YEE: King’s Row Gastropub Pasadena
I thought I would get back into blogging with an easier batch of photos to edit. *sidenote* My DSLR decided to crap out on me halfway through the meal and the white balance actually turned half the pictures.... green. Yes, green. So.... I edited what I could salvage.
Monday night, I attended a Yelp Elite event and had such a fantastic time! I FINALLY met Shelley Z. after months of back and forth on Yelp. She’s an absolute sweetheart and such a great conversationalist! At each elite event, I always end up meeting so many interesting and friendly people.
(Pictured: Naan, punch and menu 9.15.15)
Now, down to the nitty gritty, the review!
King’s Row is a gastropub in the heart of Old Pasadena, and if you walk just a little too fast, you might just miss it! Once inside, the ambient lighting is like that of a pub/bar. There are brick layered walls and antique-y wooden floors, but my attention was immediately drawn to the myriad of beers on tap. WOW. Go King’s Row!
The food is a little beast of its own; what creative takes on traditional dishes! We were served naan, wings, sliders and chocolate cream pie.
Naan (stuffed with provolone cheese) - The naan was pillowy soft and just slightly seasoned so that you can really taste the cheese. It was kind of reminiscent of a quesadilla. Haha.
Wings (Mary’s chicken, chipotle honey glaze and house ranch) - The wings were amazing! The chicken was twice fried so it had a really nice crunch while the meat itself was really juicy. But I found the glaze to be the best part; it was a perfect balance between sweet, savoury and spicy. I also loved that the sauce consistency was not runny or overly greasy. The only downfall of the dish was the ranch. By itself, its a great condiment, but the flavors got lost when eaten with the wings and glaze.
(Pictured: Wings and Naan 9.15.15)
Burger + Fries (house ground patty, home-made American cheese, pickles, LTO, and Thousand Island all on a brioche bun) - OK.... I was a little disappointed with the “burger.” Its not a burger, its a slider. Other than that little blip, the slider was tasty. The patty was medium rare and the brioche added a little sweetness to the slider. As for the fries, yum. Who doesn’t love shoe-string fries? Satan, thats who. KIDDING! Gosh, gotta be all PC these days.
(Pictured: Burger and Fries 9.15.15)
Pastrami Slider (house cured pastrami, pickles, Sir Kensington mustard all tucked into a naan roll) - Its a good serving size; as opposed to the burger what was actually slider sized. The pastrami is pretty salty so just a tiny bun was enough. I wasn’t blown away by this dish. I like my pastrami thick cut and fatty. KR’s pastrami was thinly sliced and a little dry, but the mustard and pickles fixed that right up.
Chocolate Cream Pie - Fuh-reakin-tastic. Maybe its the fact that I grew up eating my grandma’s ice box cake (I have the sweetest Italian grandma and I love her to bits). This pie had a graham cracker crust, chocolate pudding, creme fraiche topping and shaved chocolate. I wish I could have eaten the whole pie because this was better than any pie I’ve had in LA (including Pie Hole *gasp*). It was perfectly balanced between rich chocolate and creamy sweetness. I didn’t find myself searching high and low to find milk because the pie was not overly saccharine. Another point for KR!
Oh, can’t forget the booze!
Endless Boozy Punch (bourbon base, honey, lemon, hibiscus water, orange juice and prosecco) - This was SUPER strong, but tasty. I could see myself sippin’ this after a long day. I’m a one shot wonder so.... I was pretty much set after one glass, but I definitely saw people going back for more. (I would have had seconds too if my alcohol tolerance was better.)
Overall, great food, great drinks and great PEOPLE. If you’re searching for a place to hang with friends or happy hour, give King’s Row a try!