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Restaurant ratings
IncaGrill
Peruvian
Alisso Viejo
A/$$
Versailles
Cuban
West LA
A/$$
Acapulco
Mexican/Tex-Mex
Pasadena
B+/$$
Border Grill
(Closed to business!!!)
Latin American
Pasadena
B+/$$$
Chiquita Bonita
Mexican/Tex-Mex
Pasadena
B/$
El Caserio
Ecuadorian
Los Angeles
B/$$
La Ciudad
California Modern Latin
Los Angeles
A-/$$$$
Gaucho Grill
Argentinean Grill
Pasadena
B-/$$
La Luna Negra
Spanish/Mexican
Pasadena
B+/$$$
Madre's
Cuban/PuertoRican
Pasadena
B-/$$$$
Margarita Jones
TexMex
Pasadena
B+/$$
El Cholo
Mexican/Tex-Mex
Pasadena
B/$$
Mijares
Mexican/Tex-Mex
Pasadena
B/$$
Xiomara
ModernCuban/French
Pasadena
C-/$$$$
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Xiomara: A tastless diXappointement 10.10.2004
So if i would have something good to say
about Xiomara is that they are really good
at getting your hopes up and then shattering
them up like geeky kid with a date in prom night.
The restaurant on Raymont St in Old Towne Pasadena
is cozy. It is a classing new modern bistro, quite
good for dates and people who want to show off
wasting money during the weekend. The menu offers
a wide variety a latin inspired dishes, with almost
no vegetarian options. But even if you enjoy your
pork or beef, after waiting a long time to get your
food, the dishes though nicely plated do not reflect
the strong amazing yet clean tastes usually found
on cuban cuisine. Instead they are for the most part
as bland and boring as white rice. The only fun
and tastefull dishes were the sorbets taste clensers
they give you between courses. I would only go back
to Xiomara if i was to get a cupon from my Sunday
LA Times offering me 90% off discount + free
Taco Bell bean burrito. - the bitter sabor critic Margarita Jones: Me and Mrs. Jones got a tab going on... 01.14.2005 Margarita Jones, a staple from Los Angeles, now has a restaurant in Pasadena. However, strict Pasadena rules have stopped this usally lively restaurant with full night life to open their well know loud dance floor and let the margaritas flow late at night. The restaurant is big, and usually not that crowded. That tends to kill the ambiance a bit i must admit. Also the access to the parking is less than optimal (but at least they got rid of valet parking which basically parked the car in the many open spots right in front of the entrance.) The food is a decent North (Ranchero?) Mexico/TexMex (CalMex?) offering. The guacamole comes with a show, as they prepare it in front of your eyes. The margaritas can pack a punch, and the flan (though inconsistent from time to time) can be yummy! If you are planning your birthaday party, bringing your own Mariachi band, then you will like this place. If you are looking for a cozy place, this aint it. But its certainly good. Now if they only added (New Mexican) sopaipillas with honey to menu.... - the bitter sabor critic El Caserio: Gotz 2 Represent! 04.11.2005 Being Ecuadorian myself, the excitement i felt when i found out there was an Ecuadorian restaurant on North Virgil within driving distance was out of imaginable. Placed in a tinny grungy strip mall next to Peruvian restaurant (I half expected harsh glances from the one crowd to the other), the unassumming little place severs some pretty tasty ecuadorian treats. Note that not all the food is perfect, but there enough dishes to make your visit noteworthy. Ecuador has actually various differnt tipes of cousine, as the food from the highlings tends to be drier and fried, while the food from the coast is more fishy and lively/lemony. Things to try are the classic shrimp ceviche (Ecuadorian style is more soupy than the drier more lemony Peruvian or Mexican.) Then you have got to go for the Chuchucaras. Chuchucars classically is a dish composed of 7-8 different/separate components: mote (homeny), cheese empanadas (cheese filled puffs), fritada (salteed pork chunks), tostado (sun dried/fried large corn kernels), sweeth plantains, roasted small potatoes, popcorn, and some crispy deepfried pork skin. They even have a veggie version of it without the pork chunks. Ecuador, also famous for fresh fruit and fresh thick juices (almost smothies) served daily with every meal, is slightly representd. Try the Naranjilla juice, it tastes great, though it is quite watery and made from concetrate (Naranjilla is like a mix between a kiwi and an orange). The price is not too bad either. I just wished they gave me a "ecuatoriano" discount. *sigh* - the bitter sabor critic |
Coffee Shop ratings
La Zona Rosa
Oakland
A-
Equator
Old Town
A-
Borders
Lake
B+
Red Door
Caltech
A
Peet's
Lake
B-
Starbucks
Colorado, Fair Oaks,
Los Robles, Lake, Hill
B
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Raymond, Lake
A
* ratings and reviews by svl; not the views of the club,
nor the university, nor probably even my own mother..
*sigh*
for maps and directions look for names under 
fore more restaurants see the LAWeekly Guide to Pan-Latin Cuisine (they actually liked Xiomara) |
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| Portales: Tu Rumbo - Terra - Yupi | ||||
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