SPAGHETTI EDDIE’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT 946 S. Grand Ave., Glendora. 626-963-0267 Lunch and dinner, every day; breakfast buffet Sunday mornings. The Food: The very essence of red-sauce Italian cooking, drawn from an oversized menu heavy with specials (try the Red Button Special on the website, and the daily specials on the Twilight Menu), served in a shopping mall setting, in a lively restaurant that seems to always been full of hungry locals, in need of serious pasta. About $20 per … [Read more...]

  TRATTORIA NEAPOLIS 336 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday 626-792-3000; www.trattorianeapolis.com By Michael Davis and Michelle J. Mills We stopped in at the newTrattoria Neapolis in Pasadena for a tasting and spent some time with restauranteur Perry Vidalakis. His infectious personality and knowledge of the restaurant, food and beverage industry enriched our knowledge of the complexities of Italian … [Read more...]

  AZEEN’S AFGHANI RESTAURANT 110 E. Union St., Old Pasadena; 626-683-3310. Lunch, Monday through Friday; dinner, every day. The Food: If it’s the wonderfully flavorful cooking of Afghanistan you’re looking for, this isn’t just the best place to go — it’s virtually the only place to go — where you’ll find a cuisine with flavors gathered from the many ethnic groups that call Afghanistan home — a world of aushak, mantu, bulanee, kadu and gulpi — and many kabobs served … [Read more...]

  RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE. 369 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; 626-583-8122. Dinner only, every day. Happy Hour is 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the bar Monday-Friday. The Food: This constant contender for the title of Best Steak House Chain sits in a manly space across from Paseo Colorado, with vintage photos of the city on the walls, and a menu of dishes with roots in New Orleans: Cajun/Creole favorites like shrimp remoulade, barbecued shrimp, “sizzlin’” blue crab cakes, and the … [Read more...]

THE SAKURA 8150 E. Garvey Ave., Rosemead. 626-288-0770 Lunch and dinner, every day. The Food: There’s a double conveyor — one right behind the other — at this revolving sushi bar in a shopping mall, where the colors of the plates let you know the prices (there are five colors, priced from $2 to $3), and where the selection of dishes marching by is encyclopedic — though if there’s something special you want, just ask. About $18 per person. MC, V. Beer and sake. Reservations: … [Read more...]

BURGER CONTINENTAL 535 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena; 626-792-6634 Breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day. The Food: Perhaps the single most eclectic restaurant in Pasadena — and possibly in Southern California this indoor-outdoor legend covers the globe with dishes that are, mostly, Mediterranean (Middle Eastern, Greek, Italian and so forth, but also American, Mexican and Asian. The daily buffets are the best deals in town. And the Sunday brunch is truly like no other. About $15 … [Read more...]

  ABRICOTT 238 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena. 626-796-1613 Breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day. The Food: This French-Asian fusion eatery sits in the midst of the Lake Avenue shopping district, a three-meal-a-day destination for those hungry for a menu that runs the gamut from Vietnamese pho and banh mi sandwiches, to a Gallic pork belly with cabbage, with the requisite hamburger with shoestrings as well; served in a space with red walls, shelves of old books, and a long communal … [Read more...]

They make a wonderful pizza at Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana in Pasadena, the first California branch of a mini-chain with branches in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. It’s got a fabulously crisp bottom, with char marks from the wood-burning oven, constructed in place by pizza oven craftsmen from Naples. They top their pizzas simply — no pineapple, no Canadian bacon, no barbecued chicken, no smoked salmon. Settebello’s toppings are limited to traditional ingredients, although … [Read more...]

The Coffee Gallery in Altadena has long been known as a mecca for a good cup of joe, plus sweet music and lively art. Its tiny kitchen has boasted a limited menu, but it recently opened its doors for a Chef of the Day program Thursday-Sunday, during which guest chefs prepare and serve their own dishes. Coffee Gallery owner Julie Sandoval has taken the concepts of the stage and art at her venue and put them in the kitchen. She gives established chefs, as well as those fresh from culinary … [Read more...]

The fixed price menu for fall at Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion, 641 E. Colorado Blvd., at $40 per person includes such delights as Fuji Apple Salad (appetizer), Brown Butter Seared Salmon (entree) and White Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse with Cranberry Sauce (dessert.) Available nightly. Call 626- 356-4066 for reservations. … [Read more...]