Come into this family-owned shop for two Armenian specialties: su beoreg and sini-monta. Think of su beoreg like a lasagna — layers of thin, house-made dough complemented with feta, mozzarella, and chopped parsley. Buy a whole pan or snag a slice. The sini-monta are open-faced beef dumplings seasoned with sumac and red pepper slathered with spicy pepper paste and a tangy yogurt-based garlic cream sauce. 

Opened by Haroutioun Geragosian in 1986, Old Sasoon Bakery is named after the village in Armenia that his grandparents left after World War II. The beorags (savory hand pies) and the lahmajoun (flat breads) make for perfect on-the-go eating, but sit down for a well-made khachapuri if time allows. This Georgian breakfast staple comes topped with a blend of cheeses, a single runny egg, and a few pats of melted butter — all in a boat-shaped flatbread. 

This deli-slash-grocery store has been making its namesake cured meat for nearly 40 years. The basturma, which is sold by weight and sliced to order, is meltingly tender, with a delicate crust of fenugreek, cumin, black pepper, and paprika.

Catch Rodney Jenkins and his smoker-on-wheels Wednesdays through Sundays at the CVS parking lot on North Lake. He’s open for lunch and dinner and serves outstanding pork ribs and beef brisket sandwiches that are smoked on site.

Namaste Spiceland is a grocery store-slash-cafe with a location in Pasadena and another in Thousand Oaks. Sip on a mango lassi while perusing its shelves or better yet, sit down for a casual meal that spans both north and south Indian fare. The shop’s owner recommends the googli paratha.

At Bone Kettle, there’s more marrow and bone broth than diners can shake a stick at. Owner Erwin Tjahyadi offers up salads, fried oxtails, Singapore-style chile-fried lobster, a 36-hour prepared broth with options that include a fatty brisket, and a cold bar with oysters and steak tartare.

Dean Yasharian, the longtime executive chef of Chateau Marmont, serves up French bistro fare at this Old Pas hot spot. The menu includes standbys like steak tartare and escargot, along with fetching vegetarian spins, like the coq au vin. The tarte tatin is a must-have for dessert.

Chef Christopher Keyser prepares some of the best plates of pasta in town. Twisty torchetti comes topped with a spicy Calabrese pork ragu, while the squid ink lumache plays well with Maine lobster and truffle butter.

Find open-air seating, Basque-inspired fare, and excellent cocktails at Saso, a seafood restaurant attached to the century-old Pasadena Playhouse. Chefs Dom Crisp, Dolly Webster, and Timothy Garcia opened during peak pandemic and have finally hit their stride. Order the pasta Saso, croquettes, and save room for the Basque cheesecake for dessert.

Copa Vida’s excellent location in Old Pasadena has served the community well with some of LA’s best coffee service, with inventive new drinks and consistent quality from cup to cup. The food menu excels too during the day, with solid breakfast burritos, sandwiches, and salads to fuel lengthy remote work sessions or face-to-face meetings.

Vancouver-based mini-chain Me + Crepe is all about the jianbing, one of China’s most popular street foods comprised of paper thin pancakes stuffed with things like fried eggs and Peking duck.

This popular pizzeria from the La Grande Orange restaurant group (whose Pasadena flagship is right next door) is housed in the former luggage area of the train depot. Employing a wood-fired oven and churning out thin crust personal pies, it’s a solid place for quality pizza in the neighborhood.

The Arbour continues to surprise Pasadena residents who tend to opt for chain restaurants along Lake Avenue. This modern, upscale California stop is instead a delightful one-off date night destination for reliable cocktails, starters, and mains like duck two-ways and seasonal risotto.

No list of “Essential Pasadena Restaurants” would be complete without the inclusion of Lucky Boy, Pasadena’s after-hours greasy spoon takeout with a killer breakfast burrito. What’s really remarkable is Lucky Boy’s hours — in a city where everything closes early, it’s one of the few spots in that draws out the night owls.