06.13.19

PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS
Grilled Kefta Kebob
dining & nitelife
directory
Average price per entree
$ UP TO $10 $$$ $16-25
$$ $11–15 $$$$ $25+
EL PORTAL
695 E. Green St., Pasadena
(626)795-8553
Elportalrestaurant.com $$
Pasadena Weekly readers have been
rewarding El Portal with the title of Best
Mexican Food in the city for years. This
charming little hacienda with brick walls,
festive colors, fi ne art and a California
elegant courtyard brings the authentic
cuisine of Mexico and the Yucatan region
to your table.
MARGARITA’S
155 S. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena
(626) 449-4193 margaritaspasadena.com $$
At Margaritas Mexican Restaurant, our family
has been sharing our authentic Mexican dishes
with the wonderful people of Pasadena since
1977. Guests enter our warm, inviting space and
leave as family -- with plenty of burritos, tortas,
tostadas, fajitas, and more to be had in between!
Our dishes incorporate and pay homage to
the rich flavors of bustling mercados, corner
taquerias, and seaside palapas. So visit us, eat
to your heart's content at our mouthwatering
lunch buffet, sip on a refreshing margarita, and
feel at home.
HILL STREET CAFÉ
1004 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge
818-952-1019 hillstreetcafelacanada.com $$
Hill Street Café is celebrating over 25 years of
serving the community quality meals made of
quality ingridients. we want to thank all of you
who stuck with us during the remodeling process
and we want to welcome back everyone else. in
our recent remodel, we have added an outdoor
patio, a bar and more dining area, we have created
a relaxed ambience with a touch of modern but
still retaining our extensive menu, our friendly
service and most important a family atmosphere.
KABUKI JAPANESE RESTAURANTS
88 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena,
(626) 568-9310
3539 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena,
(626) 351-8963 kabukirestaurants.com $$
When you walk into a Kabuki you won’t be overwhelmed
with Asian decor and music. What you will
encounter is a casual atmosphere with today’s hottest
music playing, people smiling and our friendly staff
welcoming you through the doors. Look for the Red
Mask. Come eat, drink and have fun!
TOPS WALNUT
1792 E. Walnut St., Pasadena
(626) 584-0244 topsburger.com $
At TOPS on Walnut & Allen, we maintain the original
taste from 60 years ago. My father wanted to create
food as close to homemade as possible. Our primary
goal and focus is on taste, quality, freshness, cleanliness
in our service and experienced staff. Most of
our staff have been with us for more than twenty
years. We invite you to come to TOPS on the corner
of Walnut & Allen and taste the difference! Meet our
staff and experience what quality service should be.
The same quality service that has made us #1.
SHANDONG DUMPLINGS
80 N. Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena
626-578-9777
227 W. Valley Blvd, 168 A, San Gabriel
626-308-3777 $
Shandong Dumplings is your Reader Recommended
Winner for BEST DUMPLINGS in the
2018 Reader’s Poll! We have been a cornerstone
in the greater Pasadena community and are well
known for our outstanding cuisine, excellent
service and friendly staff. Recognized for our
modern interpretation of classic dishes and
insistence on using only the highest quality,
freshest ingredients. Open for Lunch and Dinner
daily and until 2am Wed-Sat.
TOM'S FAMOUS FAMILY
RESTAURANT
1130 E. Walnut St. Pasadena
626-577-7717 tomsfamous.com $
Please come and enjoy homemade breakfast
lunch and dinner all made from scratch and
FRESH. Nothing is ever served or made from a
can. We pride ourselves as being the cleanest
store with the best quality food and BEST
service in town. Thank you PASADENA!!!!!
ZELO GOURMET PIZZAS
328 E. Foothill Blvd.Arcadia
626-358-8298 myzelopizza.info $$
It’s the cornmeal crust that makes this pizzeria stand
out from the rest. This locally owned establishment’s
signature dish is the fresh, corn, balsamic-marinated,
oven-roasted red onion pie. Zelo Pizzeria has expanded
the dining room to better serve you, so come
in and give Zelo Pizzeria a try.
LOVE AT FIRST BITE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
in celebration of something or on a date, and thus
were slightly more dressed up. Despite that, we
didn’t feel uncomfortable or as if we had walked
into the Chateau Marmont in workout attire.
As soon as we were seated we were brought
water and a few minutes later a bread basket. Our
waitress was friendly, helping us decide on our
starters: Borek and spanakopita ($13) and stuffed
grape leaves ($10). The borek and spanakopita
was easily our favorite of the two and one of our
favorite dishes that night. Both are filled pastries,
the borek stuffed with a blend of cheeses, mint
and sesame seeds, and the spanakopita filled
with onions, spinach and feta. To be honest, I
couldn’t even focus on which was which, they
were both equally amazing and well worth
ordering as shareable appetizers.
For our entrees, my friend ordered the
Santorini pizza ($16) and I wanted to have
something tried and true, a staple dish: the
grilled chicken kebab plate ($20). The Santorini
pizza was amazing, with beef soujouk sausage,
tomatoes, onions, mozzarella cheese, goat
cheese and fresh mint. While I’m not the biggest
fan of mint, even I have to admit it really added
something to the cheeses and pulled the different
flavors together beautifully. My chicken kebob
plate was just as I was hoping — perfectly
seasoned chicken, delicious rice (my favorite
part), and grilled onions, tomatoes and bell
peppers grilled to perfection as well. The dish
also came with hummus and pita (my second
favorite part) and there was enough left over to
take home for lunch the next day, which, by the
way, was not my plan at all.
Cafe Santorini has a happy hour, and since
we missed it that day, we already have plans to
go back and take advantage of it. It goes from 4-7
p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 4-6 p.m. on
Fridays, serving draft beer, well brands, sangria,
wines, as well as specialty cocktails and martinis
all between $6 and $7. The happy hour food menu
(all $6 each) consists of shrimp curry, hummus
and pita, grilled calamari, saffron clams,
and soujouk sausage mini flatbread, which is
essentially the Santorini pizza in a small flatbread
version minus the mozzarella. Happy hour is only
served at the bar, but well worth it.
Other notable dishes that I saw whisk by or
looked inviting on the menu were the Moroccan
lamb shank ($32), braised with dried fruit,
balsamic vinegar and served with couscous;
the risotto with wild mushrooms ($21), which
is gluten-free and vegetarian; and the shrimp
capellini al checca ($23), served with angel hair
pasta tossed with diced tomatoes, garlic, scallions,
chili flakes and basil and served with jumbo
shrimp. Several dishes on the menu are marked if
they are vegetarian, gluten-free, or vegan, so it’s
easy for patrons to know what they can order in
spite of dietary restrictions. No matter what, Cafe
Santorini doesn’t skip out on the flavor.
They even have two banquet rooms for special
occasions or larger events. The Rococo room is
the larger of the two, seating up to 150 guests,
and the Mezzanine, which seats up to 25 people.
Cafe Santorini celebrated their 25th anniversary
this past year, and it’s clear that in the time
they have been in Pasadena they have become a
perfect setting for any occasion.
12 PASADENA WEEKLY | 06.13.19