Pasadena's Favorite Flavors

It was the perfect Tuesday evening in Old Town Pasadena to have a Dishcrawl!

Our meet-up location to start off the night was Il Fornaio conveniently located on W. Union St. The early arrivals made it in time to sip on some reds during happy hour at the bar while others got settled in at our large long table beautifully presented with long white table cloths and shiny dining ware. By 7:10PM, we met smiley and friendly manager, Ricardo Capra. He gave everyone menus to take home and explained the first trio to be served for the night:

Pennoni alla Vodka 
Large pasta tubes with bacon, vodka-cream-tomato sauce and Parmigiano
Conchiglie al Pollo 
Shell pasta, chicken breast, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, pecorino cheese, roasted garlic and Trebbiano wine
Cappellacci di Zucca
Ravioli filled with butternut squash and walnuts served with tomato sauce, brown butter, Parmigiano and crispy sage

(The vegetarians for the night received the same dishes minus the bacon and chicken breast.) The plating and the flavors were impressive, but we made sure to not get too full as this was only the beginning of our oh-so hungry journey.

Excited and still in the state of wonder to where we'll be going next, we made our way out the door and down the steps of Il Fornaio and played follow the leader (the leader being me with the red and white balloons!) After a few hops and skips down Colorado Blvd. and across the ever so busy intersection on Raymond Ave., we arrived at our second spot, Lucky Baldwins.

The patio area was reserved for us, a nice spot bordered with thriving green plants next to a spacious alley. Unaware of the major soccer game taking place, we squeezed by the other patrons trying not to disturb the game. As we found our seats, we met with the beautiful manager, Paola Casanova, who gave us a little bio of the 16-year-old restaurant and the great beers they had to offer including the beer flight for the night. Next we got friendly with Aaron Lamb, the executive genius chef of this British Pub! Here's what he plated for us:

Ale Battered Fish with house made tartar sauce paired with Blanche de Bruxelles 4.5%
Beef Slider with worcestershire aioli, smoked porter ketchup and house made pickles paired with the house beer: Lucky Baldwins RED 7%
Guinness Steak & Mushroom Pie paired with Old Rasputin 9%

Vegetarian:

Ploughman's Cheese Plate with Branston Pickle paired with Fullers ESB 5.9%
Tomato Bruschetta paired with Avec Les Bons Voeux 9.5%
Tomato Soup with grilled cheese paired with the house beer: Lucky Baldwins RED 7%

Wow, what a meal! My favorite? The Guinness Steak & Mushroom Pie has a nice fluffy puff pastry which complements the yummy meat below! Getting a little full, we struggle to get up and get going to our next stop. Luckily, the next restaurant was just across the street at Oasis Cafe!

The white and grey modern decor quickly welcomed us as we made our way in to our 3 long tables. As we got comfortable, we met the head chef, Monica, who takes much pride in bringing the freshest local ingredients to the table. She personally visits the local farmer's markets to pick out the best vegetables to cook with! Monica was very excited to present us with the following creations:

Smokey Chicken Wings Mary's Farm Wings with dry spiced rub
Burrata di Stefano Arugula pesto and Garlic Toast
Mais de Calle Valdivilla Farm Sweet Corn, Spicy Lime Aioli, Queso Fresco

Vegetarian:

Burrata di Stefano Arugula Pesto and Garlic Toast
Farro Salad Farro, Tomato, Onion, Feta, Nicoise Olives, Mint and Basil, Sherry Vinaigrette
Beets Salad Maou Farm Candy Beets, Arugula, Watercress, Feta, Hazelnuts, Red Wine Vinaigrette

That Spanish style corn definitely came with a nice spicy kick almost breaking a sweat! Luckily, dessert was next!

It was a cool, breezy stroll as we looped back to our original destination. But before we made a full circle back, we were greeted with the dimly and sensually lit POP Champagne Bar. We quickly sat down at our long table to the left of the restaurant and ordered some sparkling as we were thirsty from that walk. As drink orders were placed, we met Nathanael, the too handsome bar manager. He swiftly presented us with the Afternoon Delight with his staff. The dessert was a mini trio that included:

Seasonal Pavlova
Vanilla Creme Brûlée
Chocolate Covered Strawberry

That vanilla creme brûlée was definitely the winner of the trio! What a great sweet ending to a fun night out in Old Town Pasadena. 

Thank you to everyone who ventured out to Old Town Pasadena with me. Be sure to check out your smiling faces on our Facebook page and to follow us on Twitter for new updates! Til we eat again!

Upcoming Dishcrawl dates:

• Wednesday, July 3 - Dishing Through Hollywood