The husband andspouse group behind Pez Cantina and the now-shuttered chain of Milk ice cream parlors opened Pez Coastal Kitchen in Pasadena on February fifteenth. Pez Cantina in Downtown in 2014 and one other on BLVD MRKT in 2021. The restaurant's menu leans in direction of seafood with an emphasis on smoked meats and dried fish ready on website.
The couple, who each grew up in Southern California and at the moment stay in South Pasadena, needed the placement for Pez Coastal Kitchen to maintain them anchored to the San Gabriel Valley. Situated on the nook of Raymond and Union Streets within the coronary heart of Outdated City Pasadena, the restaurant constructing was in-built 1896 with strong architectural bones. (The constructing was beforehand occupied by a YMCA and a dry items retailer earlier than being boarded up within the Nineteen Seventies; the final tenant was the burger bar Slater's 50/50.) Margee Drews Design gutted the house however stored its large home windows. He constructed customized arches in addition to cubicles and counters whereas including Havana-style ceiling followers. The unique copper doorways have been fastidiously restored.
The newest restaurant is just not Pez 3.0., says Thompson. Pez Coastal Kitchen's menu is seasonal and displays the cultures of Los Angeles, Thompson-Ramirez's Mexican origins and Thompson's travels and coaching in Spain and France. “Downtown's Pez could be very centered on Baja California, however Lucy and I believed we might discover and have enjoyable with nice seafood,” says Thompson. “We treatment and smoke to an entire totally different stage with fish dry-aged for seven days and cured for 3 days, and we use it for quite a lot of issues.”
The chilly bar appears like a Parisian brasserie, exhibiting shellfish tower with aquachile shooter of scallops, oysters, sea urchins, or no matter is in season. Starters embody molle, seared bluefin tuna and a Caesar salad that makes use of pepitas and crispy nori as a substitute of croutons. For entrees, Thompson prepares pan-seared jumbo scallops, selfmade pastas like spaghetti a la chitarra with Manila clams, mussels and uni, plus an entire fried fish piccata with capers, lemon and white wine. Different proteins embody a crispy half rooster and a ribeye filet with inexperienced sauce.
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The opening cocktail menu developed by veteran bartender Mike Dane of Arroyo Chop Home options six cocktails, together with twists on the classics with a rosemary paloma, matcha bitter and a Colada made with Chartreuse. The wine choice is made up of bottles from California, Oregon, France, Spain and Italy. Pez Coastal pours 16 beers from principally native brewers like Craftsman Brewing Firm as a result of the previous tenant left its beer faucets.
“I lived in Europe for 3 years and [Pez Coastal] it takes me again to my European days with a good quantity of Lebanese affect,” says Thompson. “I spent 10 years touring forwards and backwards to Beirut for milk. All of the great substances they use right here, we carry to the menu right here as effectively.”
Pez Coastal Kitchen is situated at 61 N. Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103, and is open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5 pm to 10 pm and Friday and Saturday from 5 pm to 11 pm.
