Miso Soup and rice at a nominal price since we were splitting the dish. The soup was rich and satisfying. It was served along with a bit of pickled cabbage. The boat contained quite a lot of the teriyaki chicken which was very tender and delicious. There was a sampling of sashimi - tuna and an especially tasty salmon - which came with a bit of Wasabi on the side. There was a good deal of tempura, including 2 large pieces of shrimp, along with carrot, squash, asparagus and sweet potato. There were a few tasty gyoza-style dumplings. A hot dipping sauce was also provided. Adding to the cornucopia were a green salad, cucumber salad, and fresh fruit - orange and watermelon. We both had a glass of the house Chardonnay. This was a very nice, inexpensive meal. ( He's rating: 3.75 stars )

SHE SAYS: Arriving around 6:00 P.M. we found easy parking in the lot in back of the restaurant. Close to full when we walked in, we luckily were seated immediately at a comfortable 4-person table with booth seat on one side, two wood chairs on the other (within minutes the waiting lobby across from us was full of people waiting for tables). Ai is a very clean looking restaurant, smartly decorated in a simple style colored in blacks, whites, and reddish-orange colors, with big Japanese modern-looking paintings on the walls. The space is divided into two dining areas, separated by a low wall, one long booth seat along each sides of the wall, and the rest of the area filled with faux wood formica-toppped tables and chairs with red cushioned seats. Off in one corner is a small, eight-stooled sushi bar - packed to the brim with patrons, by the way. We both started with a glass of chardonnay, then ordered the Chicken Teriyaki "Love Boat" to share. The boat came with a whole lot of chicken teriyaki, shrimp tempura, three meatball type items, salad, a big slice of watemelon, and a plate of sashimi. The teriyaki was especially tender and flavorful. A quite enjoyable meal worthy of a return visit. ( She's rating: 3.75 stars food; 3.75 stars decor/atmosphere; 3.5 stars service )

HE SAYS: We had been wanting to try Bistro de la Gare for a while now, and finally got over there last Tuesday. We are fans of Café Beaujolais, in Eagle Rock, and had heard the the former owners had opened this new restaurant in South Pasadena. It's on the corner of Meridian and El Centro, right around the corner from the Mission Street station of the Metro Gold Line, and thus easily accessible for folks all over town. The place is very charming, with lots of windows and a good number of outdoor tables.

The formula for the food hasn't ventured far from what one experiences at Café Beaujolais - the items on the menu being virtually identical. I started with my favorite Belgium Endive salad (with walnuts and a bleu cheese dressing), which differed in two minor points from that at Beaujolais. On the positive side, cherry tomatoes were used, these having a stronger flavor. On the other hand, the walnuts were sweetened, where I would have preferred them roasted plain. It's a darn good salad in any case.

After the first course we were brought little shots of Orange Sorbet to cleanse the palate - a classy touch. I tried the Roast Pork Loin with Old-Fashioned Mustard Sauce as my entrée. This was very nice, with plenty of meat, and a rich, creamy sauce. The potatoes that came with the dish were superb - and I would guess not particularly diet-friendly. The vegetables also went down very easily. A moderately priced, and exquisitely dry, Lalande-de-Pomerol was our wine choice. ( He's rating: 3.75 stars )

SHE SAYS: Arriving for 7:30 P.M. reservations for five of us to celebrate my husband's sister's b-day, we parked down the street (right near the Mission St. Gold Line stop) and walked in to this almost full, clean, trendy-looking new restaurant owned by the former owners of local favorite, Cafe Beaujolais. Bistro de la Gare is stylish looking with crimson painted walls and cement floor (same color), vintage wine ads and French posters dotting the walls here and there, and several small, separate dining rooms. We were seated in the room where the bar is located at the far end; the walls on two of the sides were all windows.
I ordered the Caesar Salad and the "Magret de Canard Aux Framboises" - aka the Duck. The salad was very tasty, done with tomatoes on top, which I happen to love on a Caesar Salad. The duck came sliced, and covered in a honey-raspberry sauce, with sides of some really, really good and rich scalloped potatoes and a few sliced, mixed veggies (mostly carrots). I found this to be a really excellent and tasty meal, served in a quite comfortable atmosphere. Our waiter was very friendly and gave good service, the whole experience was very pleasant. ( She's rating: 3.75 stars food; 4 stars decor/atmosphere; 4 stars service )

HE SAYS: Gus's Barbecue has been a fixture in South Pasadena for many years. Combining a family friendly retro-feel diner, with the convenience of a full bar, it has something for everyone.

I was there a couple of months ago at which time I had the fish sandwich, which was pretty simple, but decent. At that time, I heard a waitress telling someone at the next table that the Chicken-in-a-Basket was the best in town. When we went back on this recent Sunday, I decided to give it a try, and I can say that it's quite delicious. You get a half chicken, fried very crisp on the outside and very tender inside. There is no cloying, over-salted or over-spiced taste. It is very much homemade style. It comes with a choice of two side dishes. I tried the rice, which was rather blah; and the cole slaw, which is up there among the best in town. I tried some of SHE's hamburger. Verdict: excellent! I had a glass of Chianti to complement this tasty meal. ( He's rating: 3.75 stars )

SHE SAYS: Today, after a day at Santa Anita, we decided to go out for dinner and chose Gus's. Arriving around 5:30 P.M., we found a parking spot right in front of the restaurant (I believe there is a parking lot in the back too) and were seated at a big, comfy booth in the back dining room next to a wall that divides the dining area from the bar. Gus's retains a sort of old-fashioned 50s coffee shop look and it has what I would call a kind of overall red look to it - red booths, red carpet, red cushion covers on the row of diner bar stools in the front area, even red lighting at the top of the walls. A selection of framed gold records hangs on the wall. The restaurant was about half empty on this evening, service was friendly and efficient.
I ordered the cheeseburger and a glass of Chianti. The cheeseburger, which came with fries, was absolutely yummy/delicious. It came with an extra side cup of Thousand Island dressing, most of which ended up on by burger - making it nice, extra moist, and full of flavor. There were lots of pickles - that I like! The fries were thick-cut and cooked to perfection. I was very, very pleased with my yummy meal. I tasted a piece of hubby's fried chicken and it had a homemade, freshly cooked taste. I really liked this place - I felt comfortable here and saw many things on the menu of interest to me. I'll be back! Gus's is very family friendly (most of the other patrons on this Sunday evening were actually family groups with kids). ( She's rating: 4 stars food; 3 stars decor/atmosphere; 3.75 stars service )

	Stoney Point Restaurant - Pasadena - - -> Stoney Point's Website
1460 W. Colorado Boulevard - - phone: (626) 449-9715

HE SAYS: Tuesday evening we had dinner at one of our local favorites, Stoney Point. We were seated at one of the tables in the bar area and I started with one of their excellent martinis. The bruschetta served by way of bread was exceptionally good. After that a small roll, hot out of the oven, was brought - a real fresh treat. I had my favorite salad, the Mixed Field Greens, which had an especially nice bitterness this day. The entree was a real treat. I had the Pork Chop - a rib chop which came with an exquisite, rich bell pepper sauce. This came with Mashed Potatoes, which were creamy and delicious. A nice selection of vegetables accompanied. We chose a Beringer Zinfandel from the reasonably priced wine list. We decided we had just enough room left to split a dessert, and boy, were we glad we did. The light, creamy Lemon Mousse Cake, served with a bit of chocolate sauce, was one of the best desserts we have had in a long time. Top notch! As we were about to leave, some friends came in, so we joined them for a cocktail at the comfortable bar. I highly recommend Stoney Point. ( He's rating: 4 stars )

