Came here this past weekend to celebrate my mom's birthday with my husband and parents, and…read moreeverything was delicious as always! I've been to Marina several times now and it never disappoints. We started with Lily's Mushrooms and the Lamb Chops Scottadito - the mushrooms had a nice smoky grilled flavor with avocado cream that worked really well together, and the lamb was tasty without being too gamey. For mains we got the House Italian Sausage pizza, the Calabrian Salami pizza, and the Rabbit Bolognese. Both pizzas were great but the Calabrian Salami was definitely our favorite! The honey and spice combo was so good and the crust was perfectly crispy. The Rabbit Bolognese was also incredible, and tasted fresh and light instead of heavy like some bolognese can be. Our waiter gave us the pistachio tiramisu on the house for my mom's birthday, which was such a sweet gesture, and it was delicious! He took great care of us all night and even helped get multiple angles of our group photo haha. Thank you Marina for such a great experience, we will definitely be back :)

My boyfriend and I were so excited to dine at Marina in Pasadena. There are some paid lots, free…read morepublic parking, and street parking if you are willing to walk. Just be careful because there are some tricky signs that say $1.50 in large font and for each 15 minutes in tiny font. Even with a reservation from Resy, we found that it was still a bit of a wait. Without the reservation, you might be limited to patio parking only. Even their bar area was busy and reserved during our time there. I didn't mind the waiting, but it was stressful waiting in a tight space with their staff coming in and out with huge piles of dishes and you have to be careful if you don't want to be bumped into. This feeling of crowdedness continues to the tables with the spacing between one table to another very tight together. More to this in a bit. The hostess was so sweet, she actually sent us a complimentary Blistered Bread and Ricotta ($14) dish that we both really enjoyed to make up for the wait. The blistered bread was masterfully executed, very thin and went perfectly with the ricotta dip. Once again, I didn't mind the wait at all. That was not the problem with my meal. Anyways... going on... the waiter... the waiter we had was really grumpy. Not sure if it's just his personality or he was having a bad day. For instance, I was ready to get the white wine flight but then he was, very poorly, explaining it to the point where I was talked out of it. Then I was about to get a glass of wine or bubbly... Then once again he basically talks me out of it. Nevermind I'll drink water... I guess you don't need to earn a better tip. In addition to the trouble he gave me while order. When he came to ask me about my experience. I honestly responded that it could be better, due to the table next to us. He basically gaslit me like well it's a big party, what do you expect? Wow this inconsiderate family of kids bumping into my table, making fart sounds on purpose, cursing adults, and loud loud kids and adults... You expect me to feel like this is normal behavior and enjoy it. I straight up told him, well YOU ASKED ME, I'm just answered your question. He begrudgingly moved us but basically ignored us for the rest of the night Anyways, as for the food... I thought the food would be pretty fantastic since the restaurant was so busy. It had all of the signs of a successful restaurant. My boyfriend and I shared the following: Squash Blossoms ($16) - I love squash blossoms. My boyfriend knew I wouldn't be able to resist ordering it. Their preparation of this delicate ingredient was heavy for my liking. The batter on it was thick and oily. The toasted hazelnuts were unnecessary. House Italian Sausage ($26) - They have one of those pizza ovens. The crust was thin and crispy. It was well prepared. However the issue we had with this was the flavor, or rather lacking flavor. The taste of the Italian sausage was overwhelmed by the red onion agrodolce. We both ate a slice and took the rest home. Even as leftovers we weren't excited to eat it. Charred Scallop Risotto ($38) - What really sold me was the baja uni batter that I did not taste much of in this dish. This was a poor execution of a risotto. The texture was off, and the flavor was overwhelmed by whatever cheese they used in this dish. The charred scallop was one single scallop cut in half and overly charred and rubbery in taste. The blue shrimp were shriveled too. We made sure to eat the proteins to prevent waste but you know it's bad when my boyfriend didn't even want to togo this dish. He normally eats anything to prevent waste. Branzino alla Griglia ($38) - Whole grilled branzino topped with eggplant, salsa verde and herb salad. This was the least bad item that we paid for... Although there was a lot of bones to be cautious of. I understand the risk of stumbling on a few bones when ordering a whole fish but this was more than I would have liked. I also didn't like some of the flavors coating the fish. Although from a grilled perspective it was crispy and perfectly cooked. This is a popular business with plenty of patrons to keep them busy. Whatever they like... it isn't what I look for in a business I frequent. I know they don't need my business and I will gladly stay away and save myself all of the trouble. This was way too stressful and there weren't any dishes I need to have again. My experience was so awful I'm being very generous with this 3 star, which is "average".

