Conrad's in Pasadena

Conrad's

861 E Walnut St

Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 577-7603‎

I am a sucker for diner coffee and great service. We took our two young daughters out for a late breakfast today (the one day a week I get to pig out). IHOP was the plan but there was no parking available and I didn't feel like waiting that long to eat so we drove over to Conrad's instead. Plenty of parking and we only had to wait 5 minutes. I was glad to be there as it was only my 2nd time and their menu has a wide variety to choose from. I like that.

During the 5-minute wait, Hubby asked the hostess for a cup of coffee (he just couldn't wait) and she was very gracious in giving it to him. Hubby wanted pancakes and a giant omelet from the moment he woke up this morning. As for me, I wanted something not-so-sweet, something kinda dinner-y but still found on the breakfast menu. Alas, they did not have biscuits and gravy on the menu so I settled for their Southern Fried "Steak", scrambled eggs, hashbrowns and an english muffin. And of course coffee. Can they please get bigger coffee mugs?

"Steak" is in quotations because that is what they choose to call it. Not I. What I got was a big slab of unseasoned ground beef coated blandly and weakly with Conrad's version of southern-ness and laid on a generous plank of thick southern gravy that looked appetizing but...no. It, too, was bland. Don't they taste this stuff before they decide on a recipe to serve the public? Hashbrowns were great. Eggs were great. Coffee was great. Hubby's International Omelet was a thing of greatness. My Southern Fried "Steak" should have never been allowed to see the light of day. How did I manage to eat almost the entire thing? Because I was hungry after a boozy Saturday night house-warming party and there was ketchup on the table. There ya go.

Our server was Isaac. He was accurate, cordial and attentive. It turns out he and Hubby know each other from a long time ago when they both worked at (the late, great) Old Town Bakery. Hubby knows someone at EVERY restaurant we've been to in the San Gabriel Valley.

Will I return to Conrad's? Yep. There is a lot more to dining out than the expectation of perfect food. You can eat at home if all you want is food. The service at Conrad's was comfortable and pleasing as well as genuine, from floor manager to cook to hostess to server to busser. We'll be back.

Souplantation, Pasadena

201 S Lake Ave Pasadena, CA
(626) 577-4797

Can I please get a plain baked potato, anyone? Yes, I can at Souplantation on South Lake in Pasadena. If you're on a weight loss diet like I am, you might agree that there aren't enough restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley that offer baked potatoes. Sheesh, you can't even get a simple baker at freakin' Dennys!
This month, Souplantation is having their "Potato Fest". They always have baked potatoes but now they also have baked sweet potatoes (in golden foil), roasted potatoe focaccia, potato leek soup and a few other potatoey recipes. My husband had several servings of the focaccia, which I think should actually be called "Potatoes Au Gratin Pizza"--it looked AMAZING but its not a food I allow myself to eat.
So I had my little baked potato and topped it with their good chili. The potato hit the spot. It was so hot and creamy inside. Why can't I make them that good at home??
There wasn't much to choose from in the fruit department as melons just aren't in season now. I think I saw mostly oranges and apples, so I didn't bother.
The soup selection today was more generous than usual and there were only two pasta selections, one being mac & cheese, to my 4-year-old's delight.
Service was excellent. We walked in carrying an infant in a bulky baby carrier so after we got our salads and paid, a floor person helped us carry our trays to a table in a quiet corner. He seemed like a manager type but I did not get a look at his name tag. Very friendly guy. The busser, Juan, kept our table clean the entire meal. I am always pleased with the service at this location.
Souplantation has good-tasting healthy food and if you gotta have a buffet feast, you really can't go wrong by limiting yourself to everything they have to offer. Just don't go crazy on the bread (my favorite and I didn't have any of it this time).

Carmine's Italian Restaurant & Bar South Pasadena

My husband and I eat here for birthdays, comfort food for a job well-done or just any old day. There is another location of this restaurant in Arcadia but we like the South Pasadena location better because it is open just about all the time (the other one is closed on certain days and hours) and the ambiance is more comfy and interesting.

Carmine's knows how to do pasta, that's for sure. And the portions are huge-you'll always need a box to go. The prices went up in the past couple of years but that goes for everywhere else, too. It's still a good value.

They serve a basket of hot crusty rolls and butter when you order your drinks. Very good bread, easy to get filled up if you're not careful.

If you order a meal that comes with soup or salad, get the caesar salad. It's unique and so good. This salad has the regular romaine hearts, croutons and parmesan but it also has olives, a little tomato and rainbow rotelle, a really nice touch. It's hard not to eat the whole thing but I don't in order to save room for the gnocchi, my favorite dish at Carmine's.

You can get the baked gnocchi or gnocchi Carmine. Either one is a great choice, so I toggle my decision each time I go. The baked gnocchi is served in a boat dish, topped with thick, bubbling, hot-as-hell mozzarella that has melted and browned to perfection. The gnocchi Carmine is served in a large pasta bowl and tossed in a red garlicky sauce, sprinkled with a little parsley and grated parmesan. I wish I knew what was in this sauce. I'm addicted to it.

