Polka Restaurant in Eagle Rock

Quite good, and well reviewed Polish restatant. Good food, a bit
pricy. 3.5 tarts.

The Dog House, La Canada

This small place is located in La Cañada, Flintridge, CA (8 miles north of Pasadena) and we thought it had to be good but...we were disappointed. It is not that it was bad, it was just not as good as to go back.
Where did Californians get the idea the chili cheese dogs should have
shaved cheese?
2 tarts.
I can only add that these dogs were plain boring...nothing interested me in them; there was not any succulent spice or ingredient that made them unforgettable...

Domenico's

Greasy New York style pizza in Pasadena!!! Yummmmmmm

El Portal. Pasadena

Kathleen's of Pasadena

High class diner.
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Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles ...

Chicken and Waffles must be a popular combination.  After all, Bobby Flay lost a C & W throwdown to Mabel from Harlem.  But I had never heard of it until arriving in Pasadena, the home of one of the five locations of “Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles”, Wikipedia’s first Chicken and Waffle restaurant entry. 

 

The physical plant was down-home (meaning cheap but serviceable) and optimistically full of locals last Friday.  Apparently the locals in Pasadena don’t know decent fried chicken, because Roscoe’s didn’t serve any up.  Instead it was dry, overcooked, and unappealing.  But the waffles were quite good. 

 

2.5 tarts. 

"Notes from the Rancho" now "Notes from Pasadena"

OK, it's been a while since we've posted any notes from the Rancho, during which time we've moved to Pasadena, an entirely different culinary environment.

I was about to describe Pasadena as "Julia Child's" Pasadena, after the famed "French Chef"'s birthplace, but the Pasadena of 2009 is not the home of curmudgeonly right wingers which Julia so despised. I'd report an Obama/McCain bumper sticker ratio, but you can't divide by zero.

Anyway, Over the next few weeks we will try to relay reports of the various restaurant experiences from the home of the game formerly known as "The Rose Bowl", but soon to be "game three of the BCS Championship Series".