Cuisine

Order a cheese-and-charcuterie board at Vanessa Tilaka and Thomas Kalb’s endearing restaurant/cheesery/market, and it comes with crackers, corn nuts, and fruit preserves. Order a tin of marinated mussels and you get ciabatta crostini, seasonal pickles, and country mustard. These might seem like small details, and that’s the point. This is food that’s familiar, but every …

James Beard Award–winning chef Matt Molina (Osteria Mozza) and partner Joe Capella are on the right track with this modern bistro. Housed in the historic Edwards & Faw building on South Pasadena’s Mission Street, neo-American bistro Cannonball offers a tightly edited selection of dishes that showcases seasonal produce from the local farmers market. “We always …

Michelin-starred chef Jeremy Chen’s Pasadena restaurant delivers vibrant Thai-leaning Southeast Asian cuisine with refined technique and bold flavors.

Known for its dry-aged Prime steaks and garden-driven seasonal cooking, Parkway Grill remains one of Pasadena’s most enduring fine dining destinations.

The Arbour is one of Pasadena’s standout farm-to-table destinations, where locally sourced ingredients meet inventive, chef-driven cuisine. The first restaurant venture for Ian and Nancy Gresik, The Arbour represents both a personal dream and a professional masterstroke. Chef Ian Gresik, who honed his skills at Los Angeles’ acclaimed Drago Centro and the award-winning Patina Restaurant, …

An offshoot of the much-beloved Chinatown flagship, Pasadena’s Howlin’ Ray’s fried chicken is truly something to howl about. The fried chicken is crispy, juicy, and comes in bold spice levels ranging from mild “country” to blistering, tear-inducing “howlin’”. The poultry-forward menu has a short list of options including wings, tenders, and chicken and waffles, but …

Family-run restaurant Woon originally opened its location on the Pasadena/Altadena border in late 2024, but had to temporarily close its doors just a week later due to the Eaton Fire. Despite the initial setback, the hip restaurant quickly gained traction as a popular Washington Boulevard eatery. Woon’s owner and chef Keegan Fong (who grew up …

A curated look at Pasadena’s standout bars, from intimate cocktail lounges to rooftop hangouts and hidden speakeasies

A bold and innovative reimagining of Southeast Asian cuisine, Bone Kettle is a family-run eatery by Eric and Erwin Tjahyadi and their father. Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, the Tjahyadis came up with the concept to fill a gap in the region’s dining scene for creative, elevated Southeast Asian cuisine. “The menu is …

It’s safe to say that Betsy was Altadena’s hottest opening of 2025 – and not just because of the roaring wood-fired hearth that anchors its intimate 40-seat space. Chef-owner Tyler Wells describes the dinner-only menu as “simple, rustic food [that is] 100% sourced from farmers we know and love, and fisherpeople who respect our local …

The pasta at Union in Pasadena is great for two reasons: indulgence and sensible innovation. Take the cacio e pepe, a dish featuring the usual suspects: a dump truck full of Parmigiano Reggiano, cracked pepper, and pasta water. The dish is served with tonnarelli, a thicker, more traditional egg yolk rich companion to this classic …

A family-run Pasadena BBQ counter serving saucy ribs, pulled pork, comfort sides, and house-baked cobbler.

The Lake Avenue restaurant blends traditional Mexican dishes with refined flavors, an expansive tequila and mezcal selection, and a menu designed for both sharing and indulgence.

The husband-and-wife team behind Pez Coastal Kitchen blends seasonal California cuisine with a coastal-inspired dining room in the heart of Old Pasadena.