Pasadena Archives - AJ Feuerman

So what’s a “Sanger?” Well in Australia, it appears to be slang for sandwich, so I’m going with that.

I don’t frequent Pasadena enough, which is a shame because it’s not a bad drive from my home and it’s a rather charming city that hosts a wide array of restaurants. I am particularly fond of Old Town Pasadena, and not just because my favorite frozen yogurt shop is there.

At the end of last year, I discovered a lovely cafe in Old Town called Sangers & Joe. They opened their doors in October, serving up coffee, tea, pastries and delectable breakfast and lunch plates from award-winning Chef Claudio Dell’Anno. In November they added a weekend brunch menu from Chef Rouha Sadighi (The Rooster Breakfast Food Truck, Cutthroat Kitchen winner) with tasty scrambles, benedicts and crepes alongside some of Chef Sadighi’s signature specialties.

Rounding out this new menu are five classic brunch dishes, including a classic eggs benedict and, keeping the “sandwich” in Sanger, the “Breakfast Sanger” — an open-faced ciabatta bread delight topped with scrambled eggs, gouda and bacon. You cannot go wrong with the eggs benedict. I loved that the ham was sliced thin and it made the dish easier to cut into. Their hollandaise sauce is perfection. I enjoyed the Breakfast Sanger but I did feel like the bread could have been heavier — it was a little too flaky for my liking.

But surprisingly, my favorite thing we shared was the avocado toast. Made quite simply with a squeeze of lime over it, it was unbelievably good. You can add a poached egg to it if you like to make it more breakfasty, but it was really delicious as is and when I go back, that’s what I’m having.

And I’ll probably have it with a Chai Tea Latte because it was equally good. They have a massive coffee and tea selection but this is always my go-to to test the “waters.” It was lovely.

The place is really lovely, adjoined to a terrific, independent shop filled with unique vintage furniture items and home trinkets, perfectly positioned for you to take a stroll after you’ve eaten, with convenient street and public parking all around.

A fun touch? A community library! I was tempted to borrow something but I’ve got a stack of books to read already…. I will definitely bring some to donate next time I go, though.

For more information, including the entire, wonderful menu, visit their website.

Entering Magnolia House in Pasadena, it’s like you’ve entered some secret back alley.

Not to worry – no one is going to steal your wallet. Down this alley and around the corner is a glorious bar and intimate restaurant that serves up fabulous cocktails and amazing food. And I’m not even exaggerating — the entry is kind of an alley…. Built over 100 years ago, Magnolia has been a family home, a post-Prohibition liquor store and a myriad of modern businesses. They have preserved that house-feeling so incredibly well (I mean, case and point – you can see the actual house in this photo) and the result is pretty unique.

But enough about the setting. Can we talk about the experience? The food? The drinks?

At first, I was concerned as a possibly misguided hostess thought it was okay to seat me and my guest in a corner completely out of view of the rest of the restaurant, behind a loud party of about 10 people. But the manager wasn’t having it (frankly, I wasn’t either) and had her move us almost immediately to a proper spot, dead center of all the action. He and our fantastic server wasted no time making recommendations so I started off with the “Everyday Sunshine” – a cocktail that contained everything I love in life: vodka, pineapple, raspberry, lime…. It was sweet and delicious. I’m a pretty girly drinker and I know a lot of y’all are too. Don’t even try to be all tough with that bourbon I can smell from nine feet away.

Some of you have probably realized by now that I almost always bring a guest with me on these restaurant visits. It’s not because I hate dining alone — on the contrary, I rather enjoy it. It’s really because as a single person, it’s hard to sample enough of the menu to make a fair evaluation… Also so I don’t send myself into fatal obesity stuffing my face with great food at a place like Magnolia House.

We began with something simple and small – NUTS. I’m not joking. (Although I am giggling like a teenager every time I type NUTS.) And not just any nuts. The black truffle infused sea salt pistachios come out in a little bucket and this is where having my friend was handy. Because were she not present, I may have opened my mouth and just poured that bucket out. Pistachios are my favorite nut, guys, but these were unreal.

Of course, I could not pass up trying the Brussels sprouts, too. They are made with pistachio pesto, bacon, and pecornio cheese with a flash fried poached egg on top. Also unreal. I dreamed about these sprouts for many nights after. My sexy man dreams were getting jealous.

We weren’t done with shared plates yet because then I simply had to try the king crab mac & cheese. It was among some of the best mac & cheese I’ve ever tasted. It didn’t even need the crab, but I certainly enjoyed that, too!

Oh but wait — then it was time for a second cocktail and I was feeling a little more brave so at the manager’s urging I tried the “Phantom Engineer” which is mezcal, rye, grapefruit, lime and aperitif wine (it’s basically vermouth, I believe). He was right to urge. I liked it better than my earlier beverage.

I was already nearing full but the team insisted their burger was to die for and I do love a good burger. So it arrived and we split it in half. THE CHEESE won me over before I even put it in my mouth. They make their own American cheese! How nuts is that?! And it also has bourbon onions and thick-cut smoked bacon. It is definitely an amazing burger. Maybe even my top five. I’ll have to have it again and will let you know…

In the end, it came down to dessert or polishing off the pistachios I hadn’t consumed yet so for the good of this review, I had the bread pudding. It was wonderful. But then I had nut-regret. They were so stinking good and how could I just let half a bucket of nuts go to waste like that?!

Answer: I couldn’t. I begged for a plastic baggy. They obliged.

Added bonus? They bring the check out in a “little black book.” We enjoyed flipping through it and reading previous customer contributions. Naturally, we left our own. Luckily my friend has a sense of humor.

More:

Official website
Their socials – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Parking – street parking? When we went, there wasn’t a valet but we found a lot behind the building that seemed like it was safe.
Pro tip – It’s a fairly small restaurant and they do not take reservations. Plan accordingly.

Sangers And Joe in Pasadena

Magnolia House Pasadena – A Neighborhood Gem