I have never been particularly stoked about Pasadena’s dining scene in the seven years that I’ve called it home. Don’t get me wrong, Pie ‘n Burger and Lucky Boy will always have a very special place in my heart-slash-stomach, but one cannot live on cheeseburgers and breakfast burritos alone.
Recently, however, the city has experienced a surge of exciting openings that have my sentiments shifting. New additions to the culinary landscape like Union (pasta!), Lincoln (pastries!), 85 Degrees (taro buns!), Little Sheep (hot pot!), Blockheads (shaved snow!), 800 Degrees (pizza!), and Copenhagen Pastry have made Pasadena tastier than ever before. Score!
Following the success of the original Copenhagen Pastry in Culver City, owner Karen Hansen opened a second outlet in East Pasadena this past December. The specialty here are Danish pastries like the ones she grew up eating in Denmark.
Nearly all of the pastries here are made from laminated dough—yeast-leavened dough that’s folded 27 times over with layers of butter. The pastries are filled with various ratios of almond paste and custard, along with cinnamon, almond flakes, and fruit.
On my first visit to the bakery, I selected half a dozen pastries to share with The Astronomer. The most visually arresting was the Morning Poppy ($1.60)—the “carpet of poppy seeds” added textural interest and a touch of nuttiness to the almond paste and flaky pastry.
