Went for Dine LA lunch and really enjoyed the experience and getting to try all these dishes…read more Service was very friendly and food came out pretty fast. The restaurant has a nice, natural light filled space, and though it was busy, it wasn't too loud. It worked out well to go with two people so we could try almost all the options... - Scallop aguachile, avocado, salsa macha verde: Came with two shells, each with a little scallop, avocado, zucchini, radish, cilantro. Nice and refreshing to start. - Strawberry and vanilla French toast fingers, pistachio marzipan: A very generous portion of French toast with strawberry jam and pistachio sauce. Nice and crunchy crust. It was an interesting contrast to the aguachile first course! - Crab cake eggs benny: Two poached eggs on crab cakes. This was good, nothing unexpected, though I was getting pretty full at this point. - Summer berries, Scottish shortbread, white chocolate mousseline: This was the only dish we were disappointed by. The shortbread was pretty bland and the texture was lacking crispness. - Profiteroles, vanilla ice cream, strawberry ice cream, hot fudge sauce: Simple dessert but put together well. We both also ordered Purple reign cocktails, which went well with brunch. Overall it ended up being quite a bit of food and a good value for two.

Stopped by Pez on a Friday for their last day of the dineLA series and was pleasantly surprised by…read morethe whole meal! I got the shrimp starter, fish main, and berries and shortbread dessert. I was pretty hesitant about the starter so I'm not a big fan of shrimp head but it was very very good - not at all shrimpy and perfectly balanced. For the trout, I was obsessed with the tomatoes, sauce, and the SQUASH BLOSSOM - literally dreaming of that squash blossom. Trout was great as well and the skin was indeed very crispy just as described. The only downer was the dessert and kingfish ceviche that we added on as extra. For the dessert, the shortbread was too dry and flaky and the ceviche was too fishy for my taste. Overall though, very beautiful vibes and great dinner as a whole! Parking: lots of paid structures in old town - haven't found a free hack just yet rip

Service was extremely good. I highly recommend the pizza, the shrimp appetizer and the zucchini…read moreblossoms. The lasagna could be served warmer. We had both the Bolognese and the spinach. Desserts were average. The best entrée at our table was definitely the lamb chops. The chicken Milanese is with pasta was good but nothing I need to recommend.

Went here for an early dinner. Great service and food. Bread was immediately placed on our table -…read morenice crust with soft interior. Served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We started with melon and prosciutto - the melon was so sweet! Then we shared a Cesar salad - good portion size for 3 people. Our waiter offered us a taste of two wines - we ended up choosing the Chianti which was delicious! My friend had scampi linguini with sun-dried tomatoes and rapini. Husband had My Brothers Jerry's Tortelloni -veal and chicken tortellini. I had pasta carbonara - the noodles were amazingly tender and the taste was spot on. Probably the best pasta that we've ever had! Finished up with a coconut cake with a drizzle of raspberry sauce. Plenty of parking in the lot. Outdoor tables were shaded. It was a pretty warm day so we opted to sit indoors. Really old school ambiance. Service was very efficient. Pricing was fair and portion sizes are excellent and could be easily shared between 2 people. We each had leftovers. Highly recommend dining here!

1/2 We stopped by…read morePinocchio's Pizza in Pasadena for lunch and tried their lunch specials. It's a good option if you're looking for an affordable and filling Italian lunch. The lunch specials range from $8.99 to $14.99 and are available 7 days a week from 11 AM to 4 PM, which is a nice bonus. Options include soup and salad with garlic bread, pasta with your choice of sauce, or a 10" pizza with one topping, plus a side and a soft drink. We went with the lunch pasta special. The portion was a good size, and having soup or salad and garlic bread included makes the price feel reasonable. The restaurant has a casual, neighborhood feel with plenty of seating. Overall, a solid place for a reasonably priced lunch, especially if you're in the Pasadena area. Rating: 4.5/5