The staff was great here, super attentive and friendly! We ordered the-…read moreLocal Wild Mushrooms, Charred Octopus, Roasted Market Carrots, Beets, Spaghetti, Squid Ink Lumache Every dish was full of flavor! The truffle in the mushroom dish, the zesty lemon in roasted carrots (we ordered a 2nd one!) Overall, the restaurant has a nice ambiance. I highly recommend Union and I can't wait to come back!

First time experience was amazing! So far, this is the only Italian place I've liked out of all the…read moreplaces I've eaten throughout LA. Food 4/5 Pork Meatballs $21 - Best meatballs I've ever had. Full of flavor but a little too salty. Local Wild Mushrooms $24 - Standard, nothing too special. Beets $18 - Refreshing, to the point. Caramelle $27 - My favorite of all the pastas but expensive for very little pieces of pasta and a meatless dish. Full of flavor, lots of oil. Rigatoni Timballo $32 - Delicious, standard. Duck Confit Rotolo $31 - My personal dish which turned out to be my least favorite. Meatballs and Caramelle were my top favorite, secondary are the beets. Prices are not unexpected for the area but are pretty high for what is really given to you. Service 3/5 We sat outside and they were pretty slow to bring water and take our orders. Ambiance 3/5 It was a really lovely time to eat outside but the lights were broken and it was SO dark, there were no added lights to the table. It was impossible to read the menu.

Cafe Santorini is a rooftop restaurant in a brick building in Old Pasadena. You can access from…read morestreet level via stairs or elevator. Its also right across the street from a pay parking lot. We came here for lunch on between visits at the Kidspace Museum. The food is a blend of Greek and Turkish cuisine and is overall outstanding. Our picky 6yo son normally only eats yellow-white saffron basmati rice but he enjoyed the brown basmati rice from the chicken kabob. The chicken looked very basic and dry with grill marks but surprise - it turned out to be one of the juiciest chicken thighs ever. 5 stars for the chicken kabob. Other excellent dishes are the pear-walnut salad, giant puffy pita bread, and hummus. Wife went for the seafood cioppino with its amazing tomatoey broth perfect for dipping bread.

Cafe Santorini is a roof top restaurant with a very cute character…read more I will say this place is quite pricey! However I've never regretted coming. The food is yummy, I love the grilled octopus and the hummus and would frequent this place a lot for my friend dates with my bestie. It's perfect for lunch for a more chill vibe and dinner because it becomes quite cute with the fairy lights. The service is also pretty good, I cannot complain there. Great restaurant to check out

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!

A friend of mine suggested this place to try out so we opted for a Wednesday night without any…read morereservations for a party of 6. I came later after my friend got the table but we were seated outside in the nice little patio seating area. The servers were quick to greet me when I came in and took my drink order. I tried the frozen Negroni and opted for that. We were served bread to dip with vinegar and oil while we looked through the menu to see what we wanted. The server suggested different dishes: raviolis, cacio e pepe, a dish with the name jerry in the title (I don't quite remember the full name!) and so on. I ordered the cacio e pepe and added mushrooms and chicken to my order. As an appetizer, I ordered a half cesar salad which was pretty decent. I was not a fan of the hard crouton though! The cacio e pepe was pretty dry and the chicken was even drier. Adding mushrooms was a nice touch but sadly the dish could not be saved by how dried it was. Overall, it was okay but I would skip on adding chicken. My friends seemed pretty disappointed with their dishes. I think maybe 2/6 thought their dishes were okay while the rest did not enjoy what they ordered. For dessert, I was surprised with a slice of coconut cake since it was a friend and mines birthday. The cake was good and full of coconut flavored goodnessss. The tiramisu I ordered (before I knew of the coconut cake!) was also a very nice sweet treat. Overall, the vibes are nice, the service was super kind and the drinks were good. Dessert was fine but I'm not sure I would return for dessert. The inside is nice and spacious and the place had a nice, relaxing vibe to help everyone unwind for dinner. Parking is a big plus for Pasadena! There is a large parking lot that is shared with surrounding businesses and it's free parking.

This place is such a wonderful gem in Pasadena. We went for the first time and were greeted by the…read morechef who told us about his recommended pizza choices. He even gave us free soda. We had the tikka masala and fungi pizzas. Both were so delicious. The wood fire char was perfect and crust was so crispy. We will definitely be back to try more of the different flavor combinations. I also wanted to highlight that they have a discount for those affected by the fires. This place is a staple and huge support of the Pasadena community

Pizza here is always fresh and amazingly tasty! Been here a few times now and I always have to get…read moreat least a tikka masala pizza as one of my orders. Fungi Lama and Habibi pizza are also delicious! Would highly recommend trying this spot out, staff are always highly helpful and attentive. Very friendly! Lots of seating and you can see right into the kitchen and their neat pizza oven. Very nice and quaint restaurant.

