CULINARY DELIGHTS

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Pasadena’s dynamic dining scene continues to evolve in exciting and delicious ways. With more than 650 restaurants representing nearly every cuisine category, the options are indeed endless—there are more restaurants per capita here than in

New York City. You can taste your way around the world at ethnic restaurants that refl ect the diversity of the community itself. Try classic institutions, from burger and burrito joints to fi ne dining stand-outs and steakhouses.

It’s not just food that’s on the musttry menu here—the libations scene is experiencing a renaissance of its own, between the artisanal co ee, cocktails, craft beers and boba beverages. The new Food District at One Colorado (41 Hugus Al.; onecolorado.com) introduces nine local food concepts to the outdoor shopping center.

Amara Barroeta brings the flavors of Venezuela to her namesake Amara Chocolate & Co ee (55 S. Raymond Ave.; amarachocolate.com). The all-day café is renowned for its churros and desserts, but the savory dishes—including grilled arepas (corn flatbreads) and cachapas (crepes)—are just as divine.

WOMEN AT THE PLATE

Pasadena’s cuisine scene is fueled by some very talented female chefs and restaurant owners who deserve some extra celebration during Women’s

History Month in March. Pay your respects all year long at these delectable establishments—your taste buds will thank you!

Pace Webb is founding chef and co-owner of Daddy’s Chicken Shack (11 W. Dayton St.; daddyschickenshack.com), a small takeaway space serving southern-style fried chicken with Asian ingredients as the backbone of the flavor profile. Best known for their fried chicken sandwiches, Daddy’s also o ers salads, bowls and vegan options.

Cookbook author and baker Christine Moore owns two charming local cafes: Little Flower (1422 W. Colorado Blvd.; littleflowercandyco.com) and Lincoln (1992 Lincoln Ave.; lincolnpasadena.com). Lincoln features her signature cakes, plus breakfast concoctions, sandwiches, salads and bowls. Little Flower also hits the breakfast and lunch sweet spot and carries her famous sea salt caramels. Union (37 E. Union St.; unionpasadena.com) owner Marie Petulla partnered with Executive Chef Chris Keyser on the always-packed 50-seat restaurant specializing in Northern Italian made with Californian ingredients. Reservations are highly recommended to ensure you can sample the everchanging seasonal menus.

Leah Ferrazzini started Semolina Artisanal Pasta Kitchen & Pasta Shop (1976 Lincoln Ave.; semolinapasta.com) in her home kitchen five years ago. Today, her small-batch, handcrafted pastas— made with certified organic Durum Semolina grown in the U.S.—are sold across the country and served in leading restaurants in Greater Los Angeles and beyond.

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EXEMPLARY ASIAN

Pasadena is synonymous with standout Asian cuisine, thanks to the diversity of Asian immigrant residents and their descendants born and raised locally. The fl avors of Japan come to life at

Osawa and Sushi Ichi. Bone Kettle transports palates to Indonesia with bold Southeast Asian-inspired dishes and drinks. Lunasia Dim

Sum House shines as one of the LA region’s most popular places for traditional dumplings, buns, pot stickers and more. Dan Modern

Chinese takes a more contemporary approach to Chinese classics like dumplings and noodles. President

Thai Restaurant serves head-ofstate-worthy Thai cuisine in an elegant atmosphere. These are just the cream of the crop among the 100+ Asian cuisine choices awaiting you here—fi nd more on visitpasadena.com.

Amara Cafe

BEST of PASADENA WINNER for the 7th YEAR

DESSERT - INDEPENDENT COFFEE HOUSE - LATIN AMERICAN FOOD

Amara Cafe offers the unique flavor of Venezuelan cuisine with a Spanish influence. Here the spicy cacao latte and the fresh vegan churros are a treat worth trying. At Amara Cafe you can also enjoy fluffy, yet crispy arepas - the kitchen stuffs these traditional Venezuelan pockets with shredded beef, gouda, or fresh cheese, black beans, and the irresistible ripe sweet plantains. Amara also has something unique to LA: cachapas, a Venezuelan crêpe made with fresh and roasted yellow corn, making the perfect breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon and melted cheese!

