WHY The crispy portobello fries with truffle aioli. Did we mention the fries?

WHAT Veteran Rose City restaurateur (Bistro 45) Robert Simon moved his St. Helena restaurant, AKA, to One Colorado in Old Town, and Pasadena is stoked to have a local boy making good in the midst of the chain eateries. The eclectic menu starts with batter-fried slices of portobello mushrooms and moves to an array of temptations, from PEI mussels with chorizo to seared Scottish salmon, a tender Angus burger with house-cured bacon, a Snake River Kobe flat-iron steak and a terrific Prairie Fresh pork chop. There’s one heckuva fry cook in the kitchen; in addition to the ‘shroom fries, the buttermilk onion rings are killer.

WHO Everyone who’s anyone in Pasadena, and visiting shoppers.