South Pasadena: Fiore Market Cafe

When it comes to lunching in South Pasadena, Fiore and their bread come first in mind. That heaven baked soft dough works with all kinds of tender proteins, especially with moist chicken breasts (a must try!) and PB&J. The best part is, you get to steal the-ought-to-be-secret bread recipe by taking their Tuesday evening class.









Fiore Market Cafe
fioremarketcafe.com | 1000 Fremont Ave South Pasadena, CA 91030 - map | menu | (626) 441-2280

South Pasadena: Firefly Bistro

Like its name may suggest, with charming lights and vines covered walls, Firefly wants to lure you into its airy backyard patio in a charming block of south Pasadena.

While the space is dim enough to pull off a first date, this is a place for groups. The portions are generous and the dishes bold with flavor.

Some of the highlights of the night were:
-Spicy Butternut Squash Doughnuts with toasted walnut-madras curry dip & oregano honey (8.5)
-Sweet and Sour Braised Bacon with black lentils, chard, pears & basil (10.5)
-Firefly Fries with marjoram, smoked paprika & creamy red pepper jam (8)
-BBQ Lamb Shank with cheddar-rosemary grits & pole bean-fall tomato salad (27.5)
-Rosemary Roasted Game Hen with duck fat crisped parsnip, confit fennel & spinach, chervil, tart apple and sauterne (20)
-Juniper Grilled Pork Chop with caramelized shallot mashed sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and black olive pan jus (22.5)
-Preserved Tomato Risotto with crispy Beech mushroom, goat cheese, seared black kale and basil puree (18)
-Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with whipped cream and sea salted- smoked hazelnut chocolate bark (7.5)

The service was great and it doesn't hurt for the friendly owner occasionally checking on the tables and giving good smiles.

Check out Firefly if you seek American comfort food with tasty twists. These will last you a good while.







Firefly
eatatfirefly.com | 1009 El Centro St. South Pasadena, CA 91030 - map | menu | (626) 441-2443

Redondo Beach: Hostaria Piave

Redondo beach is by no means a town to seek new culinary adventure. That said, it doesn't mean you can't find a decent Italian establishment that is true to its origin. Hostaria Piave, is that hidden gem on the over exposed PCH.

Along with the charming Northern Italian country deco and ultra friendly staffs, Hostaria's got great wine and food selections that are suitable for sharing among friends or with that intimate someone. The food, as many reputable places would serve their food in Europe, taste good and light with simple local fresh ingredients that are still substantially flavorful. The dishes here are complement with good wines. Some of the highlights of our evening were: the daily selections of Antipasto Plate (13), beef tortellini in clear broth (8), braised duck leg gnocchi (15, as an entree), fresh sardines homemade pasta (9), braised cuttlefish on soft polenta (18, love the texture of the polenta!), roasted pork shank (16), and lastly the not so shabby desserts.

With its growing local and outer town clientele, an advanced reservation is recommended.










Hostaria Piave
hostariapiave.com | 231 S Pacific Coast Hwy Redondo Beach, CA 90277 - map | menu | (310) 374-1000

Downtown LA: Drago Centro

When it comes to Italian restaurants in downtown, there is the Colori Kitchen for a quick fix, Bottega Louie for people watching, and then there is Drago Centro for fancier occasions.

Drago Centro's interior is spacious with fairly modern decor. Whether you're in for a good date or some food club get together, Drago Centro has it covered. The service at DC is consistently excellent; the servers are quite knowledgeable with the menu and the dishes served. Some dishes can be split into smaller portions for your sharing pleasure.

By looking at the presentations, there is no doubt they take their food seriously. Although we have had some overly seasoned pastas, overall, the dishes are recommendable and worth revisiting.










tasting menu









Drago Centro
dragocentro.com | 525 S Flower St Ste 120 Los Angeles, CA 90071 - map | menu | (213) 228-8998

Palm Springs: King's Highway

If you ever stayed at the Ace Hotel on the Highway 111, it’s hard to miss this retro looking diner King’s Highway. You might even spot a few looking like they are straight from the 70’s.




The interior is spacious and clean. Its open kitchen will not make you smell like the kitchen.




Breakfast options are fairly portioned. Both the French Toast and Hot Cakes were fluffy and nicely flavored. At $9 each, it’s good wake up food.



It's a poolside hipster hang out and people sightseeing can also be enjoyed with your meal throughout the day. That said, King's Highway is kid friendly.



At night, the service stays upbeat and friendly.



The spaghettini (14) was lightly seasoned and worked in a good harmony with the prosciutto, lemon zest, and peppery arugula.



The Amigo Brisket Burger (12) was juicy and smoky. It was especially tasty when paired with the mildly tart jack cheese, crisp lettuce, and roasted tomato. My favorite part of the meal is the hand friendly non-greasy buns; these absorb all the juicy goodness for the mouth, not the hands.



Check out King’s Highway if you’re simply looking for some comfort food and a good time.




King’s Highway
acehotel.com | 701 E Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92264 - menu | map | (760) 325-9900

Idyllwild: Cafe Aroma

In a small town 5000+ feet high amidst the San Jacinto mountains, whether you're in it for a romantic getaway or a change of scenery, Cafe Aroma and Italian cuisine sound like good times. Over 120 people on Yelp sure seem to think so.





At Cafe Aroma, you have the option to sit in the main dining room, with live music and lively crowds, or you could be seated in the library room. Yes, with books.



Attentive service with a big smile and bread with olive oil heavy on crushed raw garlic make it very Italian. You could always ask for more bread, but it was dry on the second batch and I don't think it's the thin air.




Shrimp Martini ($10) is an updated take on the shrimp cocktail with its three layered sauce, consisting of shrimp cocktail, horseradish, and pesto. Topped with a pitted olive, it's a good looking martini and works well on five very fresh jumbo prawns.



The Steamed Clams (14), the special appetizer of the day, were wonderfully topped with avocado, tomato, lemon, and bacon bits.



The tequila infused sauce was so good and suddenly a clam spoon was born.




Though the two pasta dishes, Shrimp Arrabbiata (18) and Meatballs Spaghetti (10), had decent flavor profiles, ultimately the pastas were overlooked and the softies couldn't quite match the high notes the starters were hitting.



For dessert, the Apple Sorbet (4) tasted like a good cup of hot apple cider hit by liquid nitrogen. It turned out to be a good palate cleanser.



Overall, it was a pleasant experience that left us wanting more in the end, though it doesn't hurt when you are in a vacation kind of mode.


Cafe Aroma
cafearoma.org | 54750 N Circle Dr., Idyllwild, CA 92549 - menu | map | (951) 659-5212