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MICHELIN STAR POWER

The fi rst dedicated California Michelin guide was released in June 2019 and several Pasadena restaurants were recognized with “Michelin Plates” awards. The accolade—a complement to the star rating system—is bestowed upon restaurants considered secret gems for their high standard of quality cuisine. See what the hype is about at these 11 restaurants where you can savor a 5-star meal without the 5-star price tag.

• Alexander’s Steakhouse • Arroyo Chop House • Fishwives • Maestro • Osawa • Parkway Grill • The Raymond 1886 • Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse • Saladang • Sushi Ichi • Union

DER WOLF

WINE DOWN

Oenophiles have plenty of options to sip and savor wines from California and beyond. Whether you’re creating a DIY wine tour, or seek a compelling wine list, we’ve got you covered.

• Everson Royce (155 N. Raymond Ave.; eversonroyce.com) hosts weekly tasting events and always has interesting bottles open for tasting. • Monopole (21 S. El Molino Ave.; monopolewine.com) hosts regular evening tasting events and educational classes. • Vinotera (102 S. Lake Ave.; vinoterawine. com) pours wine flights Wednesday through

Saturday evenings. • The Cellar (26 E. Colorado Blvd.; lecellar. com) is a global wine “library” bar tucked into a basement space that’s open Thursday through Sunday.

CRAFT BEER CRAWL

California’s craft beer scene continues to get better and better, and Pasadena is right in step with this movement.

• Stone Brewing Tap Room (220 S. Raymond

Ave.; stonebrewing.com) is a tasting room for the leading San Diego-based brewery. • Der Wolf (72 N. Fair Oaks Ave.; derwolfskops. wixsite.com) Bavarian bierhaus features more than 20 beers on tap. • Lucky Baldwin’s Trappiste (1770 E. Colorado

Blvd.; luckybaldwins.pub) pours more than 65 brews on rotation. • Kings Row Gastropub (20 E. Colorado Blvd.; kingsrowpub.com) spotlights 24 Californian craft beers on draught. • Congregation Ale House (300 S. Raymond

Ave.; congregationalehouse.com) features their brews alongside 20+ beers by California and international brewers.

PROLECE TEA

COFFEE, TEA, & BOBA

Whether you’re a co ee drinker, a tea sipper or a boba devotee, these indie-spirited outposts will help put a pep in your step. • Jones Co ee Roasters (695 E. Colorado

Blvd., 693 S. Raymond Ave., 1006 Mission St.; jonesco eeroasters.com) roasts their own co ee beans, carefully sourced from sustainable farmers. • Jameson Brown Co ee Roasters (260 N. Allen

Ave.; jamesonbrown.com) roasts co ee beans onsite in small batches to create the perfect cup. • Lavender & Honey Espresso Bar (1383 E.

Washington Blvd.; lavenderandhoneyespresso. com) concocts hot and cold co ee drinks, gourmet teas and matcha lattes. • Republik Co ee Lounge (854 E. Green St.; republikco ee.com) is a hub for co ee connoisseurs and decadent pastries. • Rosebud Co ee (2302 E. Colorado Blvd.; rosebudco ee.com) empowers homeless and transitional-aged youth with barista jobs. • Homebrewed Bar (39 N. Arroyo Pkwy.; homebrewedbar.com) specializes in cold brewed co ees and teas. • Dots Café & Bakery (3819 E. Colorado Blvd.; dotscafebakery.com) grew from a humble cupcake shop into a full-fledged co ee snob-approved café.

JIN TEA

• Matcha & Kone (10 S. De Lacey Ave.) is a destination for boba, co ee, tea and matcha soft serve. • JIN Tea (18 W. Green St.; jinteashop.com) elevates the art of tea into a sacred ritual. • Miss Cheese Tea Café (238 S. Arroyo Pkwy.; misscheesecafe.com) serves cold brewed

Taiwanese teas and cold teas topped with a foamy layer of milk and cream cheese sprinkled with salt. • Prolece Tea (21 S. Fair Oaks Blvd.) pours a variety of colorful teas like their house milk tea and rose on lychee tea. • Motto Tea Café (100 W. Green St. #101; mottotea. cafe) is committed to using all natural ingredients in their Japanese-influenced hot and iced tea drinks. • Chado Tea Room (79 N. Raymond Ave.; chadotearoom.com) o ers an afternoon tea service featuring their hand-blended teas. • Rose Tree Cottage (801 S. Pasadena Ave.; rosetreecottage.com), The Langham’s Afternoon

Tea with Wedgewood (1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave.; langhamhotels.com) and The Huntington’s Rose

Garden Tea Room (1151 Oxford Rd.; thehuntington. org) all o er a traditional high tea service.