We decided to try Nick's for lunch to celebrate my birthday. OMG!!!!…read moreWhat a great place to dine. We had a reservation so we were seated right away on the second floor, just above the bar. The music was a little on the loud side so conversation was a little strained. The food was absolutely amazing. Our server was very friendly and informative but was not quite as attentive as we would expect for an establishment like this. This was our first time here, so we had to try the Asparagus Fries. The asparagus was cooked to perfection but the batter did not have much flavor. Members of our party ordered the California Salad, a Veggie Burger, the Meatloaf and a Picante Pizza. The California Salad was smaller than expected but delicious. The Veggie Burger was excellent! The Meatloaf was the hit of the table. It was so good that my wife did not offer a taste to any of us. She was in food Heaven. The pizza was exactly as described and tasted wonderful. Since we were celebrating my birthday, our server brought me a delicious piece of double chocolate cake with a candle in it. Nice touch!! We also had one of their Warm Butter Cake's with some excellent vanilla ice cream on top. Absolutely wonderful!. This may be our new "go-to" place. Looking forward to return to savor the other items on the menu. Their drinks looked delicious as well, so we will definitely try those too.

Was in Pasadena the other day, and had not eaten yet, so decided to go by Nick's, since I had never…read morebeen, and try a few of the items that sounded tasty on the menu. Made a reservation about an hour before, so when we got there we were seated immediately. After a quick glance at the drink menu, had to get the Mai Tai with lilikoi foam on top. So delicious. Had my first lilikoi foam in Maui and I love that I'm starting to see it around Los Angeles now. Adds such a punch of flavor to an after we balanced drink. For food, we started with the bacon deviled eggs and shrimp taquitos. Those deviled eggs were lightly fried, which was different, then had apple wood smoked bacon on top, just a really tasty bite. The shrimp taquitos were also not what you would expect, nice and light but still very good. Entrees we went with the center cut fillet and the prime rib dip with swiss cheese on a brioche bun. That sandwich just melts if your mouth after dipping it in the jous, and the cheese was the perfect accompiament. The fillet was cooked perfect as well, coming out medium rare. Overall, great restaurant in Pasadena. Definitely get the Mai Tai, Devine eggs and prime rib dip. Taquitos were good and, if you're feeling like another hg er appetizer, definitely a way to go . The fillet, also great but I feel you can get it anywhere.

We had an amazing dinner at Mi Piace, a great atmosphere with great food. Service was quick, and…read morevery welcoming right off the bat. -Jack and Ana

Loved the ambience and the employees were fantastic! The food was delicious! The rainbow trout was…read morecooked so well and the veggies were delicious. Very light and clean. The chips and the sandwiches were so tasty. The tiramisu was also delicious!

This was a great pizza experience. Big open area when you walk in, and I sat at the bar. They have…read morea couple draft beer options and some cocktails that are $3 off during happy hour. I got the diavola pizza. Neapolitan style is my favorite, and when it came out it was amazing. The tomato sauce had the perfect level of acidity, and the dough complemented it really well. They have a small lot plus some free and paid street parking nearby. Service was great. Definitely would come again.

I drove across town 25 minutes to try this establishment as it came highly reviewed. Greeted and…read moreseated promptly. Started off with an old fashioned of which was standard $14. Then saw a unique appetizer salad item on menu "Involtini" $16. It was a great appetizer consisting of arugula, and goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto, with an impressive large thin sliced piece of Parmesan on top drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Very unique and good, I look forward to replicating at home with a little more balsamic. I ordered the Settebello $21 pizza as a main entree of which I thought was advertised with pancetta, mushrooms and Italian sausage. Pizza came out hot and fresh, but with prosciutto instead of the perceived menu listed pancetta. Pizza sauce was good, the sausage and mushrooms were great. Crust was a little doughy, not crispy but charcoal charred in places. Not phenomenal but not bad, middle of the road overall. Service started off great but fell flat to the floor. Drinks and food came out on time indicating bar staff and kitchen staff were on point. Waiting staff could up their game. No check up or check in. No offers for drink refills or another round. I had to ask for refills on water. Final bill $56.35 for one drink, appetizer and pizza for a solo dinner. Three (3) stars at best! Room for improvements.