mwalton's Profile
Pasadena restaurant for holiday business lunch
Hello chowhounders,
I've been given the task to find a restaurant for our holiday lunch. Here are my requirements:
1. in the Pasadena area
2. must have vegetarian options
3. have a private room option or at least a quiet area we could sit in, we don't want to be in the middle of a noisy restaurant
4. for a group of 11
5. around $30/person including tax and tip
Any suggestions???
new downtown restaurants?
Hello fellow chowhounders,
I have someone coming in from out of town who will be staying in downtown LA. He would like suggestions for restaurants that have opened in the last year or so. I'm sure you guys will have some great suggestions. Any kind of restaurant!
thanks!
Thai-Italian--An Empty Restaurant With Good Food (mini-review)
Went there for dinner the other day and thought it was so-so. The olive tepenade was delicious though. The drink, some sort of non-alcoholic punch was way too sweet and heavy on the pineapple juice. We had the cheese roll appetizers which were good but nothing to rave about. I ordered the Spicy Thai Beef salad and was disappointed. It wasn't bad but it also wasn't that great. Had a much better beef salad at Chandra's. Overall was disappointed but maybe we ordered the wrong things? Was satisfied with the service.
lunch in Silver Lake today
El Caserio
309 N. Virgil Ave. /Silver Lake Blvd. in the strip mall off the 5 way intersection. Really good Ecuadorian/Italian food. My favorite is their Lomo Saltado (beef, onions, tomatoes and french fries on rice) and really good bread with REALLY spicy salsa.
APS/Argonne Lab area recommendations??
Thanks for all these great places.
Any recommendations for a grocery/market near by and also bakeries???
Breakfast in Pasadena?
Although they do make their own bread and steam their own potatoes for their hash browns, I was disappointed in the cheese omelet I ordered. It was made with processed American cheese, yuck. If you are going to Pie N Burger, I'd suggest sticking to pies and burgers :)
APS/Argonne Lab area recommendations??
Nope, don't think so.
I should have added that I have a vegetarian coworker, so places with veggies options are a plus.
Thanks for the recommendations so far!
RSMBob- we're coming from LA :) I'm not sure we're ready for the cold.
El Caserio in Silver Lake
We've gone there many times and always order the same thing: Lomo Saltado with beef. It is AMAZING. I think other things on the menu are delicious as well but every time I end up ordering the same thing. Definitely worth the horrible parking.
Chano's Now by LAC+USC Medical Center
please tell me more about Chano's.. I live right by the hospital and would love to try it out... what should I get?
APS/Argonne Lab area recommendations??
I will be working at the Argonne National Laboratory for work next month. Does anyone have recommendations for places to eat or pick up food close by. This is near the 355 and 55 junction. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, anything would be appreciated, thanks chowhounders!
Cupcakes?
I just went to Violet's in Pasadena, off Fair Oaks and Holly. Their buttercreme frosting they use on their cupcakes is WAY better than the frosting they use at Yummy's in Burbank, which I couldn't finish. I had a Peppermint Patty cupcake and it was delicious! At $2.25 a piece, they are cheaper and tastier than the ones I had at Yummy's.
Am I the only one who doesn't like a brined bird?
We also started brining our turkey 4 years ago using Alton Brown's recipe and have always had a good outcome. His recipe calls for an overnight brine in a veggie stock and then stuffing the turkey with aromatics including apples, onions and a cinnamon stick. We love it.
What about Carmine's?
I agree that Carmine's has some of the best pizza. I also love their Tomato and Onion salad. My husband loves their pasta. Big portions at decent prices as well. Karaoke night on Wednesdays are also a blast!
Cupcakes?
I went to Yummy Cupcakes recently. The frosting on most was way too thick and sweet. Was a fun trip, and a cute store, but nothing spectacular. just cupcakes.
Searching for best CHINATOWN bakeries for pastries, etc.
I went to Phoenix Bakery for the first time and took home one of their Strawberry Whipped Cream cakes. The cake part was really dry. I'm wondering if others have had this problem when they pick up their cakes in the evening (I went around 6:30pm), since the cake has been sitting there all day.? I can imagine it being really good if it were more moist. So just beware that there is the potential for a really dry cake if you go at the end of the day.
BEST CAKE SHOP IN LA
Perfectly Sweet in Alhambra on Main Street. Have only tried one of their chocolate cakes.. was very rich. Their creme brulee and other small desserts are AMAZING.
Crepe Vine in Pasadena
My husband and I went this past Saturday and had a good time. We went at 5pm and the place was practically empty so we had attentive service. We started with the international cheese plate which was very good. I had the Provencal crepe with chicken which was delicious. The sauce was on the rich side so I couldn't finish it, but it was SO good. My husband had the Le Club crepe which he enjoyed along with a glass of wine. The place was very cute, had an extensive wine menu and is just off of Colorado so its a bit quieter, which I enjoyed. I would recommend this place!
Gaucho's Village Glendale -B-day dinner??
Just went for dinner on Saturday. Make sure to have reservations, especially for groups. Dinner was $29.95. I think its a bit pricey, BUT the meat is very good and I really enjoyed the side dishes at the buffet. My favorites were the black beans, cheese bread (not the bread at the beginning of the line, skip that), the vinegarette salad that looks like salsa, and the potato salad. For the meat, I enjoyed the bacon wrapped chicken and the spicy chicken (not a huge beef person). Atmosphere is loud and fun. The band is enjoyable, but loud. When the dancers come out, everything pretty much comes to a halt while everyone watches. We also got excellent service. So although it was pricey, it was worth it to have at least gone once.
