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Let's Eat Out!
By Sue Stauffer
Restaurant Reviews in and around Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley.
Updated every two weeks with new recommendations.
Restaurant Reviews in and around Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley.
Updated every two weeks with new recommendations.
Owner/Chef Grant Rowe Keeps the Kitchen Humming At Green Street Restaurant
This wonderful long time Pasadena restaurant has become almost world famous for their fantastic Dianne Salad and delicious zucchini bread, at least to those of us who return often for our “fix”. Whenever I go to Green Street Restaurant for lunch, I notice that at least fifty percent of the diners are enjoying the Dianne salad. What a great signature dish! If you haven’t tried it, I strongly recommend it. Of course, Green Street offers other wonderful selections. This is a great place to go for breakfast or brunch as well and sitting on the patio is perfect when the weather allows.. The eggs benedict are made with Black Forest ham and an original house hollandaise sauce. Add avocado slices and give an old favorite a new taste. My favorite breakfast is Charlie’s breakfast with eggs scrambled with bacon, grilled onions and cheddar cheese topped with sour cream and salsa. Emily’s breakfast is also a good choice if you enjoy scrambled eggs spiced up with sautéed bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, herbs, bits of bacon and cheddar cheese. The chillaquiles remind me of breakfast at a Mexican hacienda with scrambled eggs mixed with crisp tortilla strips, tomatoes, green onions and salsa. The Original Joe’s Special features eggs scrambled with fresh spinach, onions, mushrooms, ground beef, Romano cheese and a dash of herbs. Most of the egg entrees come with special hash brown potatoes and your choice of toast or zucchini bread. The omelets are also fabulous. Otto’s Omelet is stuffed with potatoes and cheddar cheese then topped with sour cream. Catherine’s Omelet is a diced breast of chicken with sautéed mushrooms and onions in a mornay sauce. For lunch and dinner, Owner and chef, Grant Rowe (a La Canada Flintridge resident), presents a wonderful selection of soups, sandwiches, salads and entrees. The hamburgers feature meat grilled to your perfection with a choice of sourdough bread or on a bun. There are also a chicken club sandwich, a turkey Reuben with smoked turkey on rye with Swiss cheese, or the Stephen’s sandwich with breast of chicken, sautéed mushrooms, onions, avocado, sour cream and cheese on grilled sourdough bread which is my usual choice. You are not limited to the famous Dianne salad as there are the Southwest Caesar with chicken, the Arroyo with black beans, avocado, onion corn, cotija cheese, and blue corn tortilla chips, or the Shopper’s Lane salad with romaine lettuce, diced chicken, tomato, avocado and special sour cream dressing. I like the Cornucopia salad with mixed greens tossed with poached chicken breast, avocado, raisins, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, green onions and toasted almonds dressed with a blue cheese crumbles and a vinaigrette. The menu is also includes entrees such as charbroiled fresh salmon, herb roasted chicken, steak Dianne, an 8 oz. steak cooked to perfection, pastas, and a delicious meat loaf. Green Street Restaurant offers a complete take out menu and drop off delivery for a party that includes food, beverages and the tossing of salads. All orders can be customized to meet individual needs. “Let us take the hassle out of planning a meal for business, civic, school, church or family gatherings and you can enjoy your event much more knowing that our food you serve will be excellent,” Said Rowe. Try Green Street and discover why this restaurant has become a Pasadena tradition. For more information about dining in, dining out, or catering just call (626) 577-7170.