SHE SAYS: Arriviing for our 7:00 P.M. reservations and parking in the small lot, Stoney Point was still half empty (but filled up by 8 o'clock). We were seated at a nice table next to the window and directly across from the long, granite-topped bar. Stoney Point is a small restaurant - about four or five tables along the side of the bar area, a small room area next to the bar, another room next to that for large groups. It is very upscale looking, with lots of wood, red fabric-backed chairs, white tableclothes, vintage photos of Pasadena on the walls, and a piano in one corner.
We started with cocktails - I got a gin and tonic, which was nicely prepared here. They give you a bruschetta on your table, with tasty pieces of bread - then while we were enjoying our cocktails they brought out hot dog bun shaped bread rolls, one for each of us, hot from the oven, clearly just baked, and absolutely delicious and fresh! For dinner I ordered the Stoney Point Chicken, which I have had here before and loved, and a Caesar Salad to start. The salad was very good and just the right size to satisfy me without filling me up too much to enjoy my main course. The Stoney Point Chicken is a rolled chicken breast with prosciutto and cheese and it is absolutely delicious - one of my favorite chicken dishes I have had at any restaurant, actually. It came with a very light, creamy portion of mashed potatoes, and veggies that included carrots, green beans, summer squash, and zucchini - all flavored nicely with the madera sauce that was poured over the chicken dish. For dessert we ordered the Lemon Mousse Cake and it, like the other food here, was delicious. Fresh lemony flavor, a light drizzle of chocolate over the top - yum. Stoney Point is a top-notch, classy establishment - highly recommended. ( She's rating: 4 stars )

HE SAYS: Saturday night we joined my cousin and his family for dinner at Casa Calderon, which is located near the San Gabriel Mission, on Las Tunas Drive. This modest looking little place has been serving good, home-style Mexican food since 1963, and is still run by the family that started it.

It is a pretty small room, with an eclectic mix of art decorating the walls. The service is personal and attentive. The chips and salsa were both very good - the former very crispy. The mechanics of the menu are a bit hard to understand: there are many ala carte items, and also "plates", which include rice and beans, and "dinners" which come with a salad as well. Don't fret too much about this, because they will pretty much accomodate your order by mixing and matching to your pleasure.

I kept it simple and ordered the Chicken Enchilada Plate. This came with two tasty, saucy enchiladas, filled with chunks of chicken and smothered with cheese. The refried beans here are worthy of note in that they were very creamy. I would say this is akin to the way I remember them often being served years ago, and I quite enjoyed them. I was pretty full, but I did sample a taste of carrot cake, which was quite nice. The prices are very reasonable. Beer and wine are available, but they do not accept credit cards, so bring your cash. ( He's rating: 3.75 stars )

SHE SAYS: Tonight hubby, along with his cousin, wife, their three daughters, and myself arrived at this small Mexican restaurant around 7:00 P.M., where we found the last spot in the small parking lot in front. Casa Calderon is very homey looking - red table cloths on the tables, green vinyl booths, red and green linoleum floor, and tiny, multi-colored lights going up a stairway that apparently leads up to a light tower, it almost could have been Christmas! There is a corner nook with books and a TV set at the other end of the room, the walls are covered with mostly modern looking, Mexican-styled paintings, a chili pepper windsock hangs from the ceiling, and there is a screen door at the front - it almost feels like they have turned their home living room into a restaurant. It is a fairly small space, about ten or so tables of various sizes, on this evening about half full of other diners. On this occasion it was warm outside, they had a room fan blowing air to keep it cool, as the air conditioner above our head looked a little worse for wear (only mildly). They immediately brought us several small bowls of tortilla chips and salsa. The salsa here was homemade and really excellent - sort of brownish in color, with just the right amount of spiciness. I ordered a glass of red wine and the #4 dinner - my mainstay at Mexican restaurants: enchilada and taco, with rice and beans. The dinners here come with a small salad to start, I had mine with Italian dressing, and it ended up being quite a simple salad - a small plate of cold iceberg, with some chopped tomato (I could have used a little more dressing, otherwise good).
My dinner was fantastic! It came with a beef taco and cheese enchilada - the taco was perfect, filled with a very tasty ground beef, shredded cheese and lettuce, it wasn't too big or too small - and the shell was crisp fried to perfection with just the right amount of grease (not too much, but enough to add flavor and make it extra crispy) to make a great taste. The enchilada was quite cheesy and very, very flavorful. I LOVED the beans here too - very fresh tasting and good, and, well, the rice was really good too. Everything just had a real home-cooked, fresh flavor to it that I really liked. I finished my entire plate, it was that good and had myself another glass of burgundy too! We all shared a few pieces of freshly baked carrot cake, which I must say tasted like it was homemade by someone who is really an expert at baking - tops in yummy. By the way, the lady serving us was very nice, I believe she was the owner - she made us feel very comfortable there. Highly recommended for great, homestyle Mexican food with an authentic flavor, plus warm, homey atmosphere. Family friendly. ( She's rating: 4 stars )

HE SAYS: Friday we had dinner at Kabuki Japanese restaurant in Old Pasadena. We started with their signature "Kabuki Cocktail" which was a rather refreshing pineapple concoction. For our dinner we decided on the Love Boat. This is a nice sampling of several different items - typical of these "boat dinners". You get a bowl of soup to start, then comes the boat - loaded with goodies. The California Rolls were especially good, as were the Gyoza dumplings. There was what was billed as a steamed mussel, but was actually more of what I would call Mussels Rockefeller - a nice touch. The barbecue beef ribs (thin sliced) were especially good. The Teriyaki Chicken was just average tasting. The Tempura Shrimp and Vegetables were predictably tasty - you can't go too wrong with that. The amounts of food were copious, and provided ample leftovers. The whole thing was served over a lettuce salad (dressing was provided), and came with a bowl of rice. All in all, very satisfying. ( He's rating: 3.5 stars )

SHE SAYS: For our Friday night dinner tonight, my husband and I decided to try Kabuki, in Old Town Pasadena. Arriving at around 6:15 P.M., we were seated immediately in a booth opposite the sushi bar and chef prep area. Kabuki is decorated in tans, yellows, and oranges with mod-looking paintings on the walls, all in that same color scheme. The tables are a light teak-looking wood, the area is fairly well lit. Most of the tables were already full of diners by this time.
We both ordered a Kabuki Cocktail - listed as their "House Specialty" drink. It was a good, refreshing drink, very similar in taste to a Mai Tai, and appropriately decorated with pineapple, cherry, and paper umbrella. The drink was not particularly strong in alcohol content but was still a tasty drink.
For our dinner we ordered the "Love Boat" for two. A BIG boat dinner, which comes with soup, salad, and rice - plus Chicken Teriyaki, B.B.Q. Beef Ribs, Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura, Gyoza Dumpling, Broiled Mussel, California Roll, and pineapple - it's a lot of food for two people. The soup was a simple miso soup, a yummy broth with pieces of tofu and green onion. I especially liked the Gyoza Dumplings and the Shrimp Tempura. This was a large amount of food, so after completely stuffing ourselves, we still took lots home for another meal. The leftover food, eaten as dinner two days later, was absolutely delicious reheated - if anything, it was even tastier than at the restaurant.
Service at this restaurant was extremely fast (bordering on too fast - could seem to some you are being given the rush) and efficient. This restaurant is a good bet if you are looking for a well-prepared, yet traditional take on Japanese food. Kabuki also has plenty of sushi to choose from, including sushi half price specials. ( She's rating: 3.5 stars )

HE SAYS: We were at Santa Anita for the Derby last Saturday, and after we left the track we decided on nearby Matt Denny's Alehouse Restaurant for dinner.