You know, I've been eating at Pinocchio's for a minute! We had my dad's memorable celebration here…read morein 2016. The servers and food have always been good. Today? It was nasty and the servers had the most unfriendly, attitudinal demeanor... I started to pull owner Armen , over to ask him what the hell is with your staff? yet opted to go to yelp. When I walked in, I sat at bar as I was ordering a small pizza to go. Mind you the place was pretty empty. I sit at bar, 2 servers at the bar, never acknowledged me, never looked up looked right through me... I waited yet got nothing- so I finally lean over and tell one of em " when you decide to look up I need to place a to go order". Fast fwd- I ordered a pizza. It took way too long for the place to be empty . Maybe many to go orders? It didn't make sense..., had to ask was I forgotten? When pizza came, I get home ( which is 6 min) it was cold and crunchy- over cooked . A frozen pizza from the store would taste better. The server added to my annoyance by her unfriendly demeanor- didn't catch her name as again/ initially I was never acknowledge. That was like pulling teeth. Armen needs to groom and school his servers better- they're all young and lack inter personal skills... guess it's time I start eating pizza elsewhere!

I regularly get together with friends for lunch, and a friend suggested we try this spot near Lake…read moreand Cordova. There's a convenient public parking lot right next door, which made arriving a breeze. We got there at 11:30 a.m. to beat the lunch rush, and while the outdoor patio looked absolutely quaint, a heatwave forced us indoors. We were promptly seated in the air-conditioned dining room, and our waiter was incredibly professional and efficient. Two of my friends ordered the famous Dianne Salad, and I opted for the All American Burger--it was absolutely delicious! What I truly appreciated was that even though the restaurant became packed, our waiter gave us plenty of space to enjoy our conversation without ever making us feel rushed. Left me with a fantastic impression, and we'll definitely be back!

Had a great lunch with my wife…read more.. Steak and Dianne Salad...this is the best combo because the regular size Dianne salad is too big...even the lunch size Dianne...still giant size. But sooooo good. You'll take home whatever salad you don't eat. This place is legendary, I highly recommend this place. Steak was prepared perfectly and seasoned just right. Get here early and enjoy.

Once again, we had a wonderful dining experience here. We were a party of four, and we decided to…read moreorder family style. We shared the 18-inch Death Star pizza that comes with pepperoni, sausage, ham, and bacon, all delicious, including a great crust. We also shared fettuccine alfredo with chicken and the baked ziti. Our server Jackie, and also Kevin, welcomed us, provided smiling, great service, and were very attentive. We love coming here. We ate outdoors, which is in a covered patio area. It has misters and fans on the table because currently the weather is ugly, hot, and humid. We had just a wonderful time, all four of us, and we love coming back here.

This is a small mom and pop's restaurant located on Mentor Ave, close to the comedy club and down…read morethe street from the Social Security office. There is street parking (metered) and depending on when you go, it can be plenty of parking. Now that I got all the boring stuff out the way... Omgggggggg I love this place! It was my first time there and it was pretty obvious. I think the manager or owner was working at a table and even offered to give me her space. (I had a tote with me). Like what? How nice! But I chose a table in the middle. It's a small space so not a lot of room. They do offer patio seating but it was feeling like Hades in Pasadena so I opted to eat inside. It very much feels like you're eating in someone's kitchen and I think that was the feel. I got the antipasto salad. OMG. It's extremely generous with everything on it (see pics) and though it would be enough for two people, you're not going to want to share. They gave me little bread crackers and bruschetta to start. The service was amazing and honestly, I think I found a new favorite spot. Highly recommend!

Loved this restaurant so much we went two nights in a row…read more Didn't take a photo of the radiatori arrabbiata, but that pasta was my absolute favorite thing on the menu. Food and service were spectacular. In the front of the space it's more casual, but there's plenty of seating and a gorgeous outdoor patio in the back. If you are in Pasadena, I HIGHLY recommend coming here!

