By Brianna Chu Tucked in amongst the shops and restaurants south of bustling Colorado Blvd. in Old Town Pasadena, Amara Chocolate and Coffee is a cozy little cafe serving up a slice of Venezuela’s unique flavors. The eponymous owner, Amara Barroeta, is a proud new mom, but still comes in when she can, and many…
By Brianna Chu and Tom Williams Copper Still Grill’s charming pub-esque exterior houses a warm and open space on the interior. The first thing likely to catch your eye is the distinctive and eye-catching copper bar top clearly showcasing their copper theme. Given that owner Steve Kwan has owned and run bars before, such as…
I grew up with canned cranberry jellied sauce so I know how easy it was to sit at the table and wait for someone to pop open the can, give it a few taps, and wait for that long, slow plop, as it hit the plate. Making your own cranberry jellied sauce is delicious, easy…
By Brianna Chu Lêberry Bakery opened earlier this year across the way from Paseo Colorado. It’s a fun and modern donut-centric bakery (and bar!) themed around the color blue, with fun pops of green, pink, and purple. Its co-owners, Jennifer Le and Raynard Ledford, come from fairly disparate backgrounds, but have aligned under a shared…
By Brianna Chu Tacocita’s bright teal umbrellas and gorgeous succulent graffiti art brought an eye-catching new feature to the corner of Rosemead and Del Mar in East Pasadena when they opened early this October. The colorful aesthetic and playlist build a fun and playful hangout spot for a younger crowd, with picnic tables spread out…
By Brianna Chu This phenomenal ice cream shop began…as a New Year’s Resolution. Back in 2015, Adrienne Borlongan and partner Jon-Patrick (JP) Lopez made a resolution, at the behest of his parents, to start their own business. Borlongan had always known she would run her own food concept one day, but hadn’t particularly known what…
By Brianna Chu Magnolia House has been inviting Pasadenans into its homey, chic space since 2014. The interior embraces the hundred-year-old Craftsman house from which the space has been built, creating a modern yet cozy atmosphere. The front of the house is a large garage-door window that opens out to let the summer breeze flow…
By Brianna Chu Fumi and Sayuri Tachibe opened their first restaurant together on April 18, 2013. Osawa is a passion project for the Tachibes, one that had been on their minds for a while. After about 30 years of Fumi having working at Chaya, he transitioned from working as a chef at a large, corporate…