It was early so we managed to beat the crowd. They feature a large menu, with something for just about every taste. On this occasion, I went with Fish & Chips. The four succulent pieces of fish were quite good, as were the fries - not at all greasy. It came with a nice shredded coleslaw. I also sampled the club sandwich, which was as delicious as it was huge. I had a refreshing Widmer Hefeweisen beer from the tap - there is a good selection of beers here, but I didn't see a beer menu on our table, nor could I find one on line. On a previous trip here I had what they bill as The Fish Sandwich, which was also quite pleasing.

The place is large, with comfortable booths, a bar, and a big, tented beer garden. ( He's rating: 3.5 stars )

SHE SAYS: After a day at Santa Anita for "Derby Day", we stopped on the way home for dinner at Matt Denny's. Fairly empty when we arrived, around 5:00 P.M., we were quickly seated in a comfortable wood booth. Matt Denny's is full of tall-backed private wood booths, wood tables, lots of reproduction vintage beer posters on the wall, a prominant photo of TR (Teddy Roosevelt) in the bar area, even a big moose head over one booth. There is a Corona six-pack beer container on each table to hold the condiments - cute touch. There is also a large outdoor beer garden, and nice wood bar area inside.
The menu is full of tempting sandwiches, BBQ, salads, even steaks. I ordered the "#1 Club Sandwich", which comes with fries, Santa Maria Style beans, coleslaw, or fresh fruit (I got the fries) and a Widmer Hefeweisen draft beer to drink. When the sandwich arrived I thought - "Wow, that's HUGE, I'll never be able to finish that." The sandwich was delicious - one of the better Club Sandwiches I have had. The fries were also extremely tasty. I was very pleased with this food - tops in yummy. As predicted, I was only able to finish half my sandwich, so boxed up the other half (as well as some of the fries) to take home. By the time we left, after 6:00 P.M., the restaurant was beginning to get a bit more crowded. I reheated my food for the next day and it still tasted quite good. I recommend Matt Denny's for it's comfortable, relaxed atmosphere and top-notch food. Great place to go and relax after a Saturday outing or day at the track. ( She's rating: 3.75 stars )

HE SAYS: The Derby in Arcadia is one of those old time steak houses that have withstood the vicissitudes of changing style. The large booths, ample meats, and martinis present charms of an earlier age in this "house that Seabiscuit built".

It was quite a cold, rainy day when we went so I started with the Manhattan Clam Chowder. This was very good - on the creamy side, almost like the New England version, but with the trademark tomato flavor of the Gotham variety. The Tenderloin Brochette I had as an entree came done to order, on a bed of Rice Pilaf, with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans on the side; all very good. For dessert I tried the Whiskey Bread Pudding, which was excellent. ( He's rating: 3.75 stars )

SHE SAYS: Tonight we went with my husband's cousin and his wife for a Sunday dinner at the Derby in Arcadia. A rainy, rainy day, and with quite early (4:30 P.M.) reservations, the restaurant was fairly empty. But it filled up fast - soon it was completely full. We had a really nice booth right by a fireplace (which was lit about halfway through our meal) and there was a pretty Christmas tree right across from our table.
The Derby was once owned by jockey George Woolf (who rode Seabiscuit) and it is full of horse racing, Seabiscuit, and Santa Anita memorabilia - on all the walls of the restaurant, as well as a long, large display case that lines one wall between the bar area and the door.
We ordered a bottle of wine to share, and for dinner I ordered the Caesar Salad and the "Derby Delight" - sliced sirloin steak with a yummy Bearnaise sauce and served over a bed of fried onions and thinly sliced potatoes. It came with green bean almondine and a small dish of garlic mashed potatoes. Everything was really delicious. I loved this. Our dinner was part of their early bird "sunset menu" so came with a small choice of dessert selections. I had the spumoni ice cream and it was also very tasty. After dinner we all went into the bar area for drinks - I had a Martini and it was very good.
All in all, this is a really nice restaurant, with old-fashioned atmosphere, and most importantly - great food. Don't forget - they offer early bird dining with special low prices for those who don't mind eating early. Highly recommended. ( She's rating: 4 stars )

HE SAYS: Our latest trip to Santa Anita Park returned us once again up to the place where now we find we often come when looking for a satisfying meal to fill us while we wager on the horses. Shrimp Cocktail - not too cheap, but very good and fresh - was then decided on for starters. My entree was Medallions of Veal encrusted with a pesto, and then wrapped with prosciutto - this was excellent. The sides were also very good: a ratatouille, and also a risotto with porcini mushrooms. For dessert we shared a fresh fruit tart with cream, which had delicious crust.

Reviews for previous visits to the Frontrunner:
Friday: April 9, 2004 - After the onset of daylight savings time, on the final two Fridays of the meet, Santa Anita features "twilight racing", with a special first post time of 3:00 PM.
We decided to get reservations at FrontRunner. In our previous trips there, we had always eaten at the bar, so we thought it would be nice to see what a table had to offer. We started with martinis - believe me when I say, "One is enough". That notwithstanding, we had two. We tried the "Best of Boston" Clam Chowder, and it was excellent. Sometimes a clam chowder will try to substitute thickness for flavor, but this one had both qualities in abundance. We fought over the last spoonful - it was that good! The house Mesclun salad was passable - nothing spectacular. I had the Shrimp Scampi - served with linguine, this was very nice, with plenty of shrimp. I also sampled the Braised Short Ribs with Potato Puffs and Spinach; it was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. We would have tried a dessert - but we apparantly had lingered too long (even though the last race had not yet run) and they were no longer serving.
Note: If you want reservations, they will only hold the table until the first race. Thereafter it's first come, first serve.

Saturday: February 21, 2004 - It was a rainy Saturday at Santa Anita park, but we were lucky enough to get a couple seats at the bar in the popular Frontrunner restaurant, which bills itself as "featur[ing] a level of elegance, style and sophistication unlike any restaurant at any sports venue in the nation".
Though it is a bit expensive for "sport venue" fare, the food at the Frontrunner is quite good. On this occasion we had a Quattro Formaggio (Four Cheese) Pizza, which was very good. We also tried a Country Chicken Wrap, which was quite large, and featured tender chicken pieces, avocado, and a hint of bleu cheese - quite delicious. The latter came with a side of crispy Saratoga Chips. Neither of these items could be considered "health food". On past occasions we have tried the Margherita Pizza, with fresh basil and tomato - very nice; the Italian Hoagie sandwich - not currently on the menu, but very tasty; and the Lobster Club Sandwich, with "banana bacon", which was also very good. Credit cards are accepted here, so you can save your money to lose on the horses. ( He's rating: 3.75 stars )

SHE SAYS: Today we went to Santa Anita for their Friday Twilight Racing - and had a reservation at the Frontrunner. Seated on the second level at the far right side, almost next to the glass window that looks down into the Turf Club. I started with a Gin and Tonic to drink, while we enjoyed a few races. Then we ordered an appetizer - the "Classic Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail" which was rather pricey at $14 for 7 large shrimp. But the shrimp was very fresh and good, and came with a quite tasty cocktail sauce. For dinner I ordered the Carnitas Wrap - slow-roasted pork wrapped in a kind of fried flatbread. The menu said it came with Caribbean Slaw and "Papaya Mojo", but I didn't see any signs of or flavors of this in the sandwich - or on the side. There was a few shreds of cabbage in the sandwich itself, the side dish was actually Santa Anita's yummy Saratoga chips. The sandwich was huge and pretty good, although a bit dry. For dessert, we shared the fruit tart and it was pretty good, nothing spectacular.
All in all, we have tried a number of different things on several visits to this restaurant (their menu changes a lot - so some things we have ordered previously are no longer available) and the dishes have ranged from mediocre to absolutely super yummy. A nice place to eat at Santa Anita.

