You’ll find Quadrupel Brasserie in Old Town Pasadena, but off the beaten path. The cozy, warm space is located on Union Street just west of Raymond Avenue. Once inside, you are quickly aware that this is a high-end brasserie but not pretentious and definitely not stuffy. Belgian beers are the specialty here. Our server, Javier, helped in the beer selection by narrowing down our taste for particular types of beer: Do you like hoppy or malty? Light or dark? More carbonation or a finer carbonation? My answers led to my first beer choice of the evening: Lucifer. The beer was everything that was described by Javier, and it was a great beer to start the meal. more ›

With all the buzz surrounding restaurant newcomers Anisette and Comme Ca, another elegant French bistro has quietly slipped under the foodie radar: The Hall at Palihouse. This serene, casual, but sophisticated space within the "extended-stay" hotel has recently changed chefs: Anisette's former chef de cuisine, Brendan Collins, has taken over from Stephanie O'Mary, and in doing so has invigorated the traditional French bistro menu with more exotic Mediterranean influences. more ›

Alain Giraud is a charismatic guy. He is the picture of a merry chef, walking through his restaurant in his whites, with a warm smile, raking his fingers through a pristine silver hairdo that only a Frenchman can pull off. And even when he whispered (politely) to me, “Madame, please don’t take pictures of the restaurant”, I could not help but smile and say, alright then. He is just that, how do you say… geniale. more ›