Let’s Eat Out
At
Green Street Restaurant
146 South Shopper’s Lane, Pasadena, CA
(626) 577-7170
At
Green Street Restaurant
146 South Shopper’s Lane, Pasadena, CA
(626) 577-7170
This wonderful long time Pasadena restaurant has become almost world famous for their fantastic Dianne Salad and delicious zucchini bread, at least to those of us who return often for our “fix”. Whenever I go to Green Street Restaurant for lunch, I notice that at least fifty percent of the diners are enjoying the Dianne salad. What a great signature dish! If you haven’t tried it, I strongly recommend it. Of course, Green Street offers other wonderful selections. This is a great place to go for breakfast or brunch as well and sitting on the patio is perfect when the weather allows.. The eggs benedict are made with Black Forest ham and an original house hollandaise sauce. Add avocado slices and give an old favorite a new taste. My favorite breakfast is Charlie’s breakfast with eggs scrambled with bacon, grilled onions and cheddar cheese topped with sour cream and salsa. Emily’s breakfast is also a good choice if you enjoy scrambled eggs spiced up with sautéed bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, herbs, bits of bacon and cheddar cheese. The chillaquiles remind me of breakfast at a Mexican hacienda with scrambled eggs mixed with crisp tortilla strips, tomatoes, green onions and salsa. The Original Joe’s Special features eggs scrambled with fresh spinach, onions, mushrooms, ground beef, Romano cheese and a dash of herbs. Most of the egg entrees come with special hash brown potatoes and your choice of toast or zucchini bread. The omelets are also fabulous. Otto’s Omelet is stuffed with potatoes and cheddar cheese then topped with sour cream. Catherine’s Omelet is a diced breast of chicken with sautéed mushrooms and onions in a mornay sauce. For lunch and dinner, Owner and chef, Grant Rowe (a La Canada Flintridge resident), presents a wonderful selection of soups, sandwiches, salads and entrees. The hamburgers feature meat grilled to your perfection with a choice of sourdough bread or on a bun. There are also a chicken club sandwich, a turkey Reuben with smoked turkey on rye with Swiss cheese, or the Stephen’s sandwich with breast of chicken, sautéed mushrooms, onions, avocado, sour cream and cheese on grilled sourdough bread which is my usual choice. You are not limited to the famous Dianne salad as there are the Southwest Caesar with chicken, the Arroyo with black beans, avocado, onion corn, cotija cheese, and blue corn tortilla chips, or the Shopper’s Lane salad with romaine lettuce, diced chicken, tomato, avocado and special sour cream dressing. I like the Cornucopia salad with mixed greens tossed with poached chicken breast, avocado, raisins, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, green onions and toasted almonds dressed with a blue cheese crumbles and a vinaigrette. The menu is also includes entrees such as charbroiled fresh salmon, herb roasted chicken, steak Dianne, an 8 oz. steak cooked to perfection, pastas, and a delicious meat loaf. Green Street Restaurant offers a complete take out menu and drop off delivery for a party that includes food, beverages and the tossing of salads. All orders can be customized to meet individual needs. “Let us take the hassle out of planning a meal for business, civic, school, church or family gatherings and you can enjoy your event much more knowing that our food you serve will be excellent,” Said Rowe. Try Green Street and discover why this restaurant has become a Pasadena tradition. For more information about dining in, dining out, or catering just call (626) 577-7170.
Frencie Nash, Assistant Manager Welcomes Guests With a Smile
At
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant
111 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena.
626-405-0064.
If you are a seafood lover as I am, then you will enjoy dining at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant. There is an extensive menu of delectable entrees from the streams and sea. This corporate restaurant comes from the Pacific Northwest and is well known for their “really fresh fish,” “tasty oysters,” and “melt-in-your-mouth clams,” and my favorite, “Monday Night Lobster dinner for $16.95.” At McCormick & Schmick’s you will dine in the elegance of dark wood paneling, stained glass windows and a welcoming atmosphere where Frencie Nash, Assistant Manager, is on hand to guarantee that your dining experience is up to your expectations. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner with new menus printed every day. Some typical lunch specialties include fish and chips, grilled Atlantic salmon, opah, or yellow tail. You can add a house salad to your entrée and it is delicious served with the house dressing. There is also a seafood Cobb salad that is excellent and add a cup of McCormick’s Clam chowder of traditional oyster stew if you are really hungry. Another good salad choice is the Caesar salad with grilled salmon or Ahi tuna Nicoise. There are other wonderful entrees in addition to the fish choices that include chicken, beef and turkey dishes and even homemade meatloaf. Pasta choices are also available. For dinner, you must choose from the specialties that include sand dabs, sea bass, scallops, salmon, catfish, and trout. From the grill, order wild King salmon, Mahi Mahi, halibut, yellowtail, or swordfish. Some of the McCormick and Schmick’s classics include seafood fettuccini Alfredo, stuffed salmon, Parmesan crusted sole, and whole lobster served steamed with drawn butter as a Monday night special. There are always arrays of “Oysters On the Half Shell” that are very fresh and will please any connoisseur. “The wine list is extensive. Try a Pinot Grigio/Gris that compliments seafood or a sauvignon blanc. French rose and vouvray are gaining popularity as wines to pair with fish. “You are sure to find the perfect wine for you meal from this wine list,” my wine consultant husband, Jim Stauffer remarked. Don’t miss the special Sunday Brunch from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm with free flowing champagne. If you are planning a special event for a group, McCormick and Schmick’s can accommodate you comfortably. Happy hour is a daily happening with a special menu from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Monday –Friday This is a great time to enjoy special potato chips, spicy tacos, chili fries, N.Y. cheeseburger, shrimp and tomato brushetta, Cajun fish tacos or chicken drumettes with a minimum beverage purchase of $3.00. There is an alternative Happy Hour menu for $4.95 that includes blackened shrimp pizza, sushi, potsitckers, spring rolls, steamed black mussels, and oyster shooters which are perfect for a light supper or a snack. There is plenty of convenient parking beneath the restaurant, which is located next to the Westin hotel. The patio dining is delightful weather permitting with fountains and decorative lighting. This restaurant is well worth a visit and will possibly become a favorite if you are a seafood fancier and fish lover. To make reservations, call 626-405-0064. At
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant
111 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena.