Reviews for previous visits to the Frontrunner:
Friday: April 9, 2004 - Today we went to the twilight racing at Santa Anita Park. We made reservations at the Frontrunner restaurant and arrived just in time for the 1st race. We were seated in the second aisle up from the window, quite near the finish line. We both started with a martini - which ended up being VERY large (and tasty too!). For an appetizer we ordered the "Best of Boston" Clam Chowder and the House Mesclun Salad. We shared both - the salad was okay, nothing really special, but still quite good. The soup was really great (I couldn't stop eating it and got accused by my husband of taking more than my share - blah). Anyway, for dinner I ordered the braised short ribs. Super good. We ordered dessert around the next to last race and the waiter came back and said the pastry / dessert kitchen was closed. Hmmm. Oh well, all in all a really good meal.
On a few other occasions we have sat at the bar here as it is hard to get a table without reservations. We have ordered several dishes on these occasions which includes a couple of their 8-inch pizzas - the Margherita Pizza, which was super good, and another time we tried the 4 Cheese Pizza - not as good as the Margherita one, but still tasty. ( She's rating: 3.5 stars )

HE SAYS: Holly Street Bar & Grill is on the edge of Old Pasadena, between the Memorial Park train station, and City Hall. The crowd was pretty thin for a Friday night. There is a large outdoor patio, but we chose to sit inside. We started with martinis to take the edge off. I'd like to note that the bread we were served was an excellent, warm sourdough. For an appetizer we shared the Fried Calamari, which came in a wire basket. There was a good Wasabi sauce served with this. We ordered a small Caesar Salad each, but there were some glitches in the service this evening, chief among them being our entrees arriving before the salad. So, we canceled the salad.

Said entree, for me, was Chicken Ravioli in a red sauce, which was quite good - the chicken stuffing having an aromatic spice quality. The absence of salad did leave room for dessert - a rich chocolate tiramisu (the chocolate consisting of a top layer). The 1999 La Crema, Russian River Valley Zinfandel did us well in the wine department. ( He's rating: 3.5 stars )

SHE SAYS: Tonight was our 5th wedding anniversary and we made reservations to eat at Holly Street as they have live jazz music and we have eaten here twice before and enjoyed it (but never with the regular menu as the other two times were both Valentine's Day and they had a special menu for those evenings). We rode the Gold Line - the Memorial stop gets off practically right next to the restaurant. We had reservations for 7:30 P.M. and were surprised to find the restaurant nearly empty (at least inside, more were eating out on the patio). We were seated in a roomy corner booth that was quite nice - even had one or two small throw pillows. We started with the Calamari which arrived very decoratively displayed in a wire basket. It came with a nice-tasting Wasabi dipping sauce. Our dinners arrived very quickly after ordering. I got the country meatloaf with garlic mashed potatoes. It was piled high with french-fried style onions, and was pretty good, although a bit dry as if reheated right before being served.
All in all, Holly Street is a pretty good restaurant although I must mention a few minor negative things. First off, the service was a bit touch and go. We had ordered Caesar salads to start, and suddenly our main course was brought to the table, before the salads had even been served. By the time our waitress showed up at our table again (the main dish was served by someone else, waitress nowhere to be seen) we were almost through with our dinners, so decided to just cancel the salads (they had forgotten anyway, so it is doubtful they would have ever come!). Later she brought us coffee even though it was dessert we ordered (the mistake was quickly fixed).The waitress seemed somewhat absent-minded. Ah well. Another thing, the restaurant was close to empty when we arrived, yet they chose to sit a couple with child at a table one foot away from us. As it turned out, the child was well behaved, but I did have to listen to the man, a doctor, bitterly complaining about his patients the whole time. Oh brother! The restaurant was pretty quiet at this time, with no live music yet and just some mood music being softly piped in the room. Towards the end of our dinner some live jazz started playing by a band that was really, quite good and I enjoyed that part of the evening more (I don't know the name of the group). ( She's rating: 3 stars )

HE SAYS: Il Fornaio is nice because it is fancy enough for a special occasion, but casual enough that you don't feel out of place if you happen to be dressed down. The place is very noisy, which probably accounts for the fact that people seem to feel free to bring kids here.

We started with the Insalata Fornaio - a mixed green salad with garlic croutons - which is always good, but espcially so tonight, as it had more shaved parmesan cheese than usual. I had the Farfalle al Salmone - bow tie pasta with salmon and bay shrimp in a delicious vodka cream sauce - very delicious. For our wine, a reasonably priced Joel Gott Zinfandel was quite nice. We had room for dessert, so we shared a chocolate mousse cake with a raspberry sauce which was melt-in-your-mouth good.

Not wanting to rush out we had an Irish Coffee to complete our evening. We especially like the Irish Coffees here. The bartender once told us, "You won't get a better Irish Coffee anywhere in town". It was not idle boasting. ( He's rating: 3.75 stars )

SHE SAYS: After wandering around a bit through Old Pasadena tonight, trying to decide on a restaurant to eat at - we finally decided on an old reliable, Il Fornaio. The restaurant was close to full when we arrived at close to 7:00 P.M. but still we were seated immediately. Our table was one of the two seat tables they have that go along in a row down the center of the restaurant next to a brass rail. Il Fornaio is a very trendy-style restaurant - an upscale sort of wood and stainless-steel look comes to mind. The kitchen is open at the back side of the restaurant, the front has a long marble-topped bar, and outside there is patio seating. We both started with the Insalata del Fornaio - which is a mixed green, Caesar-style salad - always very good and this time it seemed to have more shaved parmesan on top, making it an even better salad. For dinner I ordered one of the specials - agnolotti filled with a creamy chicken mixture and served in a cream sauce. It was really, really good. We also ordered a dessert to share - a chocolate mousse cake with raspberries and a few strawberries, and this was yum, yum, yum too. To top off the evening we decided to order one of Il Fornaio's great Irish coffees - we love the way they make them here - Ooh La La, good. Il Fornaio is a great place to come for a really tasty gourmet Italian meal in a nice atmosphere. Recommended. ( She's rating: 3.5 stars )

	Hamburger Hamlet - Pasadena - - -> Hamburger Hamlet's Website
214 S. Lake Ave - - phone: (626) 449-8520 - - (They also have lots of other locations - check their site)

HE SAYS: While Hamburger Hamlet may not be the hot, trendy place it was in the '70s, it remains one of the most reliable places to get a "fancy" burger. They used to have a huge menu, but now they rotate the selection of burgers available. (You can still order an old favorite, though, even if it doesn't appear on the current menu).

