The 1st Annual Masters of Taste in Pasadena

The 1st Annual Masters of Taste food festival wrapped up this weekend in Pasadena and I have come out of it a much more enriched blogger! What could be better than getting to try dozens of restaurants in less than an hour! Here are a few of the surprise favorites that came out of my afternoon of debauchery and excess at the Rosebowl.

A newfound love for Larb!

This weekend I uncovered my secret love of larb! More specifically, Spicy Larb Salmon in Squid Ink Cones with Pop Rocks. These tasty little savory bites will be forcing me to make a trek to the LAX area to see what else Chef Vanda Arapaho and Ayara Thai have in store.

Celestial offerings from Celestino

A restaurant is lucky to be in business for over a year and Celestino in Pasadena is going on 17! You have to imagine it’s due to a special kind of chef like Calogero Drago, and a special kind of pasta like Raviolini filled with Asparagus & Black Truffle Sauce.

Starbucks who?

This is what specialty coffee should taste like. The Blood Orange Nutmeg Cappuccino my husband ordered knocked my socks off so much that I had to claim it as my own. Lucky for all of us there is more available at one of the four Demitasse locations around the city. You might have trouble settling for a grande anything again.

Friendly Chefs make for curious customers

The overwhelming warmth emanating from BierBeisl Chef Bernhard Mairinger is reason enough to head to his downtown restaurant. What a bonus that the Crispy Pork Belly Crostini with Fava Bean and Radish was delicious to boot! But you better hurry, unfortunately Bierbeisl Imbisss is scheduled to close by April 16th as they will be moving to a larger facility. Good news for consumers now though, until then you can partake in their BierBeisl Blow-Out Party prices!

Hyde Sunset: More than just a nightclub

Although my clubbing days are behind me, Hyde for me has always been reminiscent of a scandalous Lindsay Lohan and her entourage. Fortunately one bite of the Braised Beef Cheek Pea and Sunchoke Puree with Crispy Shallots and Pea Vines has already replaced the memory.

Alexander’s Steakhouse for burly bites and beverages

Even the daintiest of ladies gets a manly cocktail craving every once in a while. Head to Alexander’s in Pasadena for a traditional Old Fashioned and something less traditional, like Beef and Foiestrami Tartar on a Buckwheat Rye Crepe. Although the average entree price is what you would expect from a steakhouse, their social hour from 5pm-6:30 PM weekdays has menu offerings that go toe to toe with the cocktail prices.

Since attending the 1st Annual Masters of Taste in Pasadena I’ve been lucky enough to make it to all the rest! Get even more juicy details about the event in the latest Masters of Taste.