Their dessert menu is full of beautiful choices--there is a picture of each confection. Too bad I've been too full after every meal there to even try to order any afters.

The service is hit or miss, unfortunately. The bussers are usually diligent and are the ones who bring your refills on soft drinks. The servers sometimes forget about you, especially when you sit in the back corner, like we have a few times. It's really annoying and a disappointment when you consider how great the food is--you want the place to be better. Even the servers who have been there a long time don't do a great job. One time our food took about 40 minutes and our server just ignored us the whole time, looking over once in a while but never in the eyes. Then when the food came out she acted like nothing happened, didn't apologize or anything. I thought that was strange and disrespectful. A lot of the servers we've had seem forgetful, stressed, or unhappy. But I have had worse service elsewhere. I just don't like being forgotten.

Carmine's also has a full bar with sports, karaoke and billiards. Great margaritas! I've been to a few parties there. It's a fun place. The restaurant area also accomodates large parties. I've been to a few of those, too.

The owner is often around, working, greeting and seating patrons. He's friendly and likes to chat with people. You'll know him when you see him.

So I say, eat here, enjoy the food and don't take the service personally.

Puebla Tacos No. 3 Pasadena

Puebla Tacos III‎
2057 N Los Robles Ave
Pasadena, CA‎
(626) 296-3390‎

I believe this is the closest restaurant to our house. We could probably walk there,eat and walk back home comfortably. We haven't done that yet. But we have gotten their food to go several times. It's good!
They make chicken similar to El Pollo Loco. It is as good if not better and to boot, it doesn't glow yellow-orange. It's regular chicken-colored chicken.
Even better is their fresh salsa. It is not too oniony, something I appreciate. It isn't pureed or mashed up in anyway. You can see every single ingredient and everything is FRESH. Lots of tomatoes and just enough cilantro. I believe they make a mild as well as spicy version.
So far, so good. Now to the best thing I've tasted ANYWHERE in a long time: The Torta de Milanesa. A torta is Mexico's version of a sandwich. The difference is, the bread is not sliced, it's on a large oblong roll that is slightly crusty on the outside and very soft on the inside. And milanesa is the same as chicken fried steak or breaded thin steak. Puebla lightly grills the bread with a little butter, then there is mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion and the meat. I ordered mine without onion and added avocado but the torta is SO good it doesn't need the extra flavor from the avocado.
I remember my husband bringing home lunch last week and opening the styrofoam box to find a giant sandwich wrapped in yellow paper and thinking, "this looks ok, I guess." Then I took my first bite and said, "Whoa, this is so good!" Ask my husband, it's true! He got himself the Torta de Al Pastor (not sure if I said that right). Al Pastor is marinated pork, so it's very juicy, kinda saucy, like bbq. He contends the Al Pastor is better than the Milanesa but I am sticking with the Milanesa. Oh yeah, he went back and brought home the same thing for lunch the next day. Needless to say, I was not on my diet for the week of Christmas. Boy was it fun.
About the service at Puebla, it is professional and surprisingly fast. The restaurant is small but has about 10 tables inside and its clean. The parking situation is kind of a doozy as there is only one in-or-out driveway and the parking lot gets very narrow in front of Puebla. Only confident, skilled parkers should park in that area. The prices are alright, not the cheapest, pretty mid-range. They can accomodate very large orders and catering.
Go there. Bring me some salsa on your way home.

Everest Burger in Altadena

Everest Burger

2314 Lake Ave

Altadena, CA 91001

(626) 797-820

My husband brought home Everest burgers today with some fries and fried zucchini. He got the pastrami burger and I got the cheeseburger. I was really in the mood for one and I hardly ever eat them anymore, which might be why I have such high expectations.

The cheeseburger looked pretty good, except for the patty which was sadly anorexic. I liked the thousand island dressing on it. That makes it taste like a real old-fashioned burger. The bun didn't taste fresh. The burger was O.K. but not the grand feast of juicy charbroiledness I was anticipating.

The biggest disappointment was the fries. They're really thin-cut, which wouldn't be a bad thing except I couldn't taste anything but oil. They were bubbly, too. Maybe they were left overs and they refried them? Not good. Actually pretty bad.

My husband always gets their fried zucchini and thinks it is delicious. I disagree. Thank goodness it comes with ranch dressing. The batter is crunchy, which is good, but haven't they ever heard of spices? It has no flavor at all.

I didn't get to taste the pastrami burger but it looked good. It had the same thin patty as the cheeseburger and a nice healthy pile of pastrami. Hubby said, "Mmm" at least twice whilst munching his lunch.

I'm new to this area and would be very grateful if someone could point me in the direction of a better burger than Everest.

photo from flickr.com

B-Man's Teriyaki & Burgers Pasadena

B-Man's Teriyaki & Burgers
(626) 568-0386
3007 Huntington Dr
Pasadena, CA 91107

Arriving at this restaurant on the Northeast corner of Huntington and San Gabriel you'd think you were actually in ritzy San Marino but you're not. Though you can see the Welcome to San Marino sign accross the intersection, you're not there. You're in East Pasadena. The edge.

