Italian Impressionism

The pizza oven stars at Pasadena’s Marina but the menu is wide-ranging and sophisticated.

/

The prospect of another Italian restaurant in Pasadena would not ordinarily be newsworthy. But Marina—among a flurry of promising post-pandemic eateries to open there—brings a compelling blend of traditional and contemporary interpretations of the cuisine to the city’s South Lake Avenue shopping district.

Marina’s owners, veteran restau-

by roger grody /

rateurs, transformed a space housing an unloved Mexican eatery into a sleek modern dining room; crystal chandeliers and globe pendants now hang from a curvilinear ceiling over marble and wood tables.

A long bar for sipping and snacking is lined with midcentury-modern-inspired stools; an open kitchen is anchored by a glistening pizza oven. The scene is lively but not too noisy; some tables spill outdoors onto a narrow space successfully shielded from a parking lot to allow for pleasant alfresco dining.

Ideal for sharing, lightly fried calamari and artichokes with a bright parsley aioli provide a satisfying excuse to settle in with a glass of prosecco. Among other starters are