626-405-0064.
Bruce Blair, General Manager, Keeps Guests Happy
At
Smitty’s Grill
110 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena, CA.
(626) 792-9999.
At
Smitty’s Grill
110 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena, CA.
(626) 792-9999.
As soon as you enter Smitty's Grill, a wave of nostalgic memories will splash over you, washing away your daily cares and concerns. A friendly restaurant, this is a place that celebrates the all-American comfort cuisine that is so traditional.. The extensive brown paper menu lists dishes that bring back fond memories of family gatherings, block parties, pot lucks or summers at the beach.. This is the kind of food like your mother made for a family meal. In an unpredictable, fast-paced world, Smitty's Grill can take us back to our familiar, comforting roots. Even though Smitty’s Grill fronts on Lake Ave., it is better to enter through the back entrance from Shopper’s Lane where valet parking is available. Walk through a lovely patio garden with a unique water fountain that creates a sense of tranquility. With some incredible old photos of historic Pasadena, famous movie stars of days gone by, and other recognizable people and places adorning the walls, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, setting just the right tone for a relaxed dining experience. The main dining room offers cozy booth seating for couples with tables to accommodate larger parties. From the iron skillet corn bread with a crisp sugar crust with whole kernels of golden corn tucked inside to the Rattlesnake BBQ ribs rich with a fabulous spicy sauce, Smitty’s menu offers diners a meal that will long be remembered as the ultimate in comfort food.
Start your meal with the Baltimore crab cakes, the crunchy ahi tuna or the popcorn shrimp. A great tip to remember is to order a side of homemade potato chips. They are great! Since we live in California, salads are always in season. The Dungeness Crab Louis is always a terrific choice as it has a generous topping of real crab. The Smitty’s salad with shrimp, greens, smoked bacon, English peas, and green beans topped with bleu cheese crumbles is generous enough for an entrée. The iceberg wedge with Point Reyes blue cheese, bacon and tomatoes is also popular. Perfect for summer, try the strawberry avocado with spicy walnuts or the Asian pear salad. There are an assortment of delicious sandwiches and Panini press choices that pair perfectly with the home-made potato chips. If you are in need of the ultimate in “truly old fashioned comfort food,” you must order the delicious macaroni and cheese with ham or Marion’s famous meatloaf. For these two entrees, calories don’t count! Other Smitty’s specials include old-fashioned homemade chicken potpie which is as big as a dinner plate. If you are a fan of calves liver and onions, Smitty’s is the place to order this entrée. From pot roast, prime rib, and steaks to fresh seafood any entrée you choose at Smitty’s is guaranteed to be delicious. Save room for dessert as it is hard to resist the Key lime pie or the peach crisp ala mode. For those of you who are chocoholic, don’t miss the double dark chocolate mousse cake. It is moist and sinful! There is a full bar, and an excellent wine list. This restaurant is part of the Smith Brother’s group and like all their other endeavors; Smitty’s Grill is definitely worth a visit. Smitty’s Grill can also accommodate private parties in the Grill Room or Patio. For reservations or more information call (626) 792-9999.
Mijare’s Mexican Restaurant Celebrates 90 years!
626-792-2763