The convenience of a full bar was taken advantage of, as I started with a Martini, which really hit the spot. I decided to try a burger I hadn't had before, so I went with a #15, the Sauteed Mushroom Burger. It was very juicy and delicious; I really didn't expect it to be as good as it was. I also tasted a bit of her Nacho Burger - yum! ( He's rating: 4 stars )

SHE SAYS: After a day at the Huntington Gardens we stopped for an early dinner (we skipped lunch, so were very hungry) at an old-time favorite of mine: Hamburger Hamlet. The Pasadena Hamburger Hamlet is very large, lots of wood and BIG booths. We were seated in a large room in the back - mostly empty because of the early hour (3:30 P.M or so) in a large red booth. Very comfortable. It was VERY hot today - 100 degrees - and I was so overheated I ordered a big tropical drink (I forget what it was called), which arrived at our table in a really oversized heavy glass. Yum. Tasty drink, really hit the spot. Despite it's large size, not really heavy on the alcohol - so I actually later in the meal ordered a second one. For dinner I ordered a new hamburger they have - the Nacho Burger. It came with steak fries (yum) and was absolutely delicious. It also had a little dish of chili with it, either to put on the burger or eat by itself - I did a little of both.
One my of all-time favorite burgers they have here is Hamburger #9 - the "Everything On It" burger (in my teen years I used to always order Hamburger #9 and a Vernor's Ginger Ale - I switched my drink choice to alcohol once I hit 21!). Hamburger Hamlet also offers a large variety of other dishes including chicken, pastas, etc. - even steaks (I remember a point in the late 70's/early 80's when their menu was so big it was like a book, downsized somewhat since those days) - but their hamburgers are so darn good that I always order a burger. Have been ordering that #9 for thirty years now! Hamburger Hamlet has always been just about my favorite place to get a great burger - today was no exception. Love it. ( She's rating: 4 stars )

HE SAYS: Gordon Biersch used to be a bit too hip for my taste; that was years ago. Upon returning, for the first time in a long while, I noted that the place has mellowed into a sort of comfortable, high end sports bar. The courtyard location is very pleasant.

We started with martinis in the large lounge area while waiting for a table. When we were seated, we were offered samples of the house beers. I chose the Marzen, which is nice, malty and light.

I ordered a salad from the specials menu, which consisted of mixed greens with a walnut and gorgonzola dressing, and was very good. It was large enough to constitute a meal in itself. In fact that, combined with the large portion of my entree - chicken marsala - rendered me unable to finish. Said entree was quite good - very fresh tasting ingredients. It was served with a traditional pasta side dish (linguine). ( He's rating: 3 stars )

SHE SAYS: Tonight we rode the gold line and walked to Gordon Biersch, located in the courtyard behind the outdoor patio area of Il Fornaio. Despite the fact that I have been in this courtyard a number of times, as well as eaten at Il Fornaio a number of times (never in their outdoor area though) - amazingly, I have never noticed this restaurant before. Arriving at about 6:30 P.M. or so, Gordon Biersch was full up - so we went to their bar for drinks while we waited for a table. Their bar is sports bar-style, with lots of tvs showing live games, lots of comfortable tables to sit. We both ordered Martini's tonight. Quite tasty. About 20, 25 minutes later we were seated at a table in the front area right near the hostess counter up front. Gordon Biersh is a brewery restaurant and our waiter tried to get us to order beers by offering samples of their home brews. We took him up on it. Out came four small glasses for us to sample - each with a different beer. All were good - but we both liked the Marzen lager and ordered one each. To start I ordered the wedge salad which was really good. It had bleu cheese on it and I got their "Dunkles Vinaigrette" which really made for a tasty salad. For dinner I ordered the 10 oz. cheese burger with avocado. It came with really good garlic fries, which apparently they are famous for. The main thing that comes into my mind about the food at this restaurant is FRESH. Everything tasted really fresh and good. The burger was fresh, tasty, perhaps a bit lacking in sauce. But still, quite good. It was very large and I couldn't finish, so brought home about half the burger, half the fries for lunch the next day. Reheating a burger and fries never works really well, but it still made an enjoyable lunch for me (though I could see how some people might not like reheated fries). All in all, I enjoyed our dinner here. There were quite a few interesting things on the menu and I wouldn't mind coming back soon to try something else. While their burger wasn't as good as Hamburger Hamlet, it was still a tasty treat. ( She's rating: 3 stars )

HE SAYS: Well, I guess that sometimes advertising actually works. Frank & Dean's restaurant in Pasadena always has an ad running in the racing program at Santa Anita which offers a free shrimp cocktail to those who present a losing betting stub. Saturday, we finally took them up on the offer.

We went early - directly after leaving the track - so it was not very crowded. We were seated in the "Frank" room, which is large, circular, and features pictures of, and memorabilia related to, Frank Sinatra. We started with the complementary shrimp cocktail, which was surprisingly good; very spicy (horseradish, I think) traditional style sauce, and a good number of small, bay shrimp. I had the Veal Marsala. The portion was generous, and the sauce had an exquisite, home-style flavor. It came with a choice of pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice pilaf; and dinner also includes a salad. I also sampled the Veal Parmesan, and it was near perfection - complemented by a Mostaccioli and Italian Sausage, which could have been a wonderful meal in itself.

There were a number of reasonably priced selections on the wine list. There is an ample lounge area and bandstand which provides entertainment in the form of live bands and karaoke on designated evenings. We definitely plan to return. ( He's rating: 4 stars )

SHE SAYS: Today we spent the day at the horse races at Santa Anita and saw the Santa Anita Derby. We had nothing to eat all day (with the exception of a few cocktails!) and afterwards were very, very hungry so decided to follow the lead of the ads we have seen in the Santa Anita program for Frank and Dean's free offer for a shrimp cocktail with a losing ticket. There were 3 of us for this occasion including my husband, my husband's cousin, and me. Off we went to try out Frank and Dean's. Arriving there quite early - about 5:15 P.M. - we found they have a small parking lot next to the restaurant, which was three-quarters empty (no surprise though, since still so early). We went inside as a small drizzle of rain started up. We were greeted at the door by one of the owners himself, Frank. We were soon seated in a large, round room called the "Frank Room". There was a roaring fire at the far end of where we were seated (near the doorway), big comfortable booths around the edges of the room, and lots of white table-clothed tables in the middle. Very supper-clubbish and really nice and comfortable atmosphere. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin tunes were softly piped into the room, apparently later in the evening they have live music in the nearby bar area.
We asked for and received our free shrimp cocktails - one for each of us in fact! The shrimp cocktail was really, really good - a glass of tasty small-sized shrimp in a mound of spicy, horse-radishy, cocktail sauce - yum, yum, yum. For dinner I ordered the Veal Parmesan which came with a side of penne in red sauce and another side of Italian sausages cooked with peppers. Everything was excellent - the veal was huge with tons of yummy cheese cooked on top; the sides were great. The dinners here also come with choice of soup or salad, and I got the salad with Italian dressing. Nice size salad with lots of toppings such as an olive or two, tomatoes, crouton, and a pepperoncini. The dressing was really tasty. My dinner was so huge that I couldn't finish, so took almost half home. My husband ordered the Veal Marsala and his wasn't as huge, but still he couldn't finish and brought some home too.
We heated this all up for dinner a few days later and split the food between us. It reheated great and the Veal Marsala was just as good as the Veal Parmesan. By the way, at Frank and Dean's our busboy wins the prize for my favorite busboy of all time. He was an older man with Italian accent, who before taking your plate said "Does this belong to me?" - something like that (it was cute, you had to be there). I loved this restaurant - we want to go back soon, it just may become one of our new favorites. ( She's rating: 4 stars )

HE SAYS: For our Valentine's Day dinner, we started with a mushroom bisque which was very satisfying. The lobster raviolis in a cognac cream sauce were delicious. As good as those were, the desserts were the highlight of the evening. The chocolate souffle was dark and rich. The strawberry cheescake was perhaps the best I have ever tasted, having an indescribably smooth consistancy and delicate, classy flavor.

Here's a review I wrote on a previous trip to Twin Palms about a year ago:
On past visits to the popular Twin Palms restaurant in Pasadena, the food had not quite measured up to the wonderful atmosphere. The spacious courtyard setting, the live music, and the big crowd all seemed to indicate a first rate dining experience; but the food, though good was a couple steps below both the ambience and the price. So we were pleasantly surpised last week when we finally got back there and tried it again.

First, we had some drinks at the bar, and sampled a few appetizers. It was happy hour, and small plates of fare are available, though the amount of food seems to be commensurate with the reduced price. The fried calamari were excellent - no heavienss at all. The empenadas with a tomatillo sauce were especially good. Fries pleased the young ones among our group. A toasted brusschetta rounded out the appetizer choice.

