WHY Although it’s the kind of restaurant that MBAs, not chefs, create, Grande Orange an undeniably winning place, especially the bar, the Caesar salad, the burgers and the excellent pizzas now emerging from the brand-new wood-burning ovens.

WHAT The owners of this spot in the handsomely restored 1925 Santa Fe Depot at Del Mar Station have thought of everything. Good-value happy hour? Check. Retro-hip mac ‘n cheese? Check. Grilled ahi tacos? Check. It’s got it all, from name-dropping martinis to a thoughtful kids’ menu, so all of Pasadena is showing up.

WHO Early-bird seniors on the patio, young families and middle-aged friends in the dining room and a younger after-work crowd in the bar.