WHY Although it’s a taqueria swank enough that you could take Nancy Reagan there, Doña Rosa is not phony, as evidenced by its excellent huevos con chorizo, hearty pozole and, most of all, its acclaimed pan dulce of every type. WHAT How the food can be so good here and so, well, less than good [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY One word: duck. WHAT There are lots of good things to order (scallion pancakes, beef with garlic, the mountain yam jelly called konnyaku) but it’s really all about the three-course duck dinner, a great feast to share with friends. It starts with a platter of crisp, salty-sweet skin and moist meat to wrap in [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Great setting in a lively neighborhood, steps from the Gold Line station that inspired its name. WHAT This lovely red-walled space features a traditional French bistro menu and charm galore. Service can be slapdash and the kitchen uneven but the crowds of spirited locals packing the small bar and dining rooms don’t seem to [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Great Oaxacan food from a serious and attentive chef. WHAT It looks like a dive from the outside, but inside it’s inviting and charming—the perfect setting for owner/chef Roberto Berrelleza’s outstanding regional Mexican cooking with an Oaxacan focus. The standouts include seriously good Yucatecan cochinita pibil, filet mignon with pimiento-mint sauce, and habañero-blazed camarones [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Because the onion soup, steak frites and dark-chocolate mousse are intensely comforting for Francophiles; the flippant, funny black-T-shirted French waiters are the lagniappes. WHAT Just like an ordinary corner bistro in one of Paris’s lesser arrondissements, Café Beaujolais is nothing to go out of your way for but is a blessing for locals. Straightforward, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Luxe food in a romantic setting, plus a swell private room for a dinner party. Excellent wine list. WHAT Hidden in strip mall, Derek’s is Pasadena’s swank secret. Irish-born Derek Dickenson knows what his upscale clientele craves for dinner, and he delivers the goods: seared foie gras with a kumquat marmalade; fresh oysters; beef [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Very good food, plus the tasty (but strong) margaritas and sangria. WHAT La Cabañita is a cheerful, crowded neighborhood café offering superb food. It’s expanded to nearly twice its original size, causing some old-timers to grouse about kitchen consistency, but we think it’s as wonderful as ever, especially the beans, the green mole, the [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The signature whole sizzling catfish with ponzu sauce, but don’t stop there—it’s all delicious. For a memorable experience, ask Chef Shiro to surprise you. WHAT Chef Hideo Yamashiro knows his seafood and the menu reflects it, with lots of fresh, interestingly sauced fish offerings. As competition has intensified in increasingly food-obsessed South Pasadena, Shiro’s, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY It’s one of the better places for sushi east of the 5 Freeway. WHAT Knotty-pine walls and two bars—one for drinking, one for sushi—give Z an interesting look, and the good food is matched by the friendly, quick and solicitous service. The sashimi’s fresh, the sushi rolls are imaginative and the cooked dishes, like [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The fresh, light banh mi sandwiches and those fabulously crisp spring rolls. WHAT This no-frills diner packs ‘em in with fresh, appealing and cheap Vietnamese food: oniony pho, shrimp paste on sugar cane, myriad noodle dishes and justly popular spring rolls accompanied by a fragrant heap of fresh green herbs. Also consider the related [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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