Food: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5…read moreService: 1/5 I've been wanting to come to Agnes for years, so when my fiancé booked it for our anniversary I was very excited- but the experience left me disappointed. Our waiter was incredibly passive and at times it felt like we were being completely ignored. He would attend to tables around us but never checked in with us, had what seemed like a limited knowledge of the menu, and offered a half assed apology at the end of the night. The table next to us was clearly someone of importance, because they kept getting "gifted" foods, cheeses, drinks, etc. - which is fine, but only magnified our poor service. We also saw our food and beverages as well as other tables food and beverages be delivered to the wrong tables. My fiances sorbet was given to the special table next to us, but they had already had their dessert, and so the wait staff left with it and a minute later delivered it to our table melted. There was one staff member that was wonderful, and it seemed like he was a busboy who was filling in for our waiter (sorry I did not get his name) but he was very kind, personable, and would be the reason we come back, aside from the great food. There was also no acknowledgement of the special occasion we were celebrating, which is a minor thing but at other restaurants it's usually never missed and helps make for a nice experience especially when we mark that we are here celebrating an anniversary. All in all it was a disappointing experience. We may return for the food in the future, because it was excellent, but the service needs to be worked on.

Friday night my friend and I met at Maestro Restaurant and went for the DineLA menu. Being my…read morefirst time here I was very very impressed. First, all the staff is so attentive I feel like they can read our minds and they're bringing something or they ask if we need what we just thought of. Amazing and keeping our waters glass full at all times major plus! The first course was the Bone Marrow Esquite. It's been years since I last tried bone marrow and I was worried but everything paired perfectly. This was my favorite part of the meal. The corn mixed with the bone marrow on top of the tamale sweet corn....wow! All the flavors complemented eachother so well. I wish I could recreate this amazing dish at home!!! For the second course I went with the Arrachera - the skirt steak with the Poblano rice. Absolutely flavorful. Just a bit hard to chew for me and I felt like I was swallowing giant portions. I'm not saying there was anything wrong with the way it was cooked, but I did struggle with the meat tearing. For dessert I went with the Guava cheesecake. Absolutely decadent and the perfect small portion to end the meal. To drink I had the Maestro Margarita with hibiscus and it was absolutely refreshing. Wonderful vibes, good conversation, and delicious food! I can't wait to come back and try more dishes!

The vibe and the location of Maestro is classic old town Pasadena, a bit of old with a modern…read moreinterior. The staff are friendly and offer helpful suggestions on your selections and the place is clean and cute for a date night dinner. My husband and I tried out Maestro for a date night. We went for a few of their menu items including the bone marrow esquite, enchiladas verde, and cochinita pibil. The food itself was okay, not special and didn't have a new or surprising twist, and not incredibly authentic either. Out of our dishes we shared, the bone marrow esquite appetizer was actually the standout. It had excellent flavor and seasoning though the tamal was dry inside, the sauces aided in the flavor and texture. They have an extensive drinks menu and an alleyway patio that seems to be popular. Overall it might be good for the drinks, the vibe is something you might find anywhere in Pasadena, the food is just okay, and the parking is paid in nearby structures on busy Union so be prepared.

The food was incredible. The ambiance was immaculate. The service was attentive without being…read moreannoying. We had a large group, but they put up with and took care of us perfectly. I know your default is to read the negative reviews, but read this one, stop reading, and then head to the Bistro.

Visited Bistro 45 for the first time tonight to celebrate my husband and my 15th anniversary after…read morereading positive reviews. The food and service were exceptional. Every dish was cooked perfection and was super flavorful. The gazpacho was so complex and delicious. The calamari was so tender with the most unctuous spicy tomato ragu. My chicken and my husband's pasta were both stunning. And the pineapple upside down tart with coconut gelato was unbelievably good. They made a special presentation of our dessert to celebrate our anniversary too. Our waiter was funny and attentive, and the owner made a personal visit to our table at least twice. This was possibly one of the best meals my husband and I have had in years. We cannot wait to return.