La Grande Orange Opener

While we slept off our Pebble Beach stupor last night, people, bloggers, fans were welcomed to Pasadena's new La Grande Orange for free dinks and food. Everyone showed up within 10 minutes of the 7pm starting time, the food was plentiful (brussel sprout salad caught our eye), the space is comfortable, service pleasant, all encouraging signs for a return visit. Unless this happens: "My only fear is that [the] bar/patio areas will attract the silk-shirt-wearing, hairy-chest-sporting, gold-medallion-toting guys and the stripper-heels-and-tight-dress-that-makes-you-look-like-a-stuffed-sausage-wearing gals that seem to descend on any and every bar in the Pasadena area. They treat every venue as if it's Florentine Gardens circa 1989. There's just no excuse." [Rainy Days & Sundays; previously]