Restaurant Review
24 Apr 2018

Maestro – Pasadena

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Maestro Restaurant - Pasadena

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the dining scene in Old Pasadena just keeps getting better and better. With the likes of Bone Kettle, Fishwives, Lost at Sea, and Maestro lining the streets in and around Colorado, we’re on the cusp of being spoiled over here. All that’s missing is a solid Vietnamese joint (wink, wink).

Maestro Restaurant - Pasadena

Opened at the start of 2017, Maestro is Chef Danny Godinez’s first restaurant in L.A. He has three Mexican restaurants in Orange County.

My friend Miguel, a Mexican food snob to rival Bill Esparza, previously dined here and had a terrific time. He was eager to return with Juliam and me in tow to share his favorite dishes and to try new ones together.

Maestro Restaurant - Pasadena

To drink, a mighty strong “Agave Old Fashion” ($14) made with tequila, mezcal, spicy agave, and bitters.

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Restaurant Review
12 Apr 2018

The Dal Rae – Los Angeles (Pico Rivera)

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The Dal Rae - Pico Rivera - Los Angeles

Continuing my streak of dining in Los Angeles’ finest institutions, my colleagues and I lunched at The Dal Rae in Pico Rivera. Opened in 1958, the restaurant is renowned for its menu of American steakhouse classics served with table-side flourishes, a marker of midcentury luxe Continental dining.

The Dal Rae - Pico Rivera - Los Angeles

The restaurant wasn’t particularly hoppin’ during our lunchtime excursion, so we slid into a booth fit for four and soaked up the wood-paneled ambiance. Ah, the 1950s…

The Dal Rae - Pico Rivera - Los Angeles

We happened to dine during restaurant week, so everyone in our party partook in the ever-so-slightly discounted menu. For $25, we were treated to a two-course lunch.

To start, a bread basket filled with pita crisps, sesame bread sticks, French bread, and sourdough. On the side was a pat of butter that was a touch too cool for maximum spreadability.

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Restaurant Review
05 Apr 2018

The Venice Room – Monterey Park

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The Venice Room - Monterey Park

One of the best traditions at work is taking colleagues out for lunch on their birthdays. I am fortunate to work alongside food obsessives in a food paradise (626, represent!), so these outings are as gustatory as they are celebratory.

For my 36th birthday, I forwent our usual Sichuan spots and hotpot haunts in favor of an unlikely neighborhood institution: The Venice Room in Monterey Park. What can I say—as a certifiable old person, I like to dine in old places.

The Venice Room - Monterey Park

Family-owned and operated since 1955, The Venice Room was truly unique in ambiance and in format. The Venetian-themed interior was dusty, dated, and dingy, but truth be told, quite charming too.

The Venice Room - Monterey Park

The specialty here is cook-your-own steak. For just $8.95, my colleagues and I were treated to a cornucopia of delights including an all-you-can-eat salad bar, a baked potato, a stale-ish French roll, and a raw slab of New York Strip steak.

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