The 11 best restaurants in Pasadena

Fresh ingredients are the constant focus at this phenomenal Northern Italian, farmers’ market-driven place: a roasted beets salad features thinly sliced radishes mixed in with meaty beets and chunks of cara cara oranges, while sweet olives and walnuts are scattered about as garnish. The mussels and guanciale is stellar, too, with huge mussels swimming in the most delicious broth, which you can take advantage of with the toasted bread to scoop up bits of salty guanciale and garlic. Don’t even think about skipping the polenta here—it’s one of Union’s best dishes, and something that will have you talking about the restaurant days later.

No matter what your feelings are about waiting in line, there’s a methodical beauty to the near-constant queue at Mediterranean Cafe. Step up to the counter, place your order, fork over a few dollars, and before you even have your change back, there’s a blue tray with your lunch waiting on the counter. As consistent as the service is, the food is that much better. Though the shawarma plate mainly keeps the lunch break crowds coming, the falafel is an essential add-on: two pieces the size of a large macaron, crisp on the outside and like a light cake on the inside. The spiced sides are good enough to devour as is, but you’ll find yourself scraping every last drop out of the small cup of tahini.

Like a West Coast version of Dean & DeLuca, it’s highly likely that you’ll pick up one of the prepared goods while waiting in line at Lincoln. Bags of candy, homemade jam, pickled veggies and well-spiced crackers line the shelves around the high-ceilinged space. Stay focused: You have some serious decisions to make for breakfast or lunch. Parmesan eggs with crème fraîche and grilled bread, a savory breakfast bowl with white beans and fennel sausage, and plenty of sandwiches fill the menu, along with daily specials like blueberry pancakes and yogurt with granola. Lincoln is a champion of bowls, but if you’re just here for a coffee and a freshly baked pastry, you can find that here, too, enjoyed on one of the sunny picnic benches outside.

What used to be Del Mar Train Station’s holding room for luggage is now The Luggage Room, a pizzeria serving organic and gluten free varieties that will make you forget the space was ever the scene of jumbled suitcases. Fresh produce is key here, and can be found in options like the Avocado Festival, Mushroom Party and Mother Earth (featuring artichokes, roasted peppers and broccolini). Or make your own, and enjoy alongside one of the Luggage Room’s select wines.

Float presents a relaxed alternative to the power lunches and fast casual chains in Pasadena’s South Lake Avenue district. You’ll find the cafe and its few outdoor seats at the end of an oddly charming facsimile of London’s Burlington Arcade. The sandwich menu is small but varied, from the tangy Chipotle Bacon Club to the Harvest Vegetarian’s appetite-satisfying combo of veggies, hummus and honey goat cheese spread. The other side of the menu sources local favorites for coffee (Coffee Manufactory) and ice cream (Fosselman’s). Bottled soda pop selections and floats served in mason jars with candy-stripe straws contrast with exposed light bulbs and Taschen books in the interior.

Though the menu at the budding Dog Haus empire reads like a drunken cookbook of street dogs and Denny’s breakfasts, the plump, flavorful hot dogs at one of two original Pasadena locations show more tact and restraint than their sloppy inspirations, thanks in part to the sweet, soft Hawaiian bread buns. Among the long list of dependably delectable dogs, burgers and brats, the Sooo Cali is the hot dog of choice, with its thick slices of avocado, crispy onions and spicy basil aioli. Out front, the picnic bench patio offers a charming alternative to the sports bar-like interior. In both areas, the delightfully cheesy ’80s touches are inescapable, from the loud soundtrack (think Toto) to the menu (The Abe Froman, Scott Baioli).