Pasadena, California is in southern California's San Gabriel Valley and perhaps most famous for being the location of the Rose Bowl -- home to the annual Tournament of Roses football game. In the heart of Pasadena is a well-known area called Lake Avenue, where many locals go to shop and dine. A wide variety of restaurants and cuisines can be found along Lake Avenue.
Go to 141 South Lake Avenue and dine at Celestino Calogero Drago. Choose from authentic regional and seasonal specialties complemented with an award-winning wine list. Try their Florentine style T-bone, black and white ravioli filled with shrimp, branzino al sale, flown-in burrata and vanilla custard with an assortment of fresh berries.
Eat at Pinocchio's Pizza, 1449 North Lake Avenue. Choose from a variety of pizzas, including vegetarian, spinach, meat lovers, seafood pesto, BBQ chicken and margarita pies. Try one of their main dishes, such as seafood Alfredo, eggplant parmigiana and pesto shrimp linguine. Have an affair catered in the restaurant's banquet room, which is good for bridal showers, birthday celebrations and work events.
Go to 350 South Lake Avenue and dine at the SanSai Japanese Grill. Choose from oriental salad with roasted almonds and sesame seeds, sumi salad with green and purple cabbage, as well as cucumber seaweed salad with cucumber and red onions. Enjoy their homemade sauces.
Eat at Zono Sushi, 230 South Lake Avenue. Choose from fresh sushi, sushi rolls and a full menu of Asian entrees, including una-ju -- smoked eel over a bed of rice -- chicken teriyaki and assorted tempura. Appetizers include fried tofu, grilled squid and soft shell crab. Take a short walk to the nearby shopping district, which spans about 10 blocks and has more than 600 businesses, shops and boutiques.
Go to Burger Continental on 535 Lake Avenue. Choose from close to 20 different types of burgers and Armenian and Greek specialties, including a variety of kebabs. Be entertained by belly dancers and Greek bands.
Head to 140 South Lake Avenue to Cafe 140 South and try its juicy hand-formed burgers. Choose from Kobe, ranch house, California and veggie cheeseburgers. Enjoy their Oakwood-grilled meats, including marinated grilled chicken, stout-braised short rib and beef bourguignon. Choose from a variety of salads, pastas sandwiches and desserts. Enjoy the ambiance of outside dining on the patio or eat in the indoor dining area.
