By Brianna Chu The current owner of the local Arcadian landmark and restaurant, the Derby, doesn’t really put his name out there. Dustin Nicholarsen prefers to be behind-the-scenes, half curating a museum and half running a restaurant that he actually loves to eat at, as he puts it. He is well-versed in the restaurant’s storied…
By Brianna Chu Located on Sierra Madre Boulevard in Sierra Madre, Sierra Fusion lets you know what it’s all about right in its name. It’s a cozy but not stuffy spot, with large windows and an accent brick wall on the far end with handpainted, one-of-a-kind artworks on the walls. The artist who paints them…
By Brianna Chu Even just from the outside, the Raymond 1886 isn’t your average restaurant: the place is literally a cottage, not to mention its hard-to-spot location on Fair Oaks. It looks, for all intents and purposes, like a well-kept Craftsman bungalow, set with dark brown door frames, brick, and olive green panels. Inside, the…
The bright red, Spanish-style exterior of Margaritas Mexican Restaurant is probably a familiar sight to some, especially since it first opened in Pasadena 42 years ago, in 1977. One of a dying breed of restaurants, it remains firmly within family hands: owner Ruby Bugarin took over Margaritas in 2006 with her brother as partner when…
By Brianna Chu Before you start: I know it’s a dumb pun. I am indeed aware, as I was the idiot who came up with it. So…hi! I’m Brianna, an early twenty-something, recent university graduate who was born and raised in Pasadena. As you might have guessed, I love food! I’ve been lucky to grow…
By Brianna Chu Soh Grill opened its doors to Raymond Avenue a year and a half ago. When its owner, Tamara Kim, moved to Pasadena about three years ago, she noticed a lack of Korean food options and decided to open the restaurant in charming Old Town Pasadena. While Soh Grill is Kim’s first restaurant,…
One of the garden’s most popular events, the Pasadena Festival of Tea will be held again this year at the Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden on March 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. With spring in full bloom in the garden, the festival will delight tea lovers and garden lovers alike. Local tea vendors will…
By Brianna Chu Last year, May and I were invited to a PR mixer at the Bone Kettle, a Southeast Asian restaurant and bar in Old Pasadena, and the food was, as hoped for, simply amazing. I loved it so much that I revisited the restaurant last week with my family for lunch to try…