Proceeding to dinner, we started out with the caesar salad. Made with hearts of romaine - as some claim the original recipe indicates, it was tasty and satisfying. Many in our group opted for the portobello mushroom ravioli. There were only about 5 or six on the plate - but the sauce was so exquisitely rich that it's doubtful I could have eaten any more. Said sauce was a rich cream sauce with fresh tomato and basil. The pork chops and mashed potatoes came with a Mexican style sauce and were very well liked. ( He's rating: 3.5 stars )

SHE SAYS: Valentine's Day and a Saturday night - we decided to go to Twin Palms in the heart of Old Pasadena (made reservations more than two weeks ago and got the last reservation for 6:30 P.M.). Riding there on the gold line we got off at the Del Mar stop (still a bit under construction right now) and walked to the restaurant. We were seated straight away in the back part of the restaurant behind the bar, at a table next to the window. A large part of Twin Palms is actually an outdoor area under a tent - the area where we were seated is indoors and, to be honest, when we were walking through to our table I was glad we were seated in the indoor part as the heat lamps going in the tent area seemed really, really hot and uncomfortable! Anyway, since tonight was Valentine's Day, they had a special menu for the evening instead of the regular menu. I pretty much knew what I wanted as I had looked at the Valentine's menu online in advance. They had special cocktails for the evening so I tried one, I think, called Amore. It was something like Vodka, cranberry juice, and amaretto, maybe some pineapple juice - good drink (although very mild!). It was a fix prix menu - you got choice of appetizer, main course, and dessert. For the appetizer we both got the wild mushroom bisque. It was great. Main course - we both got the "ravi-lovers", heart-shaped pink raviolis stuffed with lobster and scallops with a cognac cream sauce over the top. Also very good. Dessert was the topper of the evening. We got one of each of the two dessert choices, which was a strawberry cheesecake with grand marnier and a chocolate souffle with raspberries and Hagan Daaz ice cream. The desserts were both fantastic. In fact, we both agreed that the cheesecake was possibly the best we have ever had! All in all, a very nice evening - no live music tonight though like they usually have, and a bit rushed, as they seemed to want to get people in and out quick as Valentine's Day is such a popular restaurant night. A very nice spot for a pleasant evening out. ( She's rating: 3.5 stars )

HE SAYS: We tried the new Sirona Grille restaurant at Santa Anita Park. Located overlooking the Paddock Gardens, this large venue serves reasonably priced meals in a relaxed outdoor setting. Large TV screens are provided so you don't miss any of the racing action.

Credit cards are accepted, so you can save your cash to lose betting.

The Cajun Chicken BLT featured a large chicken breast, and two stips of bacon, accompanied by lettuce tomato and onion. This is served on a big, toasted roll. A cajun sauce is provided. The sauce is not particularly spicy, but a variety of hot sauces are supplied on the table. The accompanying french fries were especially good. ( He's rating: 3 stars )

SHE SAYS: Today was Martin Luther King Day, and we decided to spend a day at the horse races at Santa Anita Park. Soon after arriving around noon on a medium chilly day, we got a table at Sirona's for our lunch. Sirona's is newly opened and located in the front bottom of the grandstand overlooking the paddock area. Sirona's is an outdoor restaurant - a large square area surrounded by planters to separate the restaurant area from the rest of the Santa Anita grandstand, and filled with lots of faux granite-topped tables and heat lamps. It is a sports bar with a huge oval bar at one end and lots of big-screen tv's screening horse races and race odds rather than football and basketball games. It is fairly upscale compared to other eating spots in the grandstand area, just a step below what you might see in the clubhouse. We were seated off to one side next to the inner planter border. Eating at a table near us was former jockey and Santa Anita general manager Cris McCarron wearing a suit and eating with a couple of other well-dressed diners. I ordered the Cuban-style Panini, which came with coleslaw and Saratoga chips. I also had a beer (Heineken) which came in a plastic cup (I assume so after you finish your meal you can cart your unfinished drink with you around Santa Anita?!). The Panini was very good, layers of meat and lots of tasty dill pickles on it. The coleslaw was okay, but I thought a bit flavorless and bland. The Saratoga chips are something that I have had at Santa Anita before - they are really yummy to eat along with one of the Santa Anita corned-beef sandwiches that are SO darn good here (they sell these in spots around the Santa Anita grandstand but not in this restaurant). My husband ordered the Cajun Chicken Sandwich - which I tasted and was good. Although the menu said it came with coleslaw and fries - it only came with the fries, which, by the way, were very good (yes, I had a taste of those too!). Service was fast and efficient (almost too fast and efficient as if they kind of wanted to shuffle you in and out quick even though the place was less than half full!). All in all, a quite tasty meal, reasonably-priced. Worth a try. ( She's rating: 3 stars )

HE SAYS: Sorriso, in the heart of Old Pasadena, used to be one of our favorite restaurants - a place we might choose for a special celebration. Some time back, they expanded into the neighboring property, and established a full bar, featuring a selection of "Martinis". About that time, we heard a couple of negative comments about the place, and were thus frightened out of going there. Last Friday, we finally gave it a try, and were pleased to discover it was still very good. The changes to the menu were subtle, and in no way for the worse. Many of our old favorites were still to be found. We started with a martini from the bar. They have instituted a "rat pack" theme here, and a standard gin-vermouth, dry martini is called a Frank Sinatra. It had a classic, clean taste. We were served a nice foccaccia-style bread, along with what we know as cialded' - a type of tomato compote. For an appetizer we selected the smoked salmon wonton stacks. The smoked salmon was in the form of a creamy mousse, layered between said fried won-ton crisps, and topped with caviar; some rice noodles accompanied the crisps. This was unique, and I liked it very much. We always liked the Sorriso salad, and its current incarnation, called the Sorriso Caesar, was very good - a creamy caesar-style dressing over romaine lettuce and bits of radicchio, along with a few croutons, and a generous amount of parmesan cheese slices. The veal marsala was excellent - a very traditional rendition of the dish. It is served with garlic mashed potatoes, which were nice, though did not have a particularly strong garlic flavor. A selection of vegetable also accompanied the item. I tried some of my wife's gnocchi - in traditional red sauce - and they were very good. This is an item which has slightly changed from the way they previously prepared it. Rather than the traditional "home-style" red sauce, it came in a lighter, orange-colored tomato cream sauce; and, while I liked the previous version, I found nothing inferior about the new one. The prices are very reasonable - perhaps a bit lower than they used to be here. Only the specials exceded the $20 level. We had a nice bottle of Zinfandel for $26 to accompany the meal. ( He's rating: 4 stars )