B-Man's became familiar to me after working next door to the establishment for a couple of years. It is always busy. The owner is almost always there, cooking and expediting orders. And for such a typical-looking fast food joint its menu offers more variety than you might expect.
B-Man's is known for its teriyaki and burgers but they also have curry fries, spam musubi and tofu skewers to name a few unexpected selections.

My last visit was in November 2008. My daughter and I shared chili fries with cheese (costs extra) and a combo bowl of teriyaki beef and chicken with avocado on top (also costs extra but definitely worth it). The chili is made with big chunks of chicken, a welcome healthy alternative to your normal beef chili. It has some kind of sweetness to it, like it's laced with their teriyaki sauce. I asked the manager if that's what's in it but he said it wasn't. Whatever it is, it is delicious. Their fries are thick,top-notch and go best with just some salt. I would say ordering them with chili and cheese is just going overboard but sometimes ya gotta splurge, right?

The combo bowl is huge. The teriyaki sauce has the perfect flavor and thick consistency I look for in fast food teriyaki. The chicken and beef are good quality, meaning, they leave out the gristle. They really pile it on, too. I get mine with avocado on top. To me the creaminess of the avocado dovetails perfectly with the other flavors in the bowl and I aim to get "the perfect bite" with each fork-full.

I did something different this time. I ordered the bowl with brown rice. I had never noticed it on the menu before that day and I can't tell you how happy it made me! I no longer have to feel guilty and/or cheat on my diet when I go there. Brown rice is in my diet but white rice is not. I wish more rice-y restaurants would offer brown rice. Thank you, B-Man's!

On previous visits I have had the Avocado & Sprouts Sandwich. It rivals their teriyaki, it is so good. And I'm a self-proclaimed carnivore! Even a meat eater like myself cannot resist crispy fresh produce on a soft french roll. Try it and don't hold the onions.

The prices at B-Man's could be lower. That is my only little complaint. It's not a big enough gripe that I won't go back. I've been back again and again. But I keep ordering the same thing! When I find a good thing I stick to it. I haven't even scratched the surface at B-Man's!

BJ's in Montebello

BJ's Restaurant

1716 Montebello Town Center

Montebello , CA 90640

323.201.5290

323.201.5294 FAX

I meant to start posting blogs on Food Ripple, like, 2 years ago. What ever happened to that idea? I don't know but here I am. Now let's begin.

Some of you may know I worked for BJ's for four years a while back. It is actually how I met my husband. I feel I know a lot about the company and being that I still eat there, I can see they haven't changed much. That's too bad.

I still eat there because the food is pretty good. So, why "too bad"? Because service sucks at just about every location. This time we're talking about the one at the Montebello Town Center. Service at this location is stifled by the inexperience of it's wait staff. My most recent trip to this location was November 2008. We waited at least 20 minutes for a server to greet our table. We were completely ignored for so long that I asked my husband if we should just go elsewhere to eat but just as we were discussing that, an apologetic server arrived and started taking our order.

Our entrees arrived before the appetizer. The food runner did not realize we hadn't received our appetizer so when our server came by we let him know we still wanted it. My husband's entree came out with a baked potato but he'd ordered mashed potatoes. Somebody brought out a side of mashed for him. As for me I'd ordered the Classic Baked Potato as my entree and I requested salsa instead of butter and sour cream (I'm on Weight Watchers trying to lose weight!) but my baker came out with butter and sour cream instead of salsa. Somebody went and fetched my salsa.

Meanwhile, we still didn't have our appetizer, which was the Lettuce Wraps (they are DELICIOUS. I get them every time.) and our table was full of stuff we did not order and nobody bothered to remove these things. The Lettuce Wraps arrived and we enjoyed them. A manager came by and sincerely apologized for the entire evening starting out bad and continuuing down that path. He comped our appetizer and I think he even comped our child's meal, which was really nice. But the thing is, BJ's has always comped food for customers who've had a bad experience. They have been doing this at least since the time I started with the company, which is about ten years ago. Why haven't they improved in that many years?

So, we have established the service to be a 4 out of 10, right? Now for the menu: BJ's has changed their menu a bit in the last several years. They've even changed the recipe for certain items, not for the better. Namely: the salsa. I think it's got some kind of chipotle or smoked spiciness to it now. I don't like it at all. It tastes like its from a jar. Something else that has changed is the tortilla chips. Their nachos used to be awesome but these newer chips they use are black, red and white and not as tasty as the original chips. They are even worse when they get burned in the salamander (where they melt the cheese).

You can tell by the menu that BJ's idolizes The Cheesecake Factory. They are trying to come up with more trendy dishes and present them in a classier style because a big hunk of withering kale just doesn't cut it anymore. I think they have good intentions with regards to the menu but before they can be that restaurant they should pay a lot more attention to the quality of service they are providing to customers who come to spend their very hard-earned money (more true than ever these days).