Restaurant Review
21 Nov 2008

Marston’s – Pasadena

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It’s officially been a while since I’ve had a brilliant brunch experience. Heck, I haven’t had a swoon-worthy breakfast-lunch hybrid since my days in Philly, and that was years ago! If you’re lucky enough to be living in the area, I highly recommend Bridget Foy’s on South Street, Sabrina’s Cafe near the Italian Market, and Lacroix at the Rittenhouse. In addition to brunch, water ice and cheese steaks are other Philly notables.

My latest brunch disappointment was at Marston’s in Pasadena. The Astronomer and I met up with fellow Helix High School alum Stephanie and her BF for brunch here on a recent lazy Sunday. The Yelptards (as The Gourmet Pig would say) rated the place especially high and the Pasadena Weekly voted it Best Breakfast, so I was expecting a pretty good show.

As is the current trend with popular breakfast joints, no reservations were accepted and the wait was substantial.

 

After a half hour, we were seated in the crowded, but quaint cottage. I ordered the Fantastic French Toast ($8.95), which consisted of two thick sourdough slices dipped in egg batter and rolled in corn flakes. They were grilled and served with hot syrup and soft butter. The French toast was texturally intriguing, but the bread’s sour notes were a bit strange, especially with the sweet maple syrup. A couple of berries or slices of fresh fruit could have improved the composition of flavors.

The Astronomer’s blueberry pancakes ($7.95) arrived at the table burnt. Even though The Astronomer didn’t want to make a fuss, I had to step up to the plate and ask the waitress to re-do the order. The second plate was aesthetically a vast improvement, but thoroughly unamazing overall; the blueberries were skimpy and the pancakes lacked any fluff.

For me, brunch should be a decadent meal comprised of flavors and textures that are difficult to achieve in the home kitchen. Both the French toast and pancakes fell flat, literally and figuratively.

Since this post was one big wah wah, here’s a Georgia O’Keefe moment for everyone to enjoy.

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Marston’s Restaurant
151 E. Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 796-2459

Bo Nuong Vi
20 Nov 2008

Bò Nướng Vĩ – Lemongrass Beef Grilled Tableside

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One of my family’s all-time favorite Saturday night suppers is bò nướng vĩ—a Vietnamese version of fondue with an additional DIY element. Tabletop braziers serve as the centerpiece during these special dinners.

With so many aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents in my family, it is impossible to fit everyone into one table. And there’s no way one measly brazier can handle all of our appetites. On this particular evening, we had a table in the family room, another in the dining room and four braziers on full blast to accommodate the hungry masses. Here’s my grandpa tossing some raw onions onto the buttered brazier to get the party started.

The highlight of bò nướng vĩ are thinly sliced pieces of beef marinated with lemongrass and a bit of oil. The oil keeps the meat from sticking to each other and the hot plate.  My family downs mountains of meat like no other.

A lovely plate of ultra-fresh squid and shrimp. The shrimps’ skins, tails and veins are carefully removed beforehand, while the squid is scored and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Once we’ve melted down a knob of butter completely, in come the onions, meat, shrimp and squid. This dish is very communal—it’s not unusual for multiple chopsticks to be in the brazier at once! Eating bò nướng vĩ always reminds me of my cousin Andrew. Growing up, Andrew needed my cousins and I to alert him when a piece of meat was done because he was colorblind, and could not tell. Sometimes we tricked him into eating raw meat. Just kidding!

The butter caramelizes the onions just right and permeates the meat, shrimp and squid. Mmm, boy!

Bò nướng vĩ accouterments include rice paper, fresh lettuce leaves, mint, cucumber spears and most importantly, nuoc mam.

Here’s my grandpa carefully wrapping up the goodness in a sheet of cool rice paper.

Dip, bite, repeat.

 

Potpourri
19 Nov 2008

GPS Restaurant Locator

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In addition to helping lost souls find their way, I recently discovered that GPS devices can also help hungry folks find sustenance.

My mom recently bought a gorgeous new ride that came fully equipped with a super-advanced GPS system. While in San Diego for a short visit, The Astronomer and I took her car for a cautious spin. While we were driving about, I noticed that the on-screen map included little icons of Mexican, Chinese and American flags.

Curious as to what they symbolized, I touched an icon with my fingertip. Voila—a restaurant name appeared! How cool is that? However, when I touched the “info.” icon next to the eatery’s name, nothing happened. I hope that in the future, restaurant reviews from Yelp or Gayot or gas•tron•o•my will appear when the information icon is pressed. That would be bomb.

Have you ever decided where to eat by using a GPS system?