One of the most memorable “grazing” nights out, my husband and I had recently, was at the Dish Bistro & Bar in Pasadena.
PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately Dish Bistro & Bar has closed in 2011
I’ve been reading about this restaurant in various publications and on-line and was very excited to finally have a night off from both work and kids to go out and experience what it had to offer.
Grazing? Yes… When it comes to Happy Hours, I’m there for the FOOD since I’m not a huge alcohol drinker. Don’t get me wrong, the cocktails at $4 were awesome – we both had their Bloody Mary – very spicy (just the way I like it!) with a ton of extra large and juicy olives (the bartender is not stingy!) And, beers were available at $3 a pop.
However, the cool thing (among many) is that Dish Bistro’s Happy Hour offers a wonderful selection of what they call bites and small plates which gave me a perfect excuse to try as many items as possible on the menu. Hmmm… that’s where “grazing” came in. 🙂
My goal was to try as many of their offerings as possible to get a sense of the famed Chef Job Carder’s cuisine. And… I have to admit, we did quite well…
We started out with Fried Olives stuffed with roasted shallots and veal pancetta, followed by Dave’s Humus and Grilled Pita. Side note here – I had an opportunity to meet the owner of Dish Bistro, Dave who said that it took quite a few tries to make the Humus just as he remembered his grandma making it when he was a kid. And, in my opinion, he more than succeeded. It had a great consistency and just the perfect blend of flavors without being too lemony. Loved it!
And, then we noticed, the Onion and Madeira Soup Gratinee – oh what a mistake! The soup was absolutely delish, perfectly prepared and ridiculously filling. Didn’t Job realize that I was there to eat as much as I could? So… what’s a girl to do, but to stay strong and move on to Charred Octopus Carpaccio and Oysters Dianne… Oh… and let’s not forget the lamb carpaccio… it was truly to die for! Just heavenly!
The service was outstanding as well. The waiter was extremely attentive and the table was constantly being cleaned and water glasses refilled.
Coup de resistance w
as meeting Chef Job who unabashedly admitted that even when he tries to make bad food, he can’t. And… you know what… I so believe him. He is a natural and has an inborn sense of flavor combination and sure knows how to plate!
I took a whole bunch of photos, but am embarrassed to say that I’ve looked high and low and can not find them anywhere… thus the delay in this post.
However, you do not need my photos… just stop on by and experience Dish Bistro for yourself. I’ll be there soon for their Crispy Sonoma Liberty Duck Confit… I think I’ve been dreaming about it for the last few weeks…
Location:
Dish Bistro & Bar
53 East Union Street
Pasadena, California 91103 (map)
(626) 795-5546
Dish’s 3 – 4- 5 Happy Hour is held every Tuesday through Friday from 4 pm to 7 pm for early birds, and then again from 10 pm until midnight for the night lovers!
So Day 75 of 365 Things To Do In Pasadena™ is dedicated to this culinary experience!
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Visit 365 Things To Do In Pasadena® for more fun activities in Pasadena California and surrounding neighborhoods.
