Pasadena

Fusion Without the Pretension

Daisy Mint aims to please all lovers of Asian food

Laurent Quenioux Steps Into the Kitchen Vertical Wine Bistro: More Cassoulet!

​ Chef Laurent Quenioux is a busy man, now running the kitchens of two restaurants: his namesake Bistro LQ in West Hollywood (which made it onto J. Gold's 99 Essential Restaurants for the second year in row) and, as of late November, Vertical Wine Bistro in Pasadena. Why did he do it? Was h ... More >>

First Bite: Lobster Rolls on The Lobsta Truck

"You're eating what off a truck?" a friend asked when I told him I would be sampling the wares at The Lobsta Truck (@lobstatruck). There's nothing like seafood -- tricky to source, expensive and prone to spoilage -- to fortify or chip way at one's prejudices about food trucks. If there's an ident ... More >>

Thanksgiving Dining: 6 Holiday Dishes With A Global Spin

Cham Korean Bistro​ You eat kimchi pizza, Filipino adobo burritos and Japanese rice patty burgers. So when it comes to Thanksgiving, the most traditional of American food holidays, boring old stuffing won't do. Here are six Thanksgiving options that will make your globetrotting palate sing wi ... More >>

City Of Pasadena Set On Running 'Romantic' Trolley Around Downtown Loop

Nocturnal Perambulations via FlickrDon't worry -- only in San Francisco​Mayor Villaraigosa and the Subway-to-Sea dreamers aren't the only ones with pricey public transportation on their lists this holiday season. The Pasadena Star-News reported yesterday that city officials and Pasadena busin ... More >>

Kid-Friendly Tacos

On four wheels, no later than 7 p.m.

An Open Letter to Paula Deen

Dear Paula Deen: When I heard Tuesday that you had been named Grand Marshal of the 2011 Rose Parade, my reaction was not a pretty one. And while I wasn't expecting the email response I gave Janette Williams, the Pasadena Star-News reporter, to be printed - I'd thought I was setting up a phone inte ... More >>

Ask Mr. Gold: Kid-Friendly Tacos On Four Wheels, No Later Than 7 p.m.

Anne FishbeinMr. Gold, with dim sum menu​Dear Mr. Gold: As a mother of two kids young enough to still like noodles but old enough to make fun of Justin Bieber, I find myself in search of a kid-friendly taco truck. Good old-school tacos: no fusion, no Kogi lines. Anywhere from Venice to Pasaden ... More >>

What's in Season at the Farmers Markets: Quince

Felicia FriesemaQuince picked at Alex's Red Barn Winery in Temecula.​ Here in L.A., the dark red squares of dulce de membrillo (Mexican quince candy) are pretty commonplace, their intensely sweet and floral fragrance adding a seasonal exclamation point to autumn festivities and apple pies. Bu ... More >>

Google Sued By Pasadena Techies For Copycatting Their Version Of Street View

Google MapsBeautiful Pasadena, in stolen street view​Google wasn't the first to play god on street-level. At least, according to Pasadena company Veredi LLC, who is suing the Internet giant for infringing on five of its patents, which created a system for "creating, storing and utilizing image ... More >>

Did Joe Kurihara Get So Drunk He Lost His 3-Year-Old Son In Pasadena?

bistrosavage via FlickrThis isn't Joe Kurihara, who also allegedly had a few too many.​Updated after the jump with father being charged. First posted at 7:04 a.m. Monday You'd have to be pretty drunk to misplace both your SUV and your own, three-year-old son. But authorities in Pasadena are ... More >>

Now Open: The Cheese Store of Pasadena

Keeping cheese cool at The Cheese Store of Pasadena​ Like the object of any great passion, the world's best cheeses often play hard to get. Ardrahan, a semi-soft farmhouse cheese crafted in the viridescent fields of County Cork is no exception. Its golden tanned exterior, the product of a care ... More >>

Couscous Festival This Weekend: Start Your Tagines...

A. ScattergoodSpicy Beef Cheek Tagine​ A reminder that you will have plenty of couscous -- and poulet frit, or Algerian fried chicken; and rabbit tagine with figs and almonds; and Merguez sliders with harissa; and shrimp brik; and oh, one could go on and on -- to eat this weekend, as the Cousc ... More >>

Food, Wine and Bocce Ball: The Pasadena Wine Festival

Pasadena Wine Festival​Despite its name, the second annual Pasadena Wine Festival isn't just about vino. The outdoor food fête at the 127-acre Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens promises visitors a banquet for the senses with a caravan of food trucks, live entertainment, and law ... More >>

(Pics) Pasdena Rose Court Finalists -- 31 Of Them -- Announced

The 31 Pasadena Rose Court finalists.​The folks behind Pasadena's annual Rose Parade this week announced 31 finalists for the event's "Royal Court." Do we care? Not that much. (Yawn). But here's the thing: They gave us pictures of these fine young women, and we know you want to see:

Hurry Curry of Tokyo Expansion News: Two More Locations to Come, Maybe

Celia SoudryHurry Curry chicken curry​ Sitting in a heavily Asian-food-influenced strip mall, next to Little Hong Kong on Sawtelle Boulevard, Hurry Curry of Tokyo bustles during lunch hour with patrons ordering mild, medium, and hot curry dishes. Though the menu also consists of Japanese "spa ... More >>

Best Evening Farmers Market: South Pasadena

A. ScattergoodSouth Pasadena farmers market​ Sure, there are farmers markets with more high profile chefs trailing carts and, often, camera crews (Santa Monica Wednesdays); there are markets with stalls featuring more Asian or Hispanic produce (Torrance); or markets scheduled early enough and ... More >>

HMMM . . . HINTS OF NORTON SIMON

Photo Gallery: What's In Season At The Farmers Market

Summer may not be technically over, but now that Labor Day has come and gone and schools are back in session, it kind of feels like it. Early September, however, can be one of the hottest times in Southern California, especially in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys. Not so good for us, but no ... More >>

What's in Season at the Farmers Markets: Fruit Flies and Netting?

Felicia FriesemaNetting over peaches at Tenerelli Orchards, Pasadena market​ If you've been to the South Pasadena, Pasadena, or Alhambra farmers markets these past two weeks, you've likely had to navigate your fruit buying through a maze of makeshift netting draped over long tables. On Augus ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 8/9-8/13

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "The residual coffee in the air is worth an aerosolized shot, shot and a half, easy."

First Bite: Maximum Intelligentsia in Pasadena

Christie BishopJonagold apple, minus first bite​And you thought the coffee and the architecture and the hep baristas were enough, right? Is it possible to get a caffeine contact high? Because when you walk into the newest Intelligentsia, in a stripped, high-ceilinged storefront hard by the Foo ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 8/2-8/6

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "Is there caramel soufflé for dessert? There is always caramel soufflé for dessert."

Sprouts Farmers Market Opens in Pasadena: Your Circuit City, Repurposed

A. ScattergoodSprouts Farmers Market in Pasadena​ Sprouts Farmers Market, the Phoenix-based chain of supermarkets, opened another store in Pasadena this past Wednesday. Sprouts is owned by the Boney family, who owned the Henry's Marketplace chain before it was sold to Wild Oats (now owned by W ... More >>

Intelligentsia Coffeehouse Opens in Pasadena

A. ScattergoodIntelligentsia Pasadena​ As of 10 a.m. this morning, Old Town shoppers, itinerant off-duty baristas, embedded Pasadena food writers and refugees from the Rose Bowl now have a place to order an excellent macchiato on Colorado Boulevard. Intelligentsia Coffee, Doug Zell's Chicago-b ... More >>

Tom Hanks Likes Public Radio Apple Pies

If you've been stuck in the car listening to public radio during the last few days, you're painfully aware that KPCC is currently conducting a pledge drive. You also know by now how much Tom Hanks likes public radio, as both he and his driver have done recurrent bits for the cause. Apparently not on ... More >>

Preservationists Unhappy About Pasadena Freeway Upgrades

byways.org​The old Arroyo Seco Parkway, a.k.a. the Pasadena (110) Freeway, is the unlikely target of a preservation effort by those concerned that planned upgrades by Caltrans will strip the curvy, picturesque roadway of its historic character. Already the freeway is a National Historic Civil ... More >>

Buns on the Run at Pasadena's PappaRich Coffeeshop

Amy Scattergoodbreakfast at PappaRich's​ Critics of McDonald's sometimes claim that its hamburgers are engineered for addictiveness, that somewhere in the chemical plants of New Jersey swarms of lab-coated scientists tabulate human response to carefully calibrated doses of umami. But when you ... More >>

I Fought the Slaw: The Slaw Dogs Opens in Pasadena

Lake Avenue, as it thrusts up towards Altadena, has long been where Pasadena sequesters its fast-food restaurants, and at the heart of it, you can find nearly every drive-thru window that has ever sponsored a football broadcast. The street has also been hospitable to a few left-of-center fast-food j ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 2/8 - 2/12

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "Until we can persuade significant chunks of Extramadura or the Costa Brava to emigrate, we can at least console ourselves with the Valencian paellas and fideos at LA Paella near the Beverly Center." Ask Mr. Gold: Spain ... More >>

Oh, Camelot!