SHE SAYS: We finally got back to Sorriso again. This is a restaurant we had been to a number of times a few years back (including several special occasions such as Valentine's Day, birthdays, etc), but after hearing from several sources that they had had a change of ownership and the quality of the food was now poor - we have been a bit nervous about giving it a try again. Well, we finally decided to give it a try - and I must say, I was VERY pleasantly surprised. The food was just as good as ever, if not even a bit better! We rode the gold line into Old Pasadena at around 6:00 P.M., then walked to the restaurant. No reservations were made - or needed as the place was about half empty the whole evening (yet pleasantly noisy and lively). Sorriso has changed quite a bit inside since the last time I ate there. It is now rather supper-clubish trendy looking, with brick walls including a big picture of the Rat Pack on the wall, and a new Martini Bar attached at one side (where they serve Martini's with names like the Sammy Davis Jr. Martini, Dean Martini, etc.). Apparently there is also a nice garden patio for those who like to eat outside (I usually don't - it was quite chilly this night anyway). We were seated at a larger-size table (really meant for four) in the center of the room against the wall, opposite the Martini Bar. We started by both ordering the traditional gin martini called the "Frank Sinatra Martini". Smooth and tasty - and VERY large. Yum! Next we shared an appetizer - the Smoked Salmon WonTon Stacks. Creamed salmon stacked onto layers of fried won tons, with some caviar thrown in. Two for each of us, plus a kind of mixed carrot and rice noodle small salad. This was an excellent appetizer - very tasty. Okay - now on to the meal. We were feeling pretty jolly by this time, what with the very pleasant atmosphere here, the strong drinks, and the quality of the food, so far, top-notch. We now ordered dinners and a bottle of wine. I had the small Caesar salad, and the gnocchi. The Caesar salad here had big thin slices of parmesan cheese, a scattering of small croutons, and a bit of radicchio thrown in. It had a yummy dressing - this salad was really, really good. The gnocchi is a dish that I often ordered when we used to come to this restaurant several years ago. It is slightly different now than it used to be - smaller gnocchi pieces with a nice rich tomato sauce (almost what I would call country-style). The gnocchi seemed even better than it used to - I like the change in sauce, as I am VERY partial to a good red sauce. I really recommend giving Sorriso a try - I enjoyed my evening there so much that I would like to go again soon! I can certainly see this restaurant becoming (once again) one of my favorites. ( She's rating: 4 stars )

HE SAYS: No trip to the Huntington Library would be complete without a visit to the Tea Room. Reservations are necessary, and we were lucky enough to get in for the first seating, at 12:00 noon; this made for very fresh scones. A variety of toppings are available with the scones - butter, cream, marmalade and jam. In addition to a selection of teas, coffee is available. After having my fill of scones, I commenced to the sandwich table. There are a variety of finger sandwiches available. My favorite is the one with smoked salmon and dill. The tuna salad is also very good. There is also a wide selection of desserts including cakes, cookies, tarts, fresh fruit and cream. ( He's rating: 3.5 stars )

SHE SAYS: Today we went to the Huntington Gardens and had a reservation for noon at their garden tea room (reservations are required at this VERY popular spot). Since the gardens OPEN at noon in the winter it was a rush of people over to the tea room to get there for their NOON reservations. With a normal walking speed timing of probably ten to fifteen minutes to get there, our fast paced walk to make our reservation got us there in only five minutes, I would say. We were seated at a nice little corner table with views out the windows on both sides of our table. A white table cloth covered the table, the room is small and pleasant - and soon became very crowded with every table taken. We ordered coffee, although it seemed like most other tables were going for the tea. They also have lemonade here - but no alcohol. The food at this tea room is served buffet style, with the exception of the beverages and a basket of freshly-made scones. The scones today were fresher than usual - and we have been to this tea several times before. This is the first time we had a reservation at the opening time - all other times we've eaten here has been after 3 o'clock. I think the early time was why the scones were especially good as they must have come straight out of the oven to our table. The buffet offers an assortment of tea sandwiches and desserts. There is also a selection of fruit - mainly strawberries, cantaloupe slices, and something else that escapes my memory right now. There is some cheese and crackers too. I tried every one of the sandwiches to start - let's see, there was tuna, smoked salmon, cucumber, and several varieties of cream cheese sandwiches - all sliced in thin rectangle shapes. I went back and got seconds of most of the sandwiches and then later got even more of my favorites - I though the tuna was the best - followed by the cucumber. A lot of the sandwiches with cream cheese kind of blend together in my head - there was one quite nice one that included some gingered carrots in it. Like the sandwiches, the desserts were all very tasty and included small tarts, pecan pie bars, and a yummy chocolate with lemon cream inside. Being a buffet I really overdid - had something like 20 sandwiches (well, they are VERY small) and several desserts. Needless to say I was stuffed afterwards and did not have another meal that day! I really recommend this tea, but caution to not eat too much or risk a belly ache - from one with experience! The tea room is located next to the rose garden. ( She's rating: 3.5 stars )

HE SAYS: We tried the venerable Cameron's seafood restaurant, on East Colorado in Pasadena on Saturday. The first thing we noticed was a proliferation of large sedans and gray heads. We also noticed that the place seemed to be most crowded at about 6:30, thinning out thereafter.

The place has the look of the old-time fish house that it is; lots of wood, divided into several different rooms. Most interesting was the lounge area, with its ample bar, and expertly mixed cocktails. Both the Mai-Tai and the traditional Martini were well received.

The food was a bit less inspiring. The Pacific Red Snapper was tasty, but sort of in the same way that a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish is good. It was purported to be mesquite grilled, but the "grilled" aspect was understated, to say the least. Still, the tangy tartar sauce did make the dish go down quite easily.

The side dishes - I chose Cole Slaw and Au Gratin Potatoes - were passable, but rather bland.

Cameron's is family friendly, the layout of the place being not inhospitable to the presence of children. ( He's rating: 3 stars )

SHE SAYS: Arriving at Cameron's at 6:30 P.M. to meet my husband's cousin and his three children; parking is easy here as there is a lot right next to the restaurant. We found the restaurant semi-crowded, but it did appear to already be clearing out even this early (must attract a very early crowd!). We were seated in a section of tables that is along the side of the parking lot, separated from the main section of restaurant (I got the impression we may have been shuttled to the "children's section" since our group included three kids). Rather more brightly lit than I would care for in a restaurant - still the place seemed nice and clean, decorated with wood and old photos of fishermen and their catches.
I ordered the "fish and chips" with "homestyle coleslaw" and a Mai Tai to drink. I must say that the drink was very, very good - a nice strong Mai Tai with lots of dark rum floating on the top, properly decorated with cherry and pineapple slice. When the food arrived I was a little surprised because I have never really seen fish and chips quite like this! The fish, instead of being the usual batter-fried big pieces of cod you usually get, appeared to be frozen, heated-up fish sticks served alongside steak fries. Well, it tasted okay and the tarter sauce was good, but it wasn't exactly a true "fish and chips" and the coleslaw was quite bland and flavorless. I would have liked some malt vinegar for the fish, as they usually give with a fish and chips dish, but figured asking for it would just get me a funny look (like "what the heck are you talking about?!!"). Well, I ordered another Mai Tai and enjoyed it a lot! After we were all done eating, the wife of my husband's cousin arrived and we all went in the bar for a few drinks and a dinner for her - she got oysters and they looked pretty good. I like the bar a lot at this restaurant. By this time (9:00 P.M. or so) the whole restaurant was empty (!!) except the bar area. It is a very pleasant bar, and I actually liked this area of the restaurant a lot better than where we were seated for dinner. I would recommend Cameron's for the drinks, bar, and perhaps some appetizers. I can't really recommend the restaurant itself unless your taste runs toward very bland food. This restaurant is kid-friendly. ( She's rating: 2.5 stars )

HE SAYS: Located in Old Pasadena, on the Southeast corner of Fair Oaks and Union is Akbar, a reasonably priced Indian Restaurant.

The atmosphere is relaxed. From one side of the restaurant the kitchen area is visible and the cooking creates quite a show - as well as a great deal of smoke - so if you think that will bother you, request seating on the other side. Either side provides plentiful views of the hustle and bustle on the city streets.

From the selection of appetizers we chose somosas - a concoction of peas fired in a pastry shell, served with a mango chutney and a variety of spices. It was a tasty treat. We also tried the onion fritters - I could sit there and eat these all day they are so good.

For our main entrees we sampled the pepper lamb and the chicken akbari. The former, which was billed as the spiciest item on the menu, was quite tasty, with a green peppercorn sauce. The chicken akbari, signature dish of the establishment, served in a nutty curry sauce, was tender and delicious.

