Pasadena
Apr 13th, 2010, 08:57 AM
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Pasadena
This was a quick trip to someplace we've been exactly once before, and only for dinner, despite living in California for nearly 40 years. We flew from SFO to LAX uneventfully (thank goodness), and took the shuttle to Fox for our car. We were scheduled to get a PT cruiser, which I hate, so they told us we could take any compact they had. We chose some sort of Kia, which drove fine, but wow, what a tin can. Every time I turned the corner, I could hear the water swishing in I guess the radiator. Well, it got us where we needed to go, and we got home safely, so I guess that's what counts.
Stayed at the Courtyard in Old Town (sorry, ksucat, but we did see the Langham, and it it gorgeous. Really, more than gorgeous. We'll stay there if we're down there for more than an overnight). The Courtyard is in a fantastic location, the room was nice, the shower was good and the bed was comfortable. Ergo, a good hotel.
Saturday morning spent wandering Old Town, mostly shopping, and window shopping. Breakfast at Russell's, a local diner. Good, not great. 3*.
Followed by the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens. I'm writing this report simply to say "how did we miss it all these years?". Nothing I can say can convey how wonderful this place is. It helped that it was a spectacular afternoon (weatherwise), but that wasn't it (at least that wasn't the only thing). The gardens are so fantastic, the libarary with the original manuscripts, the art museum with all the Gainsboroughs (I saw Blue Boy on a field trip to the Met when I was in elementary school, so I was particularly interested to see it again). Absolutely amazing place, and worth every penny of the entry, which was, I think , $20 per.
Lunch at Mi Piace in Old Town. Very good salad and pizza. The thinnest crust pizza we've ever had. We love thin-crust but this didn't really have the consistency we favor (we prefer our's crispy, this was a little cakey, but the topping -- Margherita, so just sauce and cheese-- was excellent). 3-1/2*. The bread-like things they serve were addictive.
Dinner at Santorini in Old Town. Walking distance from the hotel. Nice place, although they did screw up our reservation. I made the reservation on their web site for 8 p.m. They confirmed by email and by telephone. And when we showed up at 8, they had us down as a no-show for a 7:30 reservation. Strike one. But they sat us, fortunately, because the place was almost full. The service was very good - just attentive enough. An excellent pear martini, and delicious food -- my DH had chicken kebab, and I had the sea bass special (enough for 3 people, I might add) - sea bass with a chipotle cream sauce, with roasted veggies. A solid 3-1/2*. Not "I must go back to Pasadena to eat there good", but if I lived nearby, I'd definitely frequent the place. Entrees were in the $18-25 range, with my special being $29.00. I think the whole bill for 2 -- 2 drinks, 2 apps, 2 mains -- was just about $100 all-in.
Next morning, breakfast at Aux Delices Bakery & Cafe in Old Town. Another 3*. Good but not go-out-of-your-way-good. Nice that they offered me fresh fruit instead of potatoes with my breakfast.
After that, the Gamble House and the neighborhood around the Gamble House. We live in a Craftsman house that was built sometime around 1908, so this really interests us (even though ours is no longer "pristine Craftsman", it's unmistakably from the same era). We picked up the neighborhood guide in the bookstore, and walked around to see all the local Greene & Greene homes. Our's would fit in the neighborhood, but it would look like the poor man's cottage in comparison to the others! The tour of the Gamble House was excellent.
That's all the sightseeing we did. It was a fun weekend, made extra-special by being bowled over by the Huntington. Can't wait to return.
Stayed at the Courtyard in Old Town (sorry, ksucat, but we did see the Langham, and it it gorgeous. Really, more than gorgeous. We'll stay there if we're down there for more than an overnight). The Courtyard is in a fantastic location, the room was nice, the shower was good and the bed was comfortable. Ergo, a good hotel.
Saturday morning spent wandering Old Town, mostly shopping, and window shopping. Breakfast at Russell's, a local diner. Good, not great. 3*.