The Pasadena Playhouse takes a final bow. Again

Stage Raw: City Council Postpones Crisis Vote

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWS This week's THEATER FEATURE On Bobrauschenbergamerica and Orpheus DescendingCHECK BACK HERE MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 31ST ANNUAL L.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDS NOMINEESCITY COUNCIL POSTPONES VOTE, CULTURAL AFFAIRS PROGRAMS SPARED FOR T ... More >>

Stage Raw: Yes, You Can Do Something of Consequence

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWS This week's THEATER FEATURE On Bobrauschenbergamerica and Orpheus DescendingCheck here on Monday afternoon for the 2009 L.A. Weekly Theater Awards nominees!YES, YOU CAN DO SOMETHING. The local blogosphere has been generating a number of letters like ... More >>

Elements Restaurant Now Open in Pasadena

Pasadena Chef Onil Chibás thought a year ago he'd open his expanded Elements Kitchen restaurant (not to be confused with his very popular café on the corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and Dayton Street in Pasadena) by Valentine's Day. Several setbacks, mostly electrical code issues, put his plans on hold ... More >>

Wine Detective: A New Wine Bar in Pasadena

Wine Detective, a wine bar run by two couples from South Pasadena and La Cañada, quietly opened on the Commons Plaza in Pasadena about 5 weeks ago. In a pretty "conversation lounge" off the walking mall, the 4 owners pour 48 wines (32 reds and 16 whites) out of Tuscan-made Enomatic tasting machines ... More >>

Zombie Walk Saturday Night: Evening Stroll With the Undead in Pasadena

​If you're looking for something weird to do this Saturday night, how about walking with the undead? Anthony Dalbis, who runs SoCal Zombie Walk, has organized another one, in Pasadena this time. It's holiday themed. Costume possibilities include: zombie elves, zombie reindeer, zombie Christmas ... More >>

Your Month in Review: November Restaurant Openings and Closures

A. ScattergoodThe Gorbals​Probably the most promising moment in the restaurant shuffle this month, was Choza Mama's takeover of the old Hooters space in Old Town Pasadena. The popular Burbank Peruvian restaurant unquestionably gives Old Town some needed points in the class and culture departme ... More >>

Elements Café Update: Expanded Menu Second Pasadena Location to Open in December

Elements Café, a 4 year-old restaurant in Pasadena, is opening a second location, next to the Pasadena Playhouse, in December. In the meantime, chef-owner Onil Chibas recently expanded both the original space on Fair Oaks and the breakfast and pastry menu. The new restaurant will be even larger, wi ... More >>

IT'S NOT "CHOC-OHOLICS" — IT'S CHOCOLAT-ICS

Robinson v. Robinson: Pasadena's Naming Dilemma

Corina Knoll has a compelling piece in the L.A. Times concerning the naming/renaming flap over Pasadena's Robinson Park. The park, so-named to cover brothers Jackie and Mack Robinson, is in the process of a $24 million upgrade. The dilemma is whether to officially rename the park Jackie Robinson Par ... More >>

Smoke AND Mirrors: Pasadena's Villa Sorriso Hosts Michael Jackson's Burial Reception Tonight

Pasadena residents and those visiting Old Town tonight will have not only smoke from the Station fire to navigate but crowds of Michael Jackson fans. Villa Sorriso, the Italian restaurant on the far western edge of Colorado Boulevard is hosting the King of Pop's burial reception tonight. No, you can ... More >>

Today in Photographs: August 18, 1950

​Early Tree Huggers: These residents of Edgewood Drive, South Pasadena, armed with brooms and rolling pins, pledge to defend an oak tree from city-ordered removal.LA Herald-Examiner/LAPL

Pasadena History Exhibit

Mama's Hot Tamales Update: The New Kitchen Incubator is Up and Running--or Incubating

Can all food be created equal? Mama's Hot Tamales, everyone's favorite MacArthur Park tamale establishment, is bringing their democratic ideals, community service and unique cooking knowledge to Pasadena.

710 Freeway Tunnel Vision

Curbed L.A. reported on Tuesday's unanimous Assembly committee vote to recommend that the 710 Freeway be extended underground -- instead of cutting 6.2 miles on the surface through neighborhoods in El Sereno and South Pasadena, along the freeway's course to link the San Bernardino and Foothill freew ... More >>

Snap, Crackle and Pop

Death of L.A. Newsstands

Times are so bad, longtime stands are becoming cigarette shops. Cough!

Tragic Carpet Ride: Esotouric Revisits Dark Pasadena

Forget the Little Old Lady from Pasadena -- unless she's Norman Bates' mother. This weekend the folks at the macabre bus tour company Esotouric delve into Pasadena Confidential -- that is, all things grim and grisly about our staid neighbor to the north. The tours strive to be "provocative and compl ... More >>

Morning Sixpack: A News Roundup

Hospitals Blocked From Skid Row Dumping City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has secured protocols -- and a $1.6 million settlement -- with Orange County's College Hospitals to prevent them from future patient-dumping on L.A.'s Skid Row. Associated Press, City Attorney's OfficeHate Tags A white Los Alamit ... More >>

Today in Photographs: March 23, 1952

Harry Hess is led away from his Pasadena home after being smoked out of it with tear gas. Sheriff's deputies had wanted a word with him about the body of wife, Nina, that was lying in the driveway.Photo: LA Examiner/USC Digital ArchiveClick image to enlarge