The indian flat bread or nan is a must. The garlic variety is my favorite; the herb nan is also quite good. ( He's rating: 3.5 stars )

SHE SAYS: Arrived about 6:15 P.M. on a Friday night - only were about three tables of people eating here. Still, it was a nice atmosphere with dark wood tables covered in white tableclothes, dark wood chairs, pretty wine cabinet right behind my seat, and we were given a nice window-side table with view of the street (and immense amount of traffic!). The restaurant plays some sort of Indian type music on the speakers, and has an open kitchen where you can see the cooking being done from your table (at least from some of the tables. Where we sat we could see the cooking and smell all the smoke too coming from the FLAMING pans nearby!). I do enjoy being able to see the workings of the kitchen when possible, so this is a plus in my book. We ordered a bottle of wine, which ended up being very nice (they were out of the first kind we ordered, so this was second choice but ended up being a really good wine). We started off with an appetizer - Samosas - which were fried potato puffs stuffed with peas, I think. They came with 3 dipping sauces - a mint sauce, vegetable sauce, and my favorite which was a coconut sauce. All sauces were hot and tasty. We also ordered some mango chutney on the side, which was really very tasty and a nice addition to the meal. For dinner we had the Akbari Chicken, and the Pepper Lamb, along with some garlic Nan bread. At this restaurant each dish on the menu has a spiciness rating from 1 to 5, so you are aware of how hot the dish is going to be. Now the chicken dish was rated a 1 for mild, the Pepper Lamb was rated a 5, the hottest dish on the entire menu and only one rated a 5. When the food came, it was really yummy, tasty, good, and spicy, all you could ask for. BUT - the heat level for the chicken and the lamb seemed almost identical to me! If someone ordered that chicken thinking it was going to be mild - think again. It was almost as spicy as the lamb!! The potato appetizer was rated a 2, and it was very similar in heat level too. When we left around 7:30 P.M. or so, the place still had quite a number of empty tables, although when I have been to this restaurant in the past it has been packed with people, and we have even had to wait for a table, so this seemed unusually empty tonight (maybe cause it was Friday the 13th - hmmm?!!) All in all, I enjoyed the meal, and recommend this restaurant for those who want a good, spicy Indian meal served in a nice atmosphere, and located conveniently in Old Pasadena. ( She's rating: 3.5 stars )

HE SAYS: Mijares restaurant, located a bit off the beaten path, has long been a favorite among the locals. It is a rather large, sprawling venue, with many rooms of indoor dining, as well as an outdoor patio.

I had the Camarones Estilo Mexicano - which had 6 large shrimp, with peppers and tomatoes, and was quite tasty. Rice, beans, guacamole, and tortillas were also included with the dinner. Like a lot of restaurants with a large local following, Mijares is family-friendly, so be prepared for lots of kids and noise. ( He's rating: 3.5 stars )

SHE SAYS: My husband and I arrived at Mijares about 6:00 P.M. last Saturday night. The parking lot was nearly full - but still a few spots open. We were seated immediately at a table that was at a window between the indoor seating area and the outdoor patio seating. We chose to sit indoors, as it was a bit chilly outside - though I thought the patio area looked inviting for the summer months and even tonight was packed with people. We started with Margaritas while looking over the menu. The Margaritas were tasty, if a bit light of alcohol! The menu had a lot of choices that sounded good to me, so after taking a while to decide I opted (particularly since this was my first visit to this restaurant and I want to kind of compare my usual fare to other places I have been) to order my standard Mexican plate - cheese enchilada, beef taco, rice and beans. While waiting for our food to arrive I took note of the decor and surroundings of the restaurant. Mijares is quite noisy (though not unpleasantly so) and tonight was packed with families and lots of kids. Fortunately, the noise being made by the kids completely blended in with the other sounds so was not bothersome in any way. Mijares is decorated in an old-fashioned Mexican restaurant style - big iron chandeliers, old-style looking paintings of Mexican ladies, etc., green flat carpet, lots of rooms of tables in a big restaurant that reminds me of the Mexican restaurants of my childhood (that's a good thing!). There were strolling Mexican guitarists as well - all in all, very pleasant. The food was really, really good too. The enchilada was small, flat, not too stuffed with cheese, and quite tasty. I loved the beef taco - it had a yummy ground beef style filling, which I actually prefer to shredded beef, and lots of lettuce and cheese topping overflowing onto the plate. The beans were very, very tasty - big hunks of whole beans, not just the usual mashed brown refried beans. All in all, I recommend this restaurant for those looking for a big, crowded old-fashioned Mexican restaurant with very good food and also Mijares would be a very nice place to take your family when they feel like a nice Mexican meal out. This restaurant is kid-friendly. ( She's rating: 3.5 stars )

HE SAYS: On Friday we had dinner at the popular Saladang Thai restaurant in Pasadena.

It is located on Fair Oaks Blvd., a few blocks south of Old Pasadena.---- just south of Del Mar - just a bit removed from Old Pasadena. At 6:00 on a Friday, it was easy to find parking.

It shares its building with a paper warehouse - and the style is the ceiling-less industrial look so long favored by trendy restaurants.

The atmosphere was pleasant, as the room, though crowded, was not so noisy that it was hard to hear.

There were quite a few children with parents there, but it seemed that most of them knew the routine, and were quite well behaved. We started with two items off the appetizer menu - thai toast and pork sate. The thai toast was excellent. Chicken and shrimp in a deep fried batter. [dipping sauce] The pork sate while tasty, and ample in size - biggest i've seen - was not quite up to the flavor standard I'm used to at other thai restaurants. The peanut sauce was a bit syrupy. For entrees we had two old thai standards pad thai and chicken with cashews and dried chili. The pad thai here is served wrapped in a thin layer of fried egg. It was delicious. Like the sate - the chicken was intrincsically tasty enough - but a bit americanized for my taste. In fact, i thought it would make a good barbecue sauce for ribs. It was listed as HOT, but was only mildly so. ( He's rating: 3 stars )

SHE SAYS: We went to Saladang between 5:30 and 6:00 P.M. on a Friday night last week. Having heard it gets very crowded and has long waits for a table we tried to arrive early and as it was didn't have to wait but got right in. The place was close to full even this early, with lots of families and couples. Saladang is located in a kind of old warehouse-looking building and still has the old pipes, etc. intact as ceiling decor. It is decorated nicely with wood tables, colored tableclothes with white paper on top, and a minature rose on each table, which I thought was a nice touch. It has quite a trendy feeling to it, but is also very comfortable with lots of light coming through the big windows out to the street. Our table was window-side, so I could gaze at the plentiful traffic going by if that was my inclination (well, it's NOT actually). Anyway, we ordered two appetizers - Pork Sate and Thai Toast. The Thai Toast was my favorite of the two - very tasty and different. The Sate were the largest Sate pieces I have ever seen before - and I have seen plenty. I was almost full just from eating, like, 3 of these things! They came with a peanut sauce which was good but lacked spice. A very tasty cucumber salad accompanied each appetizer. For our main course we got the Pad Thai (which I had heard was really excellent here - it was!) and Chicken with peppers and cashews (listed as spicy - well, it wasn't very!). The Pad Thai was unusual in that it was coated with a layer of egg on top, which I thought made it a really yummy yummy dish. All in all, Saladang is a quite good restaurant, with a nice atmosphere, my main complaint being that if you are looking for some spicy Thai food to eat, rethink your choice of restaurant since, after all, we ordered something from their list of "extra spicy" and it only just had a spidge of spiciness to it. Service was good and the prices reasonable. ( She's rating: 3 stars )