Followed by the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens. I'm writing this report simply to say "how did we miss it all these years?". Nothing I can say can convey how wonderful this place is. It helped that it was a spectacular afternoon (weatherwise), but that wasn't it (at least that wasn't the only thing). The gardens are so fantastic, the libarary with the original manuscripts, the art museum with all the Gainsboroughs (I saw Blue Boy on a field trip to the Met when I was in elementary school, so I was particularly interested to see it again). Absolutely amazing place, and worth every penny of the entry, which was, I think , $20 per.
Lunch at Mi Piace in Old Town. Very good salad and pizza. The thinnest crust pizza we've ever had. We love thin-crust but this didn't really have the consistency we favor (we prefer our's crispy, this was a little cakey, but the topping -- Margherita, so just sauce and cheese-- was excellent). 3-1/2*. The bread-like things they serve were addictive.
Dinner at Santorini in Old Town. Walking distance from the hotel. Nice place, although they did screw up our reservation. I made the reservation on their web site for 8 p.m. They confirmed by email and by telephone. And when we showed up at 8, they had us down as a no-show for a 7:30 reservation. Strike one. But they sat us, fortunately, because the place was almost full. The service was very good - just attentive enough. An excellent pear martini, and delicious food -- my DH had chicken kebab, and I had the sea bass special (enough for 3 people, I might add) - sea bass with a chipotle cream sauce, with roasted veggies. A solid 3-1/2*. Not "I must go back to Pasadena to eat there good", but if I lived nearby, I'd definitely frequent the place. Entrees were in the $18-25 range, with my special being $29.00. I think the whole bill for 2 -- 2 drinks, 2 apps, 2 mains -- was just about $100 all-in.
Next morning, breakfast at Aux Delices Bakery & Cafe in Old Town. Another 3*. Good but not go-out-of-your-way-good. Nice that they offered me fresh fruit instead of potatoes with my breakfast.
After that, the Gamble House and the neighborhood around the Gamble House. We live in a Craftsman house that was built sometime around 1908, so this really interests us (even though ours is no longer "pristine Craftsman", it's unmistakably from the same era). We picked up the neighborhood guide in the bookstore, and walked around to see all the local Greene & Greene homes. Our's would fit in the neighborhood, but it would look like the poor man's cottage in comparison to the others! The tour of the Gamble House was excellent.
That's all the sightseeing we did. It was a fun weekend, made extra-special by being bowled over by the Huntington. Can't wait to return.
Apr 14th, 2010, 11:00 PM
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So glad you loved the Huntington too. I also really loved the Norton Simon Museum, maybe a stop for you in the future. It is not a huge collection but excellent nonetheless with quality pieces and some really big names too--Botticelli, Raphael, Degas, Rodin, Moore....
Apr 15th, 2010, 07:01 PM
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The Norton Simon is often overlooked. Easy to get to, free parking (!), smallish entry fee, beautiful garden, nice cafe, and a wonderful, interesting permanent collection with well-presented special exhibitions, lectures, and musical performances. I can never understand why it isn't more crowded.
http://www.nortonsimon.org/
http://www.nortonsimon.org/
Apr 15th, 2010, 09:12 PM
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sounds great! I am planning an overnight trip to Pasadena with my son, staying at the Langham, and I will have to take him to the Norton Simon museum. We plan to dine at Cheval Blanc which is an excellent little French restaurant right in Old town; they had the best French onion soup I've had in a looong time. I was so tired of being disappointed with that soup at other places.
Another wonderful architectural tour, for me anyways, is just doing the neighborhood walk around the Langham hotel. The homes are marvelous.
Another wonderful architectural tour, for me anyways, is just doing the neighborhood walk around the Langham hotel. The homes are marvelous.
Apr 17th, 2010, 08:03 PM
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Jean, I have always wondered why several Southern California locations are overlooked. Another example is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Really enjoyed the Japanese wing, and the traveling exhibitions were excellent.
