Where to eat in Pasadena?
 

We will be in Pasadena for a weekend -- we're staying in Old Town (NOT at the Langham, although there's still a possibility we'll change our minds and stay there). Other than the restaurant at the Langham, where would you choose to eat dinner on a Saturday night. We like local, fresh, any kind of food (inventive but not nutty is good!), prefer Old Town, funky is good, prefer not to have to dress up, but don't have to wear jeans and sneakers either, not too too noisy but like it to be lively....Any suggestions?

I'd also like a recommendation that fits your description, as I visit Pasadena a couple of times a year.

We usually have lunch at Greenstreet Restaurant. They have an outside seating area if the weather is right, and a variety of huge delicious salads (even the half sizes are big) served with complimentary zucchini bread.

http://www.greenstreetrestaurant.com/

Thanks for the Greenstreet rec. I love a good salad!

We just got back from Pasadena, and enjoyed two meals at Cafe Bizou in Old Town. Pleasant atmosphere, good food and service.

Forgot to include the link to Cafe Bizou.

http://cafebizou.com/home_pas.php

Bar Celona: http://www.barcelonapasadena.com/ great food. Just was there a few weeks ago & took my husband for his 1st time. He loved it.
You can't go worng really in Old Pasadena. Try www.yelp.com also.

I grew up close to Pasadena. Took swimming lessons there, my doctors were there, went to Junior Achievement there, rode my bicycle to the Rose Bowl Parade, went to the Ice House to catch acts, summer school there - even had our wedding reception at the Huntington Hotel.

OK - where, exactly, is "Old Town"??? It all looked old to me.

Stu Dudley

Here:

http://www.oldpasadena.org/

Thanks - things have changed since '65.

Stu Dudley

Old Town is even older :-)

We went here for the beer - the food was good too. LOTS of different kinds of beers, so if that is your thing, try it:

http://www.yardhouse.com

Debit, I've been to the Yardhouse in Rancho Mirage and in the Gaslamp in San Diego -- they make a really good burger, too!

I say that you and your husband switch over to the Langham and just relax at the gorgeous hotel and eat there.
San Marino is close by and very chi chi.
Mission Inn in Riverside is exquisite old hotel with great restaurants..its about 30+ minutes if you want something different or do lunch/brunch.
Sorry I don't know the area better for you.
Have fun sf!.

www.missioninn.com

<<<We like local, fresh, any kind of food (inventive but not nutty is good!), prefer Old Town, funky is good, prefer not to have to dress up, but don't have to wear jeans and sneakers either, not too too noisy but like it to be lively>>>

ksucat, somehow you got "chi chi" from all of that? :-))

LOL..
I was thinking San Marino is 'chi chi' but on the down low..
Old money never dresses up unless they have too.
Never mind..
:))

Ha Ha - all the money I have is new!

:))

I'm from Pasadena...also since 1965....but am current. LOL! Anyhow. Cafe Bisou on Raymond has great food. I had one of my fodors GTG dinners there and everyone absolutely loved it. Try their spinach salad which is THE best. And the black pasta with seafood is great,too. They also do a wonderful apple tatin.

And Green Street cafe is very good. It's been around for decades although originally located in a different area of Pasadena.

And there are the regular places like Cheesecake Factory on the corner of Fair Oaks and Colorado and across from it is Louise's (Italian). And across from Louises is the very popular Mi Piace restaurant.

Also in the area in back of Crate and Barrel, in Miller's Alley, you'll notice across from the movie theater and up on a roof top, a Mediterranean style restaurant. It has really good food. I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head. And in that same area (Miller's Alley), there is Il Fornaio which has delicious food. I go in and ask them to make me grilled salmon, mashed potatoes, and veggies which they do although the last time I went in for lunch it wasn't on the menu anymore. But, the waiter said, "No problem".

Also down on Fair Oaks Avenue, south of Colorado, there's the famous Saladang Song Restaurant (where I had my big fodors GTG luncheon) and then there's Saladang right next to it. It's so popular that a second restaurant (Song-meaning "2" in Thai) was built. Song is a beautiful restaurant that was built from the ground up and won an architectural award. Song is the one with the outdoor patio. The coconut shrimp there are the best I've ever had and the eggplant and shrimp dish is a must. There are a lot of great a la carte dishes there.

There's also the new Argentine restaurant that replaced the very delicious and popular Gaucho Grill and it's next to Barnes and Nobles on Colorado. And on Green street between Delacey and Fair Oaks is La Negra Luna, which I took the fodors GTG group to for a dinner and we had a blast. It's Spanish and has tasty tapas and a flaminco (sp?) dance performance on weekend nights. Just book for dinner and then stay for the show. It's quite reasonable in price.

And there's Twin Palms restaurant, built around two palm trees and under a huge canvas tent. It's on the southwest corner of Fair Oaks and Delacey and caddie corner to the Italian restaurant Bucca de....something or the other.

There's also a steak house, that of course serves more than steak, that's on Colorado, a few steps west of Delacey, next to Kenneth Cole. You go up an escalator to get to it. It's a nice atmosphere.

We have over 500 restaurants in Pasadena and a top culinary school which also has its own cafe, down on Green street, but east of Los Robles and west of Lake Avenue.

As for how to dress, it's Pasadena, and we're not so stiff.

Oh, and I forgot to add that there are two excellent Indian restaurants on Fair Oaks, very near the Marriott Courtyard Hotel. One is at the corner of Fair Oaks and Union and the other is a few steps north of it, mid block, and also on Fair Oaks.

One just needs to walk Old Town and take note of what's there. And also in Millers Alley is the luxury movie theater that has dinner and the reclining theater lounge seats with drinks served at one's seat. There are only 3 or 4 of these theaters in the entire U.S. Happy Travels!

And the Langham, formerly the Ritz Carlton, and Huntington Hotel is not in Old Town and it's best to stay in Old Town anyhow as one can walk to all of the restaurants, shops, theaters, etc. One has to drive from the Langham. For a Saturday night dinner, I'd make a reservation at Cafe Bisou. Happy Travels!

I forgot to add that if you want more Pasadena ideas, just type my screen name in the SEARCH box and you can read the Guenmai's GTG Parts 1-3 threads, as I had my big GTG here in Pasadena and fodorites came from all over....from Hawaii to the east coast and everywhere in between. I suggested that they all stay at the Courtyard Marriott, which they did, and which is in the heart of things. I had the first, Friday night, welcome dinner at Cafe Bisou, which is a 3-minute walk from the Courtyard Marriott. The back of the hotel is on Raymond and the front on Fair Oaks. Happy Travels!