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LA GRANDE ORANGE CAFÉ

1810 Argentinean Restaurant

This popular Pasadena restaurant is a great introduction to Argentinean food. Try the empanadas to start and one of the grilled steaks for your main. 121 W. Colorado Blvd. (626) 795-5658 1810restaurant.com

Bone Kettle

Stylish restaurant for shareable Indonesian dishes revolving around slow-cooked bone broth. 67 N. Raymond Ave. (626) 795-5702 bonekettle.com

Celestino Ristorante & Bar

Pumpkin tortellini and penne with prosciutto in a vodka sauce top the list at this Sicilian eatery. 141 S. Lake Ave. (626) 795-4006 celestinopasadena.com

Delicatessen by Osawa

Japanese style deli serving contemporary and traditional Japanese cuisine, creating fresh dishes daily from locally sourced ingredients. 851 Cordova St. (626) 844-8788 delicabyosawa.com

Houston’s

Ribs, steaks, sandwiches and salads. If you want to go another direction, Houston’s also o ers selection of sushi, and the elegant bar top is long and romantically lit. 320 S. Arroyo Parkway (626) 577-6001 houstons.com

La Grande Orange Café

An upscale dining spot on creative takes on the classics with fresh vegetarian options. 260 S. Raymond Ave. (626) 356-4444 lgostationcafe.com

Luggage Room

Wood-fired pizza and cocktails in what was originally the 1930s baggage room for the Del Mar Train Station. 260 S. Raymond Ave. (626) 356-4440 theluggageroom.com

Mi Piace

An Old Pasadena favorite. The desserts and pastries are worth the splurge if you have room. 25 E. Colorado Blvd. (626) 795-3131 mipiace.com

Nick’s

Nick’s is a local favorite, thanks to its upscale atmosphere, enthusiastic sta , and sophisticated take on traditional American comfort food. Nick’s perfects the balance between comfort and class. 336 S. Lake Ave. (626) 787-1444 www.nicksrestaurant.com

Porto Via Italian Foods

A modern café inspired by the vibrant flavors of Italy, the Mediterranean and California. 1 W. California Blvd. (626) 793-9000 portaviafoods.com

Ramen Tatsunoya

Traditional Japanese ramen. 16 N. Fair Oaks Ave. (626) 432-1768 tatsunoyausa.com

Saladang Song

Superior traditional Thai cuisine in an architecturally unique structure. 383 S. Fair Oaks Ave. (626) 793-5200 saladang-thai.com

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THE ROYCE WOOD-FIRED STEAKHOUSE

Soh Grill House

Gorgeous Old Pasadena location serving traditional Korean barbeque. Beef belly, rib eye and marinated short rib grilled tableside. 27 N. Raymond Ave. (626) 714-7760 sohgrillhouse.com

Sushi Kimagure Ike

Chef Ike San made a controversial decision when he relocated from his popular Hollywood destination. He hasn’t had a hard time getting his loyal customers to follow him east. He serves the freshest sashimi in its purest form. 220 S. Raymond Ave. (626) 535-0880

Sushi Roku

Incorporating diverse, nontraditional ingredients and superlative traditional sushi, Sushi Roku is a unique culinary experience. The diverse menu also o ers an array of hot and cold specialty appetizers and an extensive selection of exotic entrees. 33 Miller Alley (626) 683-2000 innovativedining.com/restaurants/ sushiroku

The Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse

The Langham Huntington, Pasadena’s signature steakhouse serves the finest selection of wood-grilled USDA Prime Cuts, Australian Wagyu, and authentic Japanese Kobe Beef, as well as seafood and sides alongside an impressive selection of wines. The Royce’s Red and White Wine Rooms make perfect places for intimate celebrations, tastings and private dinner events. 1401 S Oak Knoll Ave. (626) 585-6410 roycela.com

Union Street Sandwich Co.

A charming sandwich shop and bakery on Union Street in Old Pasadena. 109 Union St. (626) 639-3575